The Mermaid

Episode 5

“What a spoilt brat! Go to the front and kneel down there.”Aunty Aishat said, pointing outside.

Cassandra was still staring at her medallion on the floor. She had even stopped breathing.
The anger…the rage was overwhelming. She wanted to kill this teacher right now…to strangle her to death but she couldn’t do it that way.

Hurriedly, Cassandra bent down,picked up her medallion and ran out of the class, leaving all of them gasping in wonder.

Cassandra used her hand and kept her the medallion on her neck, finding somewhere so dry to hide.

She had to summon the queen mother,for a new medallion or something.

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Aunty Aishat who lived with her younger sister got home from school very late in the night after coming back from her fiance’s place.

She was so tired she knew she couldn’t eat supper.

They lived in a three bedroom flat with a gate surrounding it.

She went into the house and saw the door opened. She looked again.
“Temmy!”she called, coming inside.
There was no answer.
“An,an. Isn’t Temmy in this house? Why would she leave my door open like this, allowing free access to all this mosquitoes?”
Aunty Aishat complained as she stepped into the sitting room.

Her eyes opened wide. Her apartment was empty. Empty! All the furnitures,gone! Not even a single dirt!

Aunty Aishat stared around, confused.
Her lips were moving… trying to say something but no words came out.
“What’s… what’s.. happening? Temmy!” She screamed and turned to run into the passage which led to Temmy’s room but her eyes caught something… something floating down the passage in a slow motion! A slow motion.

Aunty Aishat stopped, waving her head,assuring herself that she was hallucinating as she closed her eyes and opened them again to see it still floating down to her in a slow motion.

Aunty Aishat let out a strangled scream.
Water! It was water!… floating down to her in slow motion.

“No…no…”,Aunty Aishat whispered, moving backwards.”No…no…this is not my house…I must have entered the wrong house!” Aunty Aishat cried and turned around to run out as the water was already coming towards her.
But as soon as she grabbed the door knob and turned,gbam!.

The door jammed close with a deafening sound!

Aunty Aishat could not believe it. She shook the door violently but it wouldn’t even make a sound.

Aunty Aishat turned around again,her body shaking all over at the sight of the water, reaching up to her feet.
“What’s happening to me! Somebody,help!” She shouted but it seemed as if the world had suddenly gone deaf.
The water slowly circulated her legs, gumming her to the floor and then she began to sink as if she was in a swamp.

Aunty Aishat cried, screamed, trying to pull herself out but the more she tried the more she went deeper down the sinking water.
The water filled up to her neck in no time and stopped.

Her head was the only visible thing remaining.
“Somebody, please help me!!” Aunty Aishat screamed. She stopped and looked up to see Cassandra, swimming up to her in her mermaid tail.

At the great shook that plastered Aunty Aishat face Cassandra let out a big laugh.
“Surprised you are going to be killed by me right?” Cassandra asked, playing inside the water that filled the house.
“You….you….. Cassandra??” Aunty Aishat squeaked,water running inside her mouth as she coughed.

“This isn’t your house. You were right. Right now you are in our kingdom and here you shall die. Don’t worry,your body will be found exactly this spot in your apartment. Goodbye, teacher. In your next life,try to be wise.” Cassandra said wickedly and raised up her hands then the water began to climb up again, swallowing Aunty Aishat and her screams.

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The next day at school,the death of the teacher was announced to the whole school at assembly.

The whole school was shocked.
Aunty Aishat? Dead?

How did it happened?

The principal explained what the sister, Temmy had reported.

She had waited and waited for her sister’s return last night but she never returned.
Around 1am in the morning,she phoned her fiance only for him to tell her he dropped her off at the junction.

Temmy had gone to bed, hoping to find her sister back the next morning but coming out of her room she saw her, lying on the floor drenched. Completely drenched!.

It was mystery they could not make out, could not even believe it but they knew it was true.
That day, lessons closed. There was no activity in school. Everywhere was as quiet as a grave yard.

It was a great blow to them. Aunty Aishat had contributed so much to the growth of the school.

Soon,the children began to go back home as teachers gathered at the head teacher’s office to discuss about the tragic incident.
Cassandra carried her bag, smiling in her heart as she also left the class.

Yesterday after running out of the class,she had gone to a stream and summoned queen mother who gave her another medallion and more powers to destroy the ignorant teacher.
Queen mother also warned her to keep the new medallion save,for it was the last one for her.
That was the disheartening part which still angers her but the death of the teacher gave her some much joy.

She left the school compound and began to walk home.

Immediately she got home,she knew her mother was inside and the voice rang in her ears.

Kill her….kill her… she’s the next to go….kill her…

Cassandra smiled to herself as she began to walk towards the main entrance.

Isn’t this just perfect and enjoyable? To watch this irritating woman who calls herself my mother die too?

Cassandra walked into the house,her eyes shinning with mischief and evil.

She heard her mother ask who had come in but she kept quiet, waiting for her to come downstairs.

Almost immediately,Esther started coming down the stairs.

She stopped Midway,amazed to see her daughter already back from school and standing so still.
“Cassandra…what happened? Why you already back from school?
How many times do I have to tell you not to come home on your own until I come to pick you up?

Why are you back so early? Can’t you talk?” Esther asked,getting furious.

I’ve told her my name isn’t Cassandra…but she wouldn’t listen…now you shall die…
“Cassandra! I’m talking to you!” Esther shouted, coming downstairs again.
Cassandra smiled evilly.”Yes mummy,come to me”Cassandra said in a voice Esther would never recognize as she started to reach for her dagger…….