by Angel Leya
“You’re talking again!” Vince jumped out of his chair climbed the steps leading to the deck that lined the top of the tank.
“Not for long.”
“Hey, it’s progress.”
“Here’s some progress. How about you take me back to the ocean or I drown you?” I didn’t know if I could, really, but perhaps the threat would be enough.
Vince inched back from the edge. “You wouldn’t drown me.”
I glared at him.
“Okay, maybe you would. Look, I can’t take you back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. And why is that so impossible?”
“It’s my dad.” Vince ran his hand through his hair, avoiding my gaze.
“Your dad knows?” My voice took on a low, dangerous tone.
“No! . . . Not yet, anyway.”
“Why would you tell anyone else about me? What are you planning?”
“My dad is the corporate type and is always looking for a good cause to support. He loves marine life, and I thought you could help with the fundraisers.”
I swam to the edge, my heart racing. “I won’t let you do that! If I become some spectacle, then everyone will know that mermaids exist. It would mean the end of the Mer. You can’t put my people in danger like that.” My eyes glossed up, lips trembling. I looked away.
“No, Skye, it’s going to be okay.” Vince lay down on the deck, his face just inches from mine. “My dad would put you on an endangered species list or something. It would be a save-the-mermaid campaign, not a killing spree.”
I spoke softly, trying to mask the quiver in my voice. “It doesn’t matter what you say. Humans can’t be trusted to do good – I think you’ve proven that point quite clearly.”
Vince looked down, his face reflecting in the water. A tear slid off my cheek, plopping into the water. The rippling water blurred Vince’s reflection. He raised his head, his forehead wrinkling.
“I don’t want to harm you or your people. I just . . .” He looked down again, sandy hair falling around his face.
“You just what?”
Vince’s hand caught my chin, and I met his gaze, green eyes searching. I froze. My breath came to a near standstill, my heart threatening to leap from my chest. He leaned in a little closer, his head tilting. Warm lips brushed mine, a delicate, lingering kiss left on my lips. My eyes fluttered, and I shot backwards, bumping the structure in the center of the tank.
“Why did you do that?” I asked, breathless.
Vince hopped up, his hands raking over his head. “I don’t know. It was stupid of me.”
“Yes, it was,” I said, sinking.
“No, wait!” Vince called out, but I didn’t resurface. Let the stupid human do what he wanted.
Vince punched the air, then stalked down the stairs and out the room.
I circled the tank for a while, trying to figure out how to escape. From what I could tell, the house was too far from the ocean. There was no way I could get back by myself without legs. Where would I even go? I had to get out of here before Vince destroyed me.
I was so preoccupied that I didn’t notice when a woman walked in. She wore a crisp, light blue dress with neat rows of white buttons. She froze just inside the door, her deep eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
I stopped, unsure what to do. Hiding would do no good. Maybe she would help me escape. Then again, she was a human, and I trusted her even less than Vince. Where was he anyway? He said no one was allowed in this room.
The woman walked around the tank, her long ponytail swaying. She pulled a little black bar from her pocket and held it up in front of the tank. It was several seconds before she brought the bar down, frowning at the glowing screen. What was she doing?
I swam a little closer, my hand on the tank as I tried to get a better view of the device. She turned her back to me and held the bar up in front of her. I could see the screen this time, her bubbly face smiling. My reddish brown hair blossomed around my face, navy eyes growing wider as I realized what was happening. The screen froze and I raced for my hiding spot, squeezing into my hiding spot.
My heart was in my throat as I peeked through the opening. The woman scurried away, ugly white shoes disappearing behind the closing door.
I wasn’t sure I understood what she had done, but the knot in my stomach said it wasn’t good.
Chapter 7: Exposed
The days marched onward, and I was no closer to finding a way out. I asked Vince about the woman I saw. He found her and paid her to delete the picture she took, asking that she never tell anyone about what she saw. He took her off the staff as well, fearing she might be tempted to return and take another picture. I feared it wouldn’t be enough, but Vince assured me that money could buy anything, including silence.
After a week, Vince made plans for us to walk around the estate. We had the whole place to ourselves, since all but the security staff were gone for the day. I decided to let him do this for me. If he wasn’t going to take me home, then at least he could let me see land.
Vince rolled my tank out of the back door onto a large patio. “I’m afraid it will be a bit of a bumpy ride. Let me know if it gets to be too much.”
The scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers floated on a warm breeze. Roses curtsied and ornamental grasses swayed like the reef in a current. The fresh air was glorious after being cooped up for so long, but I missed the smell of brine.
We walked in the garden for a while. Vince pointed out a butterfly as it fluttered past us, and the birds that sang from the top of the brick wall that surrounded the estate.
Afterwards, we came back to the patio and sat there, enjoying the beautiful afternoon.
“How do you live like this?” I asked, playing with the pink rose Vince had picked for me.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like you live in this elaborate cage. You’re hemmed in by houses and walls. You have this whole world of land to travel and explore, and yet you spend your days here.”
Vince shrugged. “I wouldn’t want to leave you alone.”
“Before I was here, though, what did you do?”
Vince scratched his nose. “I dunno. My disease keeps me from doing too much. I hate being out in public when I have one of my episodes.”
I plucked a petal and dropped it in the water where it floated on the surface like a miniature boat. “I guess we’re both kind of caged. I didn’t have walls before, but I was too afraid to leave my pod or disobey my elders. I’ve always wanted to see land, but it took you kidnapping me to get here.”
“Kidnapping is such a harsh term.”
“But it’s true.” I stared at Vince, and he began fidgeting, looking away.
I sighed, focusing again on the rose. If I was being honest, I think I kind of hoped he would bring me to land so that I wouldn’t be responsible for leaving or breaking the rules. Not that he needed to know that.
A bird soared overhead, singing a cheerful tune. He looked free. Maybe I should have wished for wings instead of land.
Vince leaned forward in the patio chair. His head was down, elbows on his knees as he played with a piece of grass he had plucked.
“I’m sorry, Skye,” Vince said, his voice soft and vulnerable. “I shouldn’t have tricked you.”
“No. You shouldn’t have.” My finger skimmed the water, the surface tension pushing back. “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever be happy here. I’m not meant to be caged, and that’s all the tank is. I’m not safe here. The maid has already proven that. So, if you’re not going to force me to perform for your dad, why won’t you just let me go home?”
Vince’s shoulders slumped and he leaned back in the chair. Had I said too much? He was my only way out, and my only lifeline as long as I stayed. What would happen to me if he decided that I was no longer worth protecting?
Standing up, he whisked me inside, wearing a determined look.
Back in my room, he deposited me into the big tank. “I promise I’ll get you home,�
� he whispered before I slid beneath the water.
My stomach wrenched at the thought. I wanted to go home, but could I trust Vince to keep his word? And once I got there, how would I survive on my own?
“I DON’T WANT TO GO outside today,” I announced when Vince arrived a few days later.
My mood deteriorated with each passing day. There was no more talk about going home, and my questions about it only put him in a sullen mood. It seemed Vince had no intention of keeping his promise.
“Okay. What do you want to do?”
I pulled on my hair. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go to the media room?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Vince sat my tank in front of the computer and flopped onto the couch. The TV controller lay next to a towel by me. I scoured the internet for pictures and videos, but not of land this time. I needed to see the ocean, and those pictures were as close as I could get.
Glancing at the television, I noticed that the movie we were watching had ended. I Grabbed the remote and began flipping through the channels. Click. Click. Click. An image flashed across the screen, causing me to pause.
I knew that hair. It was mine.
“Playboy Vince Boyd seems to have caught himself a mermaid,” said the woman on the screen. Vince sat up, scooting to the edge of the couch. His face paled, mouth agape.
“We have an exclusive photo of the creature here. As you can see, she’s being kept in a tank. We’ve attempted to contact Vince, but so far he has not responded. Skeptics argue that the photo is a fake, so we turn to Greg Burroughs, a photographer and photo manipulation expert, for his opinion.”
The screen flashed to a man in a dark room, my picture displayed on a large screen behind him. “As you can see,” Greg began, motioning to the picture, “This photo appears to be of a mermaid. Admittedly, it is beautiful in execution. The position in the water, the turquoise hue to the skin, the dark eyes – these details make this photo quite compelling. Note that there doesn’t appear to be any meld of flesh and scales. In fact, there are no scales at all, which is highly unusual for a mermaid depiction, but not necessarily evidence of manipulation. If you look at her wrist, you can see a crease. This could be evidence that the young woman is wearing mesh gloves, in which case this is a faux tail, but it’s difficult to conclude if this is a fake or not with any certainty. If it is a fake, then it’s a very clever manipulation.”
The screen flashed back to the woman, but we weren’t listening any longer. I punched the red button on the remote and the TV screen went dark.
“What did you do?” I asked, a growl forming in my throat.
“I didn’t do anything.” He stood and paced the floor, his hand on his neck.
“How did they get my picture?”
Vince shook his head. “I don’t know!”
I hissed, and Vince glanced at me, shying at my bared teeth.
“Rosy said she deleted it. I swear, I had nothing to do with this.”
“You have done nothing but lie from the start.”
“No, Skye, I didn’t—” Vince hands went up.
“No matter what you do or what you say, you just keep making things worse. Why won’t you take me home?”
“Skye, I—”
I was screeching now, the water in my tank starting to sway. “Is it your dad? Did you decide making him happy was more important than keeping your promise to me?”
“I wouldn’t—”
“I’d rather take my chances with the sharks – or my people, judgmental as they are – than to spend one more day with you.” My voice had reached a shrill pitch, and half of the water had splashed out of my tank as I strained against its confines. “I should have let you drown!” I punctuated every hateful word, and they each tore into Vince like daggers. He watched me, silent horror written across his face. A twinge of guilt pulled at my heart, but I brushed it aside.
Vince’s soft lips went rigid, his hooded eyes darker than I had ever seen them. “Maybe you should have,” he muttered, stalking out of the room.
I folded my arms and waited for him to return, but the passing minutes didn’t bring the familiar sound of his footsteps. How could he leave me here? Why didn’t he just take me home like he promised? Weeks of frustration came pouring out as I beat on my tank. It began to rock, the water sloshing back and forth, fueling my fury. I pounded again, and finally sent the tank past its tipping point.
Crash.
Acrylic shards went everywhere, the rush of water carrying me and the wreckage across the floor. Painful pricks pierced my abdomen as I rolled over and over trying to get past the broken pieces. Skin tore and pinched, an anguished cry escaping my lips.
Clear of the wreckage, I pulled at the pieces sticking out of my body. Tears flowed as freely as blood. The only sound was that of my sobbing and an occasional tinkling as I threw retrieved shards onto the marble floor.
Lying motionless, I took deep breaths. My head throbbed, my abdomen and tail still bleeding from where I had removed the shards. Breaking that tank had broken something in me. The fear that had anchored me was gone. I would be free or die trying.
Still, no one came.
My skin began to prickle again, but this time because it was drying. Angry sobs burned my throat as I made my way to the tank, clawing and scraping at the unrelenting tiles. I left a trail of blood in my wake. Powering ahead, I winced as every unavoidable shard nicked and cut at my already tender skin.
Arriving at the tank’s edge, I looked up at the steps leading to the upper deck. There was no way I could make it.
I curled into a ball, hugging myself. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just be happy where I was and stop pushing for more? Why didn’t I ignore the beautiful glowing boat? I’m a fool and a failure, and now my people are in danger because of me.
As consciousness began to wane, an old song came to mind. My mother used to sing it to me when I was young to comfort me. I could almost hear her voice . . .
Dream little Mer of the world to come
When gone is the wrath that made us run.
Our home is the sea, but our past is the sky;
One day we’ll return to reclaim our right.
Maybe my people could still be saved. Eyes closed, blackness taking over. I have to find the Sea King.
Chapter 8: Endangered
“Skye?” A distant voice said, and I struggled to respond.
“Skye? Can you hear me? Say something. Please.”
My lids fluttered, the blinding light forcing them closed again. A wave of cool water washed over me. My strength started to return, and I found enough to open my eyes. Vince’s face came into focus, his warm arms cradling me.
“I have to get home,” I whispered, trying to push away from him, but I was still too weak. “You can’t stop me. You can’t use me for whatever—”
Vince nodded, pulling me closer. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m taking you home. I just have to get you patched up. What happened?”
I stopped struggling and closed my eyes. The memory of the shattering tank flooded my mind. “I . . . It was me.”
“When I saw all the blood, I thought . . .”
A shudder went down my spine, and I curled up, groaning.
Vince cursed. “You need water. Let me put you in the tank.”
“I can’t go back in there.”
“Just until you feel better.”
“No.” I looked up at Vince, pleading. I wasn’t safe here anymore. Surely he had to know that. I was afraid if I went back in, it would be too late.
Vince dropped his head, then nodded. “Just stay right there.” He laid me back on the floor, running out of the room. He was back in a flash, carrying several towels. After soaking them in the big tank, he placed them on top of me. It stung for a moment as it hit my wounds, but the water soothed the overwhelming itch.
“What about those nasty gashes? I don’t know how to fix it, and you’re too weak to go back in the ocean. Should I get a doctor or something
?”
“No. No more humans. Just get me to the ocean.” My strength was slowly returning, heightening my determination. I had to try to fix things.
Vince tensed, but then sighed, shoulders sagging. “Yeah. Okay. I can do that.”
He gathered me in his arms, rippling muscles straining against the combined weight of me and the wet towels. I clung to his neck, resting my head on his shoulder.
“We’ll take the limo. Hank will have to drive it, but he won’t be able to see you through the privacy screen, and no one can see through the windows, so you should be safe.”
“Mmmm hmmmmm,” I said, eyes closing. My mother’s lullaby popped into my mind again. Many of the Mer believed one day the Sea King would forgive us and restore us to human form. If I could just reach him, maybe he would give us legs. I had to find him, no matter the cost. It was my only hope.
“Skye?”
“Yes, Vince?”
“I admit I’ve been an idiot, but I never wanted those photos leaked to the media. That was all my dad. Rosy told him about the photos and he had a tech guy pull them off her phone. He wants you for his fundraising campaigns. I told him to go to hell.”
“Thanks. Any chance my people will survive this?”
“Well, it’s just a picture. I might be able to convince people it’s a fake.”
I looked at him as he carried me. His jaw was set, and he wore a look of grim determination. “Why now?”
“What do you mean?”
“All this time you’ve held on to me, even after you promised to bring me home. Now, you’re taking me back to the ocean. I have to wonder if you’re being honest, and if so, what changed?”
Vince paused in front of the door at the end of a hallway and looked at me. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Closing it again, he shook his head.
We proceeded through to the garage, where Vince put me in the back seat of the limo. He shut the door, darkened windows closing in on me. Was this what it felt like to be a clam?
Vince spoke to a man, who I assumed was his driver, then climbed inside the vehicle.