As Blue As The Ocean!

Chapter Seven

I made many batches of the seaweed mix for the merman to eat. I contacted Gary to let him know that I was planning on bringing the merman food. So, the merman would not starve to death. It was bad enough the poor creature had not eaten in days already. I worried about him.

“Dear where are you off to in such a rush?” mother asks me as I get ready to head out the door to feed my merman.

“Oh mother, I will be working late down at the aquarium. Do leave the door unlocked for me alright?” I tell her.

“Why are you working so late? After hours? I know you are an adult, but I worry about you” she says to me.

“I am working with a very special creature. And the creature will only eat for me. I have to get down there to feed it” I say. “I mean him” I add.

“Okay” mother answers looking confused as I head out the door.

I had the food in Tupperware containers. In a bag. I toss the bag in the front seat of my car. Then head off to the aquarium. My phone rings. It was Gary. I let it go to voicemail. He could tell me whatever he wanted to at work. I did not care what he said. That merman needed me. And he listened to me. They were getting know where with him. They needed me. They knew it. I soon get there to the aquarium.

I grab my keys then the food. I head on inside. I meet Gary at the door.

“You came. Good. He would not eat for us. We got him seaweed. That man is something else. Get him to eat please” begs Gary.

“I made extra to keep for when I can’t be here so he will eat” I tell Gary.

“You are a life saver. How can I ever repay you?” he wonders.

“Promotion?” I joke.

I head inside. There was Kavan. Chained to the walls, looking miserable as can be. Poor thing. My heart really went out to him. I hoped to get him to talk to me some more. Maybe he could at least learn to trust in one human. We were not all bad. Maybe I could show him that. I could not free him, or I would lose my job here. And I loved it.

“Leave me alone with him please. I will get him to eat” I promise the workers here. “I will get him to listen to me” I beg them. “But I need to be alone” I explain.

“Go! Do as she says” orders Gary.

Everyone leaves. I make my way up to the top of the tank. I bring the bag with me. I sit down there. I get the container out for him. He ignores me. Pretends to. I know I saw him look my way when I came in here. He knew I was here to see him.

“Well I have brought you dinner as promised” I tell him. “come get it” I say.

He rolls his eyes at me.

“Come on. We were getting along before” I remind him.

His necklace begins to glow. Again, with me there. Why??

He had answers and he was not giving them up to me. I had to get him to talk to me.

“So, I talked to my mother. And I was found at the beach. But the necklace was not on me. Not when she found me. It was near me. Not sure why she thought the necklace was mine” I ramble on. “maybe it washed up on shore. Odd that as a baby I was left alone on the beach” I say. “It is no wonder I did not get washed up into the waters being so close to the water’s edge” I ramble on.

“You talk to much girl” he mutters at last as he grabs the bowl of food from me.

I smile as he chows down. I get another container ready for him.

“I brought extra. I thought you might be hungry” I say.

He scarfs them all down in no time flat.

“Can I ask you something Kavan?” I begin to say.

“Alright” he mutters. “If you must” he sighs.

“How did you get caught? Why were you so close to the land?” I wonder. “If you knew they would get you why be so close?” I ask. “I mean you seem very smart. How did they catch you?” I ask him.

“I was looking for the princess” he admits finally. “We have been searching for her for years. She was in the area. But we never found her”

“Your princess Elissa?” I ask him.

He nods. “Then fisherman grabbed me. They struck me with something causing me to pass out and then I woke here” he mutters.

“So how did you know princess Elissa was here in this area?” I ask.

“I have said far too much to you human” he grumbles.

“Back to the old human again huh?” I sigh.

He glares at me with untrusting eyes. Then sinks back down below.

“That is the thanks I get huh?” I mutter. “Just like that?”

He turns his head and ignores me.

“Come on Kavan. Tell me more about Elissa” I beg him. “I would like to know more”

He says not another word. Playing the human card on me. It kind of was getting to me a little. Human. Like it was such a dirty word. Being human was not that bad. So, I could not breath under water like him. So what? Not like I cared. I was not the princess. So sorry. I did not have fins. He could not talk to me.

Really? I could help him. If he let me.

“You know what they call people like you here on my land? Bigots. That is right. You are unfairly jugging me. I am not like them. You do not know me. Just because I have legs like all of them and can’t breathe under water like them does not mean we are all the same! You are not giving me a chance Kavan” I ramble out at him. “you are so unfair. You really are a jerk! So sorry I am not your special little princess you have been out looking for. So sorry. Sorry I am just a human air dweller Elissa. Jerk!” I snap at him trying to get at least a rise from him.

Nothing.

Not a single word.

“You know what? Here I was actually worried about you! I cared. I came down here to feed you. Because I did not want you to starve. And this is the thanks I get for it” I snap at him.

I get up. I stuff my phone in the bag. I go to leave.

The step was a little slippery for my shoes. I was not the best swimmer either. I never had been good at swimming. I go to regain my balance, but my pant leg was caught on the side of the gate. It rips making me fall to the cold waters below. Panic settles in me. I was in the tank with the wild dangerous untamed merman. I had to get up to the surface as fast as I could get there.

I struggle flapping my arms around. Trying to get up to the top. I struggled and then keep on sinking down further. Where in the hell was Gary and the others when I needed them? Water controls every part of me. My lugs felt pressured. I could not breath. My last breath was gone. Done. Tears of panic water in my eyes. This was it. I was going to die down here with the merman. They might blame him for my death. I try to swim back up. I was about to pass out.

Suddenly I look to find Kavan right in front of my face. Those serious eyes look directly into mine. Was he going to finish the job? Kill me off here? He had no use for me. He studied me. I struggle and try to swim up again. To get away from him. I sink back down.

“Stop fighting it” I hear a voice say. Kavan. “Swim” he demands.

“I can’t swim” I hear myself answer mentally back to him.

“You can. Swim” he demands to me.

“I am going to die” I mutter.

He reaches out to me. I feel his hand on my cheek as he studies me. Then his lips fall to mine. He breaths air right into my very lungs. A spark jolts in my whole body. Something happened here. Magic. Power. I feel my lips return his kiss. He lets go of me.

“Swim” he orders to me.

I suddenly am breathing out air. I can breathe under water? How??

He gets frustrated. He grabs me by the waistline. I feel him swimming me up to the top there. Gary and others are now at the top. They pull me up. I gag and cough struggling to regain my composure. He saved me. The merman saved my life. How was it I could breath under water after he kissed me? How? Was he magical to? Did he have powers?

I feel Gary wrap a towel around me to dry me off.

“Are you alright Elissa?” he asks me.

“I fell in the waters. The merman saved my life” I cough.

“We know we caught it all on camera. Sorry you fell dear” Gary tells me.

I nod as I cough. Why had he saved me? He could have let me drown in there? But he did not. Did that mean he cared for me? A little bit? My lips tingled from his kiss. He breathed air into me. I could breath under that water. I touch my lips feeling shaken. I never felt the power of gods before. But I knew that moment I had.