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  I’m not sure what she has in mind, but Colella and Tamika are now swimming back toward us, along with two of the dolphins. Forty or fifty feet from us, the dolphins stop, as does Tamika. At least, I think it’s Tamika. It’s really hard to tell the mermaids apart.

  Colella rejoins us.

  “They can’t…come any closer,” she tells us. “The water is…too shallow.”

  She holds her hand out to Radar. Selene extends her hand to me, palm up.

  “Come with us,” Selene says.

  She has to be kidding, right? She may not feel the icy water, but Radar and I sure do. No way am I going any deeper than I am right now.

  “Please,” Selene says. “You will…be fine. I promise.”

  Radar looks at me and shrugs. She grabs Colella’s hand. I grit my teeth and take Selene’s.

  Her hand is even warmer than her scales. I can feel the warmth flowing up my arm and into my body. After a moment, even my legs and feet are no longer cold.

  I find myself walking farther out into the water, holding Selene’s hand. Radar and Colella walk beside us. As the waves splash up onto my thighs and even above my waist, I’m amazed I don’t feel cold at all. It’s almost like walking in a big bathtub filled with warm water.

  Ahead of us, Tamika is treading water between two dolphins, one hand resting on each of their backs. She smiles as we draw near. I wonder what Selene has in mind. She said she was going to show us that the dolphins trusted them, but I kind of know that already, since I watched them all playing together earlier.

  Having only ever seen dolphins from a distance, I never realized how big they actually are. Close up, they look enormous, at least eight feet long and thicker than a full grown man. Their mouths seem curved into an amused smile and their deep-set black eyes watch us approach with a look I can only describe as intelligent and aware. The water is waist deep now, but I barely notice.

  “This is Ada,” Tamika says, indicating the dolphin in front of me. “And this is Cami,” she says to Radar. “Ada and Cami have agreed to take you for a swim.”

  Take us for a swim? I’m not sure what she means by that. I look at Radar. I don’t think she understands either, but she has a huge grin on her face. Me, I’m remembering how cold the water is. No way am I letting go of Selene and her magical warmth, dolphin swim be damned.

  Selene nudges me closer to Ada. “Grab her here,” she says, indicating the base of Ada’s large dorsal fin. She obviously sees the hesitation on my face, because she adds, “do not worry…I am coming, too… I’ll be holding…your other hand… Otherwise…you would freeze.”

  I take a deep breath and gently place my right hand where Selene showed me. The dolphin’s skin is soft and rubbery, and cold to my touch. A jagged scar shaped a little bit like a lightning bolt runs along the back edge of Ada’s fin. Wondering what might have caused the scar, I grip the front of the fin tightly.

  Before I know what’s happening, Ada flicks her tail and shoots forward, dragging me along beside her. Selene has my other hand. I have the feeling she may be pulling me along as well. For a moment I almost panic, certain I’m about to drown, but my head stays easily above the surface. As we move into deeper water our speed increases. I turn my head toward Selene, who is smiling at me. Just beyond her, I see Radar zooming through the water between Cami and Colella. Her smile is even bigger than Selene’s.

  The sensation is unlike anything I’ve ever known. The fastest I’ve ever moved has been on a bicycle going downhill, but this feels faster. My dad has told me about how the cars parked throughout the District used to carry people at seventy or eighty miles per hour, or more even, but those are meaningless numbers to me. I’ve never seen a working car in my life. Once the government figured out that the electrical systems attracted Anomalies, every car was systematically disabled. My dad says the Marines have some working cars and trucks stored away for emergencies, but I’ve never seen one used.

  None of that matters now, though. What matters right now is the feel of the air blowing against my face and the water rushing past my body. Selene glides alongside me, her hand in mine, funneling heat into me. I feel like I’m sliding inside a magical liquid cocoon, almost like I’m flying in a dream. I love it!

  As our speed increases, my cap blows off of my head. I twist my head around in time to see Tamika catch my cap before it even hits the water. She’s already holding onto Radar’s orange cap. I forget about my cap, I forget about Radar, I even forget about Selene. Instead, I give myself over completely to the delightful feelings of speed and weightlessness.

  How long my marvelous ride lasts, I have no idea, but I’m sad when it ends. Time seems to have lost its meaning as Ada guides me back into shallow water. I feel like barely a minute has passed, but I also feel like it’s been hours. Reluctantly, I let go of Ada’s fin and let my feet find the sandy bottom. I feel as if I’m still moving, and it takes me a moment to catch my balance. It’s a good thing I’m still holding Selene’s hand, or I might have fallen. Plus, I’d be freezing, because my clothes are completely soaked, of course.

  “That was totally amazing,” I say to Selene.

  “Holy crap!” Radar says as she glides to a stop beside us and releases her grip on Cami. “That was freaking awesome.”

  Tamika swims over and places my cap back onto my head and then does the same for Radar.

  “I’m glad…you enjoyed it,” Selene says. “You remember…why you got… the ride, I hope.”

  In the exhilaration of what I’d just experienced, I had forgotten.

  “To show us that the dolphins trusted you,” I say. “So that we would trust you, too, when you give us your message.”

  “And do you? Trust us now?”

  I remember reading how dolphins are among the most intelligent and instinctual creatures on earth. They obviously have no problems with the mermaids. Indeed, they seem very fond of them, enough so to allow Radar and me to go for a ride. I’m still not sure why Selene won’t tell us who the message is from, but I’m inclined to trust her. Not that I wasn’t about to trust her earlier, but the dolphin ride has sealed the deal for me.

  “Yes,” I say. “Please tell us as much as you are permitted. What is your message?”

  “I am to tell you,” Selene says, “that the seven…must go to the place…where it all started.”

  Where it all started? I don’t know what I was expecting to hear from a mermaid from another world, but it certainly wasn’t this.

  “Do you mean The Incident?” I ask. “Are you saying we have to go to Alcatraz?” Every person on the planet knows something happened on that famous island that changed the course of history. Alcatraz is said to be the most dangerous place in a very dangerous world.

  “Yes. I believe that…is what you call it.”

  I’m trying to wrap my head around this. It makes sense that beings from the other world would know about The Incident, but how do they know about the Miracles, and that there are seven of us? I’m not sure if that matters, or if Selene would tell me if I ask. Instead, I ask a simpler question.

  “Why?” I ask. “Why do we need to go there?”

  “To stop…what is going…to happen.”

  “What’s going to happen?” Radar asks.

  “Disaster,” Selene says. “For your world…and perhaps for mine.”

  Disaster! The word echoes in my head. In these troubled times there aren’t many words that carry the weight of that one. And hearing it from Selene’s lips makes it feel all the more dangerous.

  “What are you saying?” I ask. “What’s going to happen?”

  Selene shakes her head. “I do not…know. Only that it must…be stopped. On the next…anniversary.”

  Radar and I look at each other. The next anniversary is only a little more than a month away.

  “Happy birthday,” Radar says to me with a wry smile.

  The Incident occurred on December 21st. I was born on the tenth anniversary of that terrible day, so the date has always
carried mixed feelings for me. I will turn eighteen on the day Selene says we must save the world. Talk about a coming of age present.

  “What are we supposed to do?” I ask. “To stop whatever’s going to happen?”

  The sadness on Selene’s face is unmistakable.

  “I’m sorry,” she says. “I do not know…. I only know…you must prevent it…from occurring.”

  “Why us?” I ask. “You said the seven of us must go.”

  “Because you have…powers. I think perhaps…this is why…they were given to you.”

  Once again, her words surprise me. I have never considered that my fellow Miracles’ Powers might have been “given” to them. I sort of thought my friends were somehow just born with their abilities, even though the Powers took varying amounts of time before appearing. But I don’t say anything about that now.

  “You’re mistaken,” I reply. “I have no Power. The other six, yes, but not me.”

  Selene, Colella and Tamika exchange confused glances.

  “But you are…one of the seven…are you not?” Selene asks.

  I nod. “Yes. I’m the first born. But I have no Power.”

  “I do not…understand,” Selene says, a puzzled look on her face. “We were told… the seven must go. That is the message.”

  “I keep telling Leah she must have a Power,” Radar says. “It just hasn’t shown up yet. I’ll bet it’s an awesome one, too.”

  “It better show up soon, then,” I say, “if I’m going to be of any use.”

  Radar takes off her cap and slaps me on the shoulder with it.

  “Stop that,” she says. “You’re always a help, even without a Power. Just like today. If you hadn’t suggested we wade out to do our sliding sand thing, we might never have seen our new friends here playing with the dolphins. And then where would we be?”

  A glimpse at Selene’s face tells me the mermaids would have found a way to attract our attention in any case, because that’s why they’re here. But I don’t say anything to Radar. I like how she’s always lifting my spirits up, and I don’t want to burst this latest bubble. Selene seems to understand and doesn’t say anything about it, either.

  “So,” Selene says, “you and your friends…will go?”

  I’m not sure how to answer that. I’d love to say “yes, of course we’ll go,” but I can’t promise that, not by a long shot. I don’t think it will be entirely up to us. And I don’t know how we would get there in any case.

  “I don’t know,” I say. “You’ve sure given us a lot to think about, though.”

  “If it were up to me, we would try,” Radar says to the mermaids. “And I bet the same goes for Leah.”

  “Alcatraz is five hundred miles away,” I say, “five hundred very dangerous miles. None of us has ever even been outside the District’s barriers. If we’re going to have any chance of getting there, we’ll need help from the army, at least.”

  “You must…find a way,” Selene says. “You must.”

  “I’ll talk to my dad,” I say. “He’s a colonel. If I can convince him, he’ll find a way to get us there.”

  “Your father…may have questions,” Selene says. “We will be here…tomorrow morning. I will answer…what I can.” She looks up at the deserted beach. “You can bring…your friends. Please, do not bring…anyone else.”

  I think about that for a moment before replying. I can understand Selene’s skittishness. But it’s okay. There’s no one else I would think of bringing anyway.

  “Okay,” I say. “We’d better get going. We have to talk to our friends, and to my dad.”

  I let go of Selene’s hand and instantly begin to shiver. I forgot my clothes are still soaking wet. Selene grins as I hug myself tightly.

  “Wait one moment,” she says.

  Selene puts her hands on either side of my head and then runs them down over my shoulders and sleeves. My hair and shirt dry almost instantly. She repeats the process on the front and back of my shirt and the top part of my jeans. Dry now, I’m no longer cold at all. Colella has done the same thing for Radar.

  “I’m sorry…but you’ll have to… deal with wet legs,” Selene says, smiling. “Good-bye…for now.”

  With that, the three mermaids flip around and begin speeding out toward deeper water and the dolphins. Radar and I watch them for a moment before turning and heading for shore.

  “I’ll bet you didn’t see that happening today when you woke up this morning,” Radar says as we step out onto the sand. She has a big grin on her face.

  I shake my head. “For sure,” I say. “I just hope people believe us.”

  CHAPTER 5

  RADAR AND I WALK AWAY from the beach at a much quicker pace than we’d used on our way there. I’m anxious to tell my dad everything that just happened. I doubt he’ll be home this early in the day, but there are always a couple of Marines stationed at our house in case we need messengers. I can send one of them on a bicycle to fetch Dad.

  Our house is only eight blocks from the beach and we cover the distance in less than ten minutes. It’s a residential neighborhood filled with small two and three bedroom stucco houses on tiny lots. The area used to be very pretty—I’ve seen old pictures—but the once green lawns have long since dried up into dusty dirt patches, and only the most drought resistant plants survive in what used to be colorful gardens. While the desalination plants keep fresh water from being overly scarce, it’s still too valuable to be used for watering lawns and gardens. Drinking, bathing and farming have priority. A few people have planted cactus plants of various kinds and shapes in front of their homes, but most don’t bother. The world is the way it is. We can’t go back.

  The semi-barren landscape accentuates the dullness of the houses, most of which are white, tan or brown stucco. Still, considering what the world has become, it’s a pretty nice place to live, especially for us Afters, who have never known anything better. And it’s very safe, which is one reason the government relocated all the Miracles to the same neighborhood. Marines patrol the streets constantly, and we have our own array of solar light towers to provide a last line of defense should the outer barrier ever be breached.

  “Here come Lights and Plush,” Radar says as we turn the corner onto my street.

  Lights and Plush are two of the Miracles. They’re walking toward us from the other end of the block, holding hands. They’ve been a couple as long as anyone can remember, the only Miracles who have paired up, and likely the only two who ever will. As usual, they’re wearing matching outfits, but not matching in the usual way. No, they prefer what I call “mixed match”—his tops match her pants or skirt, and his pants match her top, almost like they swapped half their outfits. Today, Lights is wearing a black, button shirt with gold shoulders and light brown pants. Plush has on a black skirt with gold sides and a light brown shirt. Radar thinks it’s cute the way they do that, but I find it a tad annoying. The only things that match exactly are the two machetes in leather scabbards hanging from their waists.

  Lights is the oldest male Miracle, born the day after Radar. His real name is Javier. He’s a slender guy of Mexican descent, just a couple inches taller than me, with olive skin and longish black hair he keeps cut short in the front to keep it out of his yellow-gold eyes. His eyes were dark brown until his Power appeared several years ago, when they turned golden. His Power, as his nickname suggests, is light. He can create balls of light with either hand, or shoot a beam of light from his eyes. As he’s gotten older, he’s learned to control the size and the brightness of the balls and beams. It’s a handy Power to have in a world that’s mostly without electricity.

  Plush is the second youngest of the Miracles, the sixth born. She’s about five foot five, slightly chunky but not fat, with long, curly blonde hair, blue eyes and very fair skin. Her real name is Angela. We all called her Angie until her Power appeared. Plush can move things with her mind—telekinesis it’s called. We initially gave her the name Push because of the way she could push things
around, but she didn’t like the name because it was too easily transformed into Pushy. She insisted we call her Plush instead—Push with an “elle,” she explained. When someone can drop things onto your head with just a thought, you don’t argue with her. So Plush she is.

  When Plush and Lights see us, they wave, using their free hands so they don’t have to let go of each other. They are so totally in love it’s almost disgusting. I’m just jealous, I know, but I can’t help how I feel. Really, I’m happy for them—most of the time.

  “That’s two we won’t have to go looking for,” I say. Of course, we’ll want all the Miracles present when we tell my dad about the mermaids’ story.

  “Hey, guys,” Lights says as we all meet up on the sidewalk. He glances down at our wet pant legs. “Looks like someone’s been to the beach.”

  “We have,” Radar replies. “And you won’t believe what happened there.”

  “Really?” Plush asks, her eyes bright with interest. “What happened?”

  “We met some mermaids,” I say.

  “And swam with some dolphins,” Radar adds.

  Our two friends look at us dubiously.

  “We’re not kidding,” Radar insists. “Cross my heart.”

  “We’ll tell you all about it later,” I say. “First, you two and Radar need to go find the others and bring them to my house. I have to get in touch with my dad and have him come home. He needs to hear this, too.”

  “We saw Sneak a little while ago,” Plush says, “on that tire swing in front of his house.”

  “He tried to pull his disappearing act on us,” Lights added, “but we spotted him before he could vanish.”

  Sneak is the youngest of the Miracles. His Power is the ability to turn invisible. With his mischievous personality, that’s not always a good thing. He’s the prankster of the group, and we’ve all suffered from his tricks. We all love him, though.

  “We pretended that we hadn’t seen him,” Plush says.

  “And then we spun the tire as fast as we could,” Lights says. “The little imp reappeared before the tire was halfway done spinning, screaming at us to stop.”