Chapter 18 Imaginary
781words
I've always wondered how people did that—raising a single brow. I've tried practicing the notion in the mirror once, but my brows refused to work it no matter how hard I tried.
I placed down the groceries on top of the counter, undetected.
"That's wonderful dear." Dad shifted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes not lifting from the newspaper spread out before him. The article he was so absorbed in, was about murders that took place fifty years ago. It remained unsolved, according to the headline.
There was no doubt in my mind that Dad was in sleuth mode, and planned to investigate the location it took place.
"You're back!" Mom spun around, grinning. "Carly, you need to see this."
Mom rushed out of the kitchen, which I couldn't help but notice was clean, leaving us behind with Dad, who has yet to acknowledge our presence.
"Where do I put this?" Kayn lifted the bags filled with books.
"Those go in my room—caravan," I corrected. "You can put those down there. I'll carry it all over."
"These are heavy," he stated.
"I can walk twice. Or three times. Whatever."
Mom re-entered the kitchen, holding a stack of photos. "It would be great if you can carry it for Carly. I'm sure she's too shy to ask."
Kayn smirked. I shot him a dry look in return.
Mom stopped beside me, pressing her shoulder to mine, and held out a photograph. "Tell me, what do you see?"
Kayn moved in on my other side, standing so close I could feel the heat emanating from his body. My cheeks grew warm, and I forced my eyes to take in what Mom showed me instead of gawking at him.
In front of me was a crystal clear image of a red-headed girl, peering over her shoulder. She sat on a large rock, clusters of multicolored coral forming at its base.
At the bottom of a cliff, the turquoise sea glimmered like polished crystals in the sun.
It was one of those high-quality shots straight out of a fantasy shoot for a movie poster.
Everything was vibrant with color and noteworthy to the eye. The scales on her tail and arms were a kaleidoscope of color. Her porcelain skin had a slight, unusual shimmer to it.
"I'm not going to lie, but this was pretty well done," I admitted. "Props to the photographer."
"Where did you get this?" Kayn pushed me out of the way to get a closer look. It wasn't forceful, but it tugged at my nerves.
"Well, excuse me," I scowled.
"This is from a reliable friend of mine," Mom grinned, placing down the image to reveal the second one. This one was blurry as if the person who took the picture moved the moment they snapped it.
The girl was now standing on the rock bending down, part of her fin melting away, revealing feet.
Mom placed the photo down next to the other onto the table, showing us the third image. It was the same girl walking toward the beach. She was naked, and her back turned to the camera.
"Isn't this from some movie?" I asked. "It sure looks the part."
"No, this is the real deal, Carly. I've finally got solid proof to back up all the claims. Now, to catch one."
I snorted louder than intended, turning toward the bags of books Kayn had carried inside.
He didn't move, looking like he was about to be sick. I'd be too if I ate two liters worth of ice cream by myself. That's excluding all the chocolate sauce and sprinkles he asked for with his sundaes.
"What do you mean by catching one?" The tone Kayn used made me pause as I reached for the bags. There was a nervous edge to his voice as he spoke. "What are you going to do if you manage to capture one?"
"Good question." Mom seemed impressed by Kayn's response. "Well, my plan hasn't taken off that far, but if they speak an intelligible language, I would love to question them. To know where they originate from. Do they have a secret world, or if—"
"You're wasting your time," Kayn cut her short. He snatched the photo from between Mom's fingers and examined it, before throwing it onto the kitchen table. "You're better off looking out for the Yeti. I've heard there's been plenty of sightings."
