Never Forgotten (Never Forgotten Series) (20 page)

I
t was the week before Christmas, and I was getting desperate. In between going to school, cramming for exams, writing to Kim, and talking to Evan, I spent all of my free time online, desperately searching for his gift. Nothing seemed right. I wanted something unique. I tried not to let it show when I was around him how much trouble I was having finding his present. It didn’t help that he gloated about how he found me the perfect present. How could I compete with perfect?

Everyone else was easy. I bought a new cookbook from some up-and-coming American chef for Grandma Mary, a thick, flannel coat for Grandpa Jamie, and a pair of silver hoop earrings for Katie. I sent Kim a sweater from Gap, the one that she had hinted more than once that she liked. I bought my mom a new robe. It was lavender and plush. I tried it on in the store, and it was like wrapping up in a cloud. She was going to love it.

I made another present for my mom, something more personal. It was a scrapbook. To be honest, it was a gift for both of us—something for her to enjoy now, and for me to have to remember all the good times when she was gone. I equally laughed and cried as I created it.

I bought David a sweater. I shouldn’t have bothered. The day after I bought it, he practically ordered me not to get him anything. He claimed that he traveled light and would probably have to leave it behind anyway. Whatever. He could be so weird sometimes. It ticked me off that he hadn’t told me anything. Apparently, soon in his world meant a lot longer than mine.

***

“Earth to Meara…Are you there?”

Katie stood in front of me, holding a red sweater in her left hand and a black sweater in her right. I was thinking about something that David said the night before, so I had no idea what she asked me. I assumed it had to do with the two sweaters she held up.

“They’re great,” I said, glancing at them but not seeing. They looked like every other sweater Katie had shown me over the last hour.

Katie raised one blond eyebrow at me. “You’re right,” she said slowly. “They are. Except—what I asked you—was which one you liked better, the red or the black?”

“Remind me again,” I said. “Who is this for?”

“Brian! I’ve been shopping for Brian for the past twenty minutes!”

“Then the red,” I said. “Definitely the red.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, biting her lip.

I grew tired of Katie’s indecisiveness. “Buy it. It’s great.”

“Okay,” she said. “Come stand in line with me.”

The line was six-people deep. Why didn’t they bring in extra cashiers around the holidays? It was worse than waiting in line at an amusement park. At least there, you went on a ride when you go to the end. Here, you gave some stranger your money and were lucky if they thanked you for it.

My phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered anyway.

“Hello?”

“Meara? It’s Ula. How are you?”

“Ula!” I didn’t even know she had a cell phone or knew my number. I missed her. She hadn’t been at the clinic the last few times I went with Mom. “I’m great. How are you?”

“Good. Listen, I hope you don’t mind that I called you. I was hoping we could get together? Finish our conversation?”

I remembered that she was trying to tell me something the last time we hung out.

“Uh, sure. I’m at the mall with Katie.”

“You are? Are you going to be there a while?”

I glanced in front of me. The line hadn’t moved. The cashier was paging a manager. Inwardly, I sighed. To Ula, I said, “Yeah, I think so.”

“How about if I meet you there?”

“One sec,” I said, turning to Katie. “Ula wants to meet us. Do you mind?”

“No,” she said. “That’s fine.”

“When will you get here?” I asked Ula.

“In about fifteen minutes. Should we meet by the food?”

“The food court? Sure. We’ll see you there.”

I hung up and realized that the difficult customer was gone. The line began to move, and soon, there was only one person in front of us.

“What are you getting Evan?” Katie asked.

“I have no idea.”

“You better decide quickly. Christmas is only a week away.”

“I know. Don’t remind me!”

Katie seemed to hesitate, and then she asked, “Are you getting anything for David?”

“I got him a sweater,” I said. “But maybe I should have bought him a compass, so he can find his way back to us if he gets lost.”

“Ouch. That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“It’s a joke,” I muttered. Katie obviously didn’t think it was funny. She fiddled with the neck of the sweater and seemed uncomfortable. Great. Now I was alienating my friends. I mentally sighed, and then pasted a smile on my face.

“I know!” I said. “You can help me think of something for Evan. You must have some great ideas. What did you get him?”

Relief flickered across her face. This was safe territory.

“I got him a book he wanted about Scottish legends or something.” She shook her head. “It’s not the type of book he normally reads, but he wanted this one. He has a whole bunch of books on his list.”

“What’s different about it?” I asked. Evan liked anything to do with the ocean, so I didn’t see why this was unusual.

“He likes nonfiction. His favorite ones read like textbooks. Boring.” Katie wrinkled her nose in distaste. “This one is a fantasy book with a mermaid and a sea monster on the cover. More fiction than fact.”

“Interesting.”

“You could get him one of the others.” Katie unzipped her purse and began to search around it. “

I have his list. It’s in here somewhere…aha! Here it is.”

Katie handed me half of a torn sheet of loose-leaf paper. On it, in Evan’s handwriting, were about ten things that he wanted. Katie had crossed most items off and written names next to them stating who was giving the gift. Boring things like socks and t-shirts were left on the list, but then I saw the books he wanted. As I read the titles, a shiver ran down my spine. What was Evan up to?

“After we meet up with Ula, can we go to the bookstore?”

“Sure,” Katie said. “I’m done after this anyway.”

Katie paid for the sweater, and we walked to the food court. I spotted Ula right away. She wore another pair of vintage jeans and a black sweater. We were out of earshot when Katie asked, “Why does she always have that ratty old backpack with her?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe it’s like her purse. I actually think it’s kind of cool, her whole vintage look.”

“It’s different. I’ll give you that.”

Ula grinned when she spotted us and started walking over. I hugged her when she reached us. “You remember my friend, Katie?”

“Yes,” Ula said. “Hello, Katie.”

“Hi, Ula. So, do you have shopping to do, too?”

“Not really. I was just bored and hoping to hang out for a bit.” She eyed Katie’s shopping bags. “Looks like you’ve had luck.”

Katie smiled. “A bit. We were just about to go to the bookstore. Meara’s going to buy Evan some books he wants for Christmas.”

“Sounds fun. Let’s go,” Ula said.

I walked between my friends and tried to keep the conversation going. Katie got along well with Kim when she visited, but she didn’t seem to like Ula. I got the impression she thought Ula was weird. Ula did not seem to mind or have much interest in Katie either. So, why did I feel obligated to make sure everyone got along?

When we reached the bookstore, Katie handed me the list. “Here are the books he asked for. You may have to ask where to find them.”

I read the list. “The Mythical Creatures Bible, Monsters of the Deep, Ocean Lore and Legend…What kind of books are these?”

Katie shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe Evan’s doing some kind of research project at school. You know how crazy he is about anything related to the ocean. Find him a mermaid, and he’d probably marry it.”

Ula looked pale. “Those are books Evan requested?”

I showed her the list. “Guess so. It’s in his handwriting.”

I asked the bored-looking man at Customer Service if he could help me find them. He perked up when he saw this list, confessing his love of fantasy and folklore.

“It’s for my boyfriend’s Christmas present,” I told him, before he gave me a play by play of the last fantasy con he attended. He stopped smiling, but he showed me the section where I could find them. As luck would have it, they had all three books in stock.

I thumbed through the pages and shivered as image after image of giant squids, shape-shifting creatures, and merpeople caught my eye.

“Are you going to be here a while?” Katie asked. She was clearly bored, never mind that I already spent hours helping her shop.

“Probably a little longer. Why?”

“I’m going to get a cappuccino in the café downstairs. Come get me when you’re ready to go?”

“Sure,” I said, not looking up.

“’Kay. See you soon,” Katie said.

Ula picked up the book on top and nodded toward a table in the corner. “We can sit over there if you like.”

We sat down, and I set aside the first book and opened the larger one. It contained detailed illustrations, known facts, and retellings of legends. I lost myself in its contents, forgetting Ula was there until she cleared her throat and I looked up.

“About our last conversation…” she started. Her voice wavered. Was she nervous?

“Yes?”

“I…uh…I just wanted to tell you…” She looked down. “Well, I haven’t told you the whole truth.”

“What do you mean?”

Her cheeks reddened. “The big one, to start with…Me mum is not being treated at the clinic.”

“What?”

“She’s dead.”

I gasped. “Oh no, I’m so sorry!”

Ula shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. “No, you don’t understand. She’s been dead. For many years.”

My throat constricted painfully. What was she saying? I cocked my head to the side and looked at her. “Why were you at the clinic then?”

“For you.”

I found it difficult to swallow. My heartbeat thrummed in my ears. She wasn’t making any sense. “I didn’t even know you.”

“No.” Ula’s voice grew stronger. “You didn’t, but I knew you.”

“What? How?” My questions came out in a whisper.

“I’m your aunt, Meara. David’s sister.”

I looked around. Was this a joke? Was she crazy? “You’re kidding, right?”

She shook her head. “I wanted to tell you sooner. Believe me, I did.”

“Why should I believe you? I talked to you about David. How do I know you’re not making this up?”

“I’m not,” she said. Her voice was firm.

I started to cry, but brushed the tears away. “You lied to me.”

“I misled you. Yes. For that, I am sorry.”

“You’re sorry,” I repeated. How did one apology make this all better? “You’re not the person I thought you were. You’re not my friend.” I stood. “I think…I think I need to go now.”

Ula watched me with sad eyes. She didn’t try to stop me. I picked up the books to leave. I was several steps toward the escalator when I heard her.

“I can give you answers, Meara. I can tell you what he won’t.”

I stopped. It would be easy to go back and sit down. I wanted answers so badly that I could taste it. The taste was bittersweet. She lied to me. Could I trust her? Would she tell me the truth? I didn’t know, and for that reason, I didn’t turn around. As I started to walk again, she spoke once last time.

“Find me when you’re ready to know.”

Her voice sounded strange. Distant. My own curiosity made me turn back.

The table was empty.

W
hy didn’t Evan tell me he wanted these books? I flipped through the thickest one as I sat on my bed. I planned to wrap them, but the illustrations caught my eye. Many of these creatures I had never even heard of before. Then again, I’d never been to the ocean until we moved here.

I stopped at picture of a fierce-looking man. Well, I guess you could call him a man. He looked human, except for the fact that his skin was blue and his teeth were sharp and pointy—a shark in a human’s body. I read the caption,

The Blue Men of the Minch live in underwater caves in the Minch, a straight between Lewis, Long Island and the Shiant Islands near Scotland. They attempt to wreck ships unfortunate enough to pass into their territory by conjuring storms and luring sailors into the water. The captain will save his ship only if he can finish their rhymes and solve their riddles.

My eyes traveled back to the image. The artist did an amazing job. The sharp-toothed monster seemed to smile right at me. It was super creepy. I gave an involuntary shudder and turned the page. I saw serpent-like creatures, underwater horses—real horses, not sea horses—and giant squids. Most were more like animals and less like humans. Some could be real, like the giant squid, and some might be other animals mistaken for a monster, like a manatee or stingray. The book did a good job providing the myth and the facts to support or debunk it.

I came across another human-like monster. It was creepier than the blue man was. It was small and green, and even in the drawing, it looked evil. Grindylow, I read.

These water demons were first mentioned in British folktales in the county of Yorkshire. British parents told their children stories of Grindylows to prevent them from going into ponds and lakes alone. Grindylows are water demons with long fingers that drag children into the deep.

Were all sea monsters evil? If I believed the stories, most sunk sinking ships or lured humans to their death. The author theorized that these legends explained drowning and shipwrecks, and of course, stories of scary monsters would keep kids who couldn’t swim from going into the water. I suppose it was like saying, “Don’t take candy from strangers”. It gave me the chills. Why did Evan want these books? I wanted to call him and ask, but I couldn’t ruin the surprise. Christmas was only a couple of days away. Although I didn’t want to wait, I had to.

I wish I could find the courage to ask David. I never seemed to get the question out when we were alone. Even if I did, I didn’t know that he’d tell me. He seemed to be following his own schedule to reveal information to me, and it was excruciating. Of course, now that I knew Ula was my aunt, I could get answers. She told me so. If only she were here.

I felt bad about the way I reacted yesterday. Once I got over my initial shock, I was less angry, more bewildered. And, I was hurt. How could she lie to me? How could she pretend to be in the same situation as me with a sick mother, when her mother wasn’t even alive anymore? Her mother. My grandmother. Did I have other relatives I didn’t know about?

“Hullo.”

Ula popped into existence on the end of my bed, sitting cross-legged in her faded blue jeans. I screamed and jumped back, hitting my head on the headboard in the process. Her shocked expression must have mirrored my own. Her mouth dropped open just before she disappeared.

“Meara! Are you okay?” Mom slammed my door open and ran over to my bed.

“It was a spider.” I tried to look sheepish.

She sighed and shook her head. “For crying out loud, you almost gave me a heart attack. Where is it?”

Lucky that Mom knew I was afraid of spiders. She had no reason not to buy my story. I pointed to the floor. “It crawled under my bed.”

She raised her eyebrow. “And you’re not going to kill it?”

“I’m not crawling under there after it!”

Mom lifted the bed skirt and glanced along the length of the bed. “Well, I don’t see anything now.” She straightened and ruffled my hair. “Next time, honey, just hit it with a rolled-up magazine.”

“Okay, Mom.” I smiled at her while leave, leave, leave played in my mind. I wondered if Ula would come back.

Mom started to the door, then turned and gave me a strange look. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem edgy or something.”

I laughed. It sounded fake, even to me. “I had a lot of Diet Coke this morning.”

“Well, maybe cut back a little,” she suggested. “Oh, and your father will be here soon. He’s taking me out to dinner. Do you want to come?”

Out to dinner with my parents exchanging lovey looks? I could think of a million other things I’d rather do. “No, thanks, Mom. I’m going to work on a paper. It’s due on Wednesday.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Thanks, though.”

“Okay, then.” She kissed my head, and then closed the door as she left.

I listened as Mom walked back down the hall. Then, feeling stupid talking to an empty room, I said, “You can come back now.”

“She’s gone?”

Ula once again sat cross-legged at the end of my bed. She smiled at me apologetically. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I just wasn’t expecting it,” I said, referring to her ability to appear and disappear on a whim. “David can do that, too. Will I be able to?” It’d be kind of cool to pop in on my friends. Or Evan. Definitely would save on gas and time.

“Probably.” Ula shrugged. “It’s a family talent.”

“Family?” I just learned Ula was my aunt. Were there more? “Are there more of you?”

Ula tilted her head and studied my face. “I’m not sure what you’re asking. There are many of our kind, but I have one sister and five brothers.”

My mouth fell open. “Have I met anyone else?”

“Not that I know of. The only other one here with us is Brigid.” She made a face that I couldn’t read. “You’ll probably meet her eventually.”

I tried to wrap my mind around that. David had a family. A large family. “Does David have other children?”

Ula shook her head. “Just you. Some of my brothers are married though, and I do have other nieces and nephews…” Ula trailed off. She looked close to tears. “I’m sorry for deceiving you. I wanted to help. I didn’t know how else to get close to you.”

A surge of emotion swept through me. I took a deep breath before responding. “Why didn’t you just enroll in my high school like a normal teenager?”

Ula shuddered. “I hate school. I’ve never been good at it.” She gave me a crooked smile. “Besides, I’m not a teenager.”

I leaned close and studied Ula’s face. She looked bemused, so apparently she didn’t mind. Not a wrinkle or a gray hair. Her face was so young and innocent; I assumed she was either my age or a year or two younger. She acted older, though, and it would explain her love of vintage clothing. I was sure it was rude, but I asked anyway. “How old are you?”

Her reply was instant. “Older than you think.”

“Forty?”

“I was born in 1912.”

I laughed, but Ula didn’t even break a smile. She continued to watch me, her expression neutral. I stopped laughing when I realized she wasn’t joking.

“You’re over one hundred years old? That’s ancient!” The words came out, and I slapped my hand over my mouth. That was so rude! “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

It was Ula’s turn to laugh. “I’m not offended, Meara.”

“And David is older?”

“He’s the oldest in the family, next to Uncle Angus,” she said. “But Angus is ancient. Over five hundred years old.”

I fell back against the headboard. Was this another of her stories? “How do you look so young?”

“We’re not human.” Ula shrugged. “We don’t age as fast.”

We sat quiet for a few minutes. I think she was letting me digest the news. Ula gestured to the books spread in front of me. “I see you’ve been reading. Find anything interesting?”

I sighed and flipped through a few pages. “Not so much, unless I’m the daughter of a merman or swamp monster.”

Ula giggled. “Um, no. Swamp monsters don’t exist.”

“How do I know that? I just recently found out I’m half human, half something else. For all I know, vampires and werewolves exist. It’s a whole new world.”

Ula grew serious. “Truthfully, I don’t know about those creatures. We typically don’t spend much time amongst humans. We stick with our own kind, the ocean, and the other beings that we share it with.”

I couldn’t take it any longer. “What are you?”

“What do you think I am? Do you have any ideas?”

I looked down at the books in front of me. “What you are…it’s in one of these books?”

“Yes.”

I shivered. “I’m not sure I want to know. Most of the creatures in these books seem evil.”

Ula studied my face. “And humans are not? Humans kill each other. They kill animals and pollute the land and water. Is this not evil?”

“Not all humans are evil,” I protested.

“Not all sea creatures are either.” Ula reached for the book. “May I?”

I handed it to her silently and waited. She flipped through several chapters, found what she wanted, and turned the pages toward me.

“Selkies.” I read the title and looked at the image of the furry brown animal. “You’re a seal?”

Ula looked insulted. “No, I’m not a seal. Seals cannot change shape. Seals are seals.”

“That picture looks like a seal.”

“We are not seals. The best way I can describe us to you is that we are shape shifters. We can take the form of a human or a seal.”

I wiggled my toes, which were safely tucked into my socks. I thought about the flippers on a seal. I thought about becoming a seal. Was it possible? What would it feel like?

“I’m one, too?” I couldn’t help asking.

Ula grinned. “Oh yes! You’ll be able to Change, too.”

“When?” I didn’t want to change in the middle of history class or something. Talk about embarrassing.

“It’s not a ‘When’. It’s more of a ‘Where’.”

I frowned at her. “Okay, now you sound like David.”

She leaned forward and patted my leg. “He’s frustrating, isn’t he? Try growing up with him, and five other older siblings who all had your best interests in mind.” She made a face, and I laughed.

The doorbell rang. The sound of my mom’s voice filled the house, followed by the deeper, rich tones of David’s voice.

“David’s here?” Ula paled. “I have to leave. Please, don’t tell him that we talked.”

“Will he be mad?” What would David do if he knew she told me?

“I don’t know. I don’t want to find out. He’s protective of you, you know.”

“I won’t say anything,” I promised. “I have more questions. We barely started talking.”

Ula patted my leg again. It was an aunt-like gesture. “We’ll talk again soon. For now, read the books. You won’t find much that’s useful, but there’s some information there.”

She waved at me, and then she was gone.

I closed the books and shoved them back into the plastic bookstore bag just before my door opened.

“Hey, princess.” David poked his head in and smiled. He’d taken to calling me pet names—princess and sweetheart, among others. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I knew he was making Mom happy, so I let it slide.

“Hi.”

He eyed the bag on my bed. “What’s that?”

I hugged the bag to my chest, suddenly feeling protective of my secret. “It’s Evan’s Christmas present. I was just about to wrap it.”

David nodded and let the subject drop. “So, you don’t want to come to dinner with us?”

I tried to sound apologetic. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather just stay home and study for my tests this week.”

David’s eyebrow rose. “Your mom said you had a paper.”

“Oh yeah. That, too. Busy week, you know, last couple of days before winter break.”

“All right, then. We’ll bring you back some dessert.”

“Thanks. Have a great time!”

He blew me a kiss and closed the door. Mom must have stayed in the living room with my grandparents. I wasn’t worried about dinner. Grandma Mary would have something delicious for us, even if it was just leftovers.