Just a drop : 8
1086 Words
Just a drop
"You were in my dream last night."
Arlo narrows his eyes, staring at her very intensely still trying all his best to remember if he met her before and why her voice sounded so familiar the moment they met.
Moon was taken aback by his sudden change of expression but laughed it out which brought Arlo back to reality.
He wasn't aware of the stern face he was making.
"If you knew I was here why didn't you wait?" Moon genuinely smiles, shooting a question that was too trivial for the other to answer.
A tiny curve lifts up from the side of Arlo’s lips, as he drags his finger around the sand; thinking of a reply. He was too embarrassed to even ponder on how she knew that this was the second time he came here.
"I met you here." Arlo replied short. No creativity in his words but it was a considerable reply, since it was the truth. Moon couldn't help but smile at his fluttering yet short response. She had no reason to swoon over such words, but her pale face and heart couldn't help themselves.
Moon faces the opposite side to prevent Arlo from seeing her dramatic blush. On the other hand, he was quickly getting anxious with the silence that dawned upon them from his dry reply, it was just minutes ago that he was so desperate on finding her yet he remains ordinary all of a sudden now that he's with her.
They both remain silent, eyes focused somewhere else with the waves reverberating which gave off a comfortable kind of silence.
Oblivious of what Arlo was doing with the sand, Moon turns her gaze towards the ground that was embellished by the boy.
Surprised by the mermaid drawing on the sand, she could help but gasp aloud. Arlo automatically stopped drawing and turned to Moon.
"What happened?" Arlo asks out of complete concern. He wasn't paying attention to Moon as he was too occupied with his drawing. Moon shook her head, now wearing a childish smile like she always does when she was with him.
"Why a mermaid though?"
Arlo lifts his eyebrow in confusion, he then faces his drawing. Moon does have her ways with her unusual questions that always gave Arlo’s brain heavy work for thinking too hard.
He shrugs with an 'I don't know' expression, wiping out his work after her question.
“Arlo Case Channing!” The boy sprung up rapidly at the call of his voice. It was Seven.
After crossing paths at the market and dashing off without a reply, his friend had all the reasons to look for him. Arlo hides his body behind the boulders as he watches Seven running down the hill-looking crossed as ever, Moon following suit.
"I'm a rotten fish." Arlo mumbles, lowering Moon's head from sight.
"He looks mad." Seven obviously just came from the market with Mother. His hands were occupied with sacks of vegetables that he probably forgot to drop off at the kitchen.
Man got his priorities straightened out.
"You don't say." Arlo replies, horrified to see Seven making his way towards the boulders. "Quick, to the water."
Jungkook attempts to pull Moon with him but she stood in her spot, hard as a statue.
"You go, I'll stay here."
He couldn't waste time to reply since Seven was just steps away from the boulder. It'd be better to face him at bedtime when his temper has lowered, right now he needed to run.
"I know you're hiding..." Seven jumped behind the boulder expecting to catch his empty-headed friend red handed, but to his tragic anticipation.
He made a fool out of himself with a frog like posture in front of a stranger.
Moon was expecting a scare, but she didn't foresee it to be hilarious. She purses her lips to prevent herself on embarrassing the guy any longer.
"May I help you?" She questions the abashed boy which he nods to.
"Do you happen to see a boy just about my height with brown locks?"
His shoulder drops upon seeing her shaking her head as a 'no'.
"Is he in trouble?"
"Yes he is. When I see him, I'll c***k his teeth till they fall of and burn them in soil." Seven grits his teeth, imagining the scenario in his head. The unexpected comment had Moon's eyes expanding, a clear picture playing in her mind.
Seven thanks her before jogging hurriedly away from the boulders with an awkward expression.
Just as Seven reaches closer up the hill to Mother's residence.
The victim splashes out of water like a fish caught by a hook.
He didn't have a good air capacity in his lungs and he almost felt like drowning.
"He's gone." The girl announced, watching at a soaked Arlo furiously panting for air.
"Thanks." He manage to say between his breath. He approaches the crouching girl and ruffles his hair. Moon scoots away from Arlo, afraid of being exposed to the water.
Arlo notice her behaviour and apologised, "Did I get you wet?"
She shook her head, hands hidden behind her back. Arlo had his eyes closed while he jiggled his head. Fortunately, only a single drop landed on the girls arm but it was slowly exposing her light, blue scales and was too clear to to see during daylight.
"I have to go." Arlo was quite observant, a tiny detail of different behaviour or tone was easy for him to notice and Moon had a troubled tone in her words, plus her posture confirmed his beliefs.
"Are you okay?" Being the gentleman he was, he wanted to make sure she was fine before sending her off to wherever she settled but whenever he took a step towards her, she would step back as if she was suddenly intimated by him.
That never happened before, now she seems so vulnerable and disturbed which fuelled Arlo worry even more.
Why the sudden change of behaviour?
"Moon?" Arlo’s still-moist hands grabbed her wrists in attempt to calm her down, but Moon yanked off his hands which caught him off guard.
Her face still looked uneasy but apologetic of what she did. Just a touch of liquid could expose her identity let alone endanger her own self.
The only option she had at the moment was to run away from him.
He held back from chasing her, as she rushed pass the puzzled boy.
Why was her wrist is slowly turning blue?
- Writer
