Chapter 11

                                    

                                          
Sophie fell into the water and instantly regretted it. The coldness of the water seeped into her bones, making it nearly impossible her for to focus.
                          
Very slowly she reached into her back pocket and took out a pastel purple crystal and held it up.
                          
A beam of sunlight cut through the water and Sophie thought it leaped her somewhere but all around her was more water.
                          
She struggled to keep breathing and felt as the darkness around try to clutch onto her body, dragging it down further.
                          
She seemed to float for a while until she felt as if a giant hand grabbed her and tossed her out of the water.
                          
She landed on a leathery surface but the darkness still clouded her eyes, making it hard to see.
                          
A familiar coldness fell over her and she shuddered.
                          
Sophie, it's ok. You're ok. Tam shadow-whispered.
                          
The darkness around her vision cleared and she saw Linh and Tam looking at her in relief.
                          
She noticed that Tam was holding her in his arms but she didn't want to say anything about it.
                          
"What happened?" Sophie rasped.
                          
"The crystal brought you to the Forbidden city of San Francisco but it left you in the bay." Linh said.
                          
"What time is it?" 
                          
"It's around evening."
                          
"We better go find Keefe." Sophie tried to get out of Tam's arms but Tam tightened his grip.
                          
"Tam..." Linh looked at him in concern.
                          
"Sorry it's just that right now Sophie reminds me of you when you nearly drowned Atlantis and you were shot you of the water." Tam said.
                          
Sophie looked at Tam's face and saw his eyes seemed to darken a little bit. His grip tightened even more around Sophie.
                          
"People called her a freak, a monster who shouldn't be near others. I would have lost it if my parents didn't hold me back. I left Atlantis and found Linh laying on the rocky shore. She had a gash on her head and a puncture in her arm. I held her in my arms and...."
                          
Linh had covered Tam's mouth and was looking into his eyes. "Stop. I'm fine now." She whispered.
                          
The darkness in Tam's eyes left and his grip on Sophie lessened. Finally he released her and set her gently on the sand ground.
                          
Sophie looked around and saw the Golden Gate Bridge looming over them with a gorgeous sunset surrounding it.
                          
Sophie looked down at her hand which she still held the golden rose necklace in.
                          
"Let's just get this over with." Sophie mumbled as she tracked Keefe's thoughts to a specific location and walked towards with Linh and Tam following her.
                          
After walking about four miles, her mind lead for to a familiar house. 
                          
The home that Alden put her family in which was only a mile away from her original home.
                          
It was bigger than her old home, still only two stories. It was painted little blue with white windows and had a small matching doghouse right next to it.
                          
Sophie noticed the dog was just staring at them but didn't bark or run up to them and it seemed to be swaying a little bit.
                          
"Must have been hit with a meddler. Meddlers don't work on animals the same way they work on elves." Tam smirked.
                          
Sophie nodded and continued up the path to the doorway and slowly climbed all four stairs.
                          
She stopped at the door and was about to open it but she just couldn't get her hand to turn the doorknob.