Are you all right? I’ve heard you calling me. I know you need me. Why don’t you contact me again? Use the phone! I know you’re in pain. I feel it every day. This waiting is killing me.
I had fallen asleep hours ago. The entire time, I saw nothing but blackness and it was starting to irritate me. This past year, I’d learned to love the solitude, but now, not knowing anything was getting to be a real pain. I could feel myself shifting and turning in bed as my restless body fought to either dream or wake up. Is it right to sleep this way? I don’t think it should be allowed.
Then, in the distance, a faint light began to grow. I moved toward it, hoping this would be the start of a good dream. The closer I got to the light, the larger it grew until I stepped into my dream. I recognized the beach instantly; it was the beach where Thayde would die. Hastily scanning both directions, I found myself alone. I wasn’t sure what to do. In the past, the dream had always started with me instantly coming across Thayde dead in the waves, but this time, he was nowhere to be seen.
I settled into the warm sand and pulled my knees to my chin. What now? Not a darn thing happened. After a while, I began to relax. Maybe this was one of those rare nice dreams, where I could just sit and watch the waves roll in, listen to the surf and try not to get pooped on by a passing seagull. I stretched my legs in front of me and leaned back on my arms. This was certainly better than dreaming nothing.
A dark, thin shape formed in the water. Squinting against the glaring sun, I held my hand up. The waves continued to push the form to shore. When I stood, I could see it was a person. There were no boats on the horizon and I wondered where they had come from.
Eventually, he reached the surf’s edge and collapsed. I ran toward him at a full sprint, hoping I’d be able to help in any way. My heart stopped when I realized it was a merman. The dark blue tail was too familiar and I instantly recognized the tribal tattoo on his left arm. It was Thayde.
Rolling him onto his back, I hardly recognized him. He was emaciated and his skin was grey like the sky on a cold, rainy day. Feeling for his pulse, I placed my fingers against his throat and felt sick when there wasn’t one. I began CPR right away.
After several minutes, he began to cough and threw up sea water. His eyes opened briefly, then shut in pain as he grabbed at his chest and screamed in agony.
“Oh God!” I panicked. “Baby, what do I do?”
“Take it out,” he cried, curling against the pain.
“I don’t know how!” I couldn’t see him. The tears were blinding my vision and I hastily wiped my hands across my eyes. Still, there was nothing.
“Morgan, help me,” he pleaded, breathless.
“Thayde!” I was wiping my eyes, trying to see through the tears. When I opened them again, the light was retreating from me.
“No!” I screamed, running toward it, but the faster I ran, the faster it disappeared, taking Thayde along with it. The moment the light disappeared, I was alone in the dark. A nasty laugh echoed, growing louder and louder.
I awoke a shaking mess. Mom sat on the edge of my bed, shaking my shoulder.
I leapt out of bed. “It’s Thayde, he’s in trouble! I have to go now!”
“Honey, we don’t even know where they are!” Mom objected, swiveling around on the bed to face me.
“I don’t care.” I pulled on a bikini. “Tammer’s not with him. I don’t know where he is, but I’m going to find him.”
“You can’t!” Mom stood in an attempt to show authority. “You haven’t completed your training!”
I finished snapping on the bikini top and faced her.
“He’s dying, Mom,” I said matter-of-factly. “I can’t let that happen.”
She said nothing.
“What would you do?” I asked and she threw her hands up in defeat.
“Probably what you are doing.”
I grabbed a shirt and pulled it on. “I’ll try to connect with him and leap to him.”
“The farthest you’ve leapt is a few yards! How do you expect to leap half a world?”
“I don’t know.”
I didn’t know. It seemed impossible, but the one thing I’d learned lately was that nothing was impossible. I kissed her on the cheek and flew from the room, skipping down the stairs two at a time. Mom hurried after me and stopped where I stood at the edge of the water.
“Good luck, Morgandy,” she whispered. “Be safe.”
“I will.” I turned from her, closing my eyes.
Focus. Focus on peace and calm. Focus on love and Thayde. Focus. Lord, help me find him.
My breathing slowed and I felt light as a feather. The ends of my fingers seemed nonexistent. The golden orb I conjured began to swirl around me as its power amplified, the intense heat making my skin prickle. I forced the power through just as I had in the lake.