Chapter 4

DeAndre wasn't sure if he had the best approach to handling risky situations in life. But he knew for a matter of fact that the strange girl who had washed ashore during his run would really put his situation handling skills to the test.

She was a radiant sight for sore eyes! Her hair which was soaking wet when she emerged from the water like an elegant deity was slowly shrinking into an even more graceful afro crown. Her dark, honey tinted skin glowed against her light brown eyes and round butterfly shaped nose which sat above her small lips. Even her strange clothes which looked like they belong to another century did not deter from her majestic beauty.

To say DeAndre was phased by her beauty was an understatement. He had attempted to help her the first chance he got, and for a moment she seemed grateful. However, she had started babbling about mermaids and henchman and next thing he knew she was running away like an Olympic sprinter. Before he realized his actions, he was also chasing her.

Maybe she had suffered brain damage from being in the water so long. At least that's what his first year of premed might have engineered him to think. After a mile or so, he had lost track of her and had decided to return home. Hopefully she had found herself refuge in a safe place.

As he jogged up the cobblestone path to his house, he noticed a figure lying on the sand in the distance. Could it possibly be her?

He rushed into the balcony door leading to his room and quickly dashed out into the hallway to his twin sister's room. DeAndre was sure she would still be asleep. She was never the early bird type. Arriving at her door, he ushered a series of short knocks, which was one of their codes they had established to evade trouble. The series of four short taps, pause, three short taps was used to indicate a request for assistance outside the house. He pressed his ear to the door in hopes that he would hear movement from his sister. After hearing no signs of his sister's rising, he gently twisted the doorknob to see if it was unlocked, and was quickly rewarded when it turned open.

"Diedre I'm about to enter, so please hide anything you don't want me to see."

"You know some days, well most days really, I like to imagine I'm an only child. And then suddenly I'm ejected from that reality when I see your face." "How can I help you today, DeAndre?"

Diedre was seated comfortably at her computer desk with her legs folded neatly. Her curves accentuated her toned legs and arms, which she had nurtured through a love of sports including netball and field events. Her 5'4 stature was the opposite of her brother's 6'. Their parents had composed a list of nicknames to showcase the vast differences between the twins, inclusive of David and Goliath, Pluto and Mercury, and Fire and Ice. The final name was used as an indicator to the moods of the pair. DeAndre was easy going and loved people, whereas Diedre was the exact opposite, preferring her solitude and a select few friends. However much she teased her brother, she was quite protective of him and the two shared a unique bond.

"Diedre can you please come down to the beach with me?" "I need your help."

With her arms folded, she looked at him quizzically.

"What have you done now?"

"Trust me, I have not done anything!" "We got to go before she disappears again!"

"Before. She. Disappears!"

"DeAndre Habakkuk Simon, you better have a great explanation for what you're saying!"

Gently pulling his sister from the chair, DeAndre put his finger to his lip in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Together they tiptoed across the hallway, into DeAndre's room and out onto the balcony which led down to the cobblestone path.

" DeAndre, if this is one of your stupid pranks, I'm going to make your life eternally miserable!"

As they walked along the welcoming cushion of sand, Diedre's anger slowly transformed into concern for her brother. He was too friendly at times, and this resulted in people taking advantage of him. She had to be the tough thorn, always sticking out to protect him.

After a few minutes of walking, Deondre stopped abruptly.

"There she is." He said, pointing towards a figure lying face up in the sand. "Stay behind me."

He strolled over to the person in the sand with his sister in tow behind him and offered a sarcastic greeting.

Looking more closely at the figure in the sand, Diedre noticed her clothing and her fearful expression.

Placing her hands out in front of her to signal a peaceful approach, Diedre knelt beside the stranger.

"We're not going to hurt you, I promise. We just want to help." "Are you OK?"

The girl pushed herself into a sitting position using her elbows and looked at the twins with concern.

"I don't reckon the mermaids sent you after all?"