~Third Person Point of View~

  The sky was a dark blue, and the moon slowly rose above the purple clouds over the town of Vaal. The waves gently crashed against the shore as the breeze flew by. On the beach were two people: a father named Farrah, 45, and a daughter named Usla, 13.

  On this calm evening, Farrah, with dark smooth skin, curly black hair that rested on the tips of his shoulders, and aged dark yellow eyes, was using the ocean as his water-bending practice. Usla, with tan skin, jet-black wavy hair, and youthful golden eyes, watched him as he continued showing his skills. The waves gracefully followed as his hands moved from side to side. His face showed an expression of deep peace.

  Usla watched her father with big curious eyes as he showed his slightly rusted skills to her. "How are you able to water bend without any mistakes?" She asked Farrah as she watched the waves. He stopped the water bending momentarily to look at Usla and told her, "It takes practice like anything you try to do in life. If you take time to practice your water bending skills, you will get better at it in no time." His voice was deep and mellow to the ears. Usla smiled warmly as Farrah went back to water bending. She mimicked his movements, pretending to water bend with him.

  "I wanna be a good Water Bender like you someday, Dad," Usla said with admiration in her sparkling eyes. "I wanna grow up and become an animator and a good Water Bender living in a big city. I wanna make you and Mom proud." Farrah loved hearing Usla talk about her plans for the future. He formed a smile as she spoke.

  "I hope you achieve all of your goals in life, Usla. I believe you can do it and more. There are many Water Benders out there, but I see great potential in you to become one of the stronger ones," Farrah said gently as he pointed his fist at her. She eagerly tapped her fist on his. I hope Usla's ambition gets her far, he thought as he continued water bending. They continued to relax on the beach as it was getting late.

  Usla's stomach growled softly meaning it was time to return to the small house for dinner. The dining room was small but cozy with comfortable wooden chairs with pillows surrounding a small dining table. Devia, with brown skin, brown hair pulled into a bun, and light brown eyes, 44, finished making dinner when Usla and Farrah walked inside the house. Devia smiled at both of them as she put the silverware and plates on the table. "Enjoy the outside time?" she teasingly asked with a giggle.

  "I think so," Farrah replied as he glanced at Usla with a smirk, which she eagerly nodded while cheesing. He let out a soft chuckle as he sat in his usual spot for dinner.

  Usla's two older brothers, Teyatt, 16, with brown skin, short dark brown hair, and bright yellow eyes, and Banie, 15, with dark skin like his father, curly black hair, and brown eyes, excitedly ran down the stairs toward the kitchen for dinner.

  "What's on the menu today?" Banie asked with curiosity as he made his way to the table. "It smells like fish."

  "What do you think it is then, Banie?" Teyatt sarcastically asked with his hands on his hips. "Chicken?"

  "Hey, no need to be at each other's throats. Let's just enjoy each other's company over some fish dishes." Devia sat in her chair next to Farrah and put her hand on his knee.

  "Alright fine," Teyatt reluctantly agreed. Banie stayed quiet as he made his way to his usual spot for dinner.

  All five of them sat down for a peaceful dinner at the table. Devia and Farrah carefully ate parts of boiled fish, Teyatt and Banie ate bowls of fish soup, and Usla ate her fish soup while dipping bits of fish into the soup like a sauce.

  "Why do you eat it like that?" Teyatt asked Usla, practically staring her down with a look of judgment. He'd seen her eat fish in that way before, but it still weirded him out.

  "It's just the way I eat it." Usla continued eating her food, seeing no problem with what she was doing. "As long as I'm eating it."

  Teyatt shook his head, but it wasn't out of true annoyance, just confusion. The room went silent except for the sounds of bowls and plates against silverware. The only light was the small overhead light above the dining table as the sky continued to turn to night outside.

  As the stars started to appear in the sky, Usla prepared to rest her weary little head on her cold pillow to sleep for the night. That was when Farrah walked into her small, wooden bedroom. He sat on Usla's bed as she settled herself under the covers.

  "Goodnight, my Water Bender." Farrah kissed her forehead softly and adjusted the covers for her to be more comfortable. "Sleep tight."

  "Goodnight, Dad," Usla murmured as sleep started to overtake her. Her eyes became heavy and her breathing settled into a steady rhythm as sleep took over. Farrah lingered there for a moment to watch his daughter set into a peaceful rest after an eventful day. He quietly exited the room after a moment and slowly closed the door behind him, plunging the room in the moonlight filtering through the curtains.

  A day had passed, and Usla's family was watching some game shows on television in the living room. As they watched the game show, Teyatt would get too invested, saying things like, "Come on! How do you not know the answer?!" He flopped his back on the couch in frustration.

  Banie on the other hand, was sitting there with his legs crossed and defended the people on the game shows by saying, "Well, when you're put on the spot, you can forget some answers. I know I would."

  "Let's just be glad that we're not the ones on the game shows," Farrah intervened gently, wrapping his arm around Devia's shoulders.

  "We would probably embarrass ourselves." Devia giggled softly.

  "Yeah probably," Usla agreed while sipping on guava juice from a white cup. She quietly sat on the floor with her cup in her lap while being slightly invested in the show.

  Suddenly, the channel changed to the weather news. "We interrupt your scheduled program to warn all citizens of Vaal about an intensifying hurricane arriving within the next week." The screen then showed a radar of a hurricane system heading for the island. "We urge all citizens to prepare for the hurricane by stocking up on food and barricading exterior doors and windows. This hurricane is already a category 3 and storm surge could reach up to 8 feet."

  Devia's brows furrowed in worry and she sat up straight on the couch. "I heard about a storm coming, but I didn't expect it to get this bad," Devia commented. Farrah was silently becoming worried as well. Teyatt and Banie looked at each other without saying a word. Usla stopped sipping her juice and her heart rate started to rise.

  "Right now it is too early to tell when exactly the hurricane will hit, but it looks like it might hit around mid-next week," a meteorologist explained in front of the screen that showed the radar.

  The family was silent until Devia tried to calm down the situation. "No need to be scared. As long as we have each other, we'll all be okay in the end." This helped to alleviate some of the tension in the air. After the announcement was over, the family continued to watch the game show and forget about the hurricane for a bit.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  The following days were filled with the entire family getting together to prepare for the hurricane coming. From buying more food for the pantry to barricading the windows. The rest of the island was also preparing for the hurricane's arrival. They continued to watch the news for updates and made sure they knew when the hurricane would hit.

  Another day passed and Usla was sitting on the beach as the waves crashed onto the shore. The weather was cloudy and windy that day, but she didn't think much of it. Then, darker clouds rolled in. The wind started to pick up and small raindrops began to fall. This was the start of the hurricane.

  "Usla!" Devia called. "Come inside!" Usla started running to the house, but the wind was pulling her closer and closer to the ocean. It only increased in ferocity. Devia grabbed her hand for a moment, but Usla's hand slipped and was pulled closer to the ocean by the wind rushing past her clothes and skin. "No, no, no! Usla! Try holding on a little longer! I'm coming to get you!" Devia attempted to step outside and immediately felt the worsening conditions. She shielded her eyes from the wind as she began taking steps forward.

  "Mom!!" Usla struggled to fight the wind by holding onto a pole while the wind and rain worsened. "Help!!" The drops pelted her skin the longer she held on, and debris started flying off houses and rushing past her. It reached a point where her fingers slipped once again and she was dragged into the water.

  "Usla!!" Devia's eyes widened in fear while she watched her daughter get pulled away from the shore. She hesitantly ran back inside the house and closed the door. She ran to the closet with the rest of the family while the wind whipped around the house.

  "Where's Usla?!" Farrah started to panic. "Is she okay?!"

  "I tried to bring her inside but the wind overtook her. I tried to grab her but..." Devia started to tear up. Farrah instantly pulled her into an embrace as his own tears started to form.

  "Wait, Usla's gone?!" Teyatt asked with pain in his voice. "What is she gonna do?! We can't just leave her out there!"

  Baine's heart sank when Teyatt said that. "What do we do?" He started silently crying in the corner with tears streaming down his face. "Usla... My only friend..." His body shook with each sob.

  Teyatt was too stunned to do anything. He was practically frozen in place as everything happened. "I-" He tried to say something but his throat practically shut. She could die out there!

  "Everything is going to be okay," Farrah tried to reassure, but his voice wavered. "After the storm is over we'll look for Usla together. I'm sure she'll be okay. She's strong just like us and she'll return to us whenever she can." His fear and sorrow were evident in his voice as he broke down into quiet sobs. Please don't let one of my children die...

  Everyone huddled together to protect each other as the storm progressed, hoping Usla would return okay. They all cried about Usla being lost or worse. Farrah had the urge to run outside and look for his daughter, but the storm held him in place. It felt never-ending.

  Usla sank into the water and created an air bubble around her head so she could breathe. She desperately tried to swim against the currents, but it was no use. "Mom! Dad!" Tears formed in her eyes as she was carried further away by the waves. The currents were simply too strong to swim in, so she had to give up.

  A day passed and Usla washed up on the shore of Soleo, a city where the buildings were vibrant in color and the beaches were rocky yet peaceful. Mountains towered behind the skyline as if they were offering protection from what was on the other side.

  Usla was sprawled out on her back in the sand. People who passed by were wondering if she was okay or not, but they were afraid of touching her. Some moments passed and a married couple walked to Usla with curiosity and a bit of fear.

  "Oh my... What happened to her?" The slender man with short bright blond hair, dark green eyes with black glasses surrounding them, and freckles on his cheeks named Dorse, 25, rhetorically asked as he stepped closer. "She doesn't look like she's from here..." He hesitantly grabbed Usla's arm, but she didn't wake. That instantly alarmed them.

  "Should we take her back to the apartment?" the chubbier man with brown skin, dark brown hair that's slicked back, and hazel eyes named Ramon, 27, suggested as he hesitantly placed an ear on Usla's chest to check her heartbeat. "She's still breathing."

  "I think we should," Dorse responded. "At least for now to help her recover."

  Ramon nodded and carefully lifted Usla into his arms while Dorse started to make his way to their apartment. Ramon followed closely behind with Usla lying comfortably in his arms the whole way there.

  Usla slowly woke up on a gray couch in the couple's apartment and she was momentarily disoriented. Once her vision cleared, she looked around and saw there was a small area, the kitchen in front of her, and a hallway to her left. The change in scenery made her eyes snap open in shock and fear. She sat up on the couch and her eyes then landed on Dorse and Ramon in front of her. Dorse was in the kitchen making shrimp alfredo and Ramon was sitting in the love seat right across from her, looking at something on his phone with a nonchalant expression.

  Usla's eyes became wide with fear and her breathing quickened as she realized that she was no longer in Vaal. Where am I?! Is this a dream?! Please tell me this is a dream! She then built up the courage to ask them an important question. "Who are you two?"

  Dorse paused his cooking to meet Usla's gaze behind his shoulder and happily replied, "Good, you're awake. I'm Dorse," before going back to stir the boiling pasta in front of him.

  "My name is Ramon," he introduced, "welcome to our apartment." Usla sat in silence for a moment to take in the scene around her. The faint smell of wildflowers from a candle nearby, the beige walls with framed orange paintings on them, and the sounds of distant traffic and seagulls calling outside.

  She then thought about her family and started to panic. She brought her knees to her chest as if to protect herself within a small bubble she created around herself. I hope they're okay... she thought to herself. I don't even know where I am... I don't know if I'll ever see them again...

  Some moments of silence passed until Usla asked another question. "Where am I?" She scooted herself to the far end of the couch. "What is this place?"

  Ramon looked up from his phone to say, "Soleo, the city of delicious tea and coffee." He held up his cup of tea that was sitting on the side table next to him and took a sip from it. Usla sat there for a moment to think about everything that had happened: being swept away from her family by the hurricane, being in a random apartment, and being in a different city as a whole.

  Tears began to well up in Usla's eyes as she realized how far away she was from her family in Vaal. She hugged her knees tighter, trying not to show that she was crying in front of the two men. I miss my family... She thought about Farrah and Devia, then her two brothers Teyatt and Banie. The tears began to fall faster and her crying soon became audible.

  Ramon, hearing the faint crying from the other side of the room, put his phone down and walked over to the couch, kneeling in front of her but far enough to give her some space. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe here," he said gently. "You must've been through a lot these past few days, seeing that you washed up on the beach after the storm. We're here for you in any way you need."

  Dorse stopped what he was doing, hearing the situation behind him, and walked over to both of them to give his support. "We're willing to help you and figure things out," he reassured. "For now it looks like you need some rest. Maybe a good meal will help you feel a little better."

  Usla wiped her tears but said nothing, still trying to process the entire situation. "I wanna go home..." she whispered. She rested her forehead on her knees.

  "I know, we'll help you get back home wherever that is." Dorse stepped closer until he was standing next to Ramon.

  "It's Vaal..." Usla informed with a shaky voice. "My entire family is there."

  Dorse and Ramon gave each other a look of sympathy before Ramon decided to say something. "That's quite far away from here, but you won't have to go through this alone. Okay?"

  Usla nodded slowly, letting her shoulders relax slightly. The softness in their voices helped her to feel more comfortable, but there was still a pain in her chest that wasn't going away anytime soon.

  Usla let out a deep sigh of reluctant acceptance of her situation. "I'm Usla..." she finally said, her voice wavering slightly. They seem pretty nice... I'm kinda glad they found me.

  "Nice to meet you, Usla," Dorse greeted, forming a smile. Ramon gave her a small smile as well. Usla let her legs fall to relax against the couch, but she maintained a slightly rigid posture. Ramon stood up from kneeling and returned to the loveseat, still watching Usla with a soft gaze.

  Dorse then thought of something. "Let me see if you're hurt." Usla held her arms out for him to inspect closely. He then inspected her legs to realize that she was completely fine.

  "How did you not get a single scratch on you from that?" Usla shrugged in response. "Okay, we'll worry about that later. Are you hungry?" Dorse asked with concern in his eyes. Usla nodded rapidly, showing excitement through the way her eyes lit up. She had smelled the food and was ready to taste it. This made Dorse giggle softly.

  "Okay then. I'll be back in a bit." He swiftly made his way back to the kitchen and resumed his creation process by cooking the shrimp.

  The atmosphere went back to its usual calm. Usla's heart was still heavy but knowing that she was with two trusting adults in Soleo made her feel a little secure. She was still skeptical of them and what their intentions were, but she tried to keep her spirits high despite everything.