Atlantis Academy: The First Element

CHAPTER TEN

Its terrifying eyes glow from within a hideously misshapen skull. The moonlight glints off the blue-green scales covering its torso and head, and they shimmer, like they're infused with deadly glitter.

Its head suddenly disappears beneath the waves, and a tail flips into the sky. A tail like a fish, scaled, with two fins. The tail vanishes, and the ocean-gel vibrates from the force of its movement.

If it's a fish, it's the size of me.

A high-pitched tone rings in my ears, and my desperate screams stick in my throat.

I try to glance down at the frozen waves, seeking the monster's path.

There. The creature shimmers beneath the water as it rushes toward me. It's moving far faster than anything else is moving in this frozen world.

Terror builds within me, setting all my nerves on fire.

The monster bursts through the water, a few feet away, neon blue eyes staring at me hungrily.

It has hair like a human, cascading over its shoulders, soaking wet, pasted against its skull. Its torso is human-like, with breasts.

Its treading water, flipping its fins, and with each quick movement its entire scaly body glitters, shimmers, and glows neon blue-green.

Another scream erupts in my chest and gets caught there.

The creature's fish-like lips peel back. Its jaw opens so wide, it seems to come unhinged. Moonlight glints off shining white fangs.

It flips its tail, diving deep.

It's coming for me.

And I can't do anything but wait and choke on my screams.

A force erupts from beneath my body, slamming into my lower back. I try to cry out in pain, but nothing comes out.

I'm flying through the air, toward the sky.

The fog is back. The loud roar of waves rushes into my ears right before I hit them once more.

I flail underwater, trying to find the surface.

I can move again, but I'm drowning. Flipping, tumbling through the water as it drags me down, deeper and deeper.

I keep my mouth closed as my air runs out, and my lungs burn. My eyes are open, saltwater stinging them as another wave drags me forward.

I glimpse the creature's blue-green glow, right before it slams into me, sending me skyward again.

I suck in a lungful of air and glimpse the moon before plunging back beneath the water.

Wicked pain shoots through all my limbs, and my body's shaking violently from cold and fear.

The monster slams into me again and again, sending me toward the sky. Each time, I suck in air before plunging back into the ocean's depths.

It's playing with me.

The monster is playing with me like a cat plays with... its food.

It seems to go on forever.

Then time stops again.

I'm sucking in a lungful of air, paralyzed, half underwater, half above. Freezing cold gel holds me in place. A wave rises high behind me, the moonlight glinting off its curves, getting ready to drown me.

I'm so tired. So, so tired. When will this end?

You must live, Lyric.

I want to live!