Erin slowly released Flora and sat back. Flora brought her arm up to her face and wiped the tears away. "I'm sorry for getting so teary eyed, you think after 450 some odd years I wouldn't get so upset!" The girl flashed a grin.
Erin shook her head, "I think it makes you human."
Flora raised a brow. "Human?"
"Er-well I guess not human per se, but you know... it makes you alive."
Flora began laughing and she patted Erin on the shoulder. "I was just messing with you!"
Erin rolled her eyes in response. They sat quietly for a couple minutes, enjoying one another's company.
Flora jumped up suddenly and turned to Erin, "wanna see something weird?" Flora asked and without waiting for an answer she walked to a nearby tree. "This." Flora pointed to tombstone.
Erin couldn't figure out what Flora was standing in front of. She knew it was tombstone, they were after all in a cemetery. But, why was it weird? It wasn't until she got closer did she realize...Elizabet? Erin turned her head to Flora. "Wait, what?"
Flora giggled. "Yup, she disappeared two days after her daughter Emmeline was born. They eventually declared her legally dead. They buried an empty coffin!"
Emmeline? Erin thought to herself. It couldn't be the same Emmeline she knew, could it? It seemed to be too much of a coincidence. But, in order to understand, she would probably have to ask Elizabet and that was something she really didn't feel like doing!
Erin let out a small laugh and continued to stare at the grave. Her mind attempting to make connections and what it all meant. It was exhausting and frankly nothing made sense to Erin anymore. Just when she thought she understood something she would learn something new to throw her entire world out of wack!
Fortunately, Flora interrupted her thoughts, "Care to continue our walk? I think Myrtle and Lena are nearby."
"At the water hole?" Erin figured, since they were water creatures afterall.
Flora nodded, "How did you know?"
"I've been here before and I know they are mermaids of a sort."
"Oh." And that was all Flora said.
Erin could sense Flora's eyes on her, but she just tried to disregard it.
They headed down a worn path and headed to the swell in the little river. The same place with a rope that Matt and Ania had swung from. Sitting in the water were Lena and Myrtle. Erin nearly fell to the floor when she saw a fish tail emerge from the water spraying water all over Myrtle. Lena giggled and Myrtle returned the favor.
She knew they were mermaids...but...it was still weird to see it. Erin should have known better, but it was still surprising. Erin's world was become more bizarre by the day. Witches, mermaids, and mythological creatures. So far she had witnessed the mostly good. But, she was vaguely aware of the real danger out there. Not all the mythological creatures were good. Well, way worse than Elizabet, Erin thought.
Lena noticed the incoming pair and stretched out her hand and waved, "hey! come in, the water is perfect!"
Erin wrinkled her nose, it was still a little early in the year for the water to be 'perfect'. Erin made her way gingerly behind Flora to the water's edge. Flora hadn't been wearing any shoes to begin with and she walked right into the water and smiled. Her face was blissful, she closed her eyes: peace.
Erin squatted down and touched the water, oh hell no and she shivered! The water was too cold for her taste! So, while the three were content in the water Erin made her way to a dry rock and sat down and just watched them.
"Erin, do you not want to join us?" Lena asked as she tilted her head to the side and absently swished the water with her hands.
Erin shook her head. "I'm human?! This water is way too cold for me!"
Lena nodded her head like she understood. "So, are you taking a break from studying then?"
"Yes, I stole her away from her studies, she has been so focused. She needs to have fun too!" Flora interjected speaking on behalf of Erin.
Erin just nodded her head in agreement. Flora wasn't wrong!
"Well, I am glad you made your way over to us! We're the only lively ones, the rest are so boring!!!" Lena drawled. Myrtle bit her lip to keep from laughing and Flora nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, they are so serious!" Flora stated matter of factly.
Myrtle who had been relatively quiet spoke up. "Well, some of us have to be. Besides, you and Flora have never had to take a life to survive. Bad turned good... I still think about what I had done in the past. I didn't know it was wrong at the time, it was something I was raised to do." She spoke thoughtfully. It was true, Myrtle thought, they were too serious. But sometimes Myrtle became too focused on the past when she was alone. She had thought of the terrible things she had done. As quickly as her dark mood had encompassed her it had disappeared and was replaced by a smile.
Erin looked at Myrtle. She had always seemed carefree, but apparently she too had her serious mood although it appeared like she was trying to hide it. Why? who knows, thought Erin to herself. Maybe one day she would find out.
With a smile on her face Myrtle asked Erin, "are you happy?"
Erin looked back at the mermaid and then turned her gaze to Flora. Flora was looking towards the house and it didn't appear she realized she was being stared at or she was intentionally ignoring Erin's glance. Why was Myrtle asking this same thing? Is it just coincidence, thought Erin to herself, but part of her didn't believe that it was. Erin didn't vocalize her curiosity. Instead she answered simply, "mostly."
"Mostly? What does that mean?" Lena piped up her body mostly in the water and her hair floating on top.
"Well, it means if given the chance I would go back to my family in a heartbeat. I would go back to my life. But, since I know that is no longer an option because of Elizabet." Erin voiced the name like it was poison. But, then Erin continued, "its not bad. The rest of you have been wonderful and to think mythological creatures and magic are real, well its kinda cool. You, know, for a human like me."