Published: August 16, 2021
Edited: May 15, 2022

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My life for the next year and a half was incredible, better than anything I could have dreamed up. I had a family who loved and doted on me and a sister to play with.

I had a mermaid themed birthday party at the local pool on my sixth birthday, (at least what was assumed to be birthday, being left on a step as a newborn, it was a little hard to deduce the exact date.) August 1st. I got enrolled in elementary school with Annabeth which we both enjoyed but struggled with. I dressed up as Ariel and Annabeth as Belle for Halloween and we went trick or treating around our neighborhood with Mom. A little after Christmas, our little brothers Matthew and Bobby were born, which made Annabeth and I very happy. We were both determined to be the best big sisters ever!

On January 11th, right after Annabeth and I got home from kindergarten was when the first monsters attacked. Mom was giving Annabeth and I our after school snack (peanut butter and celery) and the twins were bouncing in their baby seats when a sudden rumbling started. Then a great black dog with huge teeth and red eyes, knocked over our front door. It tore apart Annabeth and my shared room and stalked around the house for an hour. Mom hid us all in the storm cellar until we heard the massive pawsteps retreat and knew it was safe. However the actual attack was nothing next to what happened afterwards. Mom screamed at Annabeth, saying it was all her fault that the dog came and she purposely put me and our brothers in danger. Annabeth cried that she didn't do anything and Dad wasn't home to calm Mom down so she went on for a long time, screaming herself hoarse at Annabeth. Then she rounded on me and I was expecting to be yelled at as well, but Mom just hugged me tight and told me how relieved she was that I was safe. I looked from my sister's teary face to Helen's concerned eyes and said nothing. That night Helen moved my bed out of the room I shared with Annabeth into my own room.

'•'

After that dog, monsters attacked more regularly. They never hunted or harmed Helen, the twins, or Dad but they still seemed terrified of the creatures. In the beginning, once Dad leanered that Helen was blaming Annabeth for the attacks and making her sad, he chewed Helen out and told her that it wasn't anyone's fault. Then another attack happened, and another, and another. After a month or so Dad stopped defending Annabeth and began blaming her too. Fredrick and Helen told Annabeth often and unkind that if she wasn't here that the monsters would stop coming. Helen called her a freak and tried to stop her from playing with the twins and I. That was what a wouldn't stand for, I immediately distanced myself from the twins and stuck to Annabeth like glue despite Helen's urging for me to spend time with my younger brothers. Even though I never spoke up when they blamed Annabeth, I disagreed with Helen and Fredrick. I knew the monsters sought out me too. Once I passed out on the playground when a little snake with white frills burned the grass around me. Another time, two flying panthers tried to carry me off along with Annabeth. After that time, Helen yelled at Annabeth so loud the she ran sobbing outside. Helen tried to hold me in her arms and tell me I was "okay now" and "the freak won't endanger you again" but I wriggled free and dashed after Annabeth. She was hiding behind the bush line in the back yard when I found her. I sat next to my sister and tried comforting her, telling her it wasn't her fault.

"But 'Dia it is! My mommy is a goddess, Helen isn't my real mom. Daddy said so, the monsters- they smell me and come after me! It is my fault!" Annabeth cried, her small shoulders shaking. I glared at her indignantly.

"It is not your fault! The monsters come after me too, even when you're not here. It's partly my fault too! Helen is a big meanie, you shouldn't listen to them. It's not your fault." I said firmly, hugging Annabeth tightly as she sniffled into my shoulder. "Don't cry Annabeth, you're my bestest friend and I don't like when my bestest friends cry..."  I said, my lip quivering. Annabeth sniffed one more time and raised her head.

"Am I really your bestest friend?" She asked, staring at my imploringly with still watery eyes. I nodded frantically.

"Yes, you are my most bestest friend in the whole wide world!" I said proudly, whipping around my hair. Annabeth smiled shakily at me and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"You don't think I'm crazy, 'cause my mommy is a goddess?" I shook my head 'no'. A six year old could believe about anything.

"If you say so then its true because you are smarter than me." I said quietly like it was a secret. Annabeth giggled.

"I am aren't I?" The blonde said teasingly. I 'hmph-ed' in fake anger, which caused her to laugh. I laughed as well, before a thought struck me and my laughing faded away. I looked at Annabeth out of the corner of my eye.

"Do you think my mommy was a goddess? Cause the monsters find me too..." I asked curiously, my eyes wide. Annabeth's storm gray eyes sparkled and she looked thoughtful.

"Maybe...I wish, then we'd be real sisters!" She crowed brightly, all tears forgotten. I looked at Annabeth very seriously.

"We are real sisters..." I paused dramatically. "Sisters from another mister!" We both rolled on the warm spring grass, giggling madly. I gasped for breath and sat back up. "C'mon, let's go play pretend!" Pretend was my favorite game, and Annabeth liked it too though she preferred to play with Legos and blocks and other building toys. Annabeth agreed and we picked up where we left off in our adventure game. I was a mermaid and she was pirate, and we were both searching for treasure in the ocean. 

We played happily until dinner time. Annabeth and I were a bit wary of going back inside where Fredrick and Helen would undoubtedly blame my sister for more things that weren't her fault. To our surprise however, Helen was completely calm and sweet, as though the flying panther attack had never happen. Annabeth and I ran to the dinner table where we told our Pirate adventures over spaghetti and meatballs. 

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Three months passed with only one monster attack. Then it was Annabeth's seventh birthday. She got a lot of books and building toys. I got her a book on world records that she loved. Another month passed...no monsters. On my seventh birthday we had another pool day, I got presents from my kindergarten friends, Helen, Fredrick, and Annabeth. There was also one present in a small unmarked green box. It was a black click-y pen with bronze highlights. There was a small note inside. It read:

Neridia,

Happy Birthday. Use this only in times of need. <3

I flipped it over hoping to see more, but nothing. I looked at the pen, it was pretty basic, apart from the word scratched on the side: Whirlpool. The word seemed to be in another language but I could read it just fine. I shrugged and put it in my pocket. 

Later that night, after we were supposed to be in bed, I snuck over to Annabeth's room to show her my strange gift. When I got there I eased open the door and squeezed inside. The entire room was pitch black. Not because it was dark but because the entire floor was crawling with black spiders. I stifled a scream in my hand as a few crunched beneath my feet. Then I noticed that the creepy crawlies were all over Annabeth too. I rushed over to her in her bed, squishing some spiders on the way. I brushed the spiders off of her blanket and shook her shoulders.

"Annabeth what in the world?!" I whispered in horror. She opened her eyes and sat up, the covers falling to reveal spider bites all along her neck and webs covering her mouth and nose. I cried out and pulled the cobwebs off, scared she wouldn't be able to breath. Annabeth's face flooded with relief at seeing me.

"Oh Neridia! They came again! Just like last night! And Helen doesn't believe me! She won't help! Please stay. They won't come back if you're here!" Annabeth wailed, she was hyperventilating and shaking. I noticed that the carpet of black spiders had retreated, where to, I don't know but they were definitely gone. If Annabeth was right and they wouldn't come back then I had to stay with her.

"Okay, I'll stay." I decided and I crawled under the blankets to be with my sister. It would have been fine, except that for once Annabeth was wrong. The moment I shut my eyes, the spiders came back. They seemed to have no problems with attacking me as well. At one point Annabeth cried out despite both of us covering our mouths and lying as still as possible. Then the door slammed open and Helen came in. As soon as the light switched on the spiders were gone and I was hiding under the bed. I knew if I was found then Annabeth would get into huge trouble. I saw Helen's bare feet walk up to the edge of the bed and I held my breath.

"I- I'm sorry. It's just the spiders were all over and I- I was scared!" Annabeth's sobbing voice sounded from above me. The bed creaked and there was a thump.

"Go back to sleep and stop lying freak. If you keep yelling you'll wake up your siblings!" Helen scolded her harshly. Annabeth begged and pleaded with her to stay in the room but Helen left and locked us both inside. 

As soon as the lock clicked the spiders crawled back into the room, pouring like black water from every crevice. I scrambled out from under the bed as spiders began to emerge from the underside of the mattress. I was half in a mind to go back to my own room, but every time I heard Annabeth whimper from fear, I knew I had to stay. Eventually, we both fell asleep from pure exhaustion and fear. When we woke up there were spider bites everywhere and webs covering our mouths and eyes. Amazingly, the bites faded before I was even done showering, and Helen decided that the spiderwebs were some kind of joke.

"But I'm not lying!" Annabeth wailed, almost in tears. I trembled and nodded, holding Annabeth's hand tightly. Helen whirled around with anger smoldering in her eyes and WHAM! Annabeth burst into tears as Helen struck her hard across the face. The force of the blow threw Annabeth off of her stool and onto the tile floor. I stared in shock, horror flooding over me in waves.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Helen screamed at Annabeth. She ran sobbing out of the room and I heard her run up the stairs. I blinked back the stinging tears in my own eyes and shoved the last pancake in my mouth to stop myself from shouting at mom. 

I wanted to support my sister but I was so scared that it would lose me the only parental affection I'd ever had. Annabeth didn't come out of her room all day. I didn't do much either, I was too worried about her. Finally, night came and Helen went to sleep. I put on normal clothes and shoes, in case there were more spiders on the floor and tiptoed past Bobby and Matthew's room and into Annabeth's room.

The spiders blanketed the floors and walls again as I stepped in the room. This time, the spiders didn't even hide as I came in. I expected to see Annabeth curled up under her covers like last night, but instead, she was up and moving. Her closet door was swinging on it's hinges and all her drawers were open and spider-filled. Her back was towards me and she was zipping up a spider-covered something. I moved closer, realizing it was a backpack.

"You're running away." I said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. My sister nodded, not turning to face me.

"I can't stay here, I'm heading north." Annabeth said quietly, staring at the floor. I looked from her bag to her, to the door, to the bag and back again. I made my decision.

"I'm coming with you." I said firmly, crossing the room quickly. Before she could protest I added, "I couldn't stay here without you, you're my sister, even if I was adopted." Annabeth looked at me, her eyes filled with grateful tears, she nodded.

"Okay, come on." She whispered, leading me to her window. We crossed the room quickly and worked together to open the window. It was an easy climb down the tree and a small jump to the ground from there. I turned and looked back at the house shrouded in darknes. Fredrick's car wasn't in the driveway as he was still at work. A large letter 'C' was nailed on he front door. "You don't have to come," Annabeth's soft voice startled me out of my thoughts. "You can stay here, they love you." I turned to her with sad eyes.

"I couldn't stay, not without you, you're my 'bestest friend' remember?"

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Word Count: 2267