But instead of going to the hallway, I went straight to the front door.
“Mommy?” Emma whispered, pressing her little face to my neck. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, my love,” I said, my hands trembling as I opened the door. “Let’s go for a walk.”
As soon as we crossed the threshold, I heard it.
Mermaids.
Not one or two.
Many.
Too many
They sounded distant, but with each passing second they were getting closer. I froze on the porch, feeling fear rising from my feet.
“Mom…” Emma clung tightly to my neck.
Then I saw them. Black SUVs without license plates were speeding down the street from both sides. Police cars were behind them, their red and blue lights illuminating everything as if it were daytime. Neighbors came out of their houses, in their pajamas, pointing, not understanding anything.
My cell phone vibrated again. Daniel.
“Have you left yet?” he asked, with an urgency that chilled me to the bone.
“Yes,” I whispered. “What’s happening?”
—Get in the car. Lock it. Drive away from the house. Don’t stop for anything, do you hear me?
I ran.
I settled Emma into her car seat, struggling with the seatbelt because my hands wouldn’t obey me. As I started driving, I glanced in the rearview mirror