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Chapter 1. The Creature

In the depths of New York City, on top of the Empire State Building, a creature rested. That creature was me. As I felt my life slipping away from me, I could barely remember a time when I was happy. I remembered my friends and family like a dream. I couldn’t see because it was so foggy. What was I going to do? Where could I go? Maybe I’d slowly creep away tonight while the city slept and make my way back to the depths of the ocean, a place I called home.

As I started walking, I could still see movement in the city, so I crept lightly through dark alleys so nobody could see me. Suddenly, I saw a light turn on in a window. My eyes locked with a young woman holding a baby. She screamed and I ran.

I wandered around boats and crates, keeping in the shadows, away from the busy city and bright lights. Diving into the murky waters, I remembered who I was. My name is Marisol and I'm a mermaid.

Chapter 2. Escaping the Past

I swam up to a lighthouse and decided to take shelter. I pulled myself up the stairs. Exhausted, I gazed out the open window at the glow of the lighthouse. When I looked at it directly, it blinded me. I heard the boats coming into the harbor and saw the bright beautiful moon shining in the sky. How could I worry? But as the sun rose, the bad memories of the fishermen returned. I shivered recalling the day they snatched my family away from me.

My family, my one and only family, had been torn away from me. Tears rolled down my cheeks and were drowned in the rushing sea as I thought of them. Gone. After they were taken, I would always dream of them while I sat on my special rock, my tail moving gently with the waves. I would search my mind, hoping, wishing that I could somehow see them again.

My reverie was broken by footsteps coming up the stairs. As I plunged into the darkness of another passage, my heart pounded. I heard a voice - one I hadn't heard in a long time. It was a voice that brought back so much. The fury, the pain and the memory of those first days when I was alone. This mysterious voice belonged to a man I knew far too well. He was the stranger who had robbed me of everything I treasured, my family and my life. The fishermen had returned!

Chapter 3. The Sarcophagus

The world blacked out. When I opened my eyes, I felt very slimy. The sticky substance quickly hardened. I could feel it keeping me stuck to the ground. What will I do? Now its really starting to harden! Soon I could die. I needed help. Maybe someone could hear me, and help me. I heard the footsteps coming closer and closer. I tried to look up, but I couldn't move.

As the footsteps drew nearer, the hairs on the back of my slender neck rose. I saw a stain of rouge on the ground near my head. "Blast it, that is definitely NOT a fish," a young sounding voice said. I heard an ear-shattering crack, and the hardened slime turned to dust. I pulled my head up and tried to open my eyes but I could only see a few faint lights glowing in the distance. I saw a very large silhouette coming towards me. The "thing" had a long, dark, tattered cloak on. I was so frightened, I fainted.

When I awoke, I saw the glow of a campfire and a figure hunched over. "Who are you?" I asked. He said his name was Bob Flynton. "There is no exit," he said. "What do I do now?" I thought to myself.

Frantically, I looked around the campsite. I spotted a fence around the campsite. I could always try to talk to Flynton. But I didn't know if he was dangerous. I noticed the bag he clutched in his hand, and was reminded of what the fishermen had done to them. He might have trouble waiting for me in his bag, I thought to myself. "Why are you keeping me here? I demand to know why!" I said, my voice shaking. He looked at me and said curtly, "For reasons which I cannot tell you. But you WILL find out shortly."

"But why?" I started to ask. Flynton hit me over the head before I could ask my question.

I felt cold. My limbs went numb. My blood froze. I awoke to ice. My Sarcophagus.

Chapter 4. All Alone

I felt fear rising up. I started shouting and pounding on the door, hoping someone would hear me. Adrenaline took over, as I fought to keep the panic down. I only cared about getting out. "There is no hope," I thought to myself. I began to feel a sharp pain at the end of my tail. As the scales began to peel off revealing human legs, I felt free, but confused. Only a moment ago I was a mermaid. Now, I was human. I closed my eyes and lulled myself to sleep.

I woke up in the morning in my childhood house, feeling alone and strange. I had to start a new life somewhere, somehow. Now that I was one of them, a human, I had regained energy. I had to find the determination to start over again. I needed to make things right. I had to start living my life not knowing what this new world had in store for me.

No one could hear me. "I am alone. God, I need help. Please. answer my prayers." I pleaded to the empty mass of air. "Maybe I complain too much, maybe if I stop complaining, things will change for me."

I started looking through the paper, with new found interest in starting a new life. I contemplated all the jobs I could possibly get like Real Estate Agent, teacher…and then it came to me. I could be a Marine biologist! Perhaps it will help me figure out how to turn back into a mermaid.

As I walked to the office, I bumped into a pearl diver at the new marina. He introduced himself as Sheldon, and showed me the way to the Marine biologist's office. As we walked past, he told me about how much he loved pearl diving. It was a nice, peaceful chat and I started to relax.

Suddenly, a man came out of the bushes. It was a fisherman! I didn't even have to look twice at this man because I knew immediately who he was. It was a face that had been burned into my mind. All my memories surfaced, and I sprinted away.

When I looked back, I saw him pull out an unusual looking device. He pulled the trigger and shot a laser beam. I didn't look back at the tree as it went up in flames.

Chapter 5. Thanks to Sheldon

To my surprise, Sheldon had followed me. The fisherman was not pleased. He aimed his gun at my friend and fired. Sheldon fell, clutching his arm in pain. Sheldon struggled to pull something out of his pocket and the fisherman turned his sights on me. My nemesis pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes, certain I was doomed. Boom!

I opened my eyes, surprised that I was still alive. The fisherman had collapsed on the ground. I turned to Sheldon, but I realized it was too late. Sheldon had saved me by deflecting the laser beam with a mirror. He still clutched it in his dead, cold hand. I was sad, but I had no time to mourn. I dragged Sheldon and the unconscious fisherman into a nearby diving school. I tied the fisherman up and searched his bag and found a small book containing pictures of my family. I had thought I had lost them forever, but I was wrong. I had to find my family.

I opened a door with a shudder. To my horror, I saw scaly creatures inside. Dark red, they had large claws and mysterious black dragon eyes. They were giant pythons lurking in the depths of the darkness. They slithered closer and closer. I was so scared I couldn't move. One of the giant creatures grabbed my leg with its teeth and tried to drag me off. I backed out of the room, screaming, "Help!"

Chapter 6. Countdown

The creature hissed words of death, "Rasmos. Andros. Senthrais." Clutching the documents, I panicked and tried to yell again but no words came out. The creature darted its long, slender tongue and pierced its sharp yellow fangs into my flesh. The pain was unbearable and ran up my spine. I felt dead inside. I knew that my nightmare was not over!! I yelled for help as best I could, feeling my spirits fading. I closed my eyes. There was no way to escape. I heard footsteps. I thought someone was arriving to help, but I was nervous. I looked back and saw Flynton in a white coat. Was he a bad guy? Flynton picked me up and carried me to his lab. He took a rope out and tied me up. I saw strange syringes. I asked him what they were for, but he didn't answer. He took out a knife.

As soon I woke from the surgery, I looked at my leg. It was cut! I was so angry, I took out the laser beam. But I couldn't shoot. It was out of energy. The doctor ran out and locked the door. When I pushed the door with my body, it didn't open. I cried out for help. I don't think anybody heard. I thought I would die. But then, I breathed very fresh air. There was an open window. I could escape this place! I wanted to open the window more, but I couldn't. I was exhausted.

I looked for another exit. I saw nothing, nothing at all. I noticed a document on a table in the corner. I picked the paper up. As I read it, I realized it contained the whereabouts of my family. The room darkened and I heard a noise. "You will suffer," a deep voice said. The door burst open. I spun around, finding Flynton standing there, brandishing the knife in his hand. He sneered, "You have a choice. Give me the document and I will set you free. Otherwise, I shall kill you. Make your choice now. I give you 5 seconds. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1!!!"

Chapter 7. The Last Clue

"Wait!" I scream. "First tell me who you are and why I am here."

"I am Dr. Bob Flynton. I worked with your parents in a lab for years," the doctor said. "Your parents have a gene that can transform humans into mermaids. Together we created you. We kept you in a lab. Your parents wanted you to be free so they tried to get you away from the lab. I couldn't let that happen! I could make millions on your DNA. So I locked your parents in a secret location. And now, hand over those documents if you want to see your parents again."

I knew he lied. He would never let me see my parents. So, very slyly, I snatched the pages out of the folder and handed the empty folder to Dr. Flynton. Then, as he turned to the computer, I threw my empty laser gun at his head. He fell to the ground and I limped quickly out of the building.

I hid in an alley and looked at the papers. My parents were still alive and in a secret room in the Empire State Building. I was going back.

Back in NYC, I reread the papers to find that I needed to go to the top floor of the building and find the hidden door behind the painting. I had to lean on the painting to make it turn. Behind the painting was a slide that took me to the basement. There I opened the door and...all I found was Phonopeos,the monster, guarding another room. I could hear my parents yelling for help from behind the door. What could I do?

Chapter 8. Battle of the Beast

Phonopeos lurched towards my shivering body. I leaped out of the way, hoping something or someone would come to my rescue. Sweat was dripping from my shaking body. Venom dripped between the spaces of Phonopeos fangs. The cries of desperation from my parents gave me a little bit of strength, but it wasn't enough. As I sped around it, Phonopeos grabbed me with it's massive, hairy claws. "Aughh!" I screamed "Let go!" As I squirmed, it slowly pulled me up and opened its gigantic jaws. As I was about to be dropped into its slimy gullet, I snapped opened my legs and stopped its jaws from snapping closed! I panicked, thinking to myself "What should I do?"

My legs began to shake. I could barely hold its jaws open any more. But I couldn’t admit defeat so easily. Without hesitation, I jumped as high as I could! Phonopeos jaws snapped, and missed. Bang! My shoulder slammed into the marble floor. Weakly I rose to my knees. I had to save my parents but I was too frightened. Phonopeos turned to stare at me, his face pinched together like a pickle. I knew he would lunge at me any second!

As if on cue, Phonopeos swiped at me with its razor claws. I swiftly ducked, avoiding the fatal blow. Instead, Phonopeos’ claw kept on swinging over me, right into the glass window pane. It hollered as the jagged shards of glass pierced his rugged skin. It was probably my best chance to escape, so I ran directly to the exit where I came in.

I was so ashamed of deserting my parents. I heard a roar of anger from Phonopeos. He stomped his foot so hard the whole place began to collapse. Phonopeos had this very fierce and stiff look on his face. I risked this moment to rescue my family. I sprinted as fast as I could and I stopped next to the door where my family was. "Now is my chance to rescue them," I thought. I slowly reached for the doorknob. Behind me, Phonopeos roared. I stopped with my arm frozen straight in front of me. I was scared to look over my shoulder. The building was shaking like mad. I heard a scream. "This is my chance." I turned the doorknob quickly, and I gasped! My family was gone! I wondered if Dr. Flynton took them. “Where could they be?" I thought. Suddenly, everything was dark and smoky.

Chapter 9. The Final Struggle

I scan the room quickly. I have to find them and get home, I think. On the right a door swings silently, this is the only possibility. Inside the door is an elevator. I quickly jump in and press the down arrow. I am scared as I plummet down in the shaking elevator. I feel as if I will never find them.

Bang! The elevator lands in the basement. "Mom, Dad? It's me," I say, but all I can hear is a moan. I run up and I quickly untie them. There's no time for small talk. The building will fall any second. We sprint to the elevator. The building shakes once again.

"It broke, GET OUT!" The building begins to fall, we jump out the window and land in a pile of broken pieces of the building. I'm not badly hurt, just a couple of scrapes. My dad pulls a cell phone out of his pocket and tries to dial 911, but the batteries die. I hear Dr. Flynton limping towards me. "You and your parents belong to me now," he roars.

I run to pick something off the ground. I can't tell what it is, but I can't waste anymore time. I throw the object at Dr. Flynton and yell "This is for Sheldon!" The object, a green flinty stone, hits him square in his chest and we hear a scream. Now we see a fin, he's transforming into a mermaid-man.

Dr. Flynton screeched again. His legs had become a strange-looking fin because of his limping leg. "AHHHHH!" he writhes in pain. My parents and I stare at the transformed doctor. His new fin looks green with a slight tinge of yellow.

"We have to go!" yells my dad. We run into streets filled with dark passages.

"STOP!" I shout, "Why did you experiment on me in the first place?!"

"Bob forced us to do it. I thought I could fix it later when we had time. But we have been trapped for years," says dad sadly.

"Thanks to you we are now reunited," mom says, crying.

We walk over to the sandy beach, sit down, and watch the sun set over the rippling ocean. Finally, a family again.