by Liz Kessler
“Exactly. So did mine,” said Millie. “What about you, Emily? Did yours feel real as well?”
I nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”
The conversation moved on after that. We started talking about the day’s plans instead. I tuned out and ate the rest of my breakfast in silence.
And so did Shona.
As soon as we’d finished eating, Shona said she was going back to her room.
“Me, too,” I said, getting up and wiping my mouth. “I’ll come with you.”
I joined her in the water and waited for my legs to transform into my tail. Shona didn’t hang around, so I flicked my tail and swam hard to catch up with her.
We were swimming alongside each other in silence.
“Are you going to ignore me all week?” I asked.
Shona kept swimming.
“Shona, please talk to me.”
Finally, as we were approaching my room and her cave, she stopped swimming and turned to me.
My throat was hot. “Please —”
“We had a deal,” Shona said quietly.
“Yes, I know. You said you didn’t mind me going on the boat trip, and I promised that after that we’d —”
“I’m not talking about the boat trip,” she said, cutting me off. “I’m talking about the other deal. The original one.”
“The deal about doing nothing?” I asked.
Shona nodded. “The promise we made that, for once, we would just hang out together like normal friends. The one where we swore we wouldn’t get caught up in any adventures. Where you wouldn’t drag me into the scariest situation I’ve ever been and almost get us both killed!”
She was almost shouting. Her face was red.
“Shona, I just wanted to see what was behind the water,” I said. “I thought we’d be safe — we’re mermaids!”
“You always just want to see or do that one thing, don’t you?”
“I didn’t know what was going to happen!” I protested. I was glad we were under the water as tears were pressing at the edges of my eyes, and hopefully the sea would disguise them. “I didn’t think —”
“Exactly! You didn’t think. You never do. You just act.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
“Look around you,” Shona went on. “We come to the most beautiful, peaceful place, and what happens? You almost get us both killed.” She folded her arms. “You made a promise to me, and I believed you — I always do!”
My throat felt like a fire, raging so hard I could barely speak. “Shona, please listen to me,” I croaked as I reached out to touch her arm.
She shook me off. “I always listen to you. We all do. You might have Aaron wrapped around your tail, hanging on every adorable word you say, but I’ve had enough of being dragged behind you in your wake. I’m through with it.”
“But —”
“But nothing.” Shona’s voice was cold, like a rock. “I’m done. I just want to chill out, relax, and enjoy the vacation we’re supposed to be having. Let’s just leave it like that, OK? You do your thing. I’ll do mine.”
And with that, she swam away.
I waited outside her cave. I considered going in, but I figured that would only make things worse.
So I turned and started swimming up to my room. As I swam, I tried to figure out why I had messed things up so badly, and if there was any way I could possibly fix any of it.
I didn’t come up with an answer.
The morning passed quickly, despite my gloom, and soon we were all meeting up for lunch to discuss plans for the rest of the day.
Millie waved a leaflet in the air. “This is what I was telling you about, Mary P.,” she said to Mom. Then she turned to the rest of us. “I was chatting with someone on our trip yesterday, and she told me about an excursion she went on with her husband a couple of days ago.”
“Which excursion?” Dad asked.
“Well, it’s another boat trip to Forgotten Island, but this one goes into a cave in the cliffs beside the falls. Apparently, there are tunnels all the way into the island. Most of them are inaccessible, but you can get into this one when the tides are low enough — which they are at the moment. The boat goes into the cave, and you can get out and walk along a ledge. You can’t go right behind the falls, but you can see behind them from the side! There’s a trip going this afternoon. We could make it if we get a move on.”
As soon as Millie mentioned seeing behind the falls, my ears were on fire.
“Sounds good to me,” Aaron mused. “What do you think, Em?”
“Give me a minute,” I replied. Then I got down from my chair and perched on the deck. “Hey, do you want to spend the afternoon together or would you —”
“I don’t care,” Shona said, cutting me off. “Do whatever you want.”
“What will you do?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Go on the trip. Enjoy yourselves.” Then she turned away from me; the conversation was clearly over.
No one else had heard us, but Shona’s reaction had made me as annoyed as she was. If she was going to be like that, there was no point trying to please her. Maybe if we went out for a few hours, she’d have calmed down by the time we got back.
“OK,” I said to Millie. “Count me in.”
“Me, too,” Aaron said.
“Think I’ll stay at the hotel with anyone who wants to do the same,” Mom said. “I plan to spend the afternoon napping in the sunshine.”
“That sounds nice,” Shona said loudly. “I’ll stay around and relax in the sun with you,” she added pointedly.
“Me, too,” Dad said. “Millie, you’re OK watching Em and Aaron, right?”
“Dad, we don’t need to be watched,” I insisted.
“I’ll keep an eye on them. Don’t worry,” Millie assured him. “They’ll be fine.”
As we made plans to meet later, only part of me was really there. The other part was too upset to care what we did that day. Between my best friend not speaking to me and the fact that I’d overheard a conversation saying we were all in imminent danger, it was hard to know what to feel.
Aaron nudged my arm. “This is amazing, isn’t it, Em?”
“Yeah,” I replied, still too upset about everything to match his enthusiasm. We were on a smaller boat than yesterday and approaching Forgotten Island from a different angle. Instead of aiming straight for the falls, we were heading for the sheer cliffs to the side of them.
We’d left Shona back at the hotel, paddling at the water’s edge while Mom sunbathed on a deck chair nearby. I’d tried to make up with her one last time before we left, but she wasn’t interested.
So here I was.
I stared at the falls. They were like a massive curtain, hiding half a world behind them.
Did we really swim through that?
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please.” A crackly voice came over the loudspeaker. “My name is Susannah, and I will be your guide today. We shall shortly be approaching the eastern cliffs of Forgotten Island. As some of you might know, this island was only discovered very recently. Due to the dangerous swells, the ferocious falls, and the sheer cliffs on every side, the island is totally inaccessible.”
I squirmed in my seat and looked at the floor.
“At the base of the eastern cliffs, a narrow cave has been worn into the rocks,” Susannah went on. “The cave forms the beginning of a series of tunnels. It is usually completely submerged under the sea. However, on the very lowest tides, the water levels drop enough to reveal the mouth of this cave.”
Susannah paused while people gasped and nudged one another.
“Today is one of those special times that we can enter the cave in the side of the cliff,” she went on. “As we approach, please stay inside all the safety lines. Enjoy the trip, and if you have any questions, come and find me. I’ll talk to you again once we’re inside.”
The loudspeaker went off, and Aaron and I joined everyone else in standing and star
ing ahead of us.
“Mother of goodness,” Millie exclaimed, coming up behind me as the boat edged slowly toward the cliff. “It looks like we’re about to be eaten up by a mountain!”
I turned to her and smiled. Her face was white.
“I’m going inside,” she added. “I can’t watch. You kids enjoy yourselves.” Then she threw her hood over her head, swished her cape around her neck, and went back inside the boat.
Aaron took my hand, and we stood together in silence. I could feel the spray from the falls on my cheek, even from here.
The temperature grew colder as we approached the rocks. The light disappeared as we slowly, carefully chugged into the dark cave in the side of the cliff.
“We have reached our destination, and the engines will be stopped very shortly,” Susannah announced over the loudspeaker.
The boat had come to a standstill inside the cave. A couple of men had jumped off and were tying ropes onto a jagged plinth.
“You are free to disembark, but please be careful at all times. Once we’re all off the boat, I will lead the way to the back of this cave where a tunnel leads us to a viewing platform. From here you can see the falls in action. There are many more tunnels through the mountain, but most of them are inaccessible and dangerous, so please stay close. We will be leaving in thirty minutes. If anyone wants to stay longer you may return on the next boat, but please inform me beforehand. Any questions, come and find me, and I’ll do my best to answer them.”
Aaron, Millie, and I joined the line of people shuffling off the boat. The captain had killed the engine, and it was eerily quiet.
“Huddle around,” Susannah urged once we’d disembarked. “If you would like to take advantage of my commentary, please stay close. As we get nearer to the falls, it will become very loud in here. If you prefer to do your own thing, that is absolutely fine. The tunnels go in a couple of directions from here. But whatever you do, please observe all the safety rules: do not go beyond the yellow lines, and when you are close to the edge of the rocks, always hold on to the rails. Any questions?”
No one replied.
“Follow me then.”
She started to walk along the rocky ledge, and we shuffled along behind her. The group spread out a bit. Some wanted to keep up with Susannah and hear every tiny fact about the place. Millie joined them. Aaron and I hung back.
Every now and then, I could hear her voice imparting information in the distance. “Rocks have been here for hundreds of years, possibly thousands . . . closest you can get to the falls . . . stalactites above you . . .”
Mostly, her voice was drowned out by the thundering of rushing water. We could hear the falls now but couldn’t see them. It was weird. Like being right inside them and nowhere near them, both at the same time.
The tunnel grew narrower and darker. Every now and then, a “plip” of water fell on me from above. The dark walls made me shiver.
“I’ll keep you warm,” Aaron whispered, putting his arm around me. I slung an arm around his waist while there was still enough room to walk side by side.
We turned a corner and ahead of us was a short path leading right up to the falls. It was cordoned off at the end with a bright yellow barrier, but you could actually see the rushing water beyond.
Susannah was positioned on the corner. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said somberly. “You are now standing beside the falls.”
“Wow,” Aaron breathed. “Actually beside them. Can you believe that?”
“Mmm,” I replied.
“Can we go over there?” someone was asking.
Susannah nodded. “Just don’t go past the yellow line on the ground.”
So we made our way along the short path, waiting in line for each of the people ahead of us to take selfies with the white, frothing curtain behind them.
When it was our turn, I smiled while Aaron took a selfie of us. I did my best anyway — the effort of twisting my mouth into a smile was tough. Smiling was the last thing I felt like doing.
As he put his phone away, I turned to face the water that was being hurled onto rocks below us at — what was it that man had told me? Something hundred thousand gallons a minute?
The sound was like being in the middle of the biggest storm you could imagine. Bigger than anything that even Neptune could create. Well, maybe Neptune could create one — on the worst day ever in the history of the world.
I took a deep breath, taking it in. My cheeks were getting wet from the mist coming off the back of the spray. My ears were filled with nothing but the sound of it. I was lost again.
“Intense, isn’t it?” Aaron said as we stared.
“Uh-huh,” I replied.
We moved away from the edge and started making our way back to the main tunnels. Aaron reached into his pocket for something. A tiny little guidebook. “Look, let’s see where the tunnels go,” he said.
I glanced at the cover. “Forgotten Island: Key Facts,” I read.
“I bought it yesterday in the gift shop back at the hotel,” Aaron explained.
We moved to the side of the path and stood under one of the lights. Aaron opened his book to a section called “The Tunnels of Forgotten Island.” He skipped over the first couple of pages to one that unfolded. As he held it open, I could see it was like an old-fashioned map in dark sepia colors, full of twisting, turning paths and tunnels. It looked like a mass of roots wriggling and wiggling under the ground.
The heading at the top read: “Archaeologists’ Impressions of the Tunnels.”
“Can I see?” I asked. Aaron handed the book over to me.
I held it out so we could read the text together.
Forgotten Island is one of the planet’s true secrets. Hidden by a very thick cloud for hundreds of years, inaccessible on every side, and furnished with a waterfall of unimaginable proportions, the island is not only a mystery but a magical place.
Based on a study of the rock formations, carvings inside the tunnels, and what is visible of the plant life, Artist Archaeology Inc. believe it is possible that there was once life on this hidden gem of an island. We have produced drawings of how the tunnels might once have formed walkways through every part of the island. Most of this is guesswork. Much of it is a leap of faith. We cannot know anything for sure. All we can do is explore and imagine what might have been.
Follow our drawings as far as you can as you explore the underground passageways, and let your imagination run wild!
“Swishy, huh?” Aaron said.
“Yeah. Very,” I replied. My mind was working overtime. Did these Artist Archaeology people know about the people behind the falls? That they were still there now? Or was this guidebook just part of the experience, a fantasy designed to make our imaginations run wild, like it said in the text?
Aaron held the map open and pointed at a small tunnel. “Look. I think this is the path we’re on now,” he said.
He indicated up to the left. There was an alcove in the tunnel wall. “See that recess? I bet that was this.” He held out the map, jabbing his finger at a line that went about ten times farther than the alcove we were looking at. “I bet this tunnel went on for miles, hundreds of years ago.”
Susannah’s voice echoed through the tunnels before I had the chance to reply. “Gather around, people.” She was shouting to be heard over the thundering water that still boomed louder than anything. We shuffled over to join the others.
“OK, folks, this is as far into the tunnels as it’s safe to go,” Susannah said once we’d all assembled around her. “I hope you’ve all had a great time with us today. Please feel free to hang around here a little longer if you’d like to, and please do take care as you make your way back to the boat. If any of you want to stay longer, let me know, and I will put you down for returning on the next boat. Once again, thanks for joining me and have a great day!”
Millie pushed through the crowd to get to us. “You ready to head back?” she asked.
I wanted to stay behind long
er. Explore the tunnels a little more. Feel the spray of the falls on my cheek one last time.
And I had to talk to Aaron. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I needed to tell him about what happened with me and Shona — and I was desperate to tell him about yesterday. That my dream wasn’t a dream, and that there was a terrible threat coming, and I had no idea what to do about it. If I didn’t unload all of this soon, I felt like I was going to burst.
“Yeah, come on. Let’s get back to the sea and the sunshine!” Aaron said as he shoved his book back in his pocket and turned to follow Millie and the rest of the group back to the boat.
I pulled him back. “Wait,” I whispered.
Aaron looked at me. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just — I want to stay a little longer.”
Millie was ahead of us. She stopped and looked around. “You coming?”
“We — um, we’re going to stay and get the next boat back,” Aaron said. “If that’s OK with you.”
Millie frowned. “I don’t know,” she said. “I’m supposed to be watching you.”
“Susannah said it would be OK,” I insisted. “And look.” I waved my hand at a group of people who weren’t heading back to the boat, either. “There are others here. Please, Millie, put our names down for the next boat. We promise we’ll be careful.”
Millie took a huge breath. “If anything happens to you . . .” she murmured.
“It won’t,” Aaron assured her.
Eventually, she shook her head. “You kids,” she murmured. “All right then. But be careful! Promise me?”
“We promise,” Aaron and I said in unison.
“OK then,” she said finally. “Enjoy yourselves. See you back at the hotel.”
“Thanks, Millie. See you later,” I called.
When I turned back to Aaron, he was grinning at me like he’d just been given the best ever birthday present.
“Nice move,” he said, taking a step toward me and putting both his arms around me. “A little alone time with you is exactly what today needed.”
I pushed him away as gently as I could. “No,” I said.
