Blake’s knuckles were turning a ghastly white as he grasped the steering wheel, speeding towards the Tasser's house.

He pulled into the driveway, and hopped out of the car. Coming through the front door, he came across Bruce sipping his coffee.

"Is Elise here?" Blake's words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Yes....I thought she was talking to you in her room."

"Thanks.....do you mind if....?"

With a nod from Bruce, Blake ran up the stairs, two at a time to Elise's room. He threw open the door.

No one was there.

There were the bed sheets strewn about on the floor, the phone was on the carpet with its batteries scattered.

He went back downstairs. "She's gone," he said to Bruce, "Gone to another world. And I didn't believe her."

*****

Elise opened her eyes, slowly. Where was she? Some sort of hospital.

“Achmm…. Hello?”

A bunch of people bustled over. A doctor, Elise assumed, began examining her body. After he was satisfied, he called out. “Nurse, will you please attend to the patient. She is free to go; call a water-blance to take her to the castle.”

A fresh, friendly looking young lady swam over to her. Swam? Elise looked at what she was wearing. A mermaid tail.

Great. So…I’m back there...here.

“Hey sweetie! I’m nurse Pilla.” The lady said in a peppy voice, a smile spreading wide to reveal lovely, big teeth.

The girl began to plump up the coral pillows on the bed while she talked.

“I’ll call for the water-blance in a minute to take you to the castle. Her Highness, Princess Rilla, was getting quite worried about you. Your ‘journey’ or something.”

“I see,” Elise said. Water-blance. What’s a water-blance?

Pilla picked up a purple clamshell and started talking into it. Elise stared unbelievingly for a few seconds; it took her a while to realise it was a phone. Pilla put it back on the receiver, and turned to face her.

“The water-blance will be here any minute.”

“Where will it be taking me?”

“To the palace, of course,” laughed Pilla. “Everybody’s expecting you.”

Elise shook her head. Everyone’s expecting….me?
She would find out later.

***

Pilla had wrapped a snowy white gown around Elise for clothes. A minute later she was hustled into a carriage looking thing. Unseen hands drew the snow white curtains around her as she felt the jolt of the carriage as the dolphins took off. Dolphins?

She peeked out from the curtains to see the blue dolphins, the water glimmering off their backs.

They passed through the glow-worm lit streets, the dolphins swimming gracefully all the way.

They stopped at the pearl structured gates, the mer-folk's crystal castle.

The Palace. Why here?

As she was assisted out of the carriage by a nice mer-boy, she began to realize that she was in this world for a bigger reason.
Something was afoot. And she didn't like it.

*****

Rilla’s parlour was more beautiful than anything else Elise had seen. Soft seaweed walls, coral decor, big plush lounges shaped like clam shells, colourful fish swimming here and there.

Rilla seated herself on a lounge and beckoned for Elise to do the same on the one facing opposite her.

“Why didn't you come?” Her voice was questioning, with an eagerness.

Elise felt a sudden resistance come over her. She shrugged.
“Oh….I dunno.”

Rilla leant forward with a menacing look in her eye.

“You came here for a reason,” she hissed.

“But, BUT why am I here?” Elise but in.

Rilla sat back down, her eyes calming down to their normal blue.

“You are the Chosen One.” She leant back, feeling fully satisfied that that would explain everything. Apparently Elise didn't feel convinced what that meant at all.

“The…Chosen One?”

Rilla nodded. “Uh huh.”

Elise made an indignant gesture. “What Chosen One? I didn’t even mean to come. I’m nobody. I come from another world! What are you talking about?"

A rustling sound came from the corridor out the open door.

“Hush little one. It’s in the prophecy. The chosen one will set us free of the bond we are to be set. It's your destiny."