I let out a small groan as I regained consciousness, blinking my eyes open. A bright light was shining down on me and I tried to block it with my hand, but I couldnât move my arms at all. I lifted my head and scanned down my body with my brown eyes, noticing that I was trapped in hard black cocoon in my regular form, with my head and feet sticking out of it.
Then I looked to my right and saw Mr. Cashol laying next to me, who was thankfully awake in his merman form. When he made eye contact with me, he sighed with relief.
âOh good, youâre alive. I was starting to think that stupid reptile put you in a comaâ.
I glanced all around him and I in confusion.
âWhere are we?â I asked, raising an eyebrow at the teacher.
âWeâre about forty feet above a large whale tankâ.
I turned my head to my right, to try to look below. Down below the mesh nylon net we were laying on, was a massive water tank filled with water, similar to one of those tanks they in Marine Land or SeaWorld to get their orcas to perform in. I swallowed hard as I spotted an eight-meter-long orca swimming around the tank, circling with its dorsal fin sticking out tall from the water.
I thought before I turned back to face the ceiling again.
âThatâs right. And thereâs no one to save youâ cackled a loud male voice, that boomed above me and Mr. Cashol.
I looked up and squinted my eyes to see where the familiar voice was coming from, but the ceiling lights were making it impossible for me to spot the intruder. Unexpectedly, a thick rope was lowered down from a steel bridge, with the end of it hanging in between me and Cashol.
Then the sinister black salamander climbed the rope until it was three quarters of they way down, with a sinister grin on its face.
âWhat do you want with us?â asked Mr. Cashol, sternly.
The reptileâs smile grew wider, before giving an answer.
âNothing much; Just to get rid of this lousy hero. Youâre only with her because you interrupted our last battle, nosey teacher!â he spat, before flicking itâs tongue out a few times.
âAnd why do you want to get rid of he? Sheâs a good kid and a great heroâ replied science teacher, turning his head over to me.
I couldnât help but smile back at him after the compliment he gave me. The lizard let out a sharp hiss.
âBecause, sheâll get in the way of-â.
He suddenly stopped himself, before it narrowed its eyes at Mr. Cashol.
âWhy do you want to know â.
Mr. Cashol furrowed his eyebrows at the reptile.
âFYI, Iâm not I just randomly got the ability to become a mythical creature. And second, Iâm worried what youâll do with Manhattanâ.
âWhen Iâm done with both of you, youâll be in a place where you donât have to worry anymore......
" snickered the lizard, before turning its head up towards the ceiling to look at another salamander of its kind, standing on the steel bridge thatâs above and in front of the mesh net.
He signaled his friend with a flick of its tail.
âPull me back upâ.
As the other back salamander began to pulled him up, the black salamander turned his gaze back to me, with an evil smirk.
âBy the way Vanessa, thanks for making a duplicate of yourself; she is very helpfulâ.
I was about to reply back to the evil reptile when suddenly, the net under me and Mr. Cashol dropped, sending us both tumbling down towards the massive water tank. As we fell through the air, I managed to get a glimpse of the seated audience to my right, before I plunged into the water.
Water roared in my ears as I struggled to get my head back above the surface to take a fresh breath of air. Panic hit my body as I helplessly kick my feet as I continued to sink down to the bottom.
With most of my body trapped in a cocoon, I watched in fear as the surface of the water got further and further away from me.
I thought, as my lungs screamed for air.
I struggled to stay awake, but with the lack of oxygen in my body, I easily fell unconscious before I my body went limp and hit the bottom.