Black Pearl

After Alima’s abduction, the girls retreated back to America. This time, they stayed at a penthouse in New York. They had been bickering nonstop ever since. Of the six girls left, they were torn between two choices: either hunt down Abhilash and take back Alima or deliver Princess Naia back to her kingdom and claim their prize. Ally was the most upset of all. She was guilt stricken which caused her to lose sleep and pester the others with her concern. This went on for a week until one girl snapped.

“Ally, if you’re so concerned about Alima, how about you go find her instead of nagging us?” Katie was in the middle of washing the dishes. The irritation she felt bubbling inside her made her squeeze the foamy soap from her sponge, depleting it of most of its cleaning product.

“I can’t believe you—all of you.” Ally turned to her allies and they all stared back at her from the dinner table with a tainted dark expression plastered on their faces. “Alima was our friend and yet we traded her off for some lousy princess we barely know!”

“Hey!” Naia said, offended.

Victoria gave her the dirty eye and said, “Stay out of this, princess.” And the princess was silenced.

Maria stood up from her seat and said, “You can’t blame this entirely on us. Abhilash had that strange weapon. He could’ve used it on any of us if he wanted to.”

“Even you didn’t do anything at the time,” Garai added. “You are as much to blame.”

Ally winced but did not lower her head in shame. “I know. But I will make it up to her. I’ll find her. I don’t care if I have to go alone.” She went back to her room and came back out with a packed metal lunchbox. With the lunchbox in hand, she nodded at allies and lastly her brother. “This is goodbye.”

“Stop!” Freddy rose from his seat and reached out to take her hand. “It’s too dangerous. Plus, you don’t even know where you’re headed.”

She sighed let out a short chuckle. It was positively the first time she’d ever felt so confident in herself and her abilities. For once, she knew in her heart what she was doing, even if it all felt so ambiguous and scary at the same time. “The ocean is my oyster. I’ll get around. And besides, you’ve got Katie to keep you from being lonely.”

Freddy made a choking sound. Ally rolled her eyes and glanced back at Katie who’s shock factor was almost as equal to her brother’s. She smiled her half-mooned smile and said,“What? You didn’t think any of us would have noticed already?”

“Very obvious,” Garai rubbed the back of her neck.

Phoebe scoffed, “The subtle glances were absolutely pathetic.”

“I turned a blind eye when I saw the kiss,” Maria’s face brightened a hue of red.

“You acted like a love-sick school boy. I saw plenty of those back in China.” Xi Shi shrugged.

Freddy stammered. “I-I can explain.”

“There’s no need to explain.” She turned to Katie and said, “Take care of my brother.” Ally was headed towards the elevator and pressed the button. It glowed pink and she waited for the doors to open. Just then, Katie stopped her.

“Wait! Don’t go! Knowing Alima, she’ll be fine.” Katie pleaded to her. Ally gazed deeper into her eyes and noticed something lurking behind them. It was a mixture of guilt and desperation. Katie wanted her stay badly and she could tell it wasn’t just because she was worried about her.

“I’ve made up my mind.” Ding! The elevator chimed and its metal doors split open. Ally entered, but to her surprise, Katie jumped in as well and the elevator closed on them. Ally growled in annoyance.

“If you’re not joining me, then leave.”

“I am,” Katie said. Ally noticed she was sweating. A droplet of sweat dripped from her forehead and down the side of her cheek.

“Why do you suddenly care?” Ally’s suspicions of her since day one upon her arrival skyrocketed. This girl was hiding secrets, and lots of them.

“I...I have a confession.” Katie smacked her mouth. Ally guessed that she had a dry mouth. Why was she so nervous? “I’m a bad person.”

“What?”

“I’m a spy. But I’m also a vampire hunter. And…” The elevator temporarily postponed their delivery and its doors opened to a couple on the seventh floor. Normally, both Ally and Katie would have put their supernatural conversation to a halt but this was almost an emergency. Katie leaned closer to Ally’s ear and shielded her mouth with her hand to keep her voice low key as possible. “I. Killed. Matthew.”

Ally’s body stiffened upon hearing the news. She wanted to explode but her eyes escaped to the couple next to them and she waited until the elevator made it to the lobby room. The couple exited the elevator and Ally pressed the ‘close’ button on the elevator’s keypad. When the doors shut completely, she unleashed her fury.

“You killed my uncle?” Her hands bursted into hot fiery flames and her blonde hair began to smoke. Katie backed away until her back was pressed against the elevator’s wall.

“I’m sorry! If only I’d met you all sooner__” Ally roared. The elevator’s floor rumbled beneath their feet. Katie struggled to stand. Her legs wobbled and she stumbled. “Ally, please!”

Although Ally never even met Matthew, the thought of anyone harming her family enraged her. Because of Katie, she would never have a chance on meeting him. He was Alima’s only love, Grandmom’s son.

“Stop!” Katie pleaded.

“Why should I?” Hot magma was seeping from her feet; it ate the floor, starting from the center and slowly crawled its way to the edges. The air was filled with toxic cloudy smog that burned Katie’s lungs. She tried to hold her breath but the smog she had already inhaled stung. Katie gagged. More smog entered her system.

Katie coughed and coughed and wheezed. She crumpled to the magma floor. The magma was inches away from burning her toes. “Listen,” she managed to say.

Ally closed her eyes and tuned her ears for any subtle sounds. With deep concentration, they picked up tiny vibrations which she made out to be screams—screams of people from above and below.

“You’re going to hurt them.” Tears streamed down Katie’s shut eyes. The smog was hurting her badly.

Ally snapped out of her wrathful state and calmed down. The magma floor faded, leaving an almost entirely eaten floor. When she looked down, she saw nothing but darkness. The smog cleared up and finally, the building ceased trembling. Ally glanced back at Katie who was curled up in a fetal position, her previously vibrantly dyed hair was blackened with volcanic smog and her camouflage clothes were singed. She crept along the walls of the elevator to avoid falling into the cavern and made her way to Katie. Ally tried to shake her awake.

“Wake up. If you’re dead, then you must be some weak spy.”

Katie gasped and wheezed but she sat up immediately. “I’m alive!”

“Don’t rejoice so soon,” Ally said grimly. “Alima’s going to find out what you did.”

“Oh,” Katie’s joyous aura dimmed. Ally pressed the elevator’s ‘open’ button and stepped out into the lobby and witnessed the chaos before her. The lights were out, furniture was overturned, people were hiding underneath each other, and suitcases had been broken open. She felt slightly guilty about it but so far, she saw no dead bodies. Ally headed towards the exit casually while feeling the people’s eyes on her back as she moved. Katie trotted behind her.

“I’m still going with you,” Katie said and coughed into her sleeve. Ally sighed. She wondered what her brother saw in this stupid spy.

“You’re asking for your death.”

“I’m not afraid to die,” Katie retorted.

“Fine,” Ally said and they kept on walking down the sidewalks. The music of New York played endlessly with its running cars and their honks, street vendors advertising their food, and New Yorkers shouting for taxies. Not to mention the occasional Ey! Who towed my cah?

“Where are we heading?” Katie asked.

“The harbor.” Ally said and gestured to the distant docs and and large fishing boats.

“Where are we going from there?” Katie asked again, still confused.

“Arabia.” Ally and sighed. “I know it’s going to be a long swim but I’m positive she’s there. Last night, I was watching the news and it turns out that Florida’s experienced some crazy stuff. There was a blue light, a group of scientists were discovered having a snuggle party on the beach, and there was a mostly eaten corpse.”

“That just screams siren,” Katie said and she subconsciously grabbed the gun from her belt. Ally noticed this and shot her a stunning look.

“If you shoot one more supernatural being, I swear__”

“Sorry,” Katie quickly apologized. “It’s just that my family’s into the hunting business. I’m kind of used to it.”

“Mermaid vampire hunters?” Ally laughed.

“I’m only half.” Katie said and looked off into the distance. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m a quarter,” Ally widened her eyes and they both laughed awkwardly. They made it to the docks and stared at the dark grey water. Bubbles floated on its surface and it smelled. Ally spotted a plastic bag also lazily floating on top. Some barnacles were stuck to the wooden legs of the docks.

“Ready?” Ally said and bended her knees.

“Ready.” Katie replied.

They were about to jump until a sailor behind them shouted, “No swimming allowed!”

But the girls exchanged looks and fell backwards into the water. When their heads emerged above the surface, the sailor’s eyes glanced down at the water and noticed two large tails: one green, the other pink. His jaw dropped agape and Katie winked. And together, they dived under and swam away.

Alima kneeled on the highest rock above her subjects. Her white gown fluttered in the breeze, her long black hair waved like a proud flag. An older lady stood behind her. She was draped in a loose fitting robe with deeply etched designs and tribal paint. But most notably was the crown the older lady held in her hands. The crown was a sickly gold. It seemed like a regular crown at first but at a closer look, one will notice the individual teeth and skull fragments which it was made of. After chanting an ancient prayer, and placing the crown atop of her head, the lady said loudly at the top of her lungs, “Alima, Black Pearl of the seas and oceans, you are recrowned Queen of Sirens! Rise!”

The women below her cheered as Alima rose to her feet and glanced down upon them. She radiated with power, and pride shown on her face. She grinned from ear to ear and said to her subjects, “We shall be hungry no more! After centuries of famine, I promise you all that after tonight, our bellies shall be full and that under my power, we shall rise to the top once again!” The crowd cheered wildly. Hands waved in the air and they bowed to her. “The hunt starts tonight!”

The sounds of the cheers were deafening. Her subjects were joyous and on this momentous occasion. And yet, not everyone was celebrating. Behind the queen’s prideful facade was a weeping heart that suffered from absolute grief, tender and softened, which sought to harm no one.