11 An Act of Kindness

"Wake up." A gentle sweet voice played in my head. It belonged to a child, a female precisely.

"Wake up." The voice played again. It was like a sweet melody you'd love to hear at the seaside.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Silence_ _ _ _ _ _

"Wake up now. It's time to wake up." The voice beckoned again, slowly and softly as before.

Slowly my eyes began to open harkening to the voice of the mysterious voice. My eyes gradually adjusted to my new environment until finally, they were fully opened and revealing a small fair face peering down at me. Before I could utter a word, she darted away. I sat up quickly in time to see her move past the door, screaming; "mummy, mummy, she's awake."

"Mummy?" I repeated the words.

I scanned my surroundings and noticed I was on a large bed but then, something wasn't right. I sat up and noticed the bed I was laid on was floating. Through the window, I could tell I was in water because different fishes and sea creatures roamed about in the water.

"Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular.

I tried to remember what happened, I tried to put all the pieces together. I remembered I was about to make a wish as permitted by Cordelia, then I also remembered falling into the water but then how was I still alive?

"Where on Earth am I?" I asked again to no one in particular.

"You're in my home," a familiar voice answered.

I stared at the direction the voice was coming from and to my surprise, it was Cordelia but she was no longer in human form as when I first saw her, she was now a mermaid and so was the little girl whom I had seen when I woke up.

Was Cordelia her mother? I wondered.

"Why am I here?" I asked her. "What am I doing here? Why did I fall into the river?"

"Three different questions but with just one answer," Cordelia said.

I waited patiently for her to speak but what she said next made me question my existence.

"It wasn't my intention. Olivia wished for it to happen; she wished for you to disappear," She said.

"Typical of her," I grunted and she could only look at me in pity.

I was quiet for a while; not knowing what to do or what to say.

"So now I'm stuck here for the rest of my life?" I felt words come back to me. "Watching tides and waves and colourful fishes for the rest of my life?"

"No offense," I quickly added.

"None taken. I'm sorry for this," she apologized but it wasn't her fault I had a psycho who hated me.

"It's not your fault. You were only doing your job," I said. "Is she your daughter?"

I stared at the gorgeous little mermaid replica of Cordelia at her side.

"Yes she is. Avril this is Amyra, my golden treasure," Cordelia answered.

"She's beautiful, she looks a lot like you," I stated.

"Thank you," Amyra who had been quiet since the beginning of the conversation squealed.

I let out a smile. I was tempted to ask about Amyra's father but I fought against it.

Maybe I'll ask another time, I concluded within me.

"Sooo, anyone else around apart from you two?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well.. yes. It's just I and Amyra in this water but if we get bored and need company, we can always swim down the river of wishes into Atlantis to meet the other mermaids and sometimes they swim to us," Cordelia explained and I listened in awe.

"Atlantis is real? It's not some old myth or legend?" I asked in shock.

"Of course it is," was the reply

"Wow! That's wonderful," I said.

God make me a mermaid now, I wished within me. Wait no, that's too much.

I imagined myself with fins and a tail, my God! That'd be so much work.

"So am I really going to stay in this place forever?" I asked.

"I'm sorry but that might be the case," Cordelia replied sadly.

"I'm really sorry," she added.

"Nah, I should be thanking you. If you hadn't save me, I'd be dead by now," I said.

"Oh please, that was nothing. I couldn't bear to see you die. It would be a pity to let all this beauty drown away," Cordelia said with a sad smile.

"Beauty?! Me? If I'm beautiful, then what should I call you?" I exclaimed. Here was a goddess-like fairy telling me about beauty when maybe she was Aphrodite's descendant.

We laughed about this for awhile till we had our fill.

"I wonder what the others are doing right now." I sighed.

"Whatever that is, I am sure it is not anywhere near Olivia," she said.

"How'd you know that?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I told them that you were wished, by someone, to disappear and before I left, Kyle, I think that's his name, began questioning everyone around." Cordelia said then added, "I could tell he was very upset that you were gone. Are you both a couple?"

"No," I was quick to say.

"Such a shame. You both would have made a great pair," she said.

"Right…" I muttered aloud.

"You know he wanted to dive to save you but of course, that wouldn't work because he'd die in the process. The river would turn ice, harder than rock, and that might cause severe damages…internally if I'm to say." Cordelia explained. I loved that he had this sense of humor; that type that never lets you want to leave a conversation.

"Ouch!" I winced imagining how terrible that would be.

"Everyone got a chance to make their wish except me," I said not realizing the weight of what I had said.

Cordelia shot her head up instantly while I stared at her surprised wondering if she was having a fit.

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh Avril, you're brilliant!" She exclaimed.

"How?" I stared at her utterly confused.

"You don't realize what you've said, do you?" She asked and I stared blankly at her.

"Oh dear heavens, you haven't made your wish yet." She excitedly pointed out and then it dawned on me.

"Oh my gosh, that's right which means I can make my…" I left the sentence half finished out of excitement.

"Yes! You can go home," Cordelia said.

"Oh my, this is really awesome. So you mean I can…"

"Just say the magic words," Cordelia said with a proud smirk, her hands ready for some magic.