by Angel Leya
Unfortunately, trouble floated above our heads.
“Have you finished cleaning the fish?” Pearl asked, startling me. Cleaning happened in isolation, since the stink from the blood attracted sharks.
“Not yet,” I replied, my gaze on the fish in my hand. How long had I been cleaning it?
“Well, you need to pick up speed. You keep dragging your fins and you might just end up shark bait.” Pearl was one of the more protective Mer in the pod and the closest thing to a mother since mine had passed. “Are you okay? You don’t quite seem yourself lately.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I said, smiling at Pearl. “I’ve just been missing my parents a little more than usual.” Would that be enough of an explanation? They had been gone so long.
“I’m sorry honey, but you have to be strong. Let me know if you need to talk.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay. Cleaning today has really helped clear my head.”
“Okay, small fry.” Pearl smiled as she swam away. She was kind, but her patience wouldn’t last much longer. Time was running out.
Rushing to finish my task, I raked the bone blade across the scales. The blade grazed my hand instead.
“Ouch!” I let go of the fish. The silver body floated in place before sinking to the seabed. I picked it up again, blood drifting from my hand. It looked like a little red cloud. The soft current dispersed the splash of color, like it did with the fish blood.
I hoped that tank would be finished soon. I was losing too much sleep, and Pearl was right—if I wasn’t careful, then I would end up shark bait.
Night couldn’t come quick enough. I was like a guppy drawn to the glowing lure of an anglerfish, and that anglerfish was Vince.
VINCE SAT ON THE EDGE of the deck when I arrived. His feet first came into view first, swishing in the water. A mischievous grin crossed my face as my fingers grazed along the bottom of his foot. It disappeared. I popped out of the water to see Vince was hopping around the deck, eyes wild. He made the strangest panting and yipping noises, and I burst out laughing.
Spotting me, Vince stopped and gave a wry smile. “There you are. I thought you weren’t coming. Actually, I thought you were a shark coming to bite my foot off.”
“A shark wouldn’t want one little foot,” I teased, splashing him. “Besides, the sharks are far away right now.”
“How do you know that?”
“The dolphins help us keep tabs on them. Plus, I had to clean fish today. We always take our cleaning far from where we rest because it attracts the sharks. Anyway, tonight has to be the last night. I nearly lost a fin trying to clean those fish.” I held my hand up, showing him the wound.
“Ouch. Looks painful.”
“Not too bad, really. It looks worse than it feels.”
“Do you want anything for it? A bandage or Neosporin or something?”
I laughed. “Not sure what those are, but no thanks. I’ll heal on my own.”
“So . . . you wanna come on board?”
I nodded.
“You’re sure? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“Of course I want to! Why do you think I keep coming back?”
“You mean it’s not because of the stimulating conversation with a handsome human?” Vince laughed.
I blushed, scrunching my face up.
“If you’re absolutely sure, stay right there.” Vince grinned from ear to ear. He made his way to the back of the deck where there was a large, square item covered by a tarp. He pushed it near me, and with a flourish, pulled the tarp off, revealing a wheeled tank. “Tada!” Vince sang. The water in the tank sloshed, a big, sparkly green bow taped to the front. Vince’s smile was wide, chest swelling.
I squealed and clapped my hands together. “Oh, my King. It’s perfect!”
Vince held out his hand, and I swam to the edge. He helped me onto the deck, then scooped me up and transferred me to the tank. I clung to his sinewy shoulders as he carried me, staring at his laughing eyes.
There was no going back now. I was completely at his mercy. A flush of heat swam over my body, my pulse reaching a fever pitch. This was it. Land was closer than ever, and my escort was a handsome human. Could this get any better?
Chapter 5: Caught
Vince pushed my tank around the boat for a while. The sloshing water felt unstable, but I was too busy taking everything in to pay it much mind.
The ship was enormous. It had several rooms, a kitchen, and an upper deck, which was where I had seen the partiers the first night. At my request, Vince carried me there and turned on the party lights. Mesmerized, I watched the swirling colors and shimmering reflections. It was beautiful. I almost didn’t want to leave, but the land’s call was stronger.
The last stop on our tour was the media room. The room didn’t hold the same dazzle as the upper deck, but the television and computer were incredible devices, despite their simplistic exterior.
Click. The television made a soft buzzing noise, the black screen filling with moving images. The colorful pictures reminded me of the scene on the boat when I first encountered it, but smaller and more focused. There were women dancing to a thumping beat while wearing tiny pieces of flashy clothing.
“Oh, sorry,” Vince murmured. He fumbled with the black bar in his hands, his face turning red. He hit some buttons and the image on the screen changed, revealing a curious creature. “I meant to change that to the National Geographic Channel before you came.”
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at the new image. The creature yawned. Its large mouth seemed like it could swallow me whole.
“That’s a lion. Basically, it’s a big cat.”
“There are smaller ones?”
“Sort of. Cats are usually pets, but a lion is wild.”
“What an odd creature.” My eyes widened. The screen showed the lion running across a field of golden vegetation, pouncing on another creature.
“There’s this, too,” Vince said from the other side of the room. I ripped my eyes away to see what he was talking about. There was another screen there displaying a field of flowers.
“It’s a computer. It’s kind of like the TV, but you have more control over what you see. You type in words, and then you can click on the different images and videos that come up. Here, let me show you.” Vince pushed me toward the table, handing me a plush cloth. “You’ll have to keep your hands dry with this towel. These devices don’t take too kindly to getting wet.”
Leaning over me, he clicked the mouse, and a white screen with the word GOOGLE came up. Pecking at the board of buttons, words appeared at the top. With another click, the screen filled with pictures. Clicking again, one picture got bigger and began moving.
An image of a large fortress filled the screen, and it looked like we were floating around it. The land was full of emerald green vegetation and jagged stones. Many of the stones were dappled with deeper greens and rich browns.
Vince pointed to the pictures that lined the side of the screen. “You can use the mouse to click on any of these videos. Just make sure you click the left button, not the right one. Roll this piece in the center to scroll up and down.”
“What happens if I click the right button?”
“Nothing much. It just comes up with a table of options. They don’t really get you anywhere, unless you need them for something, but you won’t need them.”
“Okay.”
Vince stood up, scratching his head. “Yeah . . . so the hotdogs. I didn’t start them in case you decided not to come, plus I wanted them to be hot. Cold hotdogs are kinda gross.”
“That’s fine.” I scrolled through the pictures, the colorful video images making my head swirl. I wanted to click them all, but when I clicked one, more appeared.
“If you want to stay here, I’ll just go get them started.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Vince stood there a moment more, and a thought I couldn’t quite form nagged at the edge of my mind. What did he
want?
I turned to face him, eyes lingering on the video. “Do you need something?”
“No. I just . . . Never mind. Here’s the television controller if you want to try that out. Just click these up and down buttons here to scan through the channels. Got it?”
“Yep!” I turned back to the computer, fingers flying as I sought image after image.
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.”
“Mmmhmmm.” I barely noticed Vince leave.
Clicking on another picture, lush vegetation greeted my greedy eyes. The large leaves and trees made me feel small in comparison. Looking at the television again, some slender four-legged creatures with long, graceful horns pranced, grazing on the golden vegetation.
I consumed every beautiful glimpse of land like a whale inhaling plankton. When the water in my tank started to gently slosh, I didn’t notice. A soft, thrumming noise began, but again, I ignored it.
By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. The boat was moving. There was no escape.
Vince walked in, a warm, savory smell coming from the plate of food in his hands.
“What are you doing?” I screeched.
Vince lifted the plate slightly. “Bringing you these—”
“Not those. The boat! Where are you taking me? What are you doing?”
“Oh, that.” Vince turned red. “I’m fulfilling your dreams. We’re going to see land . . . Hotdog?”
Vince’s eyebrows arched. Did he really expect me to care about the food. I stared at him holding that stupid tray of hotdogs. My mouth began opening and closing like a fish out of water as I floundered for words.
“Hotdog?” Vince repeated.
“No!” I yelled, my blood boiling. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the tank. “You idiot! Why did you trick me?”
“I like to think of this as a surprise.”
“Oh, I’m surprised,” I hissed, the force of my words causing me to spit. “I’m surprised you would take me to land when you know the danger it poses to me and my people.”
“I figured I could keep you safe. You get to see land and I get a friend. It’s a win–win, really.”
“Seriously?” I growled.
“The way I see it, you risk being eaten by sharks and whales and whatever else lives in the ocean every day. To make your situation worse, you’re talking to me. You said it yourself; you’d be killed on the spot if your people ever found out.”
“Yes, but they didn’t have to find out.”
Vince turned red as a starfish, but he didn’t back down. “Secrets are like Houdini. They always find a way out.”
“What’s a Houdini?” I asked, my hands flying up.
“He was an escape artist, but that’s beside the point. You’re coming with me. You get to see land. You’ll be safe. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It all sounds good—except for the part where I didn’t have a chance to say no!” I screamed, crossing my arms.
“Whatever. It’s kind of a done deal now.”
“No, it’s not. Stop now. Let me go.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
Vince’s legs began to tremble. He dropped the tray of hotdogs, tubes of meat rolling everywhere. I watched him rage against his limbs, smacking and cursing them. Pitiful as he was, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Served him right. A man like him didn’t deserve legs.
The spasms lasted longer this time, and it was several minutes before they passed. Vince sat there panting. He then stood and began gathering the hotdogs, which he fumbled in his haste. “Dumb dogs are all dirty now, and you didn’t even get to try them.”
I crossed my arms. “They’re probably poisoned anyway.”
“Why would I go to all this effort just to kill you?”
My eyebrows arched. “Why would you take me without my permission? I obviously don’t understand your motivation at all, so I may as well assume the worst.”
“We’ll figure all of this out,” Vince said as he picked up the last hotdog. He put the plate down and turned to me. “Just know that I want to keep you safe, no matter what I do.”
“This is definitely not the best way to keep me safe.”
Vince shrugged. “Probably not, but I had to take my chances. Life is too short, and my life as I know it is quickly coming to an end.”
“You’re dying?”
Vince’s shoulders sagged. “No, but I may as well be.”
“Too bad.”
Chapter 6: Enamored
It was quite the feat getting me in here unnoticed, but we did it. The long trip under the blanket left me panicked – I had never been so confined. I had a whole rant prepared for Vince, but as soon as the cover came off, I was struck by the beauty of my surroundings.
My eyes widened as I strained to take in every detail. The exquisite cavernous rooms housed sleek architecture that rivaled the most elaborate coral-encrusted fragments in the depths. We traveled through white marble hallways past large idyllic pictures. Though beautiful, there was a cold edge to everything, as if life was merely imitated in this place.
Vince sent all of the caretakers home for the day, leaving us alone and free to wander. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but at least I didn’t have to worry about being exposed to more humans.
“You’re gonna stay in the pool.”
I crossed my arms. If I had to be trapped here for the rest of my life, then it would be on my terms.
“It’s like that, is it?” Vince sighed. “I know this isn’t perfect, but I hope one day you’ll learn to appreciate what I’ve done.”
A low growl escaped, my eyes narrowing. I wouldn’t be changing my mind.
High ceilings and more white marble walls greeted me as we entered the pool room. Light filtered through large windows, lush vegetation blocking any hope of a view. The moist air carried an acrid scent that I couldn’t quite place.
Vince walked to the front of my tank. “Put your arms around my neck and I’ll get you into the pool. I’m sure you’re dying to stretch that tail out.”
I glared at him, then sat on the rim of the tank. Balancing on the edge, I swung my tail around. The pool was several inches away from my tank. If I jumped, would I make it.
“Here, let me help you.”
Vince lunged, but I was quicker. I pushed off, which scooted the tank backward. Just shy of my mark, my back grazed the hard pool edge before I slid into the water. Pain throbbed where I had landed, but I wasn’t about to let Vince see that.
“Are you okay?” Vince asked.
I dove, escaping his voice. Looking around, the decorative blue tiling caught my eye. Something didn’t feel right. I took one gulp and surfaced again, sputtering.
“Vince, what is this?”
Vince’s eyebrows creased. “What do you mean?”
“The water! What do you have in the water?” I began thrashing as a burning sensation spread.
“Nothing. It’s just normal water.”
“Vince!” My voice went shrill. “Get me out! Get me out now!”
Vince jumped into the pool, wrapping his arms around me. Lifting me high, he carried me to the shallow end and up the steps. I clung to him, crying and coughing.
“What happened?” Vince asked as he slid me back into my tank.
I sank, taking a big gulp of the seawater, and surfaced again. “The water,” I gasped. “It burns. What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t know . . . I– Oh, no. Skye, I’m so sorry. Everything here is chlorinated.”
“Why would you do that?”
“It’s for humans. It cleans the water.”
“More like kills it. I can’t stay in there.” I started itching, my skin turning an unnatural pink color.
“Let me make a few calls. You just stay there. I’ll get this fixed as soon as I can.”
“What about food?” I called out, stopping Vince in his tracks.
“Oh yeah, you you’re probably ge
tting hungry.” Vince spun on his heel, scratching his head. “What exactly do you eat?”
“Fish.” I shook my head, my arms crossed. “You know, you should just take me back to the ocean. I might even be able to forgive you.”
“No, I got this. It’s going to take a little adjustment, but you’ll be at home in no time.”
“Really?” I snorted.
“Yeah, really.” Vince flashed a sheepish grin and rushed out of the room.
What had I gotten myself into?
THE DAYS ROLLED BY as Vince got everything set. Cleaning the pool was impossible. The chlorine had absorbed into the porous surfaces, so Vince opted to have a custom tank built instead. It took nearly a week.
My cramped quarters had to be cleaned daily, but Vince never complained. He talked to me while he worked. I sat in the claw foot tub in the corner, never saying a word. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of conversation.
By the time the new tank arrived, I was ready for the additional space. Vince put me in as soon as it was ready. Some large decorative pieces allowed room to hide, and a few fish kept me company.
Vince continued to come by daily, waiting for me to talk. He sat by my tank, reading a book or typing away on his computer, trying to make conversation. I only glared, if I responded at all.
“Do you sing?” Vince asked one day as I surfaced for air. “I’m just curious, because a lot of legends say that mermaids sing and I was wondering if it’s all mermaids, or some mermaids, or maybe it’s just a human addition to tales to make them more exciting.”
I sighed. The new tank made it tempting to be content. It was no ocean, but compared to the portable tank, it felt enormous. Still, I wanted to go home. Perhaps I could persuade Vince to take me back. After all, he was trying hard to make me comfortable.
“No. I don’t sing,” I replied. “Not all magical and stuff like your human legends say, anyway.”