Called

by E J Pay

  “My days were completely monotonous, but my nights were filled with dreams. The Atlantis power source was practically screaming at me to come and get it and there was nothing I could do. Finally, I reached out to the source myself. I told it I was a complete and total prisoner. I needed help to escape if I was going to free it. Then I had the dream that you have been having for years, Evelyn. The power source reached out to me with a vision of its physical form. I was convinced that you could do what I was powerless to do. All that needed to happen was for you to touch the source and it would be freed. I started playing the dream and sending it to you while you slept. I was sending the dream to my little girl. It was all I could do.”

  My eyes sting with tears as I listen to his story.

  “My life went on this way for years, until just a few weeks ago when Ceto brought my girl to me.” He looks at me, his eyes swelling with tears. Tears are streaming from my own eyes as I looked at my father, really for the first time. He had loved me. He wasn’t trying to keep away from me for unselfish reasons. He had been a prisoner to Ceto for 15 years. My dad really does love me.

  Mom is speechless. Then, as is typical for her, she makes up her mind and gets into action. She stands up from my father’s bedside, comes back to mine and starts undoing the restraints the doctors placed on me.

  “If you are going to save this world, my love, we had better cut you loose.”

  Just as she undoes my last strap, we hear the gong reverberating through the windows. My mom races to the curtains and pulls them aside. The roads are coming to life with Atlanteans rushing to their arms. The gong sounds again. A battle is beginning.

  Chapter 34

  My mom races back to my side and continues undoing my restraints.

  “Come, darling. We’ve got to get you out of here.”

  My body is still sluggish from the shot Nurse Nelson gave me, but fortunately my mind is with me.

  “What are you and Dad going to do?” I ask. I desperately want them to come with me. I need their support.

  “As soon as I get you out, I’ll unlock your father and we will come with you.” My heart feels so much relief I want to cry, but I know I have to keep my wits about me. Tears won’t allow for that. Once I am freed from my shackles, I sit up as quickly as my recovering body can and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. As my mom works away at my father’s single strap (he was comatose for days which rendered multiple straps unnecessary) the door to the room bursts open. I hear voices echoing through the halls outside of the room as Nurse Nelson stands in the doorway.

  “What do you think you are doing?” She booms in a voice that makes Mom pause.

  “Listen!” Mom replies urgently, “we have got to get them out of here. The battle is beginning and Evelyn is the only one with the power to stop it.”

  “Oh, I know EXACTLY what Evelyn is capable of,” Nurse Nelson has a look of madness in her eyes. She pulls a long syringe from a pocket in her shirt and comes at me. But she isn’t fast enough. My mom catapults across the room and body-slams Nurse Nelson. I move to my father’s side to finish releasing him from his restraint. My mom is strong, but Nurse Nelson has a fully-developed tail to use to her advantage. She pumps it in the water until she is finally above my mother. She raises her needle high above her head and comes screaming down on top of my mother.

  “MOM!!!!!” I can’t get the words out of my mouth before the needle reaches my mother. She is still crouched on the floor and has her forearm held protectively over her head, using a metal medical tray as a shield. She blocks Nurse Nelson’s attempt to inject her, the needle barely scraping against her bicep. Then she uses her legs to shoot herself upward through the water. Again, she slams Nurse Nelson and this time the old merlady drops her needle.

  I move to the floor where the needle drops, scooping the drug-filled syringe into my hand. My mom and Nurse Nelson are in hand-to-hand combat now. Mom pushes off the ground with such force that Nurse Nelson hits the ceiling. Now Nurse Nelson is using the strength of her tail to pin mom down. They are caught mid-water as one kicks with all her might and the other flips her fin. Mom is holding onto Nurse Nelson with incredible strength, unwilling to let her go. Nurse Nelson tries using her other hand to reach into her pocket again. I swim as fast as I can to the battling duo and wrap my arm around Nurse Nelson’s neck. Just as I am about to inject her with a dose of her own medicine, she pushes my mom away and turns to me. She grasps my arm holding the needle with tremendous strength and the needle drops to the floor. She flings me into the wall and comes at me with both hands outstretched.

  As she reaches me, two dark hands, then arms, then a merman plow into her. It is the same merman who was wriggling in his sheets in the next room. He acts out his own mental anguish on the nurse who has been holding him captive.

  While Nurse Nelson is distracted by her new attacker, my mom gets ahold of the needle on the ground and plows it into Nurse Nelson’s neck. The merwoman goes slack within seconds of the drug entering her bloodstream. The dark merman who came to my rescue suddenly registers shock. He catches Nurse Nelson in his arms, carries her to the bed I had occupied, and sets her down. He reaches for the restraints and straps her in. He sits next to her and starts singing the same lullaby sung by the grieving woman down the hall.

  I watch, disturbed by the merman’s behavior. I am pulled out of my stupor by my mom when she swims by me. She grabs me by my arm and together we help my father finish coming free of his bed strap. We swim to the window of the room and my mother swings it open wide. We all swim through, first my mother, then me, then my father, leaving the singing man and Nurse Nelson behind.

  The streets of Atlantis are teeming with people rushing in a state of organized chaos. We make our way through the water, slowly at first as my father and I are working the sedative out of our systems, then quicker as our bodies wake up. We make our way to the group who is gathering just outside the city walls, listening to Lady Pescara as she addresses them.

  “With a power never seen before,” Lady Pescara says, “Ceto has made her way across the ocean to us. We have learned from our spies that before our attack on her fortress she had already prepared a series of secret tunnels through which her entire city could escape. They passed under us, completely without our notice. We expect that they will be arriving at our gates within the hour.”

  I break ranks as I swim over Celia and Jack, heading straight to where Lady Pescara is addressing the Atlantean army. My mom and dad are swimming right behind me, hand in hand, ready to follow wherever I lead.

  “Lady Pescara!” I shout, “Lady Pescara!” Her eyes lift to meet mine as I swim above everyone’s heads to reach her. When she registers who it is, she looks irritated to have been interrupted, but then she sets her eyes on my mother and father, swimming behind me. That’s when complete anger enters her eyes.

  “Private Marin!” She barks, “I gave you explicit instructions not to reveal this man’s condition to your mother!” I slow my pace as I reach my commander.

  “Lady Pescara. I’m sorry to be breaking ranks. But I have to speak to you.”

  “Private Marin,” Lady Pescara scolds, “You have done enough damage with your disobedience of rules. We don’t have time for any rogue initiatives. I cannot trust you. Now,” she raises her hand and points to the back of the army. “Rejoin your group of 10, or so help me, I will have you shackled.”

  My mom and dad have reached us and I can tell that my mom is NOT going to listen to Lady Pescara. But I know I am running out of time. I know I am going to have to make a plan on my own and that plan is just beginning to form.

  “Cornelia,” my mother says to Lady Pescara, “you’ve got to take a minute…” but I cut her off.

  “No, mom,” I say as I put my arm in front of her, “we don’t have time for this. I’ll go to my place as Lady Pescara has asked of me,” I give her a furtive look that says, don’t worry, I have a plan. “You and dad wait for me back at the training fields,” I glance at Lad
y Pescara who is still fuming in front of me, “you’ll have a better view from there.”

  I swim away, heading to the back of the gathering crowd where my own group of 10 and 50 are waiting. My parents head quietly and resolutely to the training fields. Good. They are going to help. Once I reach my group of 50, I head straight to Jack. I hope he will listen to me.

  “Jack!” I shout. “Captain Jack! Sir, I must speak with you.” Jack looks up as I swim to his side. Unfortunately, Celia has heard me as well and is making her way to where Jack and I are talking. Being a second in command to Jack and my group leader, she has every right to be there. I know I can’t escape her hearing what I have to say.

  “I’m sorry for breaking protocol, Captain,” I begin, “but Lady Pescara won’t hear me and I must speak to someone.”

  “It’s no wonder her ladyship won’t hear you, Private Marin,” Celia spits out, “with your behavior and total disregard for regulation, I’m surprised she hasn’t had you locked in the brig yet.” Jack rolls his eyes at Celia then turns to face me.

  “Evelyn, we are in critical battle mode. Whatever you have to say, make it quick.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” I don’t bother addressing Celia at all. “I have learned information that puts the entire army of Atlantis, even the entire ocean, at risk. Gwen, Ceto’s daughter, is working against both her mother and against us. I have reason to believe that the Atlantean army is operating under false assumptions. We have to find a way to reach the entire army to change our focus before it’s too late.” Celia huffs at my side, but I am focused on Jack.

  “Private Marin. I appreciate your concern, but we cannot afford to change course at this point,” Jack says, “the enemy is too far advanced upon us. We must proceed according to plan.” My heart sinks. I thought if anyone was going to listen to me, it would be Jack. I guess I thought wrong.

  “Private Marin, come with me,” says Celia in an authoritative tone. I take one last look at Jack, his expression is unreadable. I leave them with my heart sinking even further. I act like I am heading back to my place in Celia’s group of 10, but I skip my place in line and just keep going. I hear Celia calling after me, but I know she won’t follow. She won’t break ranks, she has a group to lead and she is going to lead perfectly. I am a blight on her record anyway.

  I am like a fish swimming upstream as I make my way to the training grounds. All other two-worlders, merpeople, and sea creatures are headed into their battle formations, weaponry ready to go. I bump into several as I pass through the throng. The crowds begin to clear as I climb higher up the sloping city and finally reach the training fields which crest the top of Atlantean hill. I can see my parents waiting there for me, the only two-worlders in all the ocean who believe what I am telling them. I know they will stand with me, but will it be enough?

  As I reached my parents, I hear a familiar voice by my side.

  “Evelyn! Evelyn! Please wait for me.” Lachlan is swimming up to me, breathless.

  “Lachlan, what are you doing here?” I ask.

  “I’ve been following you around for the last hour trying to figure out where to tell my troops to meet. Should I have them gather here in the training fields, then?”

  I am grateful to see that Lachlan has faith in me. I nod my head and he swims away. I turn to face my parents.

  “We don’t have much time,” I say, “Lady Pescara won’t listen to me. I tried reaching out to Captain Jack, but he won’t listen either. He is too caught up in everything else that is going on.”

  My mom clears her throat and nods behind me. I turn to see what she is motioning toward and see Jack swimming to where we are. Beautifully glorious and devastatingly handsome Jack. My heart skips a beat as we make eye contact.

  “Evelyn,” he says as he finally reaches my side, “I’m sorry about a moment ago. I didn’t feel that I could trust Celia, so I acted like I wasn’t interested in what you had to say. When she came and told me you had left her group of 10, I thought it was the perfect opportunity. I left her in charge of my group of 50 and took off after you like I was going to throw you in the brig or something.” He chuckles and meets my eyes.

  “I am very sorry,” he continues, “but I am here now and ready to assist you with whatever you need.” My heart is swelling, my mom is practically beaming, my dad looks irritated.

  Lachlan comes back in a few moments, completely out of breath. “My followers are at your command, Lady Evelyn.” I am embarrassed by being addressed with this title. But as I look up I am overwhelmed by what I see. Rising to the edge of the training field fences is a group of sea creatures like I have never seen before. Octopi, sharks, seahorses, even two-worlders are gathering behind Lachlan on the training field, spilling over the edge because there are so many. I recognize a few of the faces in the front row from Gwen’s meeting last night. I am astounded by the sight and amazed by the group that has gathered to follow me. But I am not the only one who sees them. Looking down I see the collective faces of thousands of Atlanteans staring at the army I have assembled. I am in trouble.

  Chapter 35

  “Evelyn, we have got to get going,” My mom and dad are by my side ready for the plan I have prepared. I am not yet sure how I am going to put those plans into place. And I have tens of thousands of eyes looking at me, waiting for my next move.

  “Evelyn,” it is the first time my father has addressed me since I acknowledged him as my dad. My heart yearns for his guidance. “We must get to the Atlantis power source. It is calling to me louder than ever. It will give us the strength we need.”

  I feel the pulling of the power source as well. It is like that old familiar voice calling to me in my dreams, drawing me to it. The feeling is stronger than I have ever felt before. In an instant, I know my father is right. I will follow my heart. It will lead me to the power source.

  Raising both hands far above my head, I shout out to the gathering crowd – my army, “FOLLOW ME!!!!!!” and I turn, swimming with tremendous speed in the direction my heart is pulling. We cross the field, my parents on one side, Jack on the other, followed by an innumerable host of sea life. We swim over the other side of the training fields to where the training armory is waiting. Jack speeds away, returning with my mace, shield, and helmet. I have no time to put on additional armor. My helmet and shield will have to be enough to protect me, my mace enough to battle. Other two-worlders and sea life raid the training armory as well. The stockpiles are in battered shape from years of training, but it is better than going into war completely unprepared. I am grateful to have the supply.

  The Atlanteans who have been watching from below are now moved to action. I have no idea what the Atlantean generals are telling their army, but they are all turned about and pursuing us. They may think I am a traitor and am helping Ceto. Fortunately for my band of followers, the Atlantean army has to do an about face. Their least trained recruits will meet my group first, their generals racing to catch up to the back of their lines. But nobody has reached my battalion yet.

  We swim further and further along the housetops of Atlantis. The city center is below us and then behind us in a matter of only a minute or two. I have never moved so quickly in the water before. Then I realize that I am being pushed. Current control. My father has current control abilities. He is using them to push our army forward. I look to him with gratitude, amazed by the strength he is able to spare. When I see his eyes, I see that he is firm and focused, his mouth set in a hard line – a sign of his concentration. He is channeling the Atlantis power source. I wonder if anyone else in all of seadom is able to do what he is doing in harnessing that well of strength from the power source.

  With my dad’s help, our entire army blasts through the water at amazing speed. My dad is sending blasts of current into the faces of the Atlantean army as well, trying to slow them down. But they have several talented current controllers as well. Though they cannot match my father as he has a direct line to a greater power, they are nonetheless able to push thro
ugh his contrary currents faster than I would have liked.

  I press forward even harder with my army. We turn and head over the houses of the city until we reach the row of recruit tents and then the outer city wall. I am still being pulled toward the source with tremendous force. We sail over the wall and make a hard right, dipping below the top of the wall and following alongside it for several minutes. With our turns, the Atlantean army is able to make up the distance between us as they cut through the corners we create. A moment later their first soldiers are reaching the back of my group and the fighting begins. We can’t stop. Those who are in the back stay to fight off the Atlantean army and to keep them at bay while the rest of us move ahead. Jack breaks away from the front to help lead the fighting in the rear. I know my group is in the best hands they can be in.

  Onward we swim until we come to the same hilly landslide I saw last night when I followed Lachlan to Gwen’s secret station. I brace myself to meet her. But we don’t turn as we had the night I followed Lachlan. Instead, the directions in my heart take us over the top of the hill. I feel a strong, tight pull on my heart and I stop where I am. I hear several fighters running into one another as they skid to a stop behind me, unprepared to cease movement so quickly.

  We are positioned over an enormous crack in the ocean floor, just below the bottom of the hillside. A few hundred yards to our left I see that rusted out old boat. It has moved maybe a hundred feet since I last saw it, edging ever closer to the crack in the sea floor. I realize with sudden clarity that it is the rickety, rusted out, rotting fishing boat my father sailed in 15 years ago. It is still being drawn to the Atlantis power source, its bow pointing the way to the giant crack.

  I take a deep breath and look at my parents. My dad leaves my mom’s side and comes to me. He holds my hand.

  “Are you ready my girl?” he asks. In this moment all I want is to melt into him, to rest my head on his shoulder and cry. To cry for all the lost years of our lives, to cry for how much I missed him, to cry for the memories we could have made. I want to relive those years with my dad by my side loving me, encouraging me, and supporting me. But I know it cannot be. What is lost is lost. We only have the future now. And I know he will be a part of my life, however long it lasts.