*Big changes in this chapter and the chapters following!*

• • •

When I found him the next morning sitting at the kitchen table, it was mid noon. The sun was high in the sky, and I blinked the sleep away as I walked up to him. His eyes lingered on me for a moment before I leaned down and pressed my lips to his forehead. His lips parted, confused and before he could speak, I quickly explained.

"Thank you."  I blurted, "Just take it like that, Arthur." I said sitting across from him.

"Ok." His loud voice agreed, "Do you want breakfast?"

He was already standing up, his newspaper forgotten. I only watched him bustle about the kitchen. For as small as the kitchen was, he seemed to have figured out how to maneuver about it entirely. His words from last night lingered in the back of my mind and would come to the surface every time our eyes would lock.

Opening my mouth to speak on it, but turned my attention towards the living room, "Did you hear that?"

Arthur turned to me, "Sounded like the door,"

I nodded and told him I'd be right back, but the other person on the other side of the door shocked me.

"Leslie?" I gasped.

"We're best friends. We've been with each other through every breakup, every family trauma, everything, but you act like I don't exist anymore and I know we got into an argument the last time we spoke, but I don't even care about whatever this feud is that we have. You avoided me after your mother died and now you're acting like we aren't a big part of each other's lives. Ingrid, I need you to talk to me. To explain what's going on with you because I'm scared for you and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

I stared at her. I wasn't sure I was ready to tell her, but I knew she needed to know. I stepped aside and let her in. She gave me a small smile and followed me to the kitchen after I shut the door.

Arthur was placing two plates of eggs and bacon onto the table when we arrived. His eyes flashed between Leslie and me, and I gave him a pointed look hoping he'd get the hint.

"Good morning Leslie, I heard you come in, I hope you haven't eaten yet." He greeted gesturing to the steaming plate of food, "Sit down and have a bite. I need to talk to Ingrid for a minute."

I followed his large body out to the staircase, far enough from Leslie who had looked so surprised at his offer of food.

"What are you doing? I have to leave soon, and I can't protect you or her." He shot his arm out dramatically gesturing towards the kitchen.

"I know, but she deserves to know."

"Know what exactly? Please tell me you're not going to tell her everything."

"No, of course not! I'm not an idiot, Arthur, but I know what I'm doing. Just follow my lead."

Leslie looked up from her whole plate when we came back into the kitchen. I sat down across from her and Arthur leaned against the counter. He kept looking at me unsure on what I was going to say.

"Leslie, I don't know how to tell you this-." I began, but she cut me off.

"Just say it."

"I was pregnant."

Across the kitchen, I heard Arthur breath in, and I glanced at him. His face was stony, and I knew he wasn't happy with me, but I turned my attention back to Leslie.

"Was?"

"I had a miscarriage two days ago."

"And the bruises?"

I blinked and watched her turn her eyes and anger towards Arthur.

"Leslie." I quickly reached across the table, taking her hand, "I was in a car accident, it happened while I was driving and I panicked, flipping the car. Arthur has been taking care of me since." I lied.

"Ingrid, I'm-I'm so sorry."

"Its okay, I shut you out remember? I'm, uh, doing okay now. Better than I was."

She nodded.

For the next hour, as we ate Leslie and me caught up, and she bought the reason, I gave her for being so distant. Arthur had decided that he was going to go to the "grocery store," but I could tell by the way he stared out the window towards the water, that he had to go to Atlantis.

Leslie let me walk her towards the door. She spun around and engulfed me in a long tight hug. The familiar aroma of her coconut shampoo greeted me and melted into her arms. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until now.

"Ingrid." She whispered over my shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"I know you're lying."

My body froze, and she pulled back to look at me, "Not about your miscarriage, but I think about how it happened and all these bruises." She squinted her eyes as if unsure with her answer.

"You have a tell. I'm not sure why you're lying, but it has something to do with Arthur, and as your best friend I guess I have no choice but to respect your decision. You're protecting him like he's protecting you. I saw the way he kept looking out the window or how he watched you so closely. Honestly, I don't think I want to know. I want to know that you're safe with him."

Tears had sprung, and I could only nod to hold back the sob in my throat. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Just don't disappear on me again, please." She asked opening the door and walking into the crisp air,"

"I promise. I'll let you know if I do decide to disappear."

"Good."

• • •

As I set the dishes in the sink, a buzzing caught my attention. Following the sound, I found Leslie's phone laying on the floor by the table leg.

"Must've forgotten it," I muttered reaching down to pick it up and place it on the table top.

Deciding to return it to her after I dressed I climbed the stairs to Arthur's bedroom. He had gone by my house at some point and brought back clothes for me. I searched through the drawer for my button up denim blouse and my black leggings.

I rolled my knit socks over my ankles and pulled on my boots before heading back downstairs. After I returned Leslie's phone, I debated on going back and telling her everything, but she was right in wanting to stay out of it. This world would get you killed.

The store was closed. The sign was swinging slightly with the light breeze of the afternoon. Next stop was her house, and I banged on her screen door and rang the doorbell. Footsteps sounded behind the closed door, and it swung open to reveal the blue eyes and blonde hair; I knew I missed more than I was letting on.

"You left this at my house." I held out her phone.

"You and Arthur are living together now?" She asked opening the door to let me in.

"I live there sometimes when I don't want to be alone. And after what happened, Arthur doesn't want me to get hurt again." I followed her into her living room. The TV was playing a movie, and she had a plate with a half bitten sandwich on her coffee table.

"I didn't mean too."

"Ingrid, it's fine. I'm not having a four-course meal it's just a ham sandwich. Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine."

She nodded me eyeing me while she bit into her sandwich. I smiled at her debating if I wanted to sit down next to her. I knew if I did, I would tell her everything.

"You said that Arthur didn't want you to get hurt again. He didn't cause the accident; he does know he's not the reason why you were hurt, right?"

I stared at her. It's now or never, Ingrid. Now or never.

I sat down. Leslie stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Leslie, I did have a miscarriage. That part is true, but not how I got all these bruises."

Her face went hard, and her jaw tightened, "Did he do this to you?"

"No! It wasn't Arthur, but it was somebody from his world."

"Ingrid, don't protect him-wait, what? His world?"

"Yes. You know how Superman is from Krypton and Batman is from Gotham? Well, Arthur is from Atlantis. He's Atlantean and the one from the folktales."

Leslie just stared at me, "Ingrid, he's got you believing stupid shit to keep you from leaving him. This isn't healthy."

"I'm not lying! He saved me the day I fell off the pier and saved that boy who fell off the pier. The woman, Yvette, who is trying to "restore Amnesty Bay."

I threw up haphazard air quotations, "is Atlantean who's real name is Bre, she was looking for him. He is the first born to Queen Atlanna. He has the claim to the throne over his half-brother. The true King can wield the Trident, and it's activated by royal blood. After she realized she could use me to find him, she attacked me."

I gestured to my battered body, "She beat me until I miscarried, well neither of us knew I was pregnant, so it wasn't like that's what she set out to do. She used the blood of my dead baby to activate the Trident. I don't know if she found it or not, but Mera, another Atlantean, showed up to take Arthur back to Atlantis and told me the miscarriage was going to happen anyway. That bitch. Human uterus' aren't meant to have Atlantean babies. Anyway, that's pretty much it..."

I trailed off letting it all sink in for her.

"You expect me to believe all of this?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Why?"

"I-."

A loud bang sounded, and panic swept through me. I stood up and walked briskly to the door. Now that Arthur has left I was a bigger target with him not here to protect me. I needed to get out of here before something terrible happened to Leslie.

"Ingrid? Where are you going?" Leslie called after me.

"I need to go. Just stay here, Les."

I wrenched the door open and ran down the street towards the Lighthouse. Thank god they live close to each other. Once inside I slammed the door shut but hammering on the other side made me scream.

"Ingrid open the door!"

I pulled the door open and let her in.

"Leslie?"

"Why'd you run? What's going on?" Her eyes were large as she took in my panicked state.

"I-."

Something dark and huge smashed through the window sending us to the ground. I reached for Leslie, who locked her fingers around my wrist. We could only watch as the creature stood to its full height. It's familiar drool seeped from its large jaw with dozens of sharp teeth. Its eyes shot around the room for us, and I stilled my breathing and brought my finger to my lips. Leslie nodded, and I turned back to Dark Water. It had moved across the living room; its massive tail was stout against the wood. I motioned for Leslie to move back towards the door. She crept cautiously backward both of our eyes locked on the creature before us. Soon I felt her tug on my wrist, and she pulled me out the door. I ran with her telling her not to look back.

"What the hell was that?"

"Do you believe me now?"

Heaving, I was bent over palms on my knees, sucking in deep breaths.

"I told you I wasn't lying. I don't think it'll come after us. It's daytime. Too many people."

I stood up, and Leslie was freaking out. Her hands were pressed against her temples, and she was talking a mile a minute. I grabbed her wrists and brought them down to her sides.

"Calm down. I can explain this all later. Just go home. I need to get in touch with Arthur."

She looked at me, "How are you going to do that?"

"I-I have no idea."

A part of me just wanted to run back to my house and never come out. Dark Water is looking for me for a reason.

"Go home. I can deal with this." I turned away from her and jogged back to my house.

It was dark and chilly, the air stale from lack of people walking around. I leaned against my door, closing my eyes. Suddenly a feeling of someone looking at me made my skin crawl, and I snapped my eyes open to see the ugly grotesque face of the one thing I didn't want to see.

A scream barely left my throat before his hand clamped down around it. As I struggled to breathe my body goes limp, and my eyesight dims.

Water.

Pressure.

Burning as I breathe.

My eyes snap open, and to my surprise, I see that Dark Water is pulling me down into the deep cold water, it's talons piercing my skin as it holds tightly to my struggling form. I try to wretch my body from its grip and catch my breath, but in the struggle and panic I gulp down water. My lungs burn as I fight the urge to do it again, but my body has a mind of its own, and my mouth opens, and I scream as I swallow more water. The fight I had is dwindling, and it knows. Dark Water glances at me; its voice loud and clear almost mocking.

"Ready to die, girly."

• • •

Until next time, have a happy day!
🐝