What kind of dad would purposely leave his family unless he didn't care at all? It was difficult on Father's Day, his birthday, Christmas, and other holidays, but slowly she had gotten used to the realization that she didn't have a father. Though she tried to hang on to the happy memories of him, the older she got the less the memories stayed with her. Then there was Kayla's dad who had left her mom a while back for a younger woman.
"Do you go to school?" Nick asked, changing the subject.
"We just graduated from high school. We're both eighteen," Kayla said, emphasizing her age.
"Cool," Nick said, looking out over the ocean. His eyes dazzled in the moonlight. "Would you like to take a swim?"
"Sure." Kayla looked at Skylar, gesturing for her to come along.
Offering his hand like a gentleman, Kayla took it. With Kayla's other hand, she pulled Skylar and dragged her along. Though Skylar protested somewhat at first, she wanted to make sure Kayla was safe. Not only that, she didn't want to be left alone there with Remus. After all, they didn't know these people, and for some strange reason she didn't think she could trust them.
She sensed danger but didn't know why. Perhaps it was all the horrific stories she always heard on the news, or perhaps it was the way Nick didn't seem at all sad about his parents' deaths. Even more so, she didn't like the way Remus stared at her. Whatever the reason, she was going to keep her eyes wide open.
Looking out over the calm dark water, Kayla dropped her bag and watched as Nick dove into the ocean. Wiggling out of her top and shorts, the fabric from Kayla's white bikini made her practically glow in the dark.
"Can you get any brighter?" Skylar teased.
"So you can see me better, my dear, said the wolf to Little Red Riding Hood." Kayla giggled.
Laughing at her remark, Skylar shook her head. "I'll be here, dunking my feet. You know I don't like going in the water."
"Okay, be careful. I'll be back real soon."
"Yeah, right."
Though Skylar felt like a third wheel, she wanted to stay close, for Kayla's sake. Watching them go farther in, Skylar took off her clothes, revealing a one-piece black swimsuit. Gazing to the right she saw a pier and did a double take when she thought she saw someone standing there. She dismissed it when she realized there was no sign of anyone.
She had never been fond of the ocean; the grandness and the strength of it frightened her. As long as she didn't go in deeper than her knees, she knew she would be fine. Coldness stung her legs when she first dipped her feet in, but then she got used to it. The temperature grew on her, becoming comfortable. Bored to be doing nothing, she dug her feet into the sand again and somehow it gave her a sense of serenity.
Checking on Kayla, she looked out into the distance. Their bodies pressed together in the moonlight looked romantic, so she focused back on her feet, not wanting to intrude on their intimate moment. Watching them make out was not her idea of fun, so she headed toward the pier. Skylar respected her cousin, but she couldn't understand how she could kiss someone she'd just met.
Thoughts of her ex began to rush through her head. It had been several months since they'd broken up, but the pain reemerged when she thought about what he'd done. They had been together for almost a year, and after she gave her heart to him he'd cheated on her.
Skylar swore she would be cautious with future relationships, and here she was once again thinking about the cop, or whoever he was. Why did he have this effect on her? She didn't know him at all. It's pure lust, she thought. If he were there she would kiss him, just to do something crazy, something she would never normally do. Maybe that was what her cousin was doing, just acting on the spur of the moment. It wasn't anything bad, after all.
Something shimmering like crystal caught Skylar's attention, changing in color from lavender, to pink, to gold under the water. Curiosity got the best of her, and she inched her way toward it, now up to her knees in the water. As if she were spellbound, her whole being was sucked into the colorful tunnel of lights, and she couldn't peel her eyes from it. The glittering lights were calling out to her. She was hypnotized by their exquisiteness, unaware she was drifting farther in.
When the water was up to her chest, she snapped out of it. Realizing how deep it was, she panicked. How was it possible she had drifted this far out? Ever since the time she'd almost drowned at the beach, she had sworn she would never go in so deep. Though she couldn't recall the full details, she could recall enough, as if the event were etched into her memory. She had been eight years old and it happened just before her father had left the family.
Heaving, she felt like she was having an attack as her heart painfully hammered a mile a minute. Her muscles tensed up so tightly from fright that she couldn't move or breathe. It was dark and Kayla was too far away to hear her cry for help. After telling herself to calm down, she turned back toward the land. After taking several long inhalations she moved forward, dragging her weight through the water and fighting the mild current.
Unexpectedly, she felt something wrap around her ankle. She didn't think much of it, figuring it was just seaweed or some kind of sea plant. She reached under the water to pull it off.
Whatever it was latched on to her wrist and flipped her with a yank, submerging her body as it turned with the wave. Desperately she pulled, tugged, and fought with all her might, but she couldn't get free. Managing to pop out of the water, she inhaled air with a loud extended gasp only to get sucked back under again. Whatever this thing was, it had coiled around most of her upper torso and she couldn't move her arms. With no air left, she blew bubbles. Unable to escape the thing that held her captive, she had no choice but to accept death.
Skylar couldn't believe she was going to die. It wasn't fair. She was too young. Her life had just begun. Thoughts of her mother, her aunt, and Kayla-who would blame herself-flashed through her mind. Though she hardly ever prayed, now was the time to do it.
Skylar's eyes were already closed, but she could see a light, growing brighter by the second. Thinking it was an angel's light, she calmed herself into a state of tranquility. As her body became light as a feather, she drifted into unconsciousness, hoping she was floating to Heaven.
Mason's whole body glowed brightly like a shooting star. He blasted through the darkness and plunged into the murky dark water so he could locate Skylar. The creature that held her captive in its vine-like tentacles had wrapped her up like a mummy and was pulling her deeper into the ocean. Clutching one of its limbs, Mason squeezed it forcefully and the intense heat from his electricity-like power scorched it. When it unwrapped itself from Skylar's body, more arms came slashing through from below.
Bolts that looked like lightning darted out from the palms of Mason's hands, but they didn't scare the beast away. It retaliated by extending more tentacles. One wrapped around Mason's waist when he dodged another that was trying to spiral around his ankles. He gripped it, sending blistering sensations through it. Sizzling, it uncoiled, but there were more around him.
Being a demigod, he could stay under the water as long as he liked, but Skylar could not. Knowing he needed to get her up for air, he shot multiple bolts as fast as he could. Finally, the beast disappeared into the abyss.
With incredible speed, Mason swam to shore with Skylar in his arms and laid her down on the sand to begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Getting no response, he pushed on her chest in a bunch of quick repetitions. With Skylar still unresponsive, he did it again . . . and again . . . and again. "Come on." Finally, water shot out from her mouth, followed by relentless coughing. She looked drained and her body went limp.
"Dooouug. Maccc . . . e," she mumbled, desperately trying to open her eyes.
Doug? Mace? Letting out a short chuckle, he realized she was recalling the name tag on the cop's uniform he had worn when he pulled her over, and by Mace she must have meant Mason. Though Nick habitually liked to call him Mace, he couldn't recall him saying that name in front of her. He was most surprised to hear the name Doug. Mason was sure he'd told her that he wasn't the cop.
It was a good thing he had been taking a stroll on the pier. When he'd spotted Skylar he watched her in fascination, but hid behind the wooden pole when he thought she had seen him. He had only hid for a moment, but when he turned to watch her again, she had disappeared. Frantically, he had looked for her, but when there was no sign of her, he dove in.
He knew there was something different-something special about her the night he had first looked into her eyes, but he couldn't determine what it was. Whatever it was, he liked the way she made him feel by her mere presence. Every cell in his body came alive and his heart burst with elation. Though he liked the feeling, at the same time it terrified him. Knowing she would be trouble, mostly for his heart, he had to dismiss her in every way he could. He had to. There was no room for her in his life, no room to care, and especially no room to love. He wouldn't let her in.