Pretty Fin

by Smokey Moment

  The fish continued to feed. Finora floated backwards slowly, horrified, as the massive fish was devoured. She had never been so involved in sea life. Never witnessed how brutal life could be for them. It made since why no one lived in the sea. Some lived in lakes. Others in the deeper streams. But none lived in the vast oceans or seas.

  Fin hurried away. She looked back. The mother whale united with her calf and the other sea life dispersed. She was shocked. She communicated with them. Her feelings channeled through sound and picked up by water animals not related to her. They protected her. Covered her. And one killed for her. Finora had a gift. One she’d just realized.

  She smiled as she continued on towards home. It was a great feeling. She got a late start in water. Prohibited from entering it all her life. And now she was one with it. No other nermein possessed the ability to communicate with the creatures. Fin’s gifts were a gift from the gods. She was a direct heir to the creators of Madaka. The granddaughter, many generations past, of the goddess of the ocean. A powerful ocean dweller named Contessa. The reason for Fin’s strong attraction with water. And her ability to thrive in it.

  Fin made it to home unscathed. She got out of the water and sat on the shores near her castle. She was within walking distance, but was not prepared to go home. She sat in the shallow water contemplating what to do. She had fled her engagement ceremony. She was sure her parents were upset with her. “I have to get away from here for a while. I have to,” she said, as she threw stones in the water. Fin sat staring at the blue sky. She compared it to the sky of the land she encountered. It was similar but there were major differences. The sky of the other world was vast. It had white fluffy things floating. Not plain and clear, as the skies of Madaka. Finora hatched a plan. She could go there. Get away. No one would find her. She could take a moment for herself. Get her mind in order. And return home later. Hanging around, waiting for her upset parents to arrive and scold her for her hurried exit, would only add more strain. Fin stood up. She walked in further and then dove into the water. This time, headed for the dunes.

  Something in the Water

  “Uncle Lance!” Yasmine and Miles shouted, as they ran to hug him. Lance’s family was in town to visit. Allan walked up. “Hey,” he greeted. Lance was happy to see them. He missed being in Boston. He missed his family. He had a small family and they were close. And his brother Allan had worried about the move. It came on the heels of several devastating life events. But Lance was doing better. He had put his past behind him. Life was opening new doors. But Allan still worried. His younger brother had been dealt several blows, back to back. And he wondered how he was holding up.

  “Hey,” Lance said, bending down and swooping up Yasmine. She was his spunky, quick-witted six year old niece, who was as adorable as she was clever. “Uncle Lance. Why are you here? You don’t like it back home?” she asked. Lance chuckled. “Of course, I do. I had to come here and take over my father’s business. Didn’t daddy explain it to you,” he said, giving his brother Allan a look.

  “Yeah. She knows. She’s just on a quest to compare stories. You know how she does,” Allan joked. “Hey uncle Lance. Do you have another big house? I hope you didn’t buy anything little. I’m going to need my own room again,” his ten year old nephew Miles stated. “Yes. There’s plenty of room. Let’s get going,” Lance said, as he put Yasmine down. The family headed towards the exit. Allan glanced at his younger brother.

  “So… How is it here? You adjusting?” Allan asked. “Um. Yeah…About as well as I could hope. I miss Boston. But Cali is great. And Malibu is…Well, it’s Malibu. What can I say,” he said.

  He hated to admit that he loved it. Allan was hoping he would sell the company and move back home. The brothers were used to seeing each other more often. Going out and enjoying the night life. The distance between them was extreme. Long flights to see one another would eventually be taxing. But Lance had been through a lot. A mentally ill mother. A failed engagement. The death of an unborn child. Then the death of a father he longed to know and now would never get the chance. Allan imagined it all overwhelming. His reason for being there. He wanted to look his brother in the eyes. Lance was good at pushing past the pain. And Allan feared a nervous breakdown.

  “Well, we’re here. I can stay a few weeks. Catch up. You know I had to check on you,” he said, as he patted his brother on the back.

  L

  ance awoke to the smell of bacon and the sound of children running through his home. He looked at the clock. He had slept past the morning news. It was the weekend. He had nowhere to be. His office manager, Lee Hiroshi, was supposed to drop off some files for Lance to go over. More projects that needed a second set of eyes. His expertise.

  Lance got up and jumped in the shower. He could hear his brother on the phone. He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face as the waters pulsated across his entire body. The special made shower, with shower heads positioned at every angle, was the best part of his day. Lance showered then got dressed and headed towards the smell of his second favorite part of the day. Breakfast.

  “Good morning,” his housekeeper greeted. “Good morning Anna,” he replied, as he grabbed a piece of bacon and headed to the living room. He looked out at the water then walked closer to take in the complete view. Yasmine and Miles were sitting on the plush throw rug watching cartoons. “Uncle Lance,” Yasmine smiled. “Hey sweetheart,” he said, as he plopped down on the couch. “Anna? Did they eat already?” he asked. It was late. He hoped she didn’t make them wait until he was up.

  “Yes Mr. Lance. They ate pancakes. They’ve been up since seven,” she replied. Lance had asked Anna to stay as long as they would be there. She obliged him, taking up temporary residence in his 5,000 square foot multi-leveled home. It was an all-white stone and glass oceanfront home. The only entrance to where it sat, was off the private secluded road. A security gate gave the home a more private appearance but it didn’t stop gawkers from trying. He still got a lot of visitors driving down to admire all the homes.

  His home was the main attraction, which Lance hated. There was always a car driving by slowly to admire his homes’ contemporary structure and unique detail. Lights all around gave it an elegant touch in the evenings. And to complete the look, a magnificent water fountain with a light show. Lance thought of removing the water fountain. He believed it added to the traffic. He had tried cutting off the lights to the fountain. But the traffic continued. So, he turned it back on. He did enjoy it himself. His father had exquisite taste.

  “Can I go outside. I want to go to the water,” Yasmine asked. Lance touched her cheek and smiled. There wasn’t much of a front yard. His porch and lawn took up a lot of room. And his home sat close to the ocean, nestled on large rocks. They kids could take a small staircase down to the small sandy shore just a few feet from the water. It wasn’t the safest set up. His home wasn’t exactly child friendly. But he didn’t want them to have to stay in-doors the entire visit either

  The children would need to sit on the patio near the fireplace. Lance wasn’t comfortable with them on the shoreline or on the dock. But Yasmine had a way with him. He had spoiled both his niece and nephew rotten. Yasmine was the daughter he never had. He never got the chance. His baby girl died in utero, and the devastation that resulted, ended his relationship.

  “What little girl? And who’s your escort?” he asked. “Miles,” she bashfully replied, hoping to get a yes. “Miles! Can you swim Miles?” he asked his nephew. “Yep. Dad put me in a class. I’ve been swimming since before I went to Edmond. And then I took more classes there. I can swim good Uncle,” he proclaimed. Lance hesitated. “Alright. Just for a minute. Oh wait! I have something. A whistle to take with you in case something happens,” he said.

  Lance got up and went to his home office. He rummaged through his drawers looking for his old high school whistle, that he kept as memorabilia after the school was demolished. He used to be one of the volunteer lifeguards when he was a student there.
He opened a second drawer, pulling out the items, frantically searching for the shiny metal whistle.

  “There,” he said, pulling it from the back. It was still hanging from a purple rope. Now tattered and worn. Memories flooded in. The times he won awards for swimming. Times that his mother and brother sat in the audience cheering him on. Absent was his father. The father he hoped would surprise him one day and be there, sitting amongst the crowd. Lance stared at the whistle, in deep thought.

  “You said they could go out?” Allan said, as he entered his brother’s office. “Huh! Oh yeah. I was going to give Miles this whistle to blow for safety,” he replied. “Alright. As long as you say it’s ok. They’ve been asking me since this morning. I didn’t want to say yes without checking that it was safe,” Allan said. “They’ll be fine. I told them it’s just for a little while. I want them to stay on the patio though. I don’t want them to enter the water.”

  Yasmine and Miles ran around the perimeter of the house. Lance watched closely. The home had a complete outdoor lounge area complete with a fireplace, tables, chairs, a retractable awning and an outdoor oven. Lance pushed a button and opened a metal sliding door than housed a theater sized television. He turned cartoons on. He hoped it would keep them close to the house. It was comfortable. Citronella candles and a bug zapper helped keep the bugs away. Lance saw Yasmine run straight to the rocks. “Hey Yaz. Get away from there. If you want to see the water, wait for Miles,” Lance said. It was safe, but one careless move on the boulders and one could end up in the water.

  Lance got nervous when Miles walked to the boulders and looked into the water. He started throwing small rocks into the water. His sister by his side. Lance watched from his huge picture window, as he drank a cup of coffee.

  “They will be fine Mr. Lance. Don’t worry. The water is not deep right there,” his housekeeper said. Lance nodded. He was worrying needlessly. But it was still better if they were supervised.

  Allan had gone to the nearest store for items to cook his kids later. Lance had tons of food, but nothing the children would enjoy eating. Lance took another sip. He laughed as Miles tried to put Yasmine on his back. The two walked back to the patio. They asked if they could walk the dock. He agreed since the dock had railings. Lance heard his door close. Allan sat the bags on the counter then walked over to his brother.

  “Where’s the boat?” he asked. “Still in storage. I sold one. I guess I could have them deliver it. They offer delivery right to your dock. I just don’t see myself on it yet. I have no time. I may have to store it all summer. Take it out next year,” he replied. Allan was surprised. Lance liked boating.

  “Well, after you get acclimated to this new company, you’ll be more inclined to take up with your favorite activities. Just don’t over work. Make time for fun,” he urged. “I will. I just have to make sure Bandz does not fall apart. My father was a control freak. There are plenty of able minded, gifted people working there. He held the reins tight. There’s a lot of projects that should be complete. I plan on running it a lot different. You have to let stars shine. That place has plenty of stars.”

  “Watch me daddy,” Yasmine yelled, as she did a somersault. “Good job sweetheart,” Allan yelled. Lance walked away from the window and grabbed his cell phone. He was still waiting on his office manager to bring what he asked for. He called him, then sat his phone down and walked back in the kitchen to make himself a bowl of fruit. Allan scaled the staircase, to retire to his room overlooking the water. He walked over to his window and opened it slightly so he could see and hear his children. His phone buzzed. It was his wife again. She was calling him constantly. She was angry that he had taken their kids without her permission. They were separated but reconciling. And Debra wanted her family back.

  Her own mistake of having an affair with a coworker had cost her dearly. Her drinking and lack of self-control had always gotten her into compromising positions. And one night, during after work drinks, she went too far in the parking lot of the Blue Note Lounge. Allan sat in his car and watched it all unfold. And now they were taking baby steps to undo the damage. But Allan was having a hard time trusting her again.

  “Hello,” he answered. “Allan! Where were you? I’ve called you like a thousand times. How are my babies?” she asked. Allan sighed. He had answered this question already. “They’re fine Debra. They were fine this morning and fine when you called two hours after that. Stop worrying. We’ll be home soon. I’ll bring them right to you. Ok?” he replied. Debra held the phone. Allan hoped she wasn’t drinking. The main source of problems between them. Her behavior suggested she was falling apart.

  “Debra? Did you hear me?” he asked. “Yes,” she said, in a low tone. The truth was she couldn’t function without Allan. And it showed.

  Miles picked up shells as Yasmine followed him. He slowly examined them. The detail. The faint lines. The rugged feel of the outside and the smooth shiny surface on the inside. He made his way to the dock. Lance watched more intensely since they were now going to be standing over deeper water. The dock had wood railings trimmed in white, slip resistant material. It was beautifully designed.

  Miles walked the length of the dock, holding onto several shells, as he looked out to the never-ending water line. The waves were perfect. Symmetrical. The view, breathtaking. He looked at the horizon. The sky and water seemed to meet. “It’s so pretty,” Yasmine said of the blue green water. Miles handed her a shell. “Oooww. I like this. Can I have it?” she asked. “Yep.”

  Miles sat on the edge. Lance got nervous. He was hoping they would go investigate and turn around. He wasn’t sure if he trusted them not to get too excited or play too rough and go tumbling. The water at the end of the dock was at least six feet deep. Lance watched. He would give them a few more minutes. Then they would need to be called back to the house. Miles had rocks in his pocket. He took them out. He saw a fish. It was perfect. He threw a rock at it. “Yaz. Look! A fish,” he said. Soon he threw more rocks. The fish swam quickly away.

  “Dammit,” he said. “Oooww. I’m telling. You said a bad word,” Yasmine warned. Miles laughed. Suddenly he stopped and stared into the water. Something caught his eye. Soon it floated up and Miles jumped. He gasped and turn to run. Yasmine looked in the water and screamed then ran. Lance ran out onto the patio. Allan heard the commotion and hurriedly descended down the stairs. Lance ran down the long dock. No shoes. His feet stepping on small rocks. His nephew looked to be in shock. His eyes were wide. His mouth slightly open.

  “What’s wrong?” he shouted. “I saw…I saw…” he said, still running towards his father and uncle. Lance reached Miles. Yasmine ran past Lance to her father. “What happened?” Lance asked again. Miles looked back at the end of the dock. “I…I.. Saw a woman. She was floating in the water,” he said, trying to catch his breath, obviously shocked by what he’d seen. Lance stared intensely at him. “A woman? At the end of the dock?” he asked. Miles shook his head yes, slowly. Yasmine continued holding onto her father’s leg. She was terrified.

  “Yaz! Look at daddy. You alright? Did you see something?” Allan asked. Yasmine closed her eyes and held on tight. Allan and Lance looked at each other. “We should call the police,” Allan suggested. “Wait. Let me have a look.”

  Lance walked slowly down the dock, looking in the water as he walked close to the edge. He went to the end and looked in. He stood staring, trying to see as far into the water as he could. He could see some small fish and a few medium sized fish but nothing else. He shook his head. He wanted to get a closer look. If there was a body in his water, he wanted to see it. Lance sat down on the docks edge then turned around and stepped down to the next step. Steps that went far enough in for him to continue holding on for safety.

  Lance descended down. He heard his brother yell out. He continued into the water, looking around nervously. He was once a champion swimmer, winning medals for both swimming and diving. He competed in swimming competitions, during his years in high school and even into
college.

  Lance descended the ladder into the water. He held onto each step carefully, as he went down further. The cool water hit his feet. He continued down each thick wood step. He was soon submerged up to his chest. He took another few steps down then went under the water. He stopped and looked around, holding his breath and scanning the area around him. The sun helped him see clearly, shining brightly and aiding in his ability to see deep into the waters. Something far out caught his attention. It didn’t move like a fish yet it looked like it was moving. Fear set in and he came up out of the water. Allan walked his kids to the house and came back out. He stood on the edge. Lance popped his head above the water.

  “What are you doing? A dead body is down there,” he said. “No, it’s not. There nothing down there but fish. There is no woman,” he replied. “We should still call the cops,” Allan said. “No. I don’t want to be bothered with the cops. I’ll check again later. And again tomorrow. There are plenty of large fish in these waters. No telling what they saw. I’m sure it was a fish.”

  Allan shook his head. His children were spooked. His son was still in shock. Miles was a smart kid. Well-travelled. Experienced with water and aquatic life. Allan was skeptical. If it had been just Yaz, he would question it since she was only six. But Miles was different. If he said he saw a woman then it was a woman. And the fact that both his children were in some type of shock had him concerned. Yasmine was still quiet and hadn’t said a word. And Miles looked as though he’d seen a ghost.