Into the Mystic

by Garry Hicks

DAY 8

  Chiron swims in the Cove of the Rocks, she seems to play. She takes a final glance around the cove and swims toward Atargatis Island.

  Treena again waits on the rock.

  "Are you ready?"

  "I am."

  "Follow me."

 

  Brandon, Kyle, Derek, Arianna, Treena, Anna, Keela and Chiron sit at the dinner table.

  Arianna asks. "You have put yourself at great risk Chiron. Why?"

  Chiron responds. "I'm a bit confused by it but I...I feel...I don’t belong there. I don’t want to rule over humans, see them put to death."

  "Is Sean safe?" asks Derek.

  Chiron answers, "For now, yes. But when my mother finds I’m gone, he will be in great danger."

  Arianna holds out her open palms. "So what is it you propose?"

  "There is only one way. You must trade me for him."

  "And Nemeritias, she will agree to this?"

  "Without me she cannot continue her bloodline. With Sean gone, she must wait for another man. That will be the time I can leave the island."

  Treena, quiet, asks, "Do you have feelings for Sean?"

  "It matters not because...I am a siren, him, a human."

  Treena glances at Brandon. "In our world, this is possible."

  Chiron forces a grin. "I am not in your world."

  "Let’s get back to Sean, how are we going to do this?" asks Derek.

  Chiron responds, "In two cycles, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky..."

 

  Later that day, Arianna writes a letter, in Greek, with inkwell and pen on old parchment type paper. She finishes, rolls and ties it.

  She glances over to where a pelican sits and stares at her, as if transmitting a message. The Pelican flies over to the table and sits.

  Arianna holds up the paper. "This is Pouch, he will deliver our message." Pouch opens his mouth, she drops it in, he flies away.

  Kyle is impressed. "Now that is one well trained pelican."

  Arianna responds, "We communicate with all living creatures, it’s a power passed down to us."

  Kyle laments, "If I only had that power, I could..."

  "You do have that power, but, you must feel it. Even more important, you must believe in it. The parrot, Jack," Arianna points to a parrot. "send him your thoughts, tell him to come to you."

  Kyle stares, concentrates, Jack stares back. "He’s not listening."

  "You’re not concentrating. Close your eyes, see him, visualize him, come to you."

  Arianna closes Kyle's eyes then touches her fingers to his forehead. Softly, Arianna says, "Think, concentrate...see him come, watch him land in front of you. See it Kyle, first see it, then feel it."

  Kyle concentrates, trance like. Arianna removes her fingers.

  Kyle pops his eyes open. Jack stands in front of him, he stares and squawks. Kyle is shocked as Jack climbs onto his arm.

  Arianna smiles. "Kyle, meet Jack."

  Jack squawks.

  Kyle looks out to an imaginary audience. "Now introducing, Kyle the Great, Master of all living things...Master of the Universe!"

  Arianna points to some trees. "He's hungry, take him to the fruit trees."

  "Are you hungry Jack?" Jack squawks. Kyle stands. "Then let me take you to dine upon the organic, natural fruits of the world...well at least those on this island." A talking Kyle and a listening Jack amble away.

  Derek purses his lips, rubs his forehead. "That was amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it. You gave him that power, I know it."

  Arianna smiles. "Humans have great powers, most unknown to them. If you think it is not, it is not. But, if you think it is so, it is so." she pauses, glances at Treena and Chiron. "I would like to talk to Treena and Chiron, alone."

  The others leave.

  Arianna clasps her hands together, sighs. "A very long time ago, I was with child. Much to my surprise, I was given a gift. I held two baby girls. This had not happened with our kind in hundreds of moons."

  "Mother, you never told me."

  "Quiet Treena, I had reason. Word of this spread quick, not only here, but also over to the island of the Sirens. Because many felt I was favored by the Gods, there arose a great jealousy against me and, with some, a great hatred. But I felt I was blessed by the Gods, I was ‘protected’, the Gods would watch over me." she again sighs, collects herself. "I became careless, I didn’t sense the evil near me...I didn’t feel my dreams."

  Chiron, a bit on edge, asks, "You had warning dreams?" Arianna's eyes well. "In my weakness, I ignored them.

  That is why, when the Sirens came," she composes herself. "They came in the dark of night and stole my baby. Her name was Tina."

  Treena, even more on edge because she senses where this story is going, responds, "I felt her mother, you should have told me."

  "Why would I tell you when I know it would only bring you pain? I suffered for so many moons, I couldn’t forgive myself. I devoted myself to you Treena, you brought me back." Arianna pauses. "I gave up all hope of ever seeing Tina again."

  "So why are you telling me now, with her here?" Treena demands.

  Arianna continues. "My child was taken to Nemeritias. She was unable to conceive a child. Her jealousy was great."

  Chiron, frantic, blurts out, "What are you saying?" she pauses. "I was born of Nemeritias!"

  "Nemeritias stole my baby in the dark of night, mixed her blood with my child. She was raised a Siren."

  Chiron, almost hysterical, declares, "It is not so!"

  Arianna, calm, responds. "Yes Chiron, you are the child she took from me. You are a mermaid, not a Siren. You know it is so."

  Chiron’s eyes well, then tear. Her head drops.

  Chiron mutters. "No, no, you lie to me!

  "In your heart Chiron, you know it to be so. Your actions, your thoughts, they are not those of a Siren. What do you feel led you back here? Why has Treena watched you, known your heart, known your mind." Arianna pauses. "It is because you are one with her...one with me."

  Chiron breaks down, weeps. "I have fought these feelings...for so long."

  Arianna smiles. "You don’t have to fight them anymore."

  Chiron, scared, hopeful, quiet, asks, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

  "I am."

  "So...so, I am a mermaid?"

  "You are a mermaid."

  Arianna grabs each of their hands, puts them together in the middle of the table and places her hand on top. "We are one again."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN