Chapter 11.
1222 Words
When I got back to the diner, Sabrina stopped me before I could run upstairs to change.
“Hey, can we talk now?” She asked. I shook my head.
“Not here…”
“Wait.. why?”
“Because I don’t want anyone overhearing us…” I looked around the restaurant. Jim and Calvin at their usual spots, a few other locals sitting at the counter, along with the few unfamiliar, gruff-looking fishermen who were likely part of the seasonal crews brought in when no one else wanted to work up here in the cold. They’d filter out in about 2 months with the warmer weather and we’d get another round of seasonal workers.
“Who would even care?”
“I told you that Otis guy knew I was talking about him with Jim and Cal… I can’t let him know about… you know…”
I could see her hold back a roll of her eyes, but she nodded and followed me to the back alley, informing dad she was taking a quick 10 minute break before we slipped out the door.
“Look, Addy, I’m really sorry I yelled at you yesterday…” She said as the door closed, “And I’m sorry for saying you’re always trying to find a way out of work… I know that isn’t true… and I regret saying it… I was just mad…”
“It’s okay…” I said softly.
She shook her head “No, it’s not okay.” She pressed, “I just… I don’t know, I think I’m just jealous you’re spending time not with me, and I miss you, but I’m upset you’ve been gone so much and hiding away in your room… like you have every right to want space away… but I miss you, like, a lot.”
“Well…” I began slowly, “Why don’t we hang out more?” I asked, “Start doing stuff together again?”
She nodded and smiled, “What about in the morning before work?”
I chewed my lip slightly before shaking my head. “I… I can’t…”
“Just move your swim to the afternoon again…”
I shook my head. “No… I promised Caspian I’d be there again in the morning…”
“Caspian?” She asked.
“You know…” I dropped my voice into a whisper “The merman…”
“Addy…” she started, irritated.
“I know, I know you don’t believe me…” I said, shaking my hands at her. “But he’s real, Sabrina… I saw him again today…”
“Then introduce me to him…” She ordered.
“I…” I paused and shook my head, “I can’t, Sabrina… he’s really timid of humans…”
“How am I supposed to believe you when I haven’t even seen him?”
“Sabrina, he’s already taking a huge risk showing himself to one person…”
“Well… Why would he agree to see you but won’t see anyone else?”
“I don’t know… cause I helped him?”
“So?”
“So?” I asked, “He told me today how he got caught in the net… he said it was a fishing boat that caught him and he had to fight to get away and get somewhere safe, which is where I found him under the lighthouse… I don't think he’d have let himself be found had he not been desperate for help…”
“Well, why wouldn’t they have gone to the media or something if they had caught him? That should be like front page news!”
“Unless the person who caught him wasn’t intending to share the find with the news…” I offered.
“Why wouldn’t they?” She asked.
“Personal gain?” I answered, “I mean, think about it, if you unearth something so scientifically significant, the media may offer you publicity and fame before scientists take it away to study… but if you were to catch him and… say sell him to a private seller…?” I paused and she gave me a questioning look. “They could sell something like that for a fortune.”
“That’s ridiculous…”
“No, think about it, what about that creature that washed up in New York… a few photos were snapped before it was mysteriously taken away and a bunch of allegations as to what it was were made until they settled on racoon. A soft drink company used the monster to advertise their products… but the person who found the creature? What did they get? Nothing!” I urged, “But what if they had taken that creature and sold it off to a privately interested company or person? They could have made a small fortune off of some unknown creature for some f****d up art or science exhibit… Same with Caspian… if everyone knew he existed… they would kill to get their hands on him and sell him for a good chunk of change…”
She stared at me with tired eyes and shook her head. “You’re f*****g insane…”
“Sabrina!”
“What!?”
“Seriously! I think whoever caught him intended a lot worse than a picture and a newspaper article… but he fought them and was able to get to shore.”
She rolled her eyes again.
“I’m Serious! That’s why when Otis put that net that looked all raggedy in his boat I got the willies! I think he found that net and knew it was supposed to be on Caspian… and he took it to hide the evidence.”
“I’m cutting you off of True Crime…” she said blankly as I spoke. I finally rolled my eyes back at her.
“Sabrina, please!”
“Look, Addy, I’m trying to be open-minded… I just… it’s… crazy… you know?”
“I know…” I sighed as I pressed my palm to my forehead.
“It just… it’d be easier to believe if I saw him. Ya know?”
I nodded. “I know… I just can’t risk him getting spooked… I don’t know yet if he even trusts me fully.”
“I mean. He gave you a bracelet so…” she pinched at my arm where the bracelet sat, wound around my wrist, laughing as she did.
I pulled my hand away from her and protectively covered the bracelet with my other hand against my chest. “It was a “thank you” gift.” I defended myself. “I couldn’t say no…”
“You technically could have…”
“That would have been rude…” I pouted as I looked down to it. I twisted it with my finger so the tiny shell faced me.
“What, are you scared you would have hurt the Goldfish’s feelings?”
“Stop it.” I rolled my eyes, “He has a name… and I told you… he isn’t Gold…”
Her perfect blue eyes rolled as she straightened her back.
“Let’s go see a movie tomorrow night then after work. Okay?”
“Okay.” I smiled. She smiled back at me before we both turned to go back into the kitchen for the rest of our shift.
- Writer
