Last June, I moved to California.  We moved into an old abandon house south of San Francisco.   My younger brother, Conner, and I did not know it at the time, but that summer would change our lives forever. 

Our new house was creepy and I was in no hurry to go exploring, but unfortunately Conner was.  As soon as we arrived he rushed through the house opening every door he came to.  I just stood in the doorway watching him until he opened a closet and screamed for me. 
“Look Abby!”  Conner yelled pointing to a small wooden chest sitting on the closet’s floor.   Cautiously I picked it up and shook it.   There seemed to be something inside, but I could not tell what.  I tried to open the box, but it would not budge.  “We need the key.”  Conner exclaimed.
“Okay, but I don’t have a key, do you?”  I asked sarcastically. 
“No but it has to be in here somewhere.”  He said searching the closet.  Not wanting to argue I allowed him to continue searching.  I leaned against the wall and felt something jab me in the back.  I felt the wall until I found a seam in the wallpaper.  When I lifted it up a key was lying in a tiny hole.   “You found it Abby, you found it!” Conner yelled as he reached for the key.  Carefully, he put it into the chest and watched it open.  Inside we found a letter.  It said: On this day of May 19, 1996, I am sad to announce that Shellina has been taken over by Queen Coral’s evil sister Orah.  Queen Coral and her daughter Princess Maria have been captured and taken away by Orah’s guards.  If Shellina is going to survive it is clear that we need help from the outside.  I am sending this letter with what little magic Shellina has left to insure that whoever reads it will be able to help us.  Good luck and hurry, you are Shellina’s only hope.
Sincerely,
A friend

“Abby, what did it mean by we are Shellina’s only hope.”  Conner asked curiously.  Before I could answer the room started to spin and Conner and I where being sucked into the chest.  We tried to hold onto the walls, but the force was too strong.  Conner and I were inside the chest. 
In an instant we felt a cold splash of water.  I opened my eyes to find that Conner and I were at the bottom of the ocean.  Frantically, I grabbed my brother’s arm to pull him to the surface, but I realized I could breathe.  At first I was confused, but then I saw that my brother and I turned into mermaids!   “Abby, what’s happening?”  My brother asked screaming? 
“I don’t know, but the best thing to do is to not panic.”  I told my brother.
“Could it be? Are you really here?”  Said a voice in the distance.  I turned around to find a beautiful mermaid swimming towards us.  “My name is Crystal, and  I sent the letter that you found.”  Crystal continued.
“My name is Abby and this is my brother Conner.  What is going on here?”  I wondered.
“Like the letter stated our beloved queen and her daughter were kidnapped by the evil mermaid Orah.   She took control of Shellina and has been ruling it’s people ever since.  There is a resistance that operates in the caves just outside of Shellina, but we are powerless without you.”  She explained,
“Why us?”  Conner asked.
“You have the power to defeat Orah inside of you.” Crystal said confidently.  We decided to stop asking questions for a while because we already had a lot to think about.
Eventually we came to the caves.  Crystal led us into one she said was their home base.  At the back of the cave was a large room.  Inside the room were about fifty merpeople ranging in age from 0-70.  “These are all of the people who escaped Shellina before Orah took control of the borders.”  Crystal told us.  “Everyone our hope has arrived.”  Crystal said to the congregation.   “Come into the meeting room.  We have much to discuss with the leaders of the resistance.”
We entered the meeting room and sat down at a long, stone table.  “I am Jordan the leader of the resistance.  For years we awaited your arrival and feared it may never come.  We escaped Shellina with our families just as Orah took control of the Kingdom.  She used the powers of Shellina to brainwash most of Shellina’s army into becoming her own soldiers.  We have been without magic for quite some time.  That is why we sent that letter so many years ago.  We knew that the humans that read it would be the humans that held inside of them the powers of Shellina.  That is you two.”  Jordan explained. 
“I am very sorry, but I think you have the wrong kids.  We do not have any powers.”  I told them.
“You did not have any powers on land, but now that you are in the ocean your powers have come out.  Focus on the patch of coral in the corner of the room.  Try to make it multiply into two patches of coral.”  Jordan requested.  I was hesitant, but Conner stared directly at the coral and watched as it turned into two patches of coral.  “How did you do that Conner?”  I asked him.
“I just did what Mr. Jordan said to do.”  He replied smiling.  Eager to try it for myself I focused on the same patch of coral and watched it multiply.  “See I told you that the powers of Shellina were inside of you.  Now, here is what you have to do.  Tomorrow morning you will go with our army through the tunnel we have dug to get into Shellina.  The tunnel will open into a secret room we made.  Another resistance member by the name of Coral will be waiting for you there.  She will help you learn how to use your powers to over throw Orah and her guards.  Then it is up to you to act like the other citizens of Shellina and get into the castle.  Orah is only powerful because of her army, Shellina’s powers, and her own powers.  Once you enter Shellina you can call all of its powers to you.  Do not do that until you are ready to battle Orah.  Use your powers to mind wipe every guard you come to.  That should undo Orah’s brainwashing.   Without her guards or Shellina’s powers she only has her powers to rely on.  It should be an easy fight.  Get some rest tomorrow is a very big day.”  Jordan finished.
Later that night after we had dinner Crystal showed us to our bedroom.  We were very tired and fell right asleep.  The next morning I woke up expecting it to all of been a dream, but it wasn’t.  I decided to wake Conner up.  Once he was up we walked back to the room we in were the previous night.  Crystal and Jordan greeted us.  They gave us a quick breakfast and showed us to the tunnel.  Conner and I were extremely worried about going into Shellina, but we knew it was the only way to get home.
The tunnel was very long and cold, but eventually we made it into the secret room Jordan told us about.  As promised Coral and the rest of the resistance army met us in the room.  “Hello Abby and Conner.  We could not be happier that you are here.  I am sure by now you have discovered your powers.  I am going to teach you how to use them to defeat the terrible Orah.”  Coral said to us.
“Jordan told us we need to use our powers to mind wipe the guards and then call the powers of Shellina to us or something like that.”  Conner said.
“Yes, every guard you find hold out your hands towards them and concentrate on erasing their memories.  Only mind wipe the guards.  They will be wearing a gray uniform and have gray eyes.  After mind wiping them their eyes should go back to their normal color.”  Coral explained. “Now you have to stay a good distance away or you will get caught.”  She continued.  We practiced the magic for a little while to get use to it.  “Now as you know you have to call Shellina’s powers to you when you are ready to battle Orah.  All you have to do is focus on Shellina and the magic you have found here and call it to you.  Unfortunately, you cannot practice here, but I have full confidence that you can do it at the battle.” Coral told us with some worry in her eyes.  “Any questions?”  She asked.  We shook our heads. “Well then go save Shellina!”
We took another tunnel out of the room and it led us to a door.  One of the army’s men opened it and we entered Shellina.  It was everything Jordan said it was.  An old rundown town with unhappy people everywhere we looked.  We had to keep going though.
The first guard we came to was standing at attention near an old fashioned restaurant.  I told my brother that I would take the first one.  I held out my hands and concentrated.  We watched as the guard’s eyes went from gray to blue.  He looked dazed and confused.  We went over to him. “Could it be, am I free from the spell?” He asked.
“Yes we are the resistance” I responded.
“Then I’ll join you.” He said confidently.  The same thing happened until every guard outside of the castle was on our side.  We knew we now had to go to the castle.  We started mind wiping the guards right away.  Before we knew it the only guards we had not helped were the two that always stood by Orah, the hardest two. 
Right before entering the throne room I came up with a plan.  One of the former castle guards brought Conner and I in the room pretending to have captured us.  When Orah’s guards went to grab us we mind wiped them. Orah, now figuring out what happened, rushed at us.  Her two guards held her off while the rest of the resistance ran in the room.   Orah began to use her powers and Conner and I knew it was time to call Shellina’s powers to us.  We grabbed hands and followed Coral’s instructions.  Suddenly we felt a wave of power come over us.  “Shellina’s powers, their gone!”  Orah yelled.
“There not gone we have them you evil sea witch.”  My brother yelled.
“You think you are so clever mind wiping my guards taking Shellina’s power, but there is one thing I have that you cannot take, my powers.”  Orah screamed.  She began shooting out green balls, but my brother and I fought back.  We used the powers to capture her in a tiny crystal ball.  It was not easy though.  We banished her to a secure prison on the other side of the ocean.
Suddenly a light appeared and two mermaids came out.  “I am the queen of Shellina and this is my daughter.  We owe a great gratitude to you.  We were taken prisoner when Orah came to power.  She took our powers and caused destruction in Shellina.   So thank you for everything. Take this shell of Shellina to remind you of your adventures here.  You can use it to come and visit.” The queen said.

“Thank you, but I was wondering why were we chosen to help Shellina?”  I asked her.
“You know how you were adopted when you were young.”  She asked us.  We nodded our heads.  Well then, welcome home.” She said smiling.