by Susha Golomb
After a couple of seconds of still swimming but going nowhere, I realized that like the Maiden Voyage, I was grounded. Reversing to legs, I scrambled onto the spongy earth, groping around until I bumped into a tree.
Okay. This is good, I thought rubbing my bruised forehead. A tree is what I need. Wrapping my arms around the trunk, I searched for my fingers and couldn’t find them. Excellent. This tree has been here for a long time, and probably will stay here for a long time to come.
Pulling in all the slack I could get from the rope, and keeping one hand on the trunk so I wouldn’t get lost, I started to walk around the tree. Three passes used up most of my rope. Then ten minutes of untying the rope from my waist and tying it off to the tree, neither of which, the rope nor the tree, I could actually see. Now I was ready for the hard part. Tree number two.
Somehow, I had to get back on the boat, get another rope, find another tree, and tie off the stern end the same way. I had seen a ladder hanging from the back corner of the boat. That was how I would get back on. All I had to do was...get to the ladder. The simplest way would be to follow the rope back to the boat and feel my way along the side, until I reached the ladder.
Small problem. From the way the rope was jerking around in my hands, the Maiden Voyage wasn’t exactly sitting still in the water. If I wasn’t careful, the little fishies would be having mashed mermaid for supper tonight.
Failing any brilliant ideas, I decided to go ahead and use the side of the boat to guide me to the ladder. It turned out to be a pretty good choice because, even with my tail back on, the alternate push and pull of the increasingly powerful undertow as I got closer to the back of the boat was hard to go against and leaning into the boat, moving side to side as it rocked in the water, helped me to keep moving in the right direction.
All in all, it went well, and I made it to the back of the boat with only a few extra bumps and bruises. As I reached for the ladder and got ready to switch back to legs, I looked up and caught sight of a huge wave big enough to make it through the cove, all the way to the inlet. Of course, visibility being what it was, I only saw it a split second before it crashed into me.
Pow. I was pushed flat against the back of the boat just like on The Cyclone anti-gravity ride. This must be the mashed mermaid part, I thought. I was a complete prisoner for four, maybe five very long, very uncomfortable seconds, helpless to move even an eyelash.
Then, in a complete and total reversal, the ocean changed its mind and started to pull. Rolling me over and over, I was sucked out, out of the cove and out to sea. The last thing I remember is thinking... Wait, oh wait, I didn’t get to lower the anchor!
CHAPTER 10
NOT DEAD YET
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that everything hurt. Not only was I not dead, but my tail was just as bruised and abused as the rest of me. That was good. That I had a tail, not that it hurt, because I was still underwater and couldn’t for the life of me remember if I was legs or tail when the wave hit. I guess it was tail.
The second thing I noticed was how calm the water was. No more nasty weather. That’s two good things. Looking around, I saw that the storm had pushed me into some kind of cave.
Well, no, not exactly a cave, this place was more like a big pile of rocks, with an empty space in the middle. The rocks were wedged together with bits of coral and broken shells. Fist sized holes where the pieces didn’t fit, let the light in.
I wiggled just the tip of my tender tail and floated up. Not much, but enough for me to see that although there were lots of openings, no way I could have fit through any of them, not to mention fitting back out again. Uh oh!
Breathing: accelerates.
Brain: starts to shut down...
Relax, I tell myself. Just re-lax. Some of these rocks must have rolled in with me and blocked up the entrance. Find the spot where I washed in, push the rocks out of the way and I am gone.
I back paddled a little to improve the view. Swimming hurt my storm battered body, so I was moving slowly when I bumped into something soft where I expected rock wall. I was so not in the mood for surprises. I shot straight up through the water, squealing the whole way.
“Aiiiii...Ouch!”
Naturally, my little trip came to an abrupt end when my head made contact with the ceiling.
Isn’t that interesting, I thought dully as I slowly sank back to the sand. I didn’t know you could see stars underwater. It’s just like the cartoons, isn’t it?
“Is this a cartoon?”
“Be quiet,” the soft something said harshly. Blunt fingers began poking at my head. I winced. “And stay still, dammit.”
The stars started to clear and I began to see the outline of a face above me. Thick gray-white skin, black hair, a long twisty pale mouth, and black eyes that stared at my head and face without seeing me. My eyes traveled down a man’s naked chest to a fish’s tail.
“You’re a merman,” I croaked out painfully.
Oops! The black eyes narrowed, like they just noticed that there was someone in my head after all, and weren’t too pleased about the fact.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, “I meant Sky.” The Sky man didn’t speak, but returned to his increasingly painful probing.
“Ouch. OUCH! What are you doing?”
“Be quiet,” he answered sharply. “I’m listening for concussion.
“You can’t listen with your fingers,” I whined. Then I remembered how blind people `see’ with their fingers. “Anyway,” I amended, “you can’t feel a concussion. You have to do some kind of test.”
“Well, you have one. Not much, but enough. Don’t talk and don’t move. After all,” he said with a nasty smile that made me wish I was back with the fur people, “it wouldn’t do to have Mele’ and Floradora think that I allowed their precious granddaughter to come to harm.”
“How do you know who I am?” I gasped. But he was already gone. I saw his tail end disappear through a large opening in the ceiling. No way that hole had been there a minute ago. I blinked and looked again. The doorway was gone. I was back in prison.
Since I didn’t really feel much like moving anyway, except maybe to throw-up, I decided to be agreeable. I justified my wimp-hood by keeping my eyes glued to the spot where the Sky had gotten out. Maybe I’ll see how the door works when he comes back. If he comes back.
Naturally, when he returned a few minutes later, it was at the other end of the rock pile. As I was still dutifully watching the ceiling, I missed the whole thing.
He swam over and with another terse “Don’t move,” began to rub something into my very tender scalp.
“Stay still,” he growled out when I winced, and said it in a way that made me stay very still indeed. Once my head was apparently gooed-up to his satisfaction, he proceeded to rub the stuff under my eyes, on the tip of my nose, my mouth and my ear lobes. I was starting to feel like the subject of some weird New Age ritual. It was time to assert my personhood.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” I used Mom’s `caught in the act’ voice...it always works on me.
“Ignorant drylanders,” he said with considerable contempt, “who don’t even know enough to head for deep water in a storm, should learn to keep their mouths shut. Now do what you’re told. Be quiet and don’t move.” He put his fingers back on my head and felt around for a bit.
“Humph,” he snorted, “you’ll do.”
“What do you mean, I’ll do? I thought you said I had a concussion.”
“Well, you don’t anymore.” He smiled his creepy smile again.
“Yea, well, how come I still have this?” I rubbed my hand very lightly over the large goose egg on my head.
“Really,” he said derisively. “You do expect a lot, don’t you? It took me three days to find you and another two days wasted while you played pirate. Any moron knows a tail is worth a dozen legs and a hundred boats. If you hadn’t clung to that rotting hulk, you could be at Casalot by now, whining at your grandparents
instead of me.”
“You!” I said, shocked into understanding. “You’re Big Fish. You were stalking me.” For this insight, I received an impressively withering stare.
“My name is Zazkal.” He spoke very slowly and very, very quietly. I got the feeling that it would be a really bad idea to call him Big Fish again.
CHAPTER 11
FREE AT LAST
“Just give me the bag,” Zazkal said. “I’m out of time, out of patience and out of temper.”
“Bag? What bag?” I stammered.
Zazkal’s expression grew fierce and his face got all red. Air bubbles streamed out of his nose. He got right in my face, so close, that when he breathed out, the air bubbles slid across my skin on their way up to heaven. I felt very small and very breakable. I backed up.
“Give me the bag,” he hissed and moved closer.
“Oh, this bag,” I said meekly, trying not to breathe in his bubbles. “You don’t want this. It only works for me.”
“Let me have it or I’ll rip it off.”
“Sure, sure, just give me a sec to take it off. You’ll see, it’s no good really.” I tried to untie the cord from around my waist, but my fingers were shaking so much, that not a whole lot was happening.
“Take out a knife and cut it,” he snarled.
“Okay, okay. I got it. I got it. Just, just give me a little space here, I mean...” I was babbling.
I shut up, and focused on the sampo taking out a small scissor. My heart, not willing to go for complete silence, kept throwing itself against my ribcage. I tried to ignore the almost painful kathumping as I used the scissor to cut as close to the knot as I could. Zazkal snatched away the sampo practically before I finished -- pulling so hard that the cord left a red welt where it tore across my waist.
He backed off, stuck his hand in the bag and closed his eyes. I held my breath and watched. His face got that twisty-squinty look people have when they concentrate really hard. Every muscle of his body knotted up and twitched, like he was having a fit or something.
After an excruciatingly long wait... Like maybe a minute, Zazkal relaxed and graced me with another one of his nasty, stingy, cat-that-just-ate-the-canary-and what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it smiles, pulled out his hand and slowly opened his fist so I could see the tiny gold coin on his palm.
“How did you do that?” I was flabbergasted, too shocked to be scared. “Nobody else is supposed to be able to do that.”
“I am not without resources,” Zazkal said stiffly. “Once I have completely mastered control of this bag, I will make far better use of it than you ever would have, my little mermaid.” He used the land term for me with special derision.
“I have no further use for you at the moment,” Zazkal said, almost lightly, “but...” and his tone changed to slow and scary, “I think you should stay in the water and available.”
As he spoke, the pieces of broken coral, shell and rock that made up the walls of my prison collapsed and fell to the ground, landing everywhere except where we were floating. It was so fast I didn’t have a chance to duck, which was okay, since I didn’t need to.
We were now floating in open water. Just as I figured out what was going on and was about to swim for all I was worth, Zazkal grabbed my necklace and squeezed.
When he opened his hand, the fragments of the destroyed magic scale sank slowly to the sandy bottom.
I couldn’t move. I was in total and absolute shock. Zazkal began to laugh.
“Welcome to the ocean, little Sky” he said, “because that’s what you really are now. I’ll let you know when I need you again.” He laughed and laughed and laughed his rotten rusty laugh.
Misery hit me right in the stomach instantly followed by serious panic. I raced away miserable and terrified.
CHAPTER 12
NOT A MERMAID ANYMORE
I hit the surface, opened my dripping wings and flew.
Nothing.
My tail-end was too heavy. The best I could do was skim along the surface like a flying fish, my bottom half dragging in the sea, salt water pouring off my wings and out of my eyes.
My eyes flooded with the wet tears that didn’t work properly underwater. With big shoulder shaking sobs, I struggled to become airborne. It was useless. I belonged to the ocean now.
Diving deep, I swam blindly as fast as I could for I don’t know how long, scattering every school of fish I passed with my speed and intensity. I swam until I couldn’t swim another inch. My body was trembling so violently from exhaustion, it sent little waves of water away from me in all directions. This strange country was now my home forever. I would never see Mom and Dad again.
I was also now completely and utterly lost in one of the many vast empty places in the ocean where almost nothing grew or swam. The already dim water darkened as daylight faded far above me. Well, let the dark come, I thought, numbly, letting myself sink slowly back down to the ocean floor. Let me sleep. Let me dream. Let me dream it all away.
I woke up and I guess it was morning since the water was marginally lighter than when I had fallen asleep. I wonder how far down I am. Whale deep, I thought, maybe deeper.
I’m hungry and it isn’t going to be easy to find anything to eat in this underwater desert. Even in the dim light, I can see for miles. It must be the underwater eyes that go with my new body. The sea bottom is as flat as the ocean surface on a windless day. Nothing growing. Nothing swimming. Nothing but rocks. And not too many of those.
Adding insult to injury, all of my many bumps and bruises seemed to have ripened overnight. Especially one spot that was so tender that it felt like I was sitting on a stone.
Dummy! This is probably because I am sitting on a stone. I floated up stiffly and looked for the offending object. Some stone, I thought, feeling like the Princess and the Pea, it’s just a piece of cloth.
Oops! Double take!
My sampo! I was lying on my sampo!
He found me. I looked around nervously. That horrible fish-man is here. He knows where I am.
Sure enough, something big was headed this way. It was still too far to tell what it was, but around here? Who else would come to this God-forsaken place?
Right on time. Perish the thought I should get to eat breakfast first. That guy really gives me the creeps. Well, I guess it’s gonna be flee first. Eat second. I am a gone girl.
Pretending I was a big flat flounder, I stayed as close to the ground as I could and slithered away. Fat chance he’s not going to notice me wiggling along likes this. My top half was sort of sand colored, but the wings were a dead give away. Not to mention my tail, formerly known as beautifully sparkly. Not so practical now, I think.
Reaching behind and grabbing my wingtips, I pulled them around me like a cape, trying to make them at least slightly less conspicuous.
It took all of two seconds, maybe three for my fingers to notice the lump in my wingpocket where Poppy’s shadow coat was.
Okay, new strategy. Much better strategy. I quelshed the rising panic and relaxed. Still swimming in high gear, I took out Poppy’s cape, letting the rushing water help unfold it. It was made out of black silky stuff, so thin that I could fold it into the three inch square that fit in my wingpocket, so it took a lot of unfolding to get it all the way open.
The click of the silver dragonfly clasp around my neck let me know that I was now officially invisible. But I kept swimming anyway. Just because Big Fish can’t see me, who’s to say he doesn’t have other ways of finding me. Whatever happens, I am not going to make this easy.
I glanced back to see what kind of lead I had. He was still too far back to make out his shape, but he was closer. Close enough to see that he was the right size to be who I thought he was and close enough to see that there was now two of him
Great, just great, I thought. He brought a friend. I am fish food.
CHAPTER 13
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
“Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten
us into Stanley. Here we are in the middle of nowhere and there’s no sign of anyone.”
“Oh, Ollie. I’m so sorry. I was sure something echoed from over this way.”
“Well, now we’ll just have to go all the way back and start over, won’t we? Someone else will find her first, and we’ll just look like a couple of dummies, and whose fault is that?”
“Look, Ollie. Over there. Something is echoing.”
“It’s just a big manta ray. Let’s go. This is a stupid place to look. I don’t know why I ever listen to you.”
“It doesn’t sound like a manta ray, Ollie. My echo is coming back too lumpy. Let’s go see what it is. It must be awfully lonely all by itself. Maybe it wants to play. Let’s play, Ollie.”
There was no place to hide. I was swimming as fast as I could, but they were still gaining on me. I needed a new strategy. Giving up on the ground-hugging thing, I shot straight up and focused on speed.
“Look, Ollie, I was right. It wants to play. Come on. Let’s chase it.”
“Don’t be foolish, Stanley. It’s trying to get away. Leave it alone.”
“Maybe it knows where Miriam is. We should ask it.”
I looked back. Still gaining. My gills hurt. My lungs burned. I don’t know why. I wasn’t using them.
What’s the use? This is hopeless. It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s not like I have anything else to do for the rest of my life.
“Look. She stopped. She’s waiting for us. Yoohoo, Miss Miriam.”
“Dummy. Whoever it is can’t hear you. We’re too far away.”
“Well, use heartspeak.”
“What’s the matter with you Stanley? You can’t use heartspeak on someone you don’t even know.”
They were closing in on me. Close enough now so that I could see that they were people-sized fish, not Sky. Must be more sharks, I thought grimly. I wonder if that food chain thing counts if you’re really, really hungry? After all, there’s not much to eat around here besides me.
“Yoohoo, Miss Miriam. Can you hear us yet?”
I sure could. What is it with this place? How come everybody knows me? Well at least they’re not planning on dinner. After all, you can’t eat someone if you know their name. I think there’s a rule about that somewhere.