Chapter 5: Exploring Gone Wrong

Aphmau
I heard a twig snap, and squealed, jumping closer to Katelyn.

Cathy starts laughing.

"Cathy! Stop being mean!" Betty exclaims, hitting her friend lightly.

"Calm down Aph, it was just Cathy stepping on a twig." Katelyn sighs, patting me on the shoulder.

"R-right... sorry." I scratch the back of my neck, as my face becomes warm.

"Your pretty jumpy today Aph, is everything okay?" Jenny tilts her head.

"Y-yeah... just nervous." I say shakily.

"I thought I told you not to tell her that story!" Betty hits Cathy again.

"It was Zane's idea!" Cathy protests.

"Guilty," Zane snickers, "but this is funny."

I glare at him. Before we left to explore the area, Cathy had told me about a time when she went exploring. It was scary...

"Stop picking on her." Aaron grumbles.

"Yes sir." Cathy does a mock salute, before going back to snickering.

"Nah." Zane laughs evilly. Aaron shakes his head, and we continue to explore.

After awhile, we show up at a ravine edge. There's a bridge across, but with no side rails. It's also very loose.

"So, whose going first?" I ask.

"I will." Garroth says.

He takes a step on the bridge. Then another.

A moment later, he's across.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

Vylad goes next. Followed by Katelyn, Lucinda, Jenny, Betty, Kawaii~chan, Zane, and me. Aaron goes last.

He starts across, carefully. I hold my breath, waiting for him to make it.

Halfway across, the bridge snaps.

With a yell, Aaron falls. Disappearing into the ravine.

"AARON!" I scream, running to the edge.

Zane grabs me before I run off.

"Aph, wait!" He pulls me back. "We can't do anything..."

I glare at him.

"Yes we can." I say quietly.

Zane glances at Vylad and Garroth. They nod. He let's go of me.

"Not alone." He says.

"Fine. Let's go." I say.

We back up. I take a deep breath.

We run forward, and jump off the edge of the cliff.

I can hear the others scream at us as we fall.

Aaron
I'm falling.

That's the only thing my mind registers.

That, and Aphmau's scream.

Am I actually going to die here?

Someone grabs my hand. My eyes open.

They close again when I hit the water.

It doesn't feel right.

According to science, I'm fairly sure I should have died from the impact of hitting the water. Or at least broken my back.

Instead I sunk gently into the water.

I open my eyes, and see Aphmau. A black crab on her shoulder. She looks the same, but... with a seashell bra, and... a tail instead of legs?!

She grabs my hand, starts swimming.

I can barely make out a conversation between her and the crab.

"Calm down Zane."

"Aphmau, he's awake! Now he knows about the secret-"

"And there's nobody I'd trust more."

The crab is Zane?

What the hell is going on?!

Too late I register the fact that I'm unable to breath.

I start panicking.

Just as quickly as I start, I'm thrown above the water and onto the ground.

I gasp, and sit up coughing.

Aphmau climbs out of the water, and the Zane-crab crawls off her.

Aphmau's clothes turn back to normal, and her tail disappears. She looks normal now, besides being drenched in water.

I stare at her, and she smiles sheepishly.

The crab turns into Zane, and coughs.

"Stop staring at each other. I'm right here." He says.

"Shut up! He has a right to honestly... at least after that." Aphmau turns a small shade of red.

"You just enjoy him looking at you." Zane retorts.

She turns bright red and whacks him. I turn red too, and look away.

"Their alive!"

I turn to see the others, staring at us.

Katelyn races toward Aphmau, and punches her.

"DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She screams.

"I think we've had enough for today. Let's get back to camp and dry you three off." Lucinda says.

I don't fully remember everything, except that we walked back to camp while the sun went down. We dried off, changed, and everyone went to bed.

I wake up in the middle of the night, and leave the tent to get some fresh air.

Aphmau is sitting by the fire, with a cup of water. She looks tired. I walk over.

Aphmau
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Someone puts their hands on my shoulders, and I nearly scream, jumping and tensing up. The person sits next to me, and I realize it's just Aaron.

"Probably..." I sigh, staring at the lit fire.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Are you okay?" I ask, turning to him. "Honestly? I'm just... worried that you got hurt earlier, and..." she trails off.

"And?" He prompt.

"D-do you... accept me?... For what I am?..." I ask quietly.

He looks away.

I sigh.

"I know you don't... it doesn't matter..." I say quietly.

"I do... I just... I'm not sure what you are..." he sighs.

"I'm a mermaid..." I say quietly, "my father brought me up here, because the ocean is at war with each other... he gave me to Sylvanna, and she raised me. Garroth, Zane, and Vylad are from the same place. It's supposed to be a secret... but, when you fell I couldn't just leave you..." I look down.

Aaron puts an arm around me, and I blush faintly.

"Thank you... for saving me... I don't care what you are, to me your still Aphmau... the sweet little potato." He says.

Tears fill my eyes, and I hug him. I can't help but start crying.

"Why are you crying?" He asks.

"Thank you... for accepting me..." I say.

"Heh, we should go back to bed..." he says quietly. I nod. We stand up, and head back to our cabins.

I lay down in my bed, and go to sleep.

Aaron
I go back into the tent. Garroth, Zane, and Vylad are awake.

"What were you doing?" Zane demands.

"Talking to Aphmau." I reply, sitting down on my sleeping bag.

"About?" He prompts.

"Why does it matter?" I ask.

"Because you were awake earlier in the water, and you saw Aphmau and I." He retorts.

"I'm not sure why your a crab." I reply.

"None of us are. The point is, are you going to tell anyone?" Vylad asks.

"Who would I tell? The only person I'm close to here is Aphmau." I say.

They all shrug. Zane lays back down, so does Vylad.

"Sorry, we're just worried..." Garroth says, before laying down.

"I get it..." I say quietly, laying down to. "Besides, it's not the only secret I'm keeping..."

Snorts fill the tents, and I fall asleep.