Billy found that he couldn't move away. The girl moved closer and closer, until finally her hand hovered over his face again. She ran her fingers down the side of his head, still without making any contact.
"I'm not strong enough yet Billy. But I will be. Soon."
"Strong enough for what?" He asked, staring into her golden eyes.
She just smiled and kept running her fingers up and down his face.
"You remind me of him." She said.
"Who?" He asked.
The hand that was stroking his face began to drip. The fingers lost their shape, turning to dribbles of pink goo. Her body melted like a candle.
"Who do I remind you of? What are you waiting for? Tell me!" He shouted at the quickly vanishing girl.
Instead of answering, the girl's body popped like a bubble, crashing into the ground in a cascade of water. Billy backed away from the spray, but it was quickly receding into the lake.
He turned to the little man and began to ask, "What-"
Dust filled his eyes and mouth. The little man had thrown something at him, and it blinded him completely. He choked, gasped for breath, body losing all sensation. Panicking, Billy struggled against the spell, forcing his eyes to open.
Sunlight streamed in through the blinds of his bedroom window. Stunned, he sat up, realizing he was in bed. The clock on his bed side table read 6:59.
The little digital numbers moved themselves into a new configuration and the clock started to beep. He reached over and punched the button to stop the alarm.
Just a dream. Just another dream. He tried to tell himself this, over and over. But this, more than any of the others, had felt so real.
And today was the day. Today he was going to find out if there was any truth in the dreams. Today he was going to see the mermaid.
He burst out of bed, barely taking a moment to get dressed and grab his things before he was out the door. Rose was expecting him. They had agreed to go together for the field trip.
Rose's mother had been less than pleased to hear that her daughter would need a ride at eight in the morning on a Saturday, and even less pleased to hear who would be going with her. When Billy arrived at her house, her mother's face had already worn itself deep down into its customary scowl.
"I'm not strong enough yet Billy. But I will be. Soon."
"Strong enough for what?" He asked, staring into her golden eyes.
She just smiled and kept running her fingers up and down his face.
"You remind me of him." She said.
"Who?" He asked.
The hand that was stroking his face began to drip. The fingers lost their shape, turning to dribbles of pink goo. Her body melted like a candle.
"Who do I remind you of? What are you waiting for? Tell me!" He shouted at the quickly vanishing girl.
Instead of answering, the girl's body popped like a bubble, crashing into the ground in a cascade of water. Billy backed away from the spray, but it was quickly receding into the lake.
He turned to the little man and began to ask, "What-"
Dust filled his eyes and mouth. The little man had thrown something at him, and it blinded him completely. He choked, gasped for breath, body losing all sensation. Panicking, Billy struggled against the spell, forcing his eyes to open.
Sunlight streamed in through the blinds of his bedroom window. Stunned, he sat up, realizing he was in bed. The clock on his bed side table read 6:59.
The little digital numbers moved themselves into a new configuration and the clock started to beep. He reached over and punched the button to stop the alarm.
Just a dream. Just another dream. He tried to tell himself this, over and over. But this, more than any of the others, had felt so real.
And today was the day. Today he was going to find out if there was any truth in the dreams. Today he was going to see the mermaid.
He burst out of bed, barely taking a moment to get dressed and grab his things before he was out the door. Rose was expecting him. They had agreed to go together for the field trip.
Rose's mother had been less than pleased to hear that her daughter would need a ride at eight in the morning on a Saturday, and even less pleased to hear who would be going with her. When Billy arrived at her house, her mother's face had already worn itself deep down into its customary scowl.
