Page 5 of A Merman's Tail
The men yelled some more and it caught my attention. The waves rocked the boat harder as the whistling sounds of the wind made them grow bigger. I needed to get a closer look. I swam forward, flicking my tail to move nearer to the boat, where I could hear them better. We’d been taught the human language since we were children. The elders believed we needed to know what the humans said, in case we were ever taken by one.
“Why won’t the fucking motors work? What’s wrong with them?” an older man screamed as he grabbed one of the other men by the material he wore on the top half of his body. I stared down at my bare chest. What would it feel like to wearclothes?
“I don’t know, Boss. They cut out and we can’t get them to go.”
“Where’s the fucking mechanic? If we don’t get moving soon, the waves will dump us.” The older man spun around, yelling some words I didn’t understand.
That’s when I saw him.Him. The most beautiful human I’d ever seen. Did males in their species like being called beautiful? I didn’t know, but that’s what he was with dark hair cut short to his head, a strong body accentuated by large shoulders, and the most kissable mouth I’d ever seen.
My heart stuttered. I needed to get even closer.
“Dad, what’s the problem?” the beautiful man asked, his gaze whipping around the boat.
“Get inside the cabin, Ethan. The fucking motors stopped working,” the older man yelled. Now that I thought about it, the humans looked alike, except his father had gray hair and was probably almost twice his age.
Ethan.I loved that name. It was so very… human.
“Let me help you,” Ethan yelled, striding forward, but his father grabbed his upper arm and dragged him closer.
“No, get inside. I don’t want—”
The biggest wave I’d seen so far slammed their boat and rocked them. There was no mistaking the sound of crunching from the floating device.
“Fuck, we’re taking on water! We’re going down, Boss!”
“Fucking fuck. Roger, do something!” another man shouted.
“Ethan, get a life jacket on. Now!” The demand came from the beautiful man’s father again, but it was too late. Another wave hit, and the crunching got louder until the boat was pushed on its side. The yelling from the men made me wince.
I knew what Grandfather would say.Leave it. Don’t go near them. I couldn’t do that, though. The beautiful man needed help. Rain beat across my face until it stung, but I knew what I had to do. Dipping back into the water, I sliced through the ocean, searching for the beautiful man. There were bodies of other humans there, but I kept away from them. Some men were opening their mouths, almost as though they were trying to shout, and every time they tried to break the surface, they were battered by waves that forced them underwater again.
I pushed farther until I found him. His eyes were closed, and unlike some of the other men, he was floating in the water, not fighting against the current. It looked like he was sleeping. Tightening my jaw, I shot toward him, my tail cutting through the water to push me forward through the strong pull of the ocean. Quickly, I came to him and grabbed his shoulders, shook him, but he didn’t wake up.
Someone grabbed the fins on my tail and yanked, and I screamed. I spun, kicking my tail hard, and the elderly man I’d surmised as the beautiful one’s father was shoved backward. He reached for me again, but I hit him on the head with my tail harder than I’d meant to. His eyes slipped closed, and he stopped moving and started to sink deeper. There was no chance for me to save both him and his son.
I turned again and grabbed the beautiful man against my body. Using the full force of my tail, I dragged him up and to the surface. But the waves still bashed against us and there was no way I’d keep him up for him to breathe. I glanced around as best I could and laughed when I caught sight of land. It wasn’t far away, close enough to get him there under water.
Dragging him back below, I sped forward. He was lighter under the surface. I kept him against my body, and the closer we got to the shore, the harder it became for me to breathe. I’d heard enough stories to know that I couldn’t travel much farther without being washed up on the beach as well. I didn’t want to be stuck there with the chance of a human seeing me.
When I thought I was close enough, I pulled us both above the water again and stared at the sand and how the waves crashed against it. All I’d have to do was let him go and he’d wash to the beach.
I glanced at his face under the softening rain and dark-lit sky. Everything about him was perfect, even with his eyes closed. His skin, slightly darker than mine, was soft to touch as I ran my fingers over his cheek. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.
“Goodbye, human,” I whispered. “Ethan, such a beautiful name.”
Releasing my hold on him, I watched his body move with the waves. I stayed, staring until he finally washed ashore. He was heavy enough to keep him from being dragged back into the ocean, and the water was calmer here, almost as if the storm was dying.
I wished I could go on land, watch as he woke up. I wished…. I shook my head and ducked when I heard singing. Maybe someone would find him sooner rather than later.
Then I saw her; a woman with the blackest hair I’d ever seen hurried toward him. She wore clothes, like all the other humans, but hers covered the length of her legs and jealousy sat heavy in my belly—what I wouldn’t give to have those instead of a tail. She was beautiful, too.
She leaned down to touch the handsome man, her hands on his face. I heard her voice, a gentle caress of words so quiet I thought I’d miss what she’d said. I could hear her, though. “Sir? Sir, are you okay?”
Then he gasped, jerking upright, giving her barely any time to get out of the way. He stared, mouth agape in bewilderment, out over the ocean, and I ducked farther in, afraid he’d seen me. He did frown in my direction before his attention turned on her—the woman.
“Hi.”
She smiled so prettily, brushed at her black bangs as she ducked her head. “Hello. Do you need a doctor?”
