The Mer King

Meeting

When I woke up, I felt better. Better than expected, at least. My head felt more like mine again, and surprisingly, it didn’t even hurt anymore. There was no way for me to know how long I had been asleep, but it didn’t matter, did it?

At least, this time, I had a purpose. I wanted - needed - to go home. To check on Aidan. To ensure him that I was safe and sound and to verify that he was, too! I was reasonably sure we’d find a way around the tiny fact that I was a mermaid now.

But first things first.

Carefully, I swam further up, putting my hands in front of me, until I touched something. It was hardly visible, translucent even, and seemed to be some kind of barrier above me. In my zeal to reach the surface I had smacked right into it.

As I had nothing else to do, I intended to explore it further and to maybe find a hole where I could slip through. Had it been placed to keep me in, specifically, or was it designed to keep others out? Did it make a difference? I shrugged, probably not. But I had to find a way around it, so I started to gingerly swim along the barrier, always keeping one hand on it to avoid further accidents.

Before I got very far, I heard something. Did somebody… call me? It was such an unexpected sensation that I stopped and looked around but couldn’t see anyone. Instead, I heard my stomach grumbling. It seemed being a mermaid hadn’t changed the fact that I needed sustenance. Whatever kind I didn’t know, but now that I was aware of it, I started to seriously feel hungry. Who knew…

There, what was that?

I was now sure that somebody, something, was calling me, but I still couldn’t see anything or anybody. Until I realized that my vision had expanded significantly. Not only that, I… got a feeling that something was approaching. The water felt odd; somehow, the pressure it held was … different. It seemed to hold information that I received and understood only half consciously.

When I gazed down, towards where the water somehow told me to focus, I saw a fish swim up to me. Not too familiar with watery inhabitants, I was unsure what kind of fish this was: a salmon maybe? A shark? Or a - no, not a dolphin, that much even I could see.

The closer it got, the bigger it seemed to become. It was of a beautiful dark blue hue, with a mysterious golden shimmer around it, and two surprisingly yellow fins close to its head. Despite its beauty, I was taken aback by its rather large, predatory-looking mouth. Maybe a shark after all? But I had never heard of yellow-golden sharks before. Yellow… hmm… something tickled in the back of my mind, some memory that I couldn’t quite grasp.

I grew even more apprehensive when I realized that it was the only creature that swam directly upwards to me. All others were still far below me, now even farther than when I had first seen them. Was this a predator? Was I about to be eaten alive? Frantically, I searched for an escape route, all the while having a close eye on the unknown fish.

Up up it went, closer and closer, while I swam away as fast as possible without losing contact with the barrier. I didn’t want to slam into it again, it would surely make me easy prey!

Yet, the fish simply changed its route slightly, until it got close enough for me to discern its surprisingly human face. Under different circumstances I would have thought it was a handsome face, but right now, it gave me the creeps.

The fish with a human face didn’t stop before he was eye to eye with me. It - or he? - had an angular cut face that was graced with a straight, sharp nose and a mouth drawn into a grim line. His most striking feature, though, was his incredible eyes. They shone in an almost otherworldly green, bright like emeralds, and were complemented by the slightly darker green hair framing his face. The longish hair clung to his bare, chiseled chest and strong arms like a lover would. If it wasn’t for his fishtail, I’d never have suspected he was anything but human - a hot-looking, s*x-on-tails one (ha ha!) that probably could melt panties just by looking at somebody.

Focus, girl, focus! I rubbed my eyes, but still, there he was. A merman.

“Am I dreaming?” I whispered, trying not to trigger the echo again. …dreaming. Thankfully, it sounded much more muted and stopped without doing any damage. I sighed, dreamily wondering if this was related somehow to this hunk of a merman.

I shook my head, trying to clear it and focus on the situation. On him. Again.

Not saying anything, he swam around me, scrutinizing me intently from all sides. Without clear thought, I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. His silent perusal made me feel highly vulnerable and uncomfortable. All my senses screamed at me that he was dangerous, but there wasn’t anything I could do against it.

“So, you are finally awake.” His voice was strong, deep, carrying a strange command within but not generating an echo. It reminded me faintly of waves crashing against the shore, and I wondered how I could hear him so clearly… shouldn’t it have been distorted, somehow, due to us being under water?

Yet, I was more confused by something else he’d said: “Awake?” Awake…

He c****d his head and raised his left eyebrow, his eyes quickly became unfocused, while I got the feeling that he was staring at something only he could see. His lips twitched slightly. A pulse, looking like a silvery wave, broke from him, going in all directions, passing through me with a little tickle on its way to wherever.

It was greeted by eerie laughter that reverberated all around us. Suddenly, the sea itself seemed to flash brightly. Instantly, the laughter stopped, only to be replaced by high-pitched screams and squeals which were followed by quick shuffling that I felt more than heard.

Completely bewildered, I peered at him. What had just happened?

“I… apologize… for them,” he looked like he was choking on a foreign concept while voicing his excuse. Was he not used to doing so, I wondered? “It’s not often that we are allowed to create anymore, so I… forgot, for a lack of better word, that they would be here with you.”

Silence stretched between us. He could have spoken Chinese for all that I understood him. Which brought me back to the question of how I could understand him so perfectly, but it felt impossible for me to gather words to pose a question to him. Instead, I could only continue to look at him.

He was truly a feast for my eyes. If I would still breathe air I’d be about to faint from hyperventilating, I suppose. He was the kind of built that never in a thousand years would have risked a second glance at my human self. My fingers itched with the unwelcome need to touch him!

A familiar face flashed in front of my eyes. Guilt. I felt so guilty just for thinking about this unknown guy’s body when, just a short time before, all I had wanted was to return to Aidan.

But then, for all I knew, Aidan thought I was dead! Or worse, he could be dead!

The silence between us turned sour and he suddenly lost all appeal. I was left feeling beaten and homesick.

“Who are you?” I murmured, casting my burning eyes down. Far below, I could hardly discern the busily swimming fish anymore. Everything had turned grey and dark in just a moment, leaving me utterly alone in my misery.

Another stretch of endless silence, then: “It doesn’t really matter who I am, but you may call me Callan for now.” His voice had turned into a low rumble, like hearing a waterfall from very far away. Staying silent, I nodded, still refraining from looking at him again. I felt like crying but didn’t want to do so in front of him.

“What…,” I swallowed audibly, “why am I here? What do you want from me?”

“All will be explained in due time.”

I closed my eyes, shakily drawing a breath, silently counting to ten. Exhale, one… two… three…, repeat. Still, my mind started spinning and the beginnings of another headache pulled on my skull.

“Why don’t you answer me? I have a right to know why I’m here, why I was… created!” I couldn’t help it, all the pent-up frustration I felt burst out, towards him, the only person, fish, whatever, I could talk to!

I gasped and clasped my hands in front of my mouth. It would only be seconds before the echo would start again!

When nothing happened, I was both relieved and even angrier at him than before.

“Should I thank you now for finally getting rid of whatever the f**k that was?” I glared at him, tucking my hands in my hips. “Why didn’t you come by to check on me earlier? Why did I have to suffer so much when it would have been so easy for you to help me? Why am I here?”

Completely indifferent, he just stood there, silently watching me like I imagined a shark was observing his prey. His behavior or lack thereof did nothing for my mood. What was he waiting for?

“Answer me, damn you! Or point me to somebody who actually might have some answers for me!” I knew I was trying to rile him up on purpose, to get some kind of reaction from him, but I couldn’t help it. Still, he just hoovered there, aggravatingly silent, but was that the beginnings of a smirk I saw on his lips?

“You…! You…!” No insult I could think of came even close to what I wanted to express. I wanted to hit him so badly, it hurt me physically, but the last remaining sane part of my brain told me that I was no match for him. He reminded me a bit of a warrior of old, swaying all proud and strong in front of me. All he missed was a sword and a shield…

Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air and turned around. I wasn’t sure if I was more angry with myself or with him by now, but I was fed up. With him. With this situation. With myself.

“Fine, then stay here and look aggravating as hell, I’m done with you. I’m leaving!” Not thinking any further, I lurched away from him.

Right at that moment, everything turned to slow motion. My heart thudded loudly in my ears, my breathing turned chopped and the pressure from the salty water all around me rose tenfold. It squeezed me and seemed to have a life of its own. Where it had been fluid and accommodating just seconds ago, it turned into sticky, clingy molasses intent on keeping me in place. I tried to swim faster, but it seemed the harder I tried, the less I could move. My breathing got erratic until I understood that the cloggy liquid all around me had started to gum up my gills.

I wanted to scream and rage at how unfair it was that the sea itself seemed to be against me, but I had nothing left. All the stress, the panic and the anger I experienced had taken everything I had. Once again, my vision got blotchy and dark. My body gave in and just stopped moving.