After dropping off her bag in her small, dingy room, Aria went to the kitchen, which was cluttered with stacks of packing boxes, and grabbed a piece of stale bread from the cupboard.

This was her first meal of the day. She chugged down the bland food with water, trying not to think of how repulsed she was by the whole arrangement.

Only her supposed stepdad-the one she detestably called Baddie-was in, lying on the sunken couch, drunk like a fish. She didn't want to suffer another bout of abuse when he woke up, so she figured her best bet would be to find a way out of this prison called a house.

Maybe now was the perfect time to check out that beach everyone here seemed to always be talking about.
Besides, she needed to feel the rush of the waves to clear her mind.

After changing to her swimsuit, she took her treasured surfboard and headed out.

She and her mom had relocated to Coasta Hera last month for several reasons. Things were looking even more bleak than they had been when they were back in France.

Aria wasn't religious. She'd been raised as a freethinker.
Her favourite pastime was to travel to exotic places all over Eurasia with her dad on vacations. Their many travels made her fluent in English, Latin and French.

Then came the blow to her formerly happy home-her mother found out that her father had another family in Algeria.
Hurt, her parents went through a whirlwind lawsuit to process the divorce and decide who would get custody of Aria.

Within the next year, they lost everything and her mom slunk into depression. Next thing she knew, her mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Her mom's specialist had insisted they travel to Coasta Hera for the surgery.

Aria applied for scholarships to high schools in the region and got it at Glamon High.

Her mom was certain she had found love again on a dating site. Aria didn't protest because she knew next to nothing about the man. Besides, he had helped Mom cope with her dark times, or so she professed.

It was a foolish mistake. The guy was a scam. He was younger than her mom by five years and had nothing tangible to his name except for piles of debts.

He had lied about his status and her mom was even more heartbroken and had gone down into a deeper depression with suicidal tendencies. So, Aria made sure her mom got admitted to the hospital and got her treatment there while they awaited the due date for the surgery.

Things got very weird when one-night Baddie came into her room, drunk, and began touching her. She struggled to fight him off and she escaped by luck.

She later put a lock on her door but it didn't stop his lewd gaze and comments. She'd considered running away, but where would she live and who would take care of her mother?

"C'est désespéré," she muttered in French as she looked at her stepdad in disdain while he snored like a beast.
Rolling her eyes, she quickly made for the door and the surfboard slipped and fell, hitting the woodboard flooring.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going wearing that?" her stepdad, slurred, now half-awake.

Aria let out an exasperated sigh and paused to face him.

"I'm going to the beach," she said simply.

He drew closer and looked her over, his bloodshot eyes lingering at places where they shouldn't.
He leaned closer and Aria wrinkled her nose. He reeked of fermented alcohol.

"Don't stay out late. I'm hungry," he growled.

The way he said hungry made her shiver involuntarily and hurry out of the house.

When she got outside, she could finally breathe with ease. She would just trek to the beach, even though it was a few miles away.

She noticed some houses near the beach, spaced far apart and looking quite fancy. 'Snotty, rich people,' she concluded, suddenly angry that some people would enjoy luxury while others suffered.

The beach was serene, with only three or so passersby dotting the place. Aria looked at the rolling waves and a feeling of belonging enveloped her. This was the place where she could be free.

She paddled out to the water on her board, waited for the next glorious meet and counted under her breath before hopping dexterously on her board and riding the wave.

She took several more rounds, the splash of the water convincing her that she was in control, that everything would be okay.

But, when she had tired out and went back to sit on the warm sand to rest, the harsh reality came upon her. She stared wearily at the water and cussed the universe.

Involuntarily, tears welled up in her eyes. She allowed them to spill.

She buried her head in her knees and wept. How could everything deteriorate so fast in her life? She felt like a loser, not able to do anything to help her suffering mother.

"Je suis fatigué," she whispered in between sobs. Then, the weirdest thing ever happened.

A gale blew and whipped her hair across her face. Gusts of sand blew across her hair.

Gasping in shock she raised her head. The whole landscape had changed. Her eyes widened.

It was late afternoon when she arrived and she had been watching the setting sun, but now it was so dark. She could see the menacing dark clouds hanging low and threateningly.

Startled and suddenly frightened, she stumbled to her feet, but instead of running away from this weird phenomenon, she felt a pull toward the water. It was as though she had no control of her limbs as she marched to the foaming edge of the water like a puppet.

As she drew near the water, she noticed the water swirl to the right and left forming a path few metres into the heart of the sea.
Something like a ladder led down and, seeing no other option, she followed it, going underwater.

The water that had been parting slowly descended and she realised to her surprise that she could breathe normally underwater.

When she opened the door that stood before her, she couldn't believe what she saw. She was in a whole new world.

Colourful, fantasy buildings shaped like sea plants stood majestically and many creatures peered at her. She saw beautiful mermaids, peering and whispering.

Mermaids were real? What in the freaking world! She'd only fantasized about them after watching Disney and Barbie movies as a little child.

Her legs swam to the heart of the city.
There on a huge ice and pearl throne was the most beautiful mermaid of all.
Her body was a shade of light blue but her tail was sparkling silver with tons of glittering blue and whitish gems decorating it. There was a glittering silver crown on her head.

"Welcome! Hope you're enjoying your visit," the mermaid said, smiling.

Aria finally found her voice and stuttered, "Where- where am I? Who are you?"

"I'm Her Highness, Queen Oceania, daughter of the Greek god, Poseidon, controller of the seven seas."

"What? What do you want with me? Why have you brought me here? Please, let me go!"

"Relax, Fontaine. We have quite a lot in common, you know. Up until a few decades ago, I didn't know my true identity and I was used as a mercenary for a bunch of gooflings who called themselves the rulers of the sea.

"Thankfully, a trip to a strange place unveiled to me my true powers and I emerged stronger to take my rightful position. You also, have no idea of the potential hidden inside of you. I invited you here to propose an offer that will help you ignite it."

Queen Oceania swam forward and gently held Aria's chin.

"I like you so I have decided to help you. You see, I've been studying you for a long time and I'm quite fascinated by your affinity with water."

The mermaid twirled and switched her tail to human legs. Her attire changed to a magnificent lacy mermaid-style gown.

Aria could only gape at the sight.
Oceania bent and put an anklet made of tiny pearls around Aria's left ankle.

"That's a welcome gift, Fontaine."

"My name is Aria..."

"I've bequeathed you a new name along with the gift. You should be grateful. You could prove useful to our cause, you know? Do something worthwhile for the earth..."

Aria raised a brow.
"You mean like save endangered aquatic species? Or prove the existence of Mermaids to the human world? I'm sorry but I have greater worries right now."

Oceania cackled sweetly and placed an arm around Aria's neck.

"Greater worries? Is it your stupid stepfather, or should I even call him that? Is it your mother's cancer? What if I told you I could provide you the solutions to both?"

Aria's eyes widened and she said, "Is that possible?"

"It's a give-and-take business, girl."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing much. I just want you to bait a certain someone. He belongs to the camp of my nemesis and is a threat to my kingdom. I need you to help me get rid of him."

"Why would I do that for you?"

Oceania smirked and went back to her throne and sat in confidence.

"Whenever you are ready, just summon me. The anklet will help me reach you. Farewell, for now."
Oceania opened and stretched out her palm and magical bubbles and sparkles surrounded Aria.

Aria's eyes fluttered close.

When she opened her eyes, she was back to where it all started, on the beach. Had she been dreaming? It felt so real.

She checked. Yup, the pearl anklet was there.
Wasn't a dream.

Shakily, she made her way back to the house. It was already late. Her mind still reeling, she prepared a meal, ignoring her stepdad's angry rants. She packed some food for her mom and headed out again.

Why had that experience happened to her of all people? Why now? The promises were enticing but something was sinister about it.

As she took a bus to the hospital to visit her Mom, she couldn't help but wonder why her life had taken such a downturn that she was now seeing stuff that weren't supposed to exist.

~~~

Moses had never felt such confusion in his life. It would be useless to shout for help.
The closest neighbours were so far away. That's what having a private property close to the beach meant. They'd never felt the brunt of it because they rarely had a cause for emergency.

His brain was so scrambled at the time that he didn't even think to call 911 or any other person for help.

"Mom, mom! Wake up! Oh God!" he kept muttering as he struggled to make her open her eyes. She was cold and very pale. He got no response.

How he wished he had been more intent about his driving lessons. He would have at least taken her car and get her to the hospital.

He heaved his limp mother up and stumbled to help her to the bed.

The doorbell jingled and he jerked in alarm and looked up. Were they expecting any visitors? And what if it was an intruder, perhaps the person responsible for his mom's state?

Torn, he whispered a quick prayer upward as he gently lay his mom on the bed and wrapped her in a thick blanket. He took a sturdy umbrella as a makeshift weapon and ambled downstairs.

"Who's there?" he asked shakily when he was close enough to the door.

"It's me!" came the cheery reply.

Moses instantly recognized the voice of his Aunt Rouge. His shoulders slumped with relief. He quickly put away his weapon and flung the door open.

"If it isn't my favourite neph-" She stopped abruptly and frowned as she looked at his face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's Mo-mom!" he choked, fighting back tears.

Without any further nudge, Rouge entered and followed as he led her upstairs to the room.

Rouge took in the scene and a sense of panic flashed through her features.

As she waded through the wet and soggy floor to the bed where her sister lay, she kept muttering repeatedly, "Oh, no! God, how could they?"

She placed both palms on Ella's cheeks. Moses could almost swear that her hands brightened-luminescent like when a red-hot charcoal.
Or maybe his disorientation was making him see things?

"Oh, good Lord! She'll suffer hypothermia. We have to get her to the hospital right away!"

Together, they carried Ella into Rouge's car.
With Moses staying with his unconscious mother in the back seat, they sped to the nearest hospital.

Rouge managed to reach Deborah who worked as a nurse at that particular hospital. Deborah was very occupied with an important ministration in a village outreach that evening but managed to get them connected to the Chief matron on duty who immediately admitted Ella, bypassing the time-consuming protocol.

It was difficult for Moses to wait while his mother remained unconscious and the doctors performed all sorts of tests on her to figure out what was wrong. All sorts of emotions ran through his heart and it was all he could do to stop himself from crying. Rouge was relatively more calm, praying.

Some minutes later, the doctor who examined his mother emerged from the ward and asked to speak with Rouge.
Rogue came back out with a very disturbed look on her face.

"What's going on? Is Mom going to be okay?" Moses asked.

Rouge sighed.

"Look, Moses, everything will be fine. The doctor said she's stable now. I just thank God I obeyed the Holy Spirit and came for that impromptu visit."

"It was an attack, wasn't it? Should we involve the police?"

Rouge was just beginning to refute that idea when Moses' mobile phone rang. His eyes widened when he saw who it was who was calling. Dad.

He lifted his frantic eyes at Rouge who gestured for him to calm down and took his phone.

"If it ain't my favourite brother-in-law," Rouge said into the phone.

Moses could faintly hear his father's voice.

"Rouge? What are you doing with Moses's phone?"

"Oh, I came by for a visit. Moses is here. I snatched his phone from him. You wanna speak with him?"

"Yes, I want to talk with him."

With her steady gaze, she signalled to him not to mention anything about the situation. He didn't need to be told twice. If his dad caught a whiff of the fact that his beloved wife was attacked, he would be back on the next flight, regardless of how important his plans were.

'Lord, wisdom not to lie,' Moses thought.

"Good evening, Dad!" he greeted, doing his best to make his voice sound alive.

"It's morning over here, Moses. What's going on? I've been calling your mom but she's not picking up. Is everything okay?"

Shoot. Dad must have called to inform them that he had arrived at his destination. He must be worried sick now.

"Mom's fine. She's asleep now. Probably put her phone on silence."

"Oh! That's weird. Dewdrop isn't a day sleeper," his dad muttered to himself.
"Alright. Just wanted you guys to know that I've gotten to the conference hotel."

"Sure, Dad. I'll make sure Mom calls you immediately she wakes up. Take care. Bye." Without waiting for a response he cut the line and immediately exhaled, shaking.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine," Rouge assured.

"I was so scared."

"Have you had a proper lunch? Want to eat something?"

"I'm okay. I just want to see her. Are we permitted to?"

Rouge sighed and stood up. "Yes, you can go in. I will be back. I have to go settle the bills and get a change of clothes for her."

Moses entered the ward, took a seat by his mother and looked at her face. What would she urge him to do in twisted situations like this? Pray. So, he did.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep while holding her hands.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed that it was already nighttime.

Rouge was sleeping on the makeshift couch in a corner.
Beside his chair was a small duffel with a note pasted on it.

Hey, favourite nephew,
I got you clothes for school tomorrow. Sorry, I had to go through your wardrobe. Other personal effects you might need are in my car.
Eat. I know you must be starving.

As if in response, his stomach rumbled loudly. He dug into the bag and found a takeout plate of chicken sauce and French fries, and a bottle of water.

After eating, he took out his books and tried to do a little studying.
When he got tired of doing that, he casually checked his phone for updates. There was a message from Nathan. Apparently, Deborah had told the entire family about the situation and they prayed. Nathan, being a good friend, was checking in.

Soon, nature's call came knocking.
Moses carefully made his way out of the ward, hoping to find the male bathroom nearby.

As he slowly walked down the hallway, hoping to see someone or a sign to give him direction, his eyes caught sight of someone familiar from behind the blinds to the general ward.

The new girl. Aria DeMonte.

She was asleep, her head on a woman's bed. She looked more beautiful in the dim light. And the woman on the bed looked emaciated but bore an uncanny resemblance to Aria.

Moses felt many things stir in him as he stared at her. Compassion. Curiosity. Unease.

He wanted to go to her, if only to just watch her sleep.

But something held him back. He could almost hear his mother's voice: Watch and Pray.

~~~

Author's note: Hello, my lovelies. I am so happy to have you read this chapter. Thanks so much for your patience and support.

We've seen a glimpse of Aria's misery. I feel so sorry for her. And now that she's become a prime target? Sheesh, the girl has no idea what's coming for her.

Just a quick glossary for the French phrases she mentioned (Thank God for Google translate 'cause I barely understand French!):

"Je suis fatigué," --- I am tired

"C'est désespéré" --- It's hopeless

Also, what do you think about the whole mermaid world and all? Oceania. Hmm.

So, by next week, I'll be resuming back to school by God's grace. The first few weeks are always a maddening rush so I cannot promise anything.

Just a quick reminder, this (and all my other stories here on Wattpad) are my raw first drafts. You may spot glaring errors or major plot holes as you read. Please help a sister and let me know when you see such.

I'd really love to know what lessons you extracted from this chapter. Please comment.

Don't forget to vote and share too.

God bless you so much.

***
THIS BOOK IS TEMPORARILY ON HOLD!

My sincerest apologies. Thanks for your patience.