"I already have one of those." Somewhere.
"Right." She withdrew it, said good-bye politely, and headed for the door.
15
I watched her leave. What was the likelihood that I'd seen the back of those two for good? Now was the perfect opportunity to make sure that I wasn't bothered again. I followed Angelica out into the parking lot the same way I'd followed Nathan only a few nights before. I didn't see Chad anywhere.
"Angelica," I said with a fleeting sensation of deja-vu. A butterfly with a bad case of the jitters battered the walls of my ribs.
She turned, her expression brightening. "I knew you'd change your mind!" She actually clapped her hands together and I felt a stab of guilt for what I was about to do. Or at least try to do, I wasn't sure if my voice had power over women. I was about to find out.
"I haven't changed my mind." My siren voice rose from my chest and swirled around us. Its musical timbre filled the air and arrested the attention of the human in front of me like a fly caught in spider’s silk.
Her face went slack, her eyes went soft, and she stared at my lips. "You haven't?"
I took a deep breath, relieved that it was working. "No, and you're going to forget about me and my connection to that coin." The power of my voice vibrated through every cell in my body.
"I'm going to forget all about you and your connection to that coin," she droned. Her vacant expression gave me a chill. The implications of how well this was working simmered at the edges of my consciousness. With this power, I could make anyone do whatever I wished. My skin crawled at the damage this ability could wreak in the wrong hands. Was there such a thing as evil sirens? I pushed the unpleasant thought away.
"After today, you'll remember buying the coin from an elderly woman who found it in her basement. But you just can't remember her name or anything else about the transaction."
She repeated everything I had just said, word for word. The meaning sank into her brain, becoming her new reality.
With effort, I swallowed the voice and said, "Good-bye Angelica." I turned back to the Sea Dog.
"Good-bye..." she mumbled, robotically.
I went back to work, but I was overtaken by a desperate thirst. I poured a cupful of water, opened my throat and swallowed it in one gulp. I poured a second and chased the first with it, still feeling like my throat was lined with dust. It had been the first time I had ever used my voice to manipulate someone. Though I was impressed with what my siren sound was capable of, I really didn't like the way it made me feel.
16
I flopped on my bed, the springs squeaking in protest. The smell of the bar was still on me. I lay there feeling my exhaustion. Transitioning to human life was taxing; especially having to remember to treat humans more kindly than I felt compelled to. People like manners, they respond better to me when I put on a sweet face and an even sweeter demeanor. They also liked to make small talk, the human custom I hated the most.
I heard the bathroom door open and Crystal's bedroom door close. The bathroom was free. I rolled off my bed and grabbed the towel from the hook behind my door. Whatever marvels humans could invent, the freshwater shower was my favorite. My mind felt cleansed along with my body as the smells of hamburgers, beer, and french fries went down the drain.
I wrapped the towel around my body and left the bathroom. The sound of a blow dryer started up in Crystal's bedroom.
As I was crossing the living room in my damp towel, there were steps on the porch followed by a knock on the front door. I passed in front of the wood stove, leaving a trail of drips on floor as I went. I opened the door to see Nathan standing there.
"Oh, hi!" His face brightened with surprise. His eyes skimmed my form and his cheeks tinged with pink.
"Hi, Nathan." I grinned. My heart began to thump happily at the sight of him. My siren voice strained inside my chest, wanting to come out and tell him to take me in his arms, be mine forever.
"Uh..." he began, but seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. His eyes seemed to look at and then away from me. I recognized that he was embarrassed, but couldn’t figure out why. Then he said, "Crystal did tell me that you two are roommates. I had forgotten."
"Yes, we are. Come in." I held the door open wider for him.
He stepped over the threshold and closed the door. For some reason, it seemed that the confident relaxed Nathan I'd first seen in the bar was gone. This Nathan was awkward and uncomfortable.
"What are you doing here?" I realized how blunt I sounded and checked myself. "I mean, welcome. What's going on?" That didn't sound much better.
"Proper date, I guess. Crystal and I are celebrating my return." He gave a wobbly smile. It was then that I noticed that his hair had been combed and gelled into place. He was wearing dress shoes, black denim, a black double-breasted pea-coat, and a red wool scarf. He looked marvelous and smelled even better.
The sound of the blow dryer stopped and Crystal poked her head out. Half of her hair was wet and frizzy, while the other half was dry and curly. "Hi handsome! Ain't you a sight for sore eyes." Her gaze went from Nathan to me standing there in my towel. "Ain't both of you." She dimpled. "I'll be right out, okay? I just have to finish with my hair." She shut the door and the dryer resumed.
"Okay.” Nathan pried his shoes off with his toes and went to the couch under the front window to sit down.
The realization that he was here for Crystal, to take her out, hit me like a soft and lazy slap in the face. Of course he was. What, did I think that he was here for me?
"Excuse me a minute." I was proud of myself for such polite words in a moment of distress. I escaped to my bedroom and closed the door. Leaning against it, I held my hand to my chest so my heart didn't fall out and plop on the floor. I took deep breaths. Memories of Crystal kissing the dark-haired woman swirled around in my head, confusing me.
One thing that I did know for sure was that I wanted Nathan, and right now I had a small window in which I could get to know him better. I dressed hurriedly, pulled my wet hair up on top of my head into a bun and returned to the living room. Crystal’s hair dryer was still droning in the background.
Nathan was flipping through a magazine and he looked up and smiled, putting it aside. My heart jumped and strained toward him. I sat on the couch beside him. He shifted and cleared his throat.
"So,” I began, “you had a job somewhere up north?" I looped my folded hands over my knee, distracted by how Nathan’s eyelashes cast a shadow across his skin, how the soft curls at the nape of his neck glinted with red. He was just so perfect.
"Yeah, I have a small contracting company. We took on a job renovating an old fishing lodge up on Great Bear Lake."
"Where is that?"
"Inside the Arctic Circle.” He lit up. "It's really beautiful. Over the summer the sun never goes down, it just dips to the horizon and back up again. If you can handle the mosquitoes, it's a wild place to visit. The fish the guys catch up there are huge. Mostly Arctic Char, some of them are over three hundred years old.”
Hundreds of years old fish didn't surprise me, many sea-creatures could live a very long time, including myself. "Sounds lovely. How long were you up there for?"
"All summer. I even got a chance to visit Tree River, had to take a small plane to get there. It sounds like a place that would have a lot of trees, but actually there are no trees at all. It's called that because the river itself branches out like a tree. The air is so clean it tastes sweet when you breath it in." He was talking animatedly. Seemed I had asked him the right questions. "What about you? Where are you from, originally?"
"Thunder Bay," I replied, "that's where I was born. But we moved to Saltford when I was four, so I don't have a lot of memories from there." My most distinct memory was of my re-birth as a mermaid in Lake Manitou. That was something I would always remember. I couldn't tell Nathan that, though.
"So, you're pretty much a local, then. It's a wonder we haven't met before. Saltford isn't very big. What did you s
ay your last name was? Belshaw?" He looked thoughtful. "Was your dad's name Hal, by any chance?"
"You knew him?" I was aghast, but maybe I shouldn't have been. Nathan was right. Saltford was a small city.
His eyes softened. "I did. I hired him a few years back for a job. Not long after I started the company."
I swallowed. They'd worked together sometime after I'd left for the ocean. What state had my father been in? At this point, I felt like my father was a complete stranger. I had already decided not to look for him. Whatever he'd been through after I disappeared, it was better I didn't stir it all up again. He'd moved on with his life by now. I just hoped he'd found some kind of peace. "And, how did that go?" I asked, slowly.
He took a breath but didn't answer quickly. "Well, it's not easy. A man comes to you who has clearly had it rough, asking for work. He won't talk about anything personal, but he's obviously struggling with alcoholism. I'm not experienced in rehabilitation for people with Hal's illness, but I do know that everyone deserves a second chance, and the opportunity to make a better life for himself." His directness took my breath away, but so did his delivery. Nathan had no judgement on Hal, only empathy for him. "You don't keep in touch with your dad?"
This conversation had been shoved into deep and personal so quickly that I felt a bit raw. "I couldn't." My voice broke in spite of myself.
He nodded, his brown eyes mellow with understanding. Only he could never really have full understanding. He didn't pry further, which made me want to talk to him more.
"When was the last time you saw him?" I asked.
"Hal? Maybe three years ago. He finished up the job I hired him for and disappeared." He looked at me, his voice full of warmth. "No one has a perfect family, Mira. My dad has MS and my mom gave up an acting career that was really going somewhere to take care of him. She was a great character actor, my mom." He smiled. "She can always make me laugh, even on my worst days."
"She sounds like an amazing woman."
"And your mom?" He shifted his torso towards me.
"Cancer."
There was a moment of silence. I could see him putting together what he knew about Hal and reconciling it all with the woman sitting next to him. "I'm so sorry, Mira," he said. "Have you other family in town?"
"No." I looked him in the eyes. "I feel a bit like I've been... underwater these last few years. But it's time to start over now. Surface and live in the light, you know?"
He understood my metaphor perfectly and nodded. "I know what you mean. Grief really does feel like that––being underwater. Speaking of opportunities to make a better life," he smiled at me. "I guess yours is now."
I smiled back. I thought it would be impossible for Nathan not to see how I felt about him. Adoration was pouring from me. "Yes, it is."
"If you don't mind me saying so, you have a really unusual voice," Nathan said, his gaze dropping to my mouth. "In a nice way," he added. "You should narrate fiction, I feel like your voice would really draw the reader into the story. It's a little bit hypnotic."
"Oh!” A bolt of fear went through me and I checked myself to make sure my siren voice hadn't come out of its own accord. No, I was sure of it. It was safely tucked away. "Thank you," I said, and held his eyes with mine.
Electricity passed through the air between us, and this time, I was sure he'd felt it too. I dropped my gaze to his lips, wanting very much to feel them against my own.
My ears perked, and I realized that the hair dryer had been shut off. Crystal's door opened and she came out looking gorgeous. Her blonde waves framed her face like a lion's mane and her long legs were encased in blue jeans and tall brown boots. She was pulling on a plaid wool jacket, "Ready to go? Sorry for the wait."
"Not at all," Nathan said, smiling at me and then standing up. "You look nice," he said to Crystal.
"Thanks babe." She grabbed the front of his jacket and planted a hard kiss on his lips.
I closed my eyes tightly for a moment. If I was going to give Nathan a kiss, I wouldn't do it that way.
I sat on the couch alone for a long time after they left, the smell of Crystal's sweet perfume permeating the air. When I finally went to bed it was to lay there with a pillow over my face.
It was well after midnight when I heard two sets of footsteps on our porch. The footsteps stopped for a few minutes, and then I heard the door open. I held my breath. The door closed and only one set of footsteps crossed the living room floor to Crystal's room. I breathed a sigh of relief.
17
"Unless you want to make a scene, you need to step outside with me," Chad hissed across the counter at me.
It was Saturday night and the Sea Dog was heaving with customers. I was already feeling overwhelmed from juggling more tables then I'd ever had to handle before. I was also distracted by the presence of Nathan and his hockey buddies at the large table. Crystal was serving them so Nathan and I hadn't said two words to one another, but we were making eye-contact so often it was a wonder no one had made a comment yet. I was struggling to do a good job for Phil and keep my attention on Nathan at the same time. The din of the Sea Dog was a constant drone and Phil had the satellite radio tuned to a classic rock station. I was fighting a headache.
Then Chad had walked in and made a beeline for me as I was pouring a mug of beer.
"Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Don't care," he seethed. He reached over the bar, picked up a beer coaster and held it behind the counter where only I could see it. The paper disc caught fire and turned to ash. "Now," he said. He turned and stalked from the pub. I looked down at the little pile of cinders, my stomach filling with dread. I still felt no fear, but I was concerned about what Chad might do to the bar, or the patrons, if I didn't talk to him.
I left the mug of beer half-filled and headed for the door. On the way I caught eyes with Nathan again. He must have seen Chad talking to me. He looked concerned. He mouthed, "Everything ok?"
I smiled and nodded. I stepped out into the evening, crossed the gangplank onto the sidewalk and looked around.
Chad was standing under a street-light but as soon as he saw me he turned and stepped into the shadow of a cluster of trees, out of view of anyone walking the boardwalk.
I approached, readying my voice. I stepped into the shadow. Chad stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes had taken on the glow I had seen in him earlier, only this time they were unmistakably red.
"What did you do to Angelica? One minute she can't shut up about you and the next she doesn't even know who you are. She's torturing herself trying to remember the name of some fictional old lady, an old lady she never met, a lady she most certainly did not buy that coin from. Are you a witch?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit," he spat, uncrossing his arms and taking a step closer. "You need to fix her memory, pronto."
"Chad," I began, calling my siren voice forward and filling the night around us with my sound.
Quick as a viper he slammed his fist around my throat, squeezing hard. He shook his head as though ridding it of the effect of my voice. His face registered first shock, then understanding. I grabbed his wrist with both my hands, trying to pull it away but even my considerable strength seemed to be no match for his.
"You're a siren?!" He looked incredulous, then he laughed. "Of course, why didn't I see it!" He slapped his other palm to his forehead.
His fingers squeezed. My face and head swelled with blood. I finally felt the cold fingers of fear close around my heart. What was he? I had an arrogant assumption that no creature was stronger than a siren. Apparently, I was wrong. My vision went spotty at the edges as I struggled for breath. I clawed at his unyielding arm.
Remarkably, his anger was replaced by excitement. "So, that's how you found the coin," he said with awe. "You found it in the ocean, didn't you? This makes so much sense." He'd said this more to himself, but then pulled me towards his face. His fingers let up just enough for me to suck in oxyg
en, the black frame on my vision cleared. "That's why you didn't care to barter, mermaids are notorious for being un-materialistic." He went quiet for a moment, thinking. Then, "Listen Mira, I don't want to hurt you, but you're going to have to work with me. I could destroy your voice right now." His hand began to burn my skin. It became so hot I winced at the pain. I tried to cry out but I couldn't make a sound.
"You play fair and I'll treat you nice. First thing you have to do us use that pretty voice to return Angelica's memory. Then you're going to tell us where you found that coin. I don't care where it was or how far, we've got the resources. That's all we're asking. Just a tiny bit of information." His hand… the pain was excruciating, like a steam-burn from a boiling kettle. I barely registered what he was saying. I couldn't breathe. I nodded, not thinking about anything other than stopping the pain.
"I'm going to let go. If I hear so much as a single string of your orchestra, I'll burn your throat for good."
I gasped for air. Tears leaked from the outer corners of my eyes. He let go and I began to cough. I bent at the waist, sucking in the cool air. I put a hand to my throat where the skin was burnt. The burning sensation was worse on the inside than it was on the outside. How was that possible?
"You still have Angelica's card? And I trust that by now you have a phone?"
I nodded, tears plopped onto the earth at my feet.
"Good. I know you live with the other waitress, the one with the big mouth, so don't think I don't know where to find you. You call that number tomorrow morning at ten. I'll have the contract drawn up by then. If you don't call, I'll come for you and this time I won't be so nice. I might even make trouble for your blonde friend if you make me mad enough. All we have to do then is meet up and sign on the dotted line. Got it?"
Sirens and Scales Page 92
