I could safely say, without a doubt, that this was the worst nightmare I'd ever had. It was me, floating in front of countless bodies on the seafloor, with Jay and Tiger Shark floating behind them. Jay had a horrified expression on his face while Tiger Shark just watched with a smug smile. I reached for Jay, but just like last time, he shied away from me. The horror on his face quickly turned to anger and I spun around, wondering what could've changed his mood so quickly.

My mouth fell open, my heart stopping as I took in the bodies. To my horror, many of them were faces I recognised: Meri. Naia. Mom. David.

Spots swam in my vision as I faltered, catching myself on a rock. This had to be a dream. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. I knew what I had to do to wake up; I just wasn't sure I could bear it.

The scream that ripped from me as I placed my hand on my injured shoulder jolted me awake. As if in response, my shoulder throbbed as I rubbed my eyes. Jay's side of the bed was cold when I got out of bed and swam to the bathroom.

He must have gone for an early-morning swim. A small part of me was glad; I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to face him. Or the others.

After I got dressed, I went over my options. I could wait for Jay and Meri to come back and go over a plan, or I could sneak back to where I'd seen the bodies and try to get a better clue of what was going on. Adrenaline rushed through my body, making me fidgety and nervous. The latter quickly won as I realized I wouldn't be able to relax until I knew what was going on.

I was not entirely in control of my body as I swam. Anxiety and fear had my muscles so tense, I could hardly move. I held my breath as I got to a rock and hid behind it. A familiar smell filled my nostrils, one that had me steeling myself as I swam toward it.

Two mermaids lay on the ground, golden-blonde hair limp on their shoulders and eyes frozen open. The similarity to Bella was so striking that I had to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before I could do anything. Tiger Shark and Naia did this deliberately. Like I'd done before, I searched their bodies for any personal items, but luckily came up empty.

I swam home in a daze, shock making me numb. When I swam inside, it was all I could do not to collapse on the ground. I gave Jay and Meri an abbreviated version of what happened, their gazes filled with worry. Unsurprisingly, they weren't happy with my decision to go out there on my own.

My face was tear-streaked and pale. Meri rushed into my arms. I hugged her back, my body suddenly aching. It was all I could do not to collapse on the couch and fall asleep. Jay led me up to our bedroom, wrapping an arm around me as we got into bed.

I love you. More than anything in the world. You know that, right? He had a concerned expression on his face as he signed.

I nodded, kissing him. I do. I love you too.

As I fell asleep, I could've sworn I felt Jay hold me tighter, as if reassuring himself. I leaned into his touch, a smile on my face as darkness overtook me.

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