Chapter Seven ★ Cursed

｡☆✼★━ Luna ━★✼☆｡

“I thought you said that mermaids couldn’t get cursed.” Someone said nearby.

A man’s voice replied, “That’s what I knew to be true but she’s proving that fact to be false.”

“Can you do something?” She asked. Another man added, “Yes, Doc can you help her?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Doc replied.

Nggnh. Doc? I’m back at Doc’s creepy medical bay? When did this happen??

Ow. My head ached like it was sacked by a heavy bag of ice. Even the sound of people talking was too much. 

Seriously I have to stop passing out. This ain’t good for my career if I keep on blacking out. If my dad wasn’t the commander I’m pretty sure I would’ve been booted long time ago.

I tried to sit up but couldn’t like I was tied down. The woman said, “Shhh. She’s waking up.”

Gentle hands pushed me back down onto the bed. 

“Don’t try and move, Luna.” She said. I squinted my eyes but everything was a blur yet her midnight blue hair was unmistakable.

In a weak voice I asked, “Pearl?”

Her warm hand grasped mine in hers, “Yes. It’s me Luna. Just stay still.”

A cold cloth was place upon my forehead and strong muscular hands kneaded my tender shoulders then rubbed my temples. He said in a soothing voice, “I’m here too, my love. Don’t worry for Doc is going to fix you.”

The agitated beep sounded as my pulse quickened. Fix me? What’s wrong? What happened?

My eyes shot open and I scanned the room. Something wasn’t right. My vision was off. Way off. I couldn’t look straight ahead and nor could I breath from my nose. Instead air circulated around my neck instead of my face.

I tried to move but something kept me in place. Turning my head to one side I saw that they had strapped me down on the bed. I struggled to get free.

“Shhh, shhh, shhhh.” Ray said and grabbed ahold of my massive head. He stroked the long temple and crooned, “Stay still. We’re going to help you. I promise.”

Doc kept back. I mean way back. The look in his wide eyes told me that something was off and he was scared. The kind of fear that makes you want to evacuate your bowels.

They were all scared. Pearl wore a frown on her face though the whites of her eyes betrayed her true feelings. As for my lover, Ray, I couldn’t see him. I’m surprised that they let him in here.

Okay enough kicking the can down the road. Time to rip this bandaid off. I asked, “Doc, tell me what’s wrong or I swear you will be the first to taste my wrath.”

He fiddled with the clipboard in his hand and reached for a pen. His fingers fumbled and dropped it to the floor. Bending down he scooped the pen back up then replied, “Um… nothings wrong.”

“Liar.” I growled. The growl was far more harsher than I wanted it to be. Even Ray let go of my head when it rumbled from my throat.

Doc readjusted his glasses then said, “Okay… but you’re not going to like it….”

“Try me.” I said. Man, the sensation of a limb that doesn’t exist is weird. Did my eyebrows catch fire and burn off? Oh for Triton’s sake. Did my hair burn off? Dang it. With these straps I can’t check to see if I have hair or not.

“You…” Doc started and exhaled, “have been cursed.”

Big surprise. No really this is a big surprise. Sure I had an inkling or suspected that we mermaids could get curse because you know to say never does something happen it only invites the impossible to occur.

My only response to him, “Nah, really?”

“Luna.” Pearl snapped. “This is serious.”

I moved my enormous head her way, “Really? Because I thought this was part of another prank and I, yours truly, was the star again.”

She opened her mouth but closed it. Her lips tightened down to a thin line. Pearl crossed her arms and turned away. Ray placed his hands back on my shoulders and rubbed them. Guess they don’t want me to get upset.

“Does anyone want to show me what kind of monster I’ve become?” I asked the room.

Ray stepped back and walked over to a counter. Doc kept glued to his spot and Pearl still faced away from me. Ray returned and held a mirror in front of me.

A large head with an expansive snout filled the mirror. On each side sat a beady black eye. The mouth stood slightly open with rows and rows of sharp white teeth. 

Both sides of the neck were four openings that flowed in and out with each breath I took. My skin had turned a dark grey with white covering my underside from throat to down under.

Huh. A shark. I didn’t expect that at all.

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Chapter Six ★ Research

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

The sound of two balloons rubbing against each other broke the spell. The chair swayed as she wiggled in her seat. I wanted to walk around the desk to see what she was doing but do I really want to know?

Leaning forward I tried to peer around her immense body but she snapped, “Eyes forward.”

I stood at attention again. She swiveled the chair back around. Her fingers and nails back to normal and she studied me with her blue eyes.

Mrs. Lockhart reached down and opened one of her desk drawers. She pulled out a yellow pad of paper. Her hand grabbed the nearest pen and scrawled letters onto the paper.

“Mr. Shaw, I’m willing to let you slide this one more time,” She announced. I let out a sigh. Mrs. Lockhart glared at me.

“In exchange for a 500 word essay on the midnight riders and why Paul Revere became the icon for their mission on that one faithful night.” She said and ripped the paper from the pad then handed it to me.

“Thank you.” I replied and took the paper from her outstretched hand.

She held onto it for a brief moment and added, “It’s due to me by tomorrow.”

“But–” I tried to argue.

“Tomorrow.” She drew her glasses down letting me see the distinct purple cat slit eyes, “Mr. Shaw.”

The warning bell rang and removed the air of creepiness from the room. I snatched my bookbag and hightailed it out of there.

***

“Whoa. Dude.” Calvin said then whistled.

Jacob had written at least five pages of notes during my retelling of the meeting between Mrs. Lockhart and me. He paused and asked, “What shade of purple?”

I snorted, “I don’t know. Why does it matter?”

He huffed and bent down to open his backpack then pulled out a stack of comic books. The title of the series was “My teacher is an alien.”

Jacob proceeded to pull out a comic from the stack. He licked his thumb and turned the pages until he laded on the one describing various eye colors and shapes. His finger pointed to the two that almost matched my description.

He signed, “See?”

Calvin leaned over then sneered, “Naw, dude. Everyone knows that Mrs. Lockhart is a witch.”

Jacob shook his head and signed, “No. She’s an alien. I’m 100% sure.”

“She’s a witch, dude. Remember she stopped time, bro.” Calvin argued.

“Alien.” Jacob frowned and added, “They can manipulate time too.”

Calvin brows furrowed and got louder, “Dude. She’s a witch. Witches have purple eyes.”

I stood up between the two and held my hands out as Jacob signed, “Alien,” and Calvin whispered, “Witch.”

With a sigh I commented, “Look guys. Can we at least agree that she’s not human?”

Jacob glowered at Calvin who drawled out under his breath, “Wiiiitch.”

“Guys.” I stomped my foot and pleaded, “C’mon.”

The two continued their stare down until they both broke into smiles. Jacob flipped Calvin a bird then signed, “Whatever jackass. She’s an alien and I’ll prove it.”

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – Chapter 6 :: Research Done – Stay tuned for Chapter 7… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Chapter Six ★ Research

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

***

“Mr. Shaw, don’t you dare leave.” Mrs. Lockhart’s voice growled. 

Most of the class had left the room. Many shot glaring daggers my way. I was too busy collecting my stuff and shoving it into my bookbag when a chill crawled up my back.

I looked to my left to and saw that Jacob had already left. He had fled the witch’s room.

Maybe I can ignore her. Like she read my mind she said, “You heard me you man. Front and center. Now.”

Her long manicured nails tapped the old wood desk. I clenched the handful of graded papers in my hand and shoved them into my twenty dollar green canvas bookbag. Thanks to Jacob for bringing it with him. I must have left it at his house the night before last.

Goose bumps rose on my arms as the air became a degree cooler. I hugged myself and shambled up to her large imposing oak desk. Books laid in neat piles along with papers organized in labeled bins.

Mrs. Lockhart sat behind the desk in an old wooden chair with wheels. The chair looked to be from the 1800s when they started to put wheels on them. It creaked under her extra weight as she shifted in her seat.

She waited with her hands clasped neatly upon the desk. Her bright red nails gleamed under the fluorescent lighting. Something about her was unnerving.

She cleared her throat, “Mr. Shaw, I would advise you to hurry if you do not want to be late to your next class.”

My pulse quickened. I stood before her desk, my palms became slick, and held my hands by my side. I didn’t want her to think I was hiding anything.

She unclasped her hands, grabbed a pile of papers and shuffled them. She said, “According to my records you have been tardy to my class at least six times, Mr. Shaw.”

Her piercing blue eyes that hid behind her local pharmacy horn rimmed glasses peered up at me. I shifted my feet and didn’t say a peep. With Mrs. Lockhart you do not speak until she directly asks you to say something. Not unless you wanted a month’s worth of detention.

I was already in a lot of trouble with my Dad. Getting detention would add fuel to the blazing fire between me and him. It might be the last straw that gets me sent off to military school.

Mrs. Lockhart continued, “Normally, on the third strick I would have given you detention.”

A wry smile grew upon her lips and she rested her chin on her hands propped up by her elbows. “But I like you, Mr. Shaw.” She fluttered her eyelashes. A flicker of purple replaced her blue for a split second.

If I wasn’t distracted enough by the eye color change then I could have sworn that I saw her fingers get longer. A whole lot of weird was settling into place.

The back of my mind screamed, ‘Run.’

But my feet refused to budge. They were firmly rooted to the ground while my palms continued to sweat and drip onto the floor. I kept my mouth shut and hoped that Mrs. Lockhart would get to the point.

She leaned back. The chair creaked an eerie groan. More chills ran up my spine. Mrs. Lockhart turned the chair around to face the whiteboard. Her red and white polka-dotted dress flowed over the armrests and the back of the wooden slats of the chair.

On the board were today’s lesson notes about the civil war. Major points had been written down for us to use for our own notes. The level of detail that she had about specific parts in our history was uncanny.

She waved her hand at the board. The red nails snared my attention. Her fingers were longer and the nails had grown into sharp talons. Perfect for ripping any prey to shreds. I swallowed hard.

She asked me, “Mr. Shaw, tell me… who were the other members of the midnight riders?”

A loud smacking sound emanated from the chair. Her face was hidden and so put me more on edge. Her hand flexed then curled into a fist as she awaited my answer.

“Wasn’t it just Paul Revere, Mrs. Lockhart?” My voice shook.

She never turned around. Instead she kept watch on the whiteboard as the gnawing sound continued too. It stopped for a moment when she replied, “No. If you paid attention in your history classes then you would know there were five members.”

“Um,” I licked my lips. “Mr. Holland only told us about Paul Revere.”

I watched the back of her head that sported short curly dirty blond hair. With a quick glance at the school clock I noticed not a single minute had passed. How could that be?

A sudden movement caught my eye. I looked back to see Mrs. Lockhart’s hand snatch a roach off the wall. Crunching and succinct pops hung in the air.

I didn’t know whether to be sick or worried. More crunching sounds carried ot my ears as she still faced away from me. Am I next?

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Chapter Six ★ Research

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

Click-clack. Click-clack. Kitten heals tapped on the hard wood walkway between the carpeted area and the micro fische room. We all sat in silence while we watched the librarian make her rounds.

She paused briefly by the micro fische room to deliver a scowl to us. We waited until the sft tapping of her 1-inch kitten heels faded away before we started talking again. If only Calvin knew ASL better then we could talk freely without making a sound.

Jacob tugged on my shirt as I kept peering out the doorway. I turned my head. He signed, “What did Mrs. Lockhart want?”

Calvin eyes bugged out and interrupted, “Dud, you had to talk to Mrs. Lockhart?”

My meeting with the history teacher was not fun. Though both of my friends wanted to know what happened I couldn’t leave them hanging. So, I told them, “Nothing, really.”

Calvin smacks his forehead, “Aw, dude. That’s totally lame.”

Even Jacob called bull on my white lie. He demanded, “Details. Now.”

Holding my hands up I replied, “Okay. Okay. I’ll tell you. Sheesh.”

“Don’t leave any details out.” Jacob added and grabbed one of his notebooks then opened to a fresh page. It’s where kept notes on the strange or weird things that interest him. He’s already filled one book about our third grade teacher Mrs. Garrison who he firmly believes was from one of Jupiter’s moons.

His recent interest for Mrs. Lockhart told me that he suspects that she’s an alien too. I got closer to see hastily scribbled drawings with lines pointing to hand written notes. Jacob was thorough.

Feeling my presence looming over his book Jacob peered up and thumped the back of his pen on the blank page. He had tons of notes on Mrs. Lockhart already. I wonder which planet or moon he thinks our history teacher is from this time?

I licked my lips. In truth my meeting with her was nothing interesting. Nothing happened at all. I hunched my shoulders, “Seriously. Nothing happened.”

“Dude, c’mon.” Calvin whined and spun around in his computer chair. It creaked once every second rotation. Watching him spin made my insides twist and turn.

“Will ya knock it off?” I grumbled barely holding the contents of my lunch down. A gas bubble tickled the back of my throat as it escaped. I burped.

Another tap of Jacob’s pen and I looked at him. He held it in his left hand primed to write down the lurid details of my meeting with Mrs. Lockhart. Fine. I inhaled and rubbed my knees with my hands then began.

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Chapter Six ★ Research

｡☆✼★━ Daniel ━★✼☆｡

“Sure.” Calvin replied then patted my back. He said, “You know. I would totally take a job at the fair.”

Jacob and I looked at him. Jacob signed, “You’ve got to be kidding…”

Calvin replied, “Nope.” He made the ‘P’ pop when he said it too. Jacob nodded. He could hear fine but couldn’t speak. His voice box had mysteriously stopped working one day.

Many people say it was due to the laringitis whereas the senior community said it was because of a dark deal that Jacob’s mom had made.

Jacob signed, “Why?”

He and I knew that Calvin wasn’t going to spill the beans unless we asked. Calvin leaned back in his chair and rested his arms behind his head. He answered with a humongous grin, “Dudes, isn’t it obvious?”

I still wasn’t following his lead and replied, “What?”

Calvin propped his feet up and crossed his legs. Jacob threw him a dirty look. Calvin didn’t care about his feet being on the furniture. He said, “Dudes, it’s so simple. Even I know what to do…”

Jacob signed and I said, “Just spit it out already.”

He sat back up motioned his hands down in a calming fashion and leaned forward, “Okay. Okay dudes. Chill. No need to pitch a fit.”

“Just thing for a moment dudes…” Calvin said.

I snarked, “I’m trying…”

“Bro.” Calvin shook my chair. “If you got a job at the park then you could like… y’know…”

Jacob continued to throw daggers at him but motioned with his hands for Calvin to continue. That was Jacob’s shorter version of ‘Get to the point, nitwit.’

“Cha.” Calvin bobbed his head, “ I would look for clues for your Aunt Tabby’s whereabouts.”

I looked at Jacob who’s wide eyes stared right back at me. For once Calvin had a good plan. MOst of the time he was daring us to do stupid stuff like parachuting off the roof with a blanket.

But this idea was pretty good. I rubbed the bottom of my chin and thought about his plan. Jacob signed, “So, you gonna do it?”

Calvin waited to hear my reply. Both of them leaned in closer almost falling into my lap. I  licked my lips a few times then shrugged my shoulder and answered, “What other choice do I have?”

Jacob shrugged too and signed, “None really.”

Calvin shot up from his chair with his hands raised in the air and exclaimed, “Wahoo! Awesome dude!”

“Shhhh!” I shushed him and whispered, “Quiet. Remember? We’re in a library.”

He ducked his head, “Whoops. Sorry dudes.”

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙