She hadn’t gotten quite the answers she wanted, but it didn’t matter. Her mother didn’t know anything. But someone had to. Nobody acquired a mermaid twin sister out of thin air without at least someone knowing the truth. The midwife who delivered them; hospital records; birth certificates. There had to be something somewhere. There couldn’t simply be no trace of Asha, as if she never existed. She does exist.
Tameka curled up in bed and slept, foregoing the shower for now. She was too tired. She dreamed of mermaids, sinking boats, and mammoth shadows flying in the sky.
Red knocked on the door. He felt a little nervous. How was he going to broach the subject of mermaids with Tameka without it seeming too obvious that he already knew her sister had made contact with her? He could talk to her about work things like con artists and killers, but when anything personal came up he felt awkward. Yet he knew he must. She was getting herself involved in a dangerous world.
And it was my fault. If she hadn’t been chasing that troll, then she wouldn’t have met her sister at the marina.
Tameka opened the door, bleary eyed. She looked even worse than she did when she was in her Lorrie persona.
“What the hell happened to you?” he asked.
She motioned for him to enter. He couldn’t help but notice the mess. Her fight with the troll had obviously been quite the struggle.
“Nothing,” she said, yawning loudly. She sounded like a hippo. “I just had a bad night.”
“What’s that green stuff on the floor?” he asked.
Is that troll blood?
“It’s green frosting,” she explained. “I was baking a cake last night.”
“I love cake,” said Red. “Can I have a slice?”
She sighed. “I’m afraid I ate it all. Sorry.”
Tameka stood staring at him, almost daring him to question her further. She wasn’t going to open up to him.
“I met a mermaid and a troll last night,” she blurted out. She put her hand to her mouth, almost as if willing her lips to keep quiet. “Shit. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. You’re probably going to think I’m insane.”
He shook his head, feigning a disbelieving look. “A mermaid and a troll?”
“I know it sounds insane, but…” She stopped, confused. “You believe me.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just know it. You believe me.”
He nodded. “I’ve met trolls and mermaids before. This is Blue City after all. The police department try to keep a lid on things related to them.”
She sat down on her couch. He sat beside her, noticing the bathroom door was broken, lying on its side. Red was astonished that Tameka had come out of a fight with a troll without so much as a few bruises to her face.
When I get my hands on that troll I’m going to make it bleed.
“My sister is a mermaid,” she confessed. “A fucking mermaid, like Ariel.”
“Are you sure?” Red asked.
She gave him her most withering glare. “Of course I’m sure. I’m not likely going to mistake her scales for German Measles.”
“That must have been a shock.”
She seemed lost in thought for a moment. She was no doubt wondering how it was possible she could have a mermaid sister. He wanted to keep her away from that painful truth for as long as possible. It would devastate her.
“What about the troll?” he asked. The less she thought about the mermaid the better. “Did he do this to your apartment? Trolls are dangerous, vicious creatures.”
Tameka laughed. “Tell me about it.”
“I can’t believe you battled a troll and lived to tell the tale.”
He was impressed. She was a much more extraordinary person than even he’d imagined.
“So how do you know about all this?” she asked.
“It’s a long story,” he admitted.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He gave her the story he’d prepared, just in case. It wasn’t hard to keep the story straight, mainly because it was true. The Blue City PD had a special liaison for cases involving mermaids and trolls. It was their job to make sure the two species didn’t break any laws, and if they did to keep the story out of the media. So far things had been working out fine. There’d been an incident once where a troll got arrested for solicitation, but that was it.
“Why did you never tell me about this?” she asked, sounding annoyed.
“It was none of your business,” Red told her. “But now you’ve stumbled upon them it’s my duty to tell you the truth. Just don’t tell anyone else. I might have to arrest you.”
“You could try.”
She stared into space for a while, obviously lost in thought about her sister. He left her to it. She never even noticed him leave.
Tameka shivered as she stepped closer to the edge of the marina. Several boats had gone out, leaving the place looking a little deserted. She looked into the water, controlling her breathing, remembering how close she’d been to drowning last night. She could still taste the salt water in her mouth and feel the slime on the bottom of the sea sticking against her fingers.
The water can’t hurt you.
“Asha?” she called.
I am literally calling out for mermaids. I’m officially insane.
She kneeled down, noticing something on the wooden ladder that Asha had pulled herself up on. The wooden rungs had scrape marks on them, almost as if someone had hacked at them with the blade of a knife. Asha’s scales must have rubbed on them as she climbed up. Her scales were more than armor. The edges were razor sharp too.
“Asha!” she called again.
Tameka called for another ten minutes before giving up. Her sister could be miles away by now. Who knew how fast mermaids could swim? And where did she even live? Did she live in an underwater cave, or was there some vast undersea city that had remained hidden from the wider world? The waters near and around Blue City were well charted. Surely someone would have found the city by now.
It suddenly occurred to her that maybe the police, the local government too, knew exactly where the mermaids lived. Red had told her that the BCPD covered up the crimes of the mermaids and trolls. They must know.
I should’ve just asked Red before he left.
“Have you lost someone?” a voice called.
Tameka looked up to see a middle-aged man standing watching her. He had a grey beard, caramel skin, and sported a bald head. He also very tall, and sporting a bright Hawaiian shirt and a pair of Bermuda shorts. He looked like a surfer who had wound up at the wrong place.
“My…my dog,” said Tameka. She forced out some tears and started to wring her hands with worry. “She’s a little Yorkshire terrier and I was out taking her for a walk when she ran off. I’m so worried about her.”
Tameka’s mind started conjuring up a whole backstory for this dog owner as the man approached her. In less than five seconds Tameka was Antonia Pebble, a student from New York City studying at Blue City College. She was saving herself for marriage and tended to worry over the smallest detail. Antonia was practical but prone to emotional outbursts. She also loved dogs more than humans.
“I’ll keep an eye out for her,” the man said. His voice was gentle, caring. “Can you give me your number?”
“You’re a gentleman, but I…but I don’t give out my number to strangers,” said Tameka, her Bronx accent making her want to smile. She loved that accent. “I’ve had funny phone calls before you know.”
The man laughed. “Smart girl. This world is messed up, right?”
“Tell me about it!”
The man smiled and pulled a small pad of paper from one pocket and a blue pen from the other. He wrote something down and handed her a note.
“That’s my Facebook page,” he explained. “I’ll post on there if I find her.”
Tameka started to cry again. “You’re wonderful. Thank you.”
“Just doing my duty as a gentleman.”
The man saluted her
before walking away. She watched him go, curious. Sometimes she was surprised when she met genuine people. They were a rarity, especially in her line of work.
Tameka switched off Antonia Pebble, becoming herself once again. Looking for Asha was futile at the moment, no matter how much she wanted to talk to her sister. It was time to get back to hunting down Vincent the troll. Where had he gone after chucking her in the ocean? Why did he head towards the marina when he was running from her? Does he live near the harbor, or did he just lead her here so he could try and drown her?
She gazed up at the apartment block that towered over the bay. It wasn’t likely a troll could come and go from such a building without being seen. They had concierge desks that let people in and out. Besides, Vincent had seemed to be dressed like a vagrant, though a vagrant with access to Wi-Fi and a laptop. He must have a bank account too to be paid by his employers, another mystery that needed solving.
“Why is someone hiring a troll to make people commit suicide?” she pondered aloud, staring out into the ocean. “Why not just murder them outright? What’s the point?”
The only reason she could think of was that the police wouldn’t suspect foul play if the victims killed themselves. Did the victims have anything in common? Was this the work of some billionaire serial killer with too much time on his hands?
Her only lead was Vincent. She had to find him. Unlucky for the troll she had excellent tracking skills.
Red watched the seemingly ordinary urban house from the comfort of his car. The radio was on, playing Amy Winehouse’s new single. There was an abundance of butterflies in the area. Bright colors flittered through the air, investigating trees and other cars, oblivious to why they were really there. Butterflies were attracted to Earth magic, and the troll gave off a huge magical aura.
He’d followed the troll back to his home in the provincial Presley Heights area of Blue City. Blue collar workers, hard working families, lived here. Quite why they hadn’t noticed a troll living amongst them he had no idea. Perhaps they just thought the creature was a movie stuntman or something.
He got out of his car, ignoring the colorful, acrobatic displays of the butterflies. He walked purposefully towards the front door and knocked loudly. After about a minute he heard loud, clunking footsteps approaching from inside the house. They didn’t open the door.
“What do you want?” a voice demanded.
He sounds sick. Maybe Tameka shot him?
“I’m…collecting signatures for charity,” said Red, wondering how Tameka could jump into another persona with such ease. This was difficult. “I’m raising money for charity.”
“What kind of charity?” the troll demanded.
Shit. “Erm…sick butterflies?”
The door immediately pulled open. “I love butterflies!”
Their eyes met. The troll was definitely sick. His skin was pale and he was sweating profusely. There was some sort of bandage wrapped around his shoulder which gave off a foul odor.
“Are you okay?” Red asked. “Shall I call you an ambulance?”
“I’m healing,” the troll insisted. “Come in! Let me make you a cup of coffee.”
The troll was acting so normal. It freaked Red out a little. Trolls were devious, strong and blood thirsty. This one acted almost like a suburban housewife.
The revelation hit Red almost immediately. This troll was either female or transitioning to female. Their species could change sex at will, though the process took up to a year to complete. No wonder the injury on the troll’s shoulder looked so bad. During this transitional period their enhanced healing was vulnerable, though their magic was considerably heightened.
Heightened enough to force people to kill themselves through the internet.
It all made perfect sense now. Normally trolls had limited magic. They could hypnotize people and control nature to a degree, but during their transitional phase those abilities were extremely powerful. That’s why there were so many butterflies outside. That’s why this troll could magically affect her digital words. It still didn’t alter the fact why this troll seemed so pleasant. It was a puzzle.
“Are you coming in?” the troll asked.
Red hesitated. He was about to take a huge risk, but he had to gamble that it might pay off. People’s lives were at risk here. Who knew how many more victims this troll might take?
He pulled his gun out of his holster and aimed it at the troll’s head.
“You are under arrest,” Red shouted.
The troll blinked at him. “I can sense dragon in you.”
“Put your hands up or…”
The troll launched her fist at him. Red didn’t back away in time. The meaty hand smacked into the side of his cheek, propelling him across the garden and into the side of his car. He got up just in time to see the creature charging towards him.
8
Tameka peered through the side window, making out the driving license left haphazardly on the passenger seat. It definitely belonged to Red. What was his car doing parked across from the house where she’d traced Vincent?
If he knew where the troll lived, then why did he hire me?
She’d make sense of it later. Right now the troll’s limited blood trail had led her here, to a small residential neighborhood close to the docks. The place was peaceful, though that still didn’t explain why Red’s car had a huge dent in the side. It hadn’t been like that the last time she’d seen it, parked outside BCPD headquarters the other day. He didn’t seem the type to drive around in a mangled up vehicle.
She headed towards the house, gun out, keeping discreet. She stuck to a row of evergreen bushes that lined the side of the building, heading around the back. She ducked when she passed an open window, listening to any sounds coming from inside. Nothing apart from the whistling of an antique kettle.
Tameka continued around the back, finding a curious sight in the back yard. Sitting on a bench under a large birch tree, surrounded by a green manicured lawn containing cute garden gnomes, potted plants, and water features, was Red and the troll. They were seemingly talking with each other like long lost friends.
She pointed her gun at them.
“Red, step away from the dangerous troll!” she commanded.
The human looked up at her. “Put that gun down.”
“Red, this is the internet troll. He’s…”
“We can explain everything,” said Red insistently. “Please, just sit down.”
Something very odd was going on here, but Tameka wasn’t one to start shooting when she didn’t have to. She holstered her gun and crossed her arms. The explanation had better be good for what she’d been through, for what this creature had put her victims through.
“Well?” she demanded.
“Shall I get us some tea while you explain?” the troll asked. “I thought I heard the kettle boiling.”
Red nodded and Vincent departed, giving Tameka a sickening smile as he left. She felt like throwing up; or shooting him in the head. Preferably both.
She marched up to Red. “What the hell is going on? That…that thing forced all those people to kill themselves, and then he tried to kill me. He almost demolished my entire apartment building in the process!”
“Tameka, stop being so transphobic,” Red reprimanded her. “Vincent is clearly female.”
Female? Yikes!
“She’s clearly a fucking troll!” Tameka raged. “Doesn’t that shock you at all?”
“Not really,” Red confessed.
“I’m going to slap you so hard you’ll be shitting out broken teeth for a week if you don’t start making sense.”
She sat down beside him in the bench, determined to be as obstinate and rude as possible. He didn’t know what she’d been through. He hadn’t been thrown in the ocean. He hadn’t been smacked around by a troll.
“Vincent is not what you think,” Red explained. At her outraged expression he went on, “Her family has been taken and held hostage. They’re forcing her to do th
is.”
Tameka was dubious. “That’s garbage.”
“It’s the truth.”
“How do you know she didn’t lie to you?”
Red smirked. “He’s more scared of me than he is of them.”
Tameka looked Red up and down. Sure, he was muscular and hot and probably had a big penis, but he could hardly intimidate a troll.
Big penis?
“Who is blackmailing Vincent?” Tameka asked, going with his whimsical tale for now. She’d put half a dozen bullets into the troll’s head later.
“She doesn’t know,” Red admitted. “But she wants to stop. All she wants is to get her family back. I agreed to help her.”
She couldn’t believe he was being so naïve. Even if the troll was telling the truth it still didn’t condone what she’d done.
But would I have done the same under similar circumstances?
Tameka sighed. “She still killed all those people.”
“What would you do to protect the ones you love?” he asked her.”
Tameka only needed a second. “I’d blow up the whole fucking world.”
She kept quiet as Vincent served tea on a small patio table. There were small, dainty china cups, saucers, and even a plate full of cucumber sandwiches. She felt like she’d swam into an episode of Downton Abbey.
“Cucumber gives me gas,” Tameka remarked, glaring at the troll, who was wearing a white frilly apron. “And I don’t drink tea after I’ve nearly drowned.”
They ate and drank in silence for ten minutes. Tameka had never felt so awkward in her entire life. When she’d decided to help the police using her gifts she never expected she’d end up having afternoon tea with an actual troll – a serial killing, magical, transgender troll who thought she was British aristocracy.
She sipped her tea and grinned. It was really good tea.
“It’s my family’s own special blend,” said Vincent proudly.
Tameka ignored her. She still couldn’t forget their bloody battle and attempted drowning the previous night to sit and be pretty with her. She couldn’t believe Red was doing the same. The troll obviously had him wrapped around her giant sausage finger.
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