“Jacqueline! Come here!” I sighed and ran toward my house. “Yes, Mother?” I asked. Mother came to me and pulled me by the ear. “What were you doing,” she asked. “When you were supposed to do your homework?” I pulled away from Mother’s grasp. “Mother… I am terribly sorry. Father called me to--”
“Excuses, excuses. Jacqueline, Stop talking like a character in a fairytale. This is the twenty first century for goodness sake. Stop calling me ‘Mother’. It is so embarrassing. Just be like those children that call their mothers ‘Mum’. ” I nodded. Mum shook her head and went into the kitchen.
“Antoinette! Do your homework with Jacqueline!” Antoinette came down and stuck out her tongue at me. Antoinette is my older sister. She is stuck up and mean. She hates me sometimes, but I don’t care. Sometimes we team up against my oldest brother Frederick. He has a lot of girlfriends. Personally, I don’t think those girls have good taste.
All of us have nicknames. I’m Jaci, Antoinette is Toni, and
Anyway, Fred came down and flipped back his long hair. He does that to attract girls. “Gross.” Toni and I said in unison. I glared at her. She stuck out her tongue at me. “Loser!” I said to her. Then she pushed me. “Break it up, girls!” Fred ordered. I looked at Toni. She nodded. Then we both lunged for Fred.
He screamed and we started bruising him. Mum came in. “Girls!!” she shouted. I got up and brushed myself. “Punishment,” Mum said. I groaned. “All of you have to camp on the beach at
I felt my stomach do a turn.
At exactly 10:00 p.m., we walked onto the beach. I shivered. Fred built a fire and we warmed up next to it. Next we helped Fred set up the tent. I gulped as the wind howled. “This is too harsh a punishment.” Toni said, opening a can of already prepared tuna. I opened my can and Fred opened his. We ate silently. Then I climbed into the tent and wriggled into my sleeping bag. Toni climbed into hers and Fred went into his own tent. I lay awake, listening to the sound of waves crashing onto the sand and I fell asleep……
I awoke to the sound of screaming. I glanced at the light up alarm clock. 2 a.m. I shook Toni. She woke up and shivered. “What’s that?” Toni asked worriedly. I looked outside and gasped. There was Fred, sitting next to a creature. She had dull blue hair, yellow eyes and a purple tail. She was holding Fred. I pulled Toni out. Toni stifled a scream. “W-w-who are you?”
The creature smiled an evil grin. “I am Latia! I am the princess of the sea! I am a mermaid. You?” My heart was beating. “I am Jaci, She is Toni and he is Fred.” Latia frowned. “Do you have a title?” she asked. I shook my head. “Oh well, I shall tell you what is going on. I am ready to take over the sea! My father is on his death bed, and I am the oldest daughter. I will be queen. But in order for me to be queen, I must marry. That is such a stupid rule. Anyway, I have searched far and wide, deep and low, for a husband. Most of them are conceited, few are nice, and none are handsome. I have never seen a human boy until now, so I shall take with me Fred. He is very charming. The only thing is that he screams like a girl, and he is not made to live underwater. But I could fix this.”
Latia started pulling Fred into the water. “Don’t take Fred!” Toni screamed. Latia turned her head. “What did you say? Are you defying me, Latia, princess of the sea?” At this Latia’s eyes turned fiery orange. Toni put her hand over her mouth and started to cry. “Goodbye, ladies!” Latia’s eyes turned yellow again and she started swimming away, with an unconscious Fred on her back.
I screamed. “Come back! Fred! Please come back!” I fell on my knees and put my face in the wet sand. I cried loudly. Latia swam back. “Stop that!” she said. “You are such babies.” I wiped my face. “Don’t take Fred.” I said. “I must take him.” she said indignantly. I pushed her. Then I realized. “Big mistake.” Latia shouted. Then a whole army of blue haired, purple tailed merpeople rose from the sea! I started to run but Toni caught my arm.
“Look at them.” Toni said. They carried pink birthday candles and each one was lighted with green fire. They started talking in unison. “We are the Merpeople from the sea. And we are ready to destroy your species.” I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. The Merpeople were real! “Toni….” I said uncertainly. Toni grabbed my hand.
I looked at Fred, lying on the sand, wet and unconscious. Tears poured from my eyes. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry.” I told myself. The Merpeople threw their candles onto the sand. The place burst into green flame, just missing Fred. Fred woke up with a jolt. “Run!” I screamed. The three of us ran and ran, leaving behind the tents and sleeping bags. I ran as hard as I could.
I heard the merpeople screaming at us. I saw a pale wet hand on my shoulder. I screamed. “Be prepared to meet your doom!” a voice said. Then more hands went onto me, until I was weighed down. “Help!” I shouted. I kicked and screamed and yelled. Where were the others? I heard a scream from Toni. “Stop!” I screamed. I panted and punched every place I could. Slowly, I couldn’t breathe anymore……
I woke and found Mum was holding me and rocking me. I gasped for breath. “Darling. Jacqueline, sweetie. Ohhhh… I love you.” Mum kissed me. Then I saw Fred and Toni looking at me. They were sitting down and they were smiling. “She is okay!” Toni said, relieved. I sat up, glad to be in my mothers arms, where I was safe at last. I looked over at my siblings. Fred gave me a wink.
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