Page 80 of Anchored to the Storm

“What was I thinking?” He cursed to himself. “I should’ve never brought you.”

I laid a hand on his arm. “Seb, I’m okay. Slow down so we don’t get pulled over.”

The Jeep slowed to a permissible speed.

Once back home, we quietly parked and snuck through the backyard. Sebastian said he needed to get some air before going back inside. I understood. We both had empty rooms now.

What I didn’t expect was to be greeted by a pissed Ethan. He angrily whispered, “Where were you?”

“With Caleb.” It wasn’t a lie. I just failed to mention I was also snooping around the pastor’s place.

“Oh.” Ethan instantly calmed. “I didn’t see you out there.” He headed for the bedroom door. “See ya in the morning.”

I lifted my hand to stop him, but he left so quickly I missed my chance.

Exhausted from the night, I gently fell backward, landing on the bed. I exhaled, kicked off my shoes, and let my eyes close, only to immediately fall into another dream.

With all the strength my little fin had, I held the boy and lifted him onto the seawall in front of his father’s home…

I rubbed my nose to his, how my mother would to me, trying to express how much I already adored him…

Men in black leather vests were frantically looking for a boy named Maddox…

From under the water, I watched a flying machine take the boy away…

When the boy didn’t return, I grew so sad. I missed him dearly. With no family now, I was utterly alone. My only friend became River Styx. He named me Saleeni. Then, one day, River no longer visited me.

I floated for so long, staring at the wall, but no one was there. So, I touched it, hoping to sense some sort of connection, but it was all gone. With my back to the wall, I slid down the concrete, the closest I had been to the humans I was scared I’d never see again.

Sitting on the ocean floor, my heart cracked so wide that I didn’t breathe air for weeks. I didn’t move. I didn’t eat. I just… waited.

When my eyes finally reopened, I was… stronger. I had regenerated. The connection to the boy had intensified. I could sense when he was touching the source. So, I sent him messages throughout the years…

One day, pain ripped through me. It was like the pain of watching my family disappear in the explosion…

The boy needed me. I would find him. No matter what it took.

I swam for days and days, only stopping to eat and rest for very short periods of time. I faced sharks, huge ships, and things I had never seen before. I fought currents. I was caught in a net with sea creatures who were so scared. I escaped. I learned. I survived until finally reaching a coast close to the boy who no longer felt as young as he once was.

Waiting for the boy was difficult. So much time passed before I would see him again. I called out to him, over and over, but he didn’t hear me. He didn’t look for me when walking across the sand. He only laughed and played with other humans…

Again, I sat up in bed, grasping my pounding chest. Then I cried so hard that I called a certain someone without realizing it. Ethan came to me. My room was still dark as he entered, asking no questions about the reasons I sobbed. He only asked, “Can I hold you?”

Crying, I held my arms open. “Please.”

I snuggled in his heat and embrace, trying to stop my sobs. “I saw them.”

“Who, baby?”

“I saw you, too.”

His arms tightened around me. “I’m so glad I was in your nightmare.”

“No, it wasn’t a nightmare or dream. It was… her.”

“Hmm?”

It was hard to speak through all the emotions. “Saleeni, she swam to our coast to find Johnny—Maddox—the boy.”