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Home / Fantasy Short Story / Drowned in the Past / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Drowned in the Past: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

20 Chapters

Chapter 1

Ryan came back just as the caretaker was bringing in the nutritional supplement."Perfect timing," he said, tossing his coat over the chair back and turning to grin at me. "Were you waiting for me to feed you?"He settled onto the edge of the bed, scooped up a spoonful, and held it toward my lips.I just stared at him.All those years of waiting, and now I could finally go home.The supplement was bitter, more bitter than anything he'd ever mixed for me before. It made me cough and cough.Ryan patted my back, shaking his head with a mix of exasperation and amusement. "What's the rush? Nobody's taking it from you.""How come you're being so good today? Don't need me to feed you anymore?"His palm pressed against my back through the thin fabric of my shirt, warm and steady.I used to crave that warmth.I straightened up and pulled a corner of my mouth into something like a smile. "I don't need that anymore. Not ever again."He paused. The smile in his eyes slowly faded. "Still angry abou

Chapter 2

The sprite told me that Ryan did still have feelings for me.If I wasn't ready to leave, all I had to do was let him find out the treatment plan had an error.He would feel guilt. He would bend over backward to make it up to me, to love me.I shook my head. What would I want with his guilt?"But Your Highness—you'd already given up on going back to the sea, hadn't you?"Yes.There was a time when I thought he was so good to me that going home never crossed my mind. The king's palace had rules and restrictions, and staying here with Ryan felt like the better deal.But people changed. You couldn't get back who someone used to be."No. I want to go home."

Chapter 3

Vicky was coming to apologize.My first instinct was to refuse. Every time she showed up, something went wrong.Ryan held my hand, eyes soft. "Of course you need this. You're my wife. I can't keep letting you take the hits."If this were before, I would have been moved.Now I just felt revulsion.Vicky arrived in a pale yellow coat, hair in a loose low ponytail, makeup flawless. Bright, pretty, vivid, like a flower in full bloom.She handed me a drink.Rose-flavored sparkling water, the pink liquid catching the light in the glass, cool and inviting.I was allergic to roses. A compound in synthetic rose fragrance would irritate mermaid skin. Ryan knew this."Be gracious about it," he murmured close to my ear. "She was practically forced here to apologize. Of course she's not happy. She agreed to come, so don't make a big deal out of every little thing."I smiled.I reached out and took the glass.Under his approving gaze, I raised it and threw it.The pink liquid arced through the air a

Chapter 4

Ryan slammed the door on his way out.He didn't come back for several days.That evening, the caretaker brought the supplement as usual, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to.After I finished drinking it, she finally spoke."Ma'am, the mister hasn't come back, but he calls every day to check that you're taking it on time. He said what Vicky did to you has a strong effect on your body, and you can't skip even a day. He told me to keep a close eye on you."Her expression was complicated. "Ma'am, the mister still cares about you."I pulled the corner of my mouth up.So that's how afraid he was of something happening to me.I wondered what face he would make when he found out it was his own treatment plan that had done the damage.I wanted to laugh, but what came out was blood.A splash of red on the table, then my vision went dark. I passed out.The combined effects of everything Vicky had put into my body were catching up. I was getting worse.The

Chapter 5

But he never ended up coming with me.The day we were supposed to leave, someone discovered a pod of dolphins stranded near the dock, and word spread fast through the community.Ryan was stopped beside the car before we could get in."Professor Carter! Professor Carter! Please come take a look, you're the only one who can help them!"Several rescue volunteers blocked his path, eyes red.Ryan turned and looked back at me.Those deep, charming eyes were filled with apology."Elena—"He couldn't finish the sentence.I understood."It's fine. Go."A few volunteers turned to thank me, bowing repeatedly.As a mermaid princess, I'd always had a deep affinity for creatures of the sea. Whenever he went to help marine animals, I'd supported him without question.What I hadn't expected was that when it came to Vicky, he would drop everything, including those dolphins.The drive lasted half a day.By the time we reached the coastal town, it was already dark.Passing through a square near the water

Chapter 6

Ryan spent a while untangling the mess Vicky had made, running back and forth for the better part of two weeks.When it was all finally done, he remembered to come find me.He leaned in the doorway and smiled. "Vicky wants to see the coast around here. I'm taking her tomorrow, do you want to come?"I didn't want to go with them.The caretaker was about to have her baby, and she had been so good to me over the years. I wanted to buy her some gifts.Tiny clothes, little toys. I chose each one carefully and kept at it all morning.The town was small enough that less than half an hour later, I ran into them.It happened in a baby supply store on the main street."Do you prefer boys or girls? What if you don't like the one I give you?"I froze.I turned my head slowly.Inside the shop, Vicky was holding up a few tiny outfits, one pink, one blue, one white.Ryan stood behind her, his face draining of color.He clapped a hand over her mouth. "What are you saying? Someone will hear you."Vicky

Chapter 7

I slept deeply that night.I dreamed of the deep sea for a while.The colors of the coral reef, the floating shadows of glowing jellyfish, the wide, familiar span of Liam's back.Then I dreamed of the good days with Ryan.In the dream I was back on the rock steps outside the lab.He was sitting there looking over data, sunlight falling across his profile.He looked up and smiled at me.When I woke, Ryan wasn't there.On the pillow beside me was a piece of sea salt and lemon candy.Wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with a thin string.I stared at it for a long time.I was afraid that if I ate it, I would lose the will to leave.After breakfast I was about to head out when I heard Vicky, sharp and furious."Keep waiting? How much longer do you expect me to wait? Are you that scared of Elena?""You promised me you wouldn't deal with her before the baby came. I saw you coming out of her room with my own eyes. And you left her candy.""She hasn't been well. You know that. Can't you wait

Chapter 8

Less than a month later, Vicky officially moved in.With her pregnancy to lean on, she grew more and more demanding.Every time she and I were in front of Ryan, she had to win. My bedroom, a piece of jewelry, she wanted it all. If Ryan hesitated for even a second, she would collapse into tears and threats."I don't want to live anymore. I'll take the baby down with me."She pounded her own belly, sobbing.Ryan panicked. He rushed to hold her, murmuring soft reassurances."Okay, okay, you can have it. It's all yours."Then he came to placate me."She's pregnant and insecure. These are just material things. Elena, don't let it bother you."Of course I wasn't going to let it bother me.I was leaving soon anyway. I couldn't take any of it with me.I moved to the side room on my own, for some peace.The room was small.A bed, a desk, a chair.Dust on the windowsill, moss in the corners.The caretaker offered to clean it.I told her not to bother.It wasn't like I'd be here much longer.But

Chapter 9

Without the result she wanted, Vicky went to pieces.She smashed everything in the room.Vases, teacups, skincare bottles, all of it.While trying to calm her down, Ryan let slip that I couldn't have children anymore.It didn't quiet her."I don't believe you. You're lying to me. You just love Elena, that bitch. You only want her, not me."Vicky screamed herself hoarse, beating her own stomach with both fists.Once. Twice. Three times."No, no, that's not true.""Let go of me! You're all liars!""Vicky, stop, don't hurt the baby—"Another wave of chaos swept through.The caretaker came to tell me all of this while I was taking painkillers.The closer my departure came, the faster the human-form energy drained out of me.Sometimes the pain was bad enough to make me wish it would just end.Like someone had lit a fire inside my chest, and my whole body was burning from the inside.I swallowed the tablet. The tightness in my chest eased slightly.I waited for the pain to fade and managed a

Chapter 10

Ryan kept his word. After that, he never set foot in my room again.Word had it that under his careful watch, Vicky slowly recovered, her mood gradually settling. Word had it he slept in her room at night and got up at the slightest sound.As for me, I was getting worse. My color was terrible.The caretaker was both relieved and worried."Miss Shen, that person, is much better now. The mister should be coming to see you soon, ma'am. You have to let him do a proper examination. Why would you keep getting worse?"I smiled and said nothing.It didn't matter anymore. Just like the sprite said, by now no one could replenish my energy.Even if Ryan found out, it didn't matter.Finally.The day after the caretaker said this, Ryan came.He came to ask for a favor.He stood in the doorway in a dark coat.He almost never wore dark colors, and it made his face look even more pale."Vicky's unauthorized experiments on wild fish were discovered by the Federal Ocean Authority. And someone filed a co

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