Chapter 21: Chapter 20

Hiiiiiii!! As you are reading this, I am attempting to pack for my flight to Los Angeles (I loathe packing since I tend to overpack) and then hopping off the plane at LAX *hums song*. Ugh, I got that dang miley song in my head.

P.S. I don't know if I will able to update next friday since I am unable to bring my laptop but I will try to type out the next chapter on my phone with my long ass nails. 0_0 So apology in advance if I don't update. I kind of edit this chapter last minute so I'll probably have go back and re-edit later.

If you wanna follow my adventure in L.A. and San Diego (Where Glasss Prison takes place), follow me on my insta at andie_s.e

As always, thanks your comments/support and votes.

Enjoy~

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Meredith

"Maybe the dark fays has like some high tech stuff that can erase phone data but not drawings?" I tapped away at my steering wheel.

Bodhi shook her head. "Hmm, I don't think that's it. No technology would be perfect enough to know to only erase mer evidence. You still have the other photos on your phone."

"I–I don't know. I thought you would know why Nixie's drawing made it through but not pics of Gale." I wasn't about to mention the drawing of Tristen to Bodhi. I sighed, "Since you would know more about fays then I would."

Bodhi huffed. "It's not like mers and fays are buddy buddy, giggling and sharing hot tips on how to annihilate each other."

I ignored her sarcasm. "Wish there was a way to know more about them." I glanced at the clear sky. "Are we close to the glamour's edge?"

"Yeah, we're close. Can't you drive any faster?"

"I'm going the speed limit!"

She sighed dramatically. "I'm gonna be old by the time we get there."

"Like you aren't already." I grumbled.

"What did you say?" She hollered.

"Nothing." I said singly.

She harrumphed. I stare into the peer at blue sky, squinting my eyes till the sun burn my retina, but nothing. I didn't see anything unusual. "What does the glamour look like?"

"Nothing and everything."

"Huh?"

Bodhi chuckled. "Well the one around the city looks like a blown bubble, a clear dome that is reflecting a bunch of different colors or like an electric field?" Bodhi struggled as she tried to find an analogy to use. "I don't know how to explain it. You would have to see it to know."

"So I have to be a Clover to see it? You said I wasn't one back at the aquarium. What is a Clover? Last I check, I'm not half plant."

Bodhi snorted. "If you were a plant, you would be a beanstalk, not an itty bitty leaf." I glared at her and she giggled. Then she answered, "Clovers are humans who can see the glamours and past it if the sidhes allow it."

"Past it?"

"Glamour is an illusion. It's what keeps our sidhe world a secret from humans. Even our appearances."

I stilled. "Appearances?"

Bodhi shifted nervously. "Maybe you should pull over."

"I'm fine." I rolled my eyes at her over exaggerated suggestion. "So what do you mean by appearance?" I mentally toughened myself up in preparation. I can handle this.

"Ah, I really think you should pull over. What if you freak out and we crash into a tree and wrapping around it like an eel, then burn and die a horrible death?"

"What the frick-frack, Bodhi?" I gaped at such imagination. I shook my head at her. "After learning about the sidhe world, I'm ready for anything at this point."

"Okaaaay." Bodhi threw out her hands. "If we die, I'm blaming you."

"Sure." I rolled my eyes. "Lemme just pull out my will."

"Ok, then. Well," Bodhi gestured to herself. "This is currently a glamour."

I pulled over with a screech and did a sharp turn into a gas station. I stomped on the brakes – Bodhi squealed at the impact – and put my truck in park. I turned to Bodhi with raised brows. "What?"

"Uh, yeah." Bodhi looked around nervously, looking for an escape–which I don't blame since I know I must look like a mad woman. "This is my human glamour."

I blinked at her, then focus in concentration to see past it. Nothing. She was still Bodhi with large, dark eyes and long black hair. Her olive skin was soft and smooth–so that was her secret skin care, the glamour that was there – Not important. I shook my head and continued trying to see past her human glamour, past her a small button nose and a faint scar on her chin. She seemed so human. But she wasn't. It was easy to pretend and forget that she is anything but human, That she was a myth come to life, real mermaid. A mer with a perfect illusion.

"Red?"

I stammered. "So do all mers have human glamours?" Does this mean Tristen, Gale and Nixie does not look as human as I thought?

Bodhi nodded. "Yes, they do."

"Can you get rid of it?"

"It's not difficult. It's almost second nature to us sidhes."

"Can–can I see you?"

Bodhi twisted her lips.

I looked away, slightly hurt that she doesn't want me to see her. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

"No!" Bodhi reached out and grabbed my arm. "It's not that I don't want you to see me, but it's just that you can't see me."

"Oh, I see." I blinked. "Because I'm not Clover?"

Bodhi smiled. "Yes, exactly that."

"Hmm, so why can't I see it?"

"It's a very long story, but long story short – Humans eyes cannot handle sidhe's true form. In fact, it can cause madness."

"Like people go cray-cray afterwards?"

"Yep, then sent to the crazy house. I've heard the stories before. Like Alice in the wonderland."

"You know Alice in the wonderland?"

"It's based on somewhat of a true story and it's told as a cautionary tale. The Mad Hatter was a summer fay who revealed his true form to a little girl and the little girl went crazy and began hallucinating bunnies in suits and talking plants."

I sat back and stared out the windshield. "You just ruined my childhood." I whispered, "That's... wow."

"Out of human's welfare, the old gods gave humans the inability to see us at all–even if we try to show them." Bodhi nodded grimly. "So yeah, you are unable to see my true form even if I wanted you to see."

"But Clovers don't go mad?"

"Nope, since their eyes are not human but eyes of sidhe's."

"But they're human?" I shook my head, confused. "How does that happen?"

"Long, long time ago some male fay fell in love with a human woman and their offspring were all humans but they had the father's eyes, sidhe eyes–the sight." Bodhi waved her hand, indicating time passed. "It was passed down from generation to generation. But that's a long story which I cannot remember all the details. Prince Tristen can probably tell you better."

My stomach fluttered at that. "Okay, plus I love me some good stories." That sounded fascination and very similar to greek gods, creating offspring that were demigods. I switched my truck to reverse and maneuvered us out of the gas station. I asked, "Why the name clover? Is it because of the plants?"

"Exactly because of the plant or particularly the four leaf clover. Four leaf clover is believed to have the power to diffuse glamours."

"Do they?"

"Yes and no. They are used as an ingredients. Only gods can grant a human the Sight."

"Wow, if only we can come across a god." It would help if I could see the glamour to be able to dismantle it.

"You best hope you don't, everything has a price. There's no such thing as a free favor in the sidhe world."

"Oh," I stopped at a light, thinking how Rumplestiltskin that answer was. "Let's hope we don't meet a god then." After a few miles, my eyes followed a sign and it read–You're leaving San Diego.

"Wha–" I stuttered. "The glamour goes beyond the city limit?"

Bodhi popped her lips. "Man, these dark fays are not joking around."

I nodded in agreement.

The music continued to lull as Bodhi hummed. After a few miles, new signs began to appear and they read: Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve.

"We're near!" Bodhi bounced. "The edge is on the other side of this mountain."

"I know this place." I slowed down as I took a turn. "I used to come here with my parents all the time when I was younger." I began driving on a familiar route. I spotted the abandoned trail off the road. "Here we are." I steered us off the road. We bounced along the rocky trail.

"Uh, is it safe?" Bodhi nervously looked around.

"It's fine. It used to be open to the public as part of the park hiking trail, but the park rangers removed it from the map because of mountain lions."

"Mountain lions?"

I laughed. "I think the mountain lion would be more afraid of you."

"You're right. Sharks are afraid of me."

"Of course they would be, you shark." I said jokingly and looked at her. She wasn't grinning. I asked, "Really?"

She nodded. "Shark can sense that mers are the true apex predator of the sea."

"What–how? Sharks are much bigger than you and have more teeth."

"Size means nothing. After all, aren't humans the deadliest predator on land?"

I paused then admitted slowly. "That's true."

Bodhi smiled. "Than I'm sure mountain lions are more afraid of you just as the sharks are afraid of me."

I chortled. I'd rather not test that theory. I parked my car in an abandoned dirt parking lot. I grabbed my backpack while Bodhi grabbed her lended backpack as well. "Well c'mon, Shark, let's go scare some mountain lions."

"Oh my thalassa! We have been hiking forever!" Bodhi dropped herself on a nearby rock with her legs splayed out. "This is my rock and I shall die of exhaustion here."

I sighed and continued walking upward.

"Dying, I tell you, dying!" She yelled after me.

I turned and marched back to her. I grabbed Bodhi by her backpack and hauled her ass up. "We've only been hiking for ten minutes." I set her on her feet and continued hiking. "Let's not kill any more daylight."

Bodhi groaned in defeat and trudged after me.

The sun twinkled through the branches of tall trees, wind blew–causing the shadow of the branches to dance across the dirt trail. I raised my nose to inhale the intoxicating scent of nature. It was so peaceful here. My fingers itched to draw.

Bodhi stomped behind me, ruining the tranquility that I was soaking up. I muttered, "So much for peace."

"Are we there yet?" Bodhi mewled.

I have her are-you-for-real look. "You tell me, I can't see the glamour."

"Oh, right." She giggled. "Silly me. The heat must be getting to me." Bodhi shaded her eyes as she stared up into the glaring horizon then she groaned. "It's right over the peak of that tall hill." Sweat dripped from her temples.

I swing my backpack over one shoulder and hand her a water bottle. "Are you ok? Why are you so tired when you are clearly stronger than me?"

She tossed her head back and downed the water in one gulp. I arched a brow. She sighed satisfactorily. "I'm not used to being on land or this heat. The ocean is colder and my temperature runs lower than humans." She handed me the empty bottle to store away. "Also, mers weaken the longer they are away from the ocean. We become almost human – not quite human but not quite mer. We will always be stronger and faster than humans, but not as much as we are in our true form."

"Oh, so can mers live on land like a human?"

Bodhi thought about it. "Yeah, pretty much. But people tend to notice when we don't age. I guess that's where the idea of vampire came in." She laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that can be an issue. At least you don't have fangs."

"But we do though."

"Do what?"

"We do, I mean – mers have fangs. You can't see them now since my glamour is up, but it's there."

I paused and gawked. "Really?" She better not be lying.

"Dead serious. Like I said, we are the apex predator of the sea."

"You eat fish?" I asked. Huh, Isn't that like cannibalism? But I didn't want to ask such a stupid question.

Bodhi rolled her eyes as if she heard my silent question. "You do realize that we are not really half fish, right?" She pointed at my arms. "You have arms and other similar makeup of chimpanzees, that doesn't make you half chimp, right?"

"But we are cousins."

"Exactly, you guys share a common ancestor. You're not half monkey. You're human. Just like I am not half fish – I'm mer."

"Huh, I never thought of it that way."

"Beside what effed up human would mate with a fish?"

I laughed at the absurdity of that thought. "Well, there's all kinds of effed up things people will do. There was a woman who married a dolphin."

Bodhi's eyes boggled. "Seriously, a dolphin?"

"Yep."

"But dolphins are such assholes."

My eyes teared up as I cackled, definitely not expecting that. "How? They're so cute." I stopped walking to turn, crossing my arms. "Are you sure it's not just you?"

"No, they're assholes." Bodhi hissed. "They're capable of bullying for no reason."

I tittered. "Did a dolphin bully you, dear Bodhi?"

"It was just one time and he was being mean!" She stomped away and I followed, cracking up. I smiled after her small frame. Who would've guessed that I would be a mermaid's sidekick and that I had some what a super power of immunity. And that I would be helping a mermaid free her people and her boyfriend from an aquarium that was owned by dark fays. If that didn't sound surreal, I don't know what will.

After a few minutes of walking up the hill, my ears perk at the sound of a bubbling brook–we were close to the spot that I use to visit with my parents. Bodhi wailed–muting the brook, "My feet hurt!"

I teased, "Are your cute hiking boots not helping?" She shuffled in her pastel pink ankle hiking boots. Bodhi scowled at me with such malice.

I laughed.

"Oh laugh all you want, but I can still kick your butt." Bodhi said jokingly.

"Alright, short stuff. Let's see." I smirked, knowing full well that Bodhi can kick my ass but I also knew she wouldn't hurt me. And she was too fun to tease.

Bodhi turned to face me and mockingly crossed her arms. "Also, didn't David defeat Goliath?"

I scoffed, feigning to be miffed – trying not to grin. "I am not a giant." I advanced. "Take that back."

Bodhi stuck her tongue out like a petulant child. "Fight me."

I shrugged off my backpack. "Fe-fi-fo-fum this!" I rapidly surged forward, fake dodged left and then went right. I lifted Bodhi's small frame cavemen style. I giggled at as she shrieked.

"Oh, thalassa! I am so far from the ground!"

I laughed harder and moved to set her down. I glanced up briefly and–

I stopped. My chest tighten at a horrible sight. Trash littered a small clearing before a streaming brook and tall, full trees. Food wrappings, packagings, plastic cups, paper plates, and dirty napkins soiled the tranquility and beauty of nature. I clenched my jaw. What idiots did this?

My arms went slack and Bodhi landed on her feet. "Hey–" Bodhi followed my stoney gaze, but I wasn't listening to her. I couldn't believe somebody would just walk away from their mess like this, that somebody had spoiled my favorite spot that I used to come as a child with my parents to paint and draw.

Bodhi stopped when she realized that I wasn't paying attention to her. She looked around as if searching to see what had managed to shut me up and then she looked back. "What is it, Red?"

"What?" I said baffled, then I gestured roughly at the trash. "Do you not see the mess?"

Bodhi frowned. "The trash?"

I nodded slowly as if I were speaking to a child. "Yes, the trash."

"Oh," Bodhi's jaw set. "I see it. I've seen it all my life growing up in the ocean. It's nothing new."

My heart broke at that then fury revived it. Why couldn't anyone clean after them damn selves? That their "house" is just a wooden box and that their true home is the freaking planet they live on. I shook my head in disappointment. I bent down to pick up a discarded plastic bag and began picking up the trash to put it in the bag. After a while of picking up the trash, I noticed Bodhi was still standing at the same spot, watching me with an unfathomable expression. I blinked, fazed by her change of mood. "Are you going to help?"

Something lit within Bodhi, shining through her smile. "You're the best human there is." She bent down to pick up a plastic cup.

Puzzled, "Uh... Thanks?" What's gotten into her? I shook it off and continued cleaning. Bodhi soon joined me. She was smiling as she was picking up the trash and putting them in the plastic bag that I was holding. Was she that happy to be cleaning? I dismissed her weirdness as being Bodhi. Finally, the trash no longer tarnished the green grass. I tied up the bag and left it by the trail. "I'll get the bag on our way back."

Bodhi was splayed out on the ground. "I don't think I ever sweat this much in my life."

"I don't think you even know if you sweated before since you live underwater."

"Neptune... You're right."

I chuckled as I stood up, stretching my back till it popped. I lean against the tree, drinking down a bottle. I straightened my back against the tree, realigning it – it was still sore. Dang, even my face started to ache. I wiggled my jaw, popping them. Did I get punch? I must be getting old since my eighteenth birthday was right around the corner. I still couldn't believe I would be starting college in a month and I still haven't order my boo–. Bodhi poked my ribs, yanking out of my trail of thoughts.

"Ready, Goliath?" Bodhi winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and stepped away from oak tree, "Let's continue upward, David." I shouldered my backpack as I walked up the trail. I hissed, "Ouch," I slapped at the stinging pain in my neck. "Stinkin' mosquitoes." I muttered. I trudged up the hill once more. Silence enveloped me as I set my body into a peaceful rhythm. Wait... it's too quiet. I turned and found Bodhi facing the tree I was leaning on. "Bodhi?" I called out nervously, worried that was close to passing out. I had noted that she was slowing down earlier the closer we got to the top.

She jumped at my voice and she spun around, smiling cheerfully.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "What is it, Bodhi?"

"Nothing," Bodhi said singly as she skipped past me with a sudden burst of energy. I guess she was feeling better. I shook my head after her in defeat. I learned that with Bodhi, it was never nothing. I was just too tired to actively interrogate her for it. I tend to find out eventually since Bodhi has not held back on information from me. I followed Bodhi upward who was humming.

As time went, my cheeks flushed as my heartbeat thudded harder with exertion. Sluggishness quickly overcame my body, making my legs and arms heavy. Sweat beaded at my temples. Even my ribcage began to ache. I breathed through the pain as I pushed myself. Strange... I never tired easily. I blamed it on the heat and lack of sleep.

"We're close!" Bodhi squealed. "It's right at the tip of this hill.  The trails got so steep that eventually we both had to get on all fours to climb. I test my grip on the rocks as I tugged myself up. While Bodhi continued to climb ease and without breaking a sweat, fatigue washed over me and I was desperately trying not to pass out.

Shadows began to dip in my peripheral vision. I am so tired. I stopped and decided to lay down, which wasn't a long trip to the ground since I was on all fours, climbing. Cool rocks touched my cheeks. I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit. The last time I saw was Bodhi's heel as she climbed up and then she paused, turned around. She shouted, "Red!"

The rimming shadow of my visions finally spilled and I sunk into it.

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The model is Kaylin Amaro and I found her on pinterest, the post is designed by me. If you wanna see more design and also some chapter sneak peeks, you can follow Glass Prision's insta at andie_s.e or tumblr at yourandielexxis! I try to make sure all my readers feel in involved in the story making process. ^v^

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