Chapter 69 Chapter 69
The deep blue sea.
Bella's POV.
With conflicting emotions, I quietly strolled with my mother doing most of the talking. I despised the little misunderstanding I had with Jacob that my mind was left with him back at the manor. Suddenly we approached the devil's pond.
The devil's pond? I frowned. All the times I have been to this place have been deadly for me hence I questioned my mother. Could she be one behind all my attacks here? My heart thumped wildly.
"Eh, Mom, why are we here?" A surge of intense fear rushed over me but I braved on to ask the awful question.
"This is the gate to pavlopetri." She replied with elegance while gazing at me.
"oh, okay. I did not know that ." I felt silly for nearly accusing my mother of my misdeeds.
" Baby, I was meaning to ask, do you fight a lot with Jacob?" She raised a question with a solemn face...
"No, that was the first time." I sighed with a faraway look.
"Oh, anyway, cheer up. You are going to visit mommy's home and hopefully, it will be your home too."
I doubted her statement of me making pavlopetri my home because Jacob's residence was my forever home. I let out a forced tight-lipped smile to deceive her.
"Mom, do you hear people's thoughts?" I asked hoping she did not have the same ability to hear my conflicting opinions about her.
"Sometimes, I do but with you, I can't hear what you think so it is hard for me to know if you are happy or sad."
"oh, I see." I sighed a sigh of relief. "Mom, how sure are you that I can breathe underwater?" My palms became sweaty while I glanced into the water which was dark and foreboding.
"I know you can, baby." She walked closer to me and inspected my neck which was very odd. "Your gills will open up as soon as you enter the water."
Gills? I don't have those. Or do I? My mouth went dry.
"And how do we communicate underwater?" I asked with beads of sweat forming on my forehead. Ever since I was born I had never liked the water talk less of talking and breathing in it. This would be a suicidal mission if my mother was not here with me.
It was night and the hot humid air filled up the atmosphere while the stars and moon shone, mirroring light on the water.
"Don't worry yourself too much. You are my blood and I'm sure I will be able to mind link to you."
Wait a minute, so was the trance of my mind linking to a merman real, or maybe my mind was playing ticks on me? I remembered a merman calling himself Star Coral mind linking to me and so did she in my daze.
"Mom, will this be the first time I visit your city?" I wanted to hear her response which sent an eerie feeling in my gut because now I was doubting myself.
Were the trances happening in real-time or was just my mind playing tricks?
She darted at me with a quizzical gaze. "Baby, you ask too many questions, are you coming with me or not?"
"Yes, I'm coming with you." I let out a fake tight-lipped smile even though I was anxious about the whole thing.
"Great, now take off the clothes, they will drag you."
Eh, strip? "Umh mom, can I remain in my pants and bra?"
"If it makes you comfortable, but usually, I strip naked because, from my waist down, I transform into a fish." she joked while stepping out of her shoes.
Fish? I frowned. I hope I don't turn into that. I swallowed.
She started undressing and I cringed my eyes shut because no one ever wants to see their mother naked.
Awe gross.
Seconds later, my ears gave attention to the audible splash sound of the water and then I hesitantly opened my eyes.
My mother swam in an agile way with a radiating smile. And she was right, she transformed into a distinct being I had only seen in my daze. my mother had a shimmering tail fin that reflected the water's light. Her skin had scales on some parts with open pinkish gills located in her neck.
"Jump in baby, the water is amazing." She continued swimming around the devil's pond elegantly like she was one with the water.
Wow, " Are you sure I won't drown?" I slowly but surely peeled off my dress and flat sandals.
"Baby, I will hold your hand if it makes you feel safe." She stretched out her scaly shimmery hand towards me. " Come in." she beamed and I dreaded the water which almost killed me.
With hesitant steps, I leaned into the calm waters and the abyss of the water was very intimidating ."Mom, are you sure about this?" I tensed in my matching peach pant and bra as a rush of fear paralyzed me.
"Trust me." She gave me a reassuring gaze.
"Okay, mom." I sat on the ledge and then dipped my feet in the water hoping they would transform into a tail… but nope the goddess kept my two human feet. I sighed.
"Umh, I guess your wolf side won't allow you to shift into a mermaid." My mother examined my feet and grazed her fingers lightly under them, which was very ticklish.
I wiggled my toes and giggled." Mom, stop what you are doing."
"Okay, let's get going slow poke." She teased and then gently tugged me into the freezing water, but she made it look like the water was pleasant.
"It's cold mom." I shivered while goosebumps emitted from my skin.
"Give it a few seconds and your body will adapt to the temperature." She said and a few seconds later my body somehow accustomed itself to the water's temperature and I no longer felt frigid.
"The water is not that cold anymore." I wavered on the same spot, squeezing my mother's poor hand.
"Okay, now I'm going to let go of your hand to show you that you can swim."
"Okay." I braved on and nodded while she slowly slipped her fingers out of my tight handclasp.
And low and behold, I was floating and not drowning.
"Mom, I can swim." My eyes widened with excitement.
"I know, now let's go visit pavlopetri." She smiled with a twinkle in her eyes and then was submerged in the water.
"Mom?" I wavered in the same spot, contemplating this ludicrous decision… this is definitely one of the stupid decisions in which I end up having to ask the goddess for help. I sighed heavily then submerged my head in the water and my eyesight was crystal clear as I could see everything.
Wow, this place looks magnificent in real time and not my overrated trances.
My mother swam to my side. 'Can you hear my mind link?' she questioned with a stern emotionless face.
'yes mom, I can hear you.' I smiled.
'Great, now follow me closely. The sea is a huge house which houses a lot of dangerous creatures.' she said and then tugged me on my hand as we swam deeper into the abyss.
The deeper we went the more awe-inspiring and overwhelming the experience got for me.
The vastness and depth of the devil's pond humbled me because I did not expect it to be this deep.
'mom, are we still in the devil's pond?'
'No baby. We are in the ocean now. The pond is just a shortcut to the vast ocean.' she replied.
'okay.'
The unfamiliar environment was very intimidating because of all the weird-looking creatures it harbored.
We swam into a more open space and a rush of excitement and adventure crept within me but also a sense of trepidation kept comforting me. The water was dark and foreboding and it made me feel small and vulnerable in the face of the vast expanding ocean.
'This is beautiful mom.'
'Wait until we get to the city.' she beamed with her hair wafting around elegantly.
We descended deeper into the water and we encountered an array of marine life, from schools of fish to majestic whales and shakes which bowed to my mother's presence.
Wow, she was a feared queen I guessed… a strange sense of wonder and amazement at the beauty and diversity of the ocean caught my attention. We swam for hours and still had not yet arrived at pavlopetri.
Suddenly the water pressure, current, and temperature became too extreme for me to handle as I became vigilant and struggled to breathe.
'Mom, I think I need air in my lungs.'
She turned and faced me with an anxious look. 'okay, let me take you back to the devil's pond.' she tightened her grip on my hand and swam at supper sonic speed… within minutes, we got to the surface and I gasped for air. To my surprise, the morning sun's rays shone over our heads.
"Mom, how long did we swim?" I had completely lost track of time when we were in the water.
"I guess we lost track of time." She chortled then gently pushed back the hair twines bound to my face to the back of my ear.
I smiled, as navigating the deep blue sea with my mother was very thrilling and unforgettable. It was an experience full of wonder and I would never forget it. It inspired a new sense of respect and awe for my powerful mother and the nature of the sea. The sea's delicate balance amazed me... It was just like a pack or a country governed by a strong leader, and in this case, my mother was the ocean's leader.
"I think it's about time you returned to Jacob. I'm sure he is worried sick about you." She smiled and was right. I lost track of time and Jacob must be concerned that I did not quickly return as said.
"Okay, mom. When will I see you again?"
"Anytime, just call on me using your mind link and I will find you. Go now, I too need to return to my City." She reached in and kissed my cheek then swam off.
I heaved a sigh then came out of the water and hurriedly dressed up.
Suddenly, my ears gave attention to some racketeering in the bushes. I glanced back but I could not see anything.
Could it be little creatures of the woods? Anyway l better get back to Jacob.
It was a beautiful day to make up, and the sun was shining brightly over the crystal blue waters. The sun rays lightly kissed my skin and it felt so good after being in the water for a long time. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my skin as I walked back home humming a happy tune.
I can't wait to share my knowledge about the ocean with Jacob. My thoughts lingered.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion behind me, and when I turned, I caught a glimpse of Rogues emerging from the frontiers. The Rogues had not given up on hounding our pack for reasons best known to themselves.
"What do you want and who sent you?" I snarled viciously.
"Lady Bella, calm yourself, you will soon find but are you going to follow us with easy or the hard way?" The rogue growled menacingly.
I darted around and I was outnumbered even if I attempted to fight back. Let me call Jacob. I made effort to mink link to him but instead, I was surprised by someone creeping behind me and placing a damp weird-smelling cloth over my mouth and nose, and within seconds, I was out cold.