To Breathe

Chapter One: Leaving Home

  “Do you think he’s alive?” A boy, young with how shrill his voice was, “I don’t think he is.” Something poked his side, a sharp jab that would’ve left an aching dull pain. 

A snort came from somewhere else, the sound closer than that of the young boys, “why bother asking if you’re just going to answer the question yourself? Anywaysー I think he is, he’s really pale though.” This one sounded older, more mature.

Both males hummed, “should we take him?” The boy spoke again, “we can help him, it would be rude if we let the birds eat him. Or y’know, call the police” There was shuffling and the sound of sand being misplaced fell on his ears. 

Two pairs of hands were under arms and suddenly he was being lifted, it was then that he decided it was time to do something, “you boys are real nice butー” the boys’ heads whipped to where the man's head was down in between them. “Too nice.”

Everything happened so fast, the man standing up, the man dragging them into the ocean and their lungs filling up with water, the stinging of the liquid inside of them as they struggled to break free. The young boy stops moving before the older one. Further, into the ocean, the waters are painted red. 

  “Two brothers have been reported missing as of late. The boys had gone down to the beach to spend a nice time in the water during this blazing summer. They were reported being seen walking towards the caves where they never seemed to make it out of. Their mother noticed them missing when she had called for them when it was time to leave, neither boy showing up, their phones and personal items were left in the cave, high enough where the rising tide couldn’t reach them.” 

  “No boats were seen leaving the shore, and no criminal activity has been reported around the area. Though, it seems this will be yet another disappearance added to the mysterious abductions in our coastal area.” 

  "It almost seems like the ocean devoured them.” 

  “It does indeed, a scary thought but we hope that this family gets some type of closure.” 

  “I’m not going to do this for you guys anymore.” The man’s hair swayed in the water as he turned around, “You can't keep making me do this type of stuff.” He was walking on the ocean floor, his shirt old and tattered, brown pants ripped into shorts over the many years he’s spent in the ocean. “For years I’ve been feeding you all. I know I owe you this much butー butー I can’t anymore. I’m getting bored”

Once, a very long time ago, he had found it difficult to be on the floor of the ocean but nowー now it’s just like walking on land. 

  “Crescendo, dear, you know why we can’t do that.” A woman swam next to him, her hair black and flowing in the waves, chest bare and tail green and so beautiful that even on the seafloor it shines. Her voice honey smooth.

Another woman swam on the other side of him, “I mean, he’s been under our care for long enough, is it affecting you my doll?” She seemed older, her eyes the opposite of the other strict ones, hair brown while her tail burned red. “I’m sure it is.” She reached a webbed hand to pat the man’s head.

  “Oh, please sister, you can’t be serious? We’ve been doing this for far longer than he has and there’s nothing wrong with us.” She waved her hand dismissively as schools of fish swam past them.

A shadow covered them from above, the shimmering black and white of her tail outshining her sister's tails. “Aleta, come now, you know that Melodia has a point.” Her voice was deeper than the other two features sharper yet calmer than the other two. “I too think it’s time Crescendo learned how to live a life of his own on land.” 

  “But sister! He’s still a child! Our childー we can’tーcan't just let him go into such a dangerous environment!” Aleta swam to wrap herself securely around Crescendo who hugged back, not expecting Flauta to agree. 

The eldest sighed as she swam towards them, “he’s been with us for hundreds of years, I believe it’s time for us to let him learn some things on his own. Especially things we cant teach him ourselves.” Spoke these words but her black eyes held sadness. 

Melodia reached to hug him as well, her brown hair slapping the back of Crescendos head, “it’s so that you can learn more about humans, don’t think I don’t know about your late-night study questions.” Her tone was teasing but she hugged him a little tighter. 

He’d sometimes go over thin he’d used or seen back when he was human, describe the new things that he came across but he’d always thought his caretakers didn’t know. It was something he did to keep himself tethered to the idea that he was once alive. 

  “Nーnーno, I meanー I don’t really have to go right now. Plus, it’s hard for you three to get fresh food these days and… and yeah, I don’t have to leave right now.” He didn’t really mean it, now that he was being allowed to leave the system of caves he’s lived in for so many years his chest started feeling heavy. “Plus! I think we all forgot that I’m dead! There’s no way that I can go out in the real world and be normal.” Fear he thinks, it feels a little like fear, something he hasn’t felt in hundreds of years. Or maybe the water pressure was rising. 

Flauta looked him in the eyes as she peeled her sisters off of him, “you need to go see the world. I know that you can’t feel anything, no pain, no emotions butー I do believe that you should be allowed to go out there and learn.” Once the two other sirens were off of him Aleta hugged him tight, her hair in his face but Crescendo didn’t mind. “I’ve been preparing for this day, Aleta, there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwiseー the same goes for you, my boy.” Pulling away the older siren dragged Crescendo as she swam in the direction of the caves where they had taken the kids from earlier. 

  “Inside that cave, underwater, there’s a smaller one. There you’ll find things like clothes and documents I got for you,” Melodia swam next to Crescendo, “doll, you really don’t need to worry about us. We’ll manage.” Her smile was sweet, despite the sharp teeth. 

Aleta swam a little ways behind them, her arms crossed, “I still think it’s a bad idea, we don’t know what those hunters will do to the baby.” 

Crescendo nodded, “mommy’s right. Those people are dangerous.” He hadn’t called her that in years, “Mother, please?” Flauta kept swimming, “mom?” Melodia smiled, this time a little spark of sadness could be seen flash. 

The rest of the time there they kept quiet until they got to the cave, police tape around the entrance, a few men still there talking amongst themselves. The police. None of that mattered to them as they swam past them, the water dark enough inside the cave so that they could swim a few feet under the surface and be practically invisible. 

Together the four of them resurfaced when they saw moonlight filter through the seawater, a patch of it sinking through the ocean and hitting the scales of Crescendo's mother's tails. Once they made it out only Crescendo went on land, heaving his wet body on the bit of cave rock that was there. 

  “There,” Flauta pointed to a wooden chest, “money, clothes, papers and anything else you’ll need.” She was looking at Crescendo while she spoke, her hair matted wet on her body, in the moonlight it looked almost violet, along with Aleta’s. “And alsoー here… you’ll need this too,” it was a book she had dug out from the ground. Covered in weathered brown leather, dry. “It’s a guide, we’ve taught you as much as we could but now you need to grow on your own.” 

Melodia pulled herself up to the cave rock, The top half of her long hair dry and sticking to her face, “we love you so much, we’ll feel sad for you, miss you twice as much.” Her always happy, sweet smile now sad. 

  “You can’t die,” Aleta pulled him down, burying his face in her naked chest, just like how she did when they first found him, “you can’t. Or I’ll eat you.” She whispered that last part in his ear and Crescendo couldn't help but hug her. 

Flauta saw all this as she made her way to them, “we need to go, sisters,” She slowly dragged her younger sisters by their shoulders. 

  “We love you,” were their last words, tone soft and sweet, melting in his ear. The same tone they’d used back then. And then they were gone, not even a ripple in the water. 

He was alone, not even a tear, not an ounce of sadness. 

Crescendo stayed in that cave, folded the three outfits in the chest and put them in a backpack that was next to them, keeping one of them out so that he could change. Jeans a little loose around his waist but the black belt helped with that, slipping a black t-shirt and putting on a grey sweatshirt. He didn’t need it but felt like it was necessary to some degree. Some socks and a pair of shoes later and he looked like any normal man. 

His hair was still wet and didn’t even bother trying to comb it, knowing that it was a tangled mess from previous times he’s tried. Looking into the chest he pulled out a laptop and put it in the backpack, taking the phone that was next to it and setting that in his pocket. Picking up the leather book that his mother had given him earlier he too, put that in the backpack. 

The chest still had some other things, a folder he guessed were his papers, fake birth certificate, passport, and other such things, next to the folder there was another book. This one less tattered and in better shape, it was relatively small, Crescendo found a wallet with his ID and a reasonable amount of money, big wads of cash next to it. Taking everything he shoved it all in the backpack. 

It was heavy, but Crescendo didn’t mind, he’s had the weight of the ocean on his shoulders before, he’d make due. Looking around he saw an opening, guessing it was the way out he headed towards it. As he walked by he heard men talking. 

  “I can’t think of a single person who would take these kids and not leave a trace, it’s almost like the ocean ate them whole.” The man sounded tired, gruff. “Poor kids.” The sound of people walking on gravel was heard. 

  “Yeah, well, the best we can do is look for anything good, maybe this one will lead to something.” This man sounded younger, but not any less tired. 

A snort, the older man, “I doubt it. Maybe the locals are right, something in the sea is taking them.” The flicking of a light. 

  “Don’t smoke hereーplease, you can’t be serious.” Movement, rocks being shuffled on, “there’s a type. Male and young. Between the ages of 14 and 26.” 

Nothing was said, “yeahーbut what type of serial killer lives and kills for one hundred and twenty years strong?” It was the older man again. “It can't be a copycat, they would’ve made a mistake.” 

It was quiet, both men didn’t say anything and Crescendo wasn’t going to wait for them to say something either. He made his way out of the cave and into the outside. The air smelled like salt and sea and he knew that the further inland he went, the less it would smell like that. 

Dead brown eyes stared into the sea that could be seen from where he stood, ocean waves climbed onto the shore and were pulled right back. The flickering of a tale and then Crescendo turned away and started walking.

  “Didn’t tell me anything, didn’t ask me, just kicked me out, if I could feel anything I would be mad and maybeーmaybe sad.”