Ripley kept on screaming until she felt hands on her shoulder. She wanted to shrug them, and swat them off, but then the girl's words caught her attention. She shakily answered the girl's statement, "A nightmare...Yes! Yes, this has to be a nightmare! I just have to wake up!" She then tried pinching herself with her sharp nails. But she only found that it was painful, and she was still here. Ripley desperately resorted to slapping herself.

With each slap across her own face she shouted each word, "Come! ON! Wake! UP!"

However, she never did wake up. Instead, it seemed like with each slap, she realized more and more that whatever was happening right now was reality. With red hand prints on her cheeks, she looked at the woman in front of her once more as her hands landed on her shoulder and she directed her to take deep breaths. Ripley found herself following her directions, breathing deeply and watching the bubbles rise...

This was happening...
This was actually happening...
She could feel herself breathe in the water as though it was simply air, only heavier.

She looked back at the woman as she asked her question, and she answered "Ripley. Ripley Jones. And I'm not part of a clan," 

The other mermaid would feel her tremble as she asked out loud, "What the hell...? What happened to my legs...? How the hell did I get a fish tail?! How did this happen?!"

[hr]

Zack nodded in response to Brendan's advice, and he answered "Thanks man. We'll be sure to do so if we can't find her," He then hurried off to help Richard find Ripley. He did take Brendan's advice and asked Guest Services on the lower floor to be on the lookout for her if she comes back to the hotel. After that, he and Richard searched throughout the small town on Makai Island. Richard searched the beaches first while Zack retraced footsteps and went back to the bar to see if anyone had seen Ripley leave. Both had no luck. 

In the end, neither could find Ripley and Zack finally tries calling her cell phone.

[hr]

While Brendan rests at the slice of beach only he knew about, he would hear the sound of something landing in the sand. When he looks over he would see a book. Another object lands near that book, and it's a phone with a teal rubber phone case. He would hear the sound of an elderly man talking to himself, laughing,

"Ho ho ho Boy! Here we go!"

An old man with wild tangled hair, rags for clothes, and clearly in need of a shower or bath, was rifling through a purse until he pulled out a wallet. He pulled out some cash and counted "Five...Ten...Fifteen...Twenty Dollars! Looks like Gil's gonna eat today!" 

As he's rifling, the phone near Brendan would ring a melodic ringtone, and the face and name of Zack Greene pops up on the screen as it's ringing.