Beneath the Painted Ocean

by CS Patra

  I forgot how much I love being in the ocean. He watched more schools of fish swim past him. They were beautiful and so close that he could almost touch them. After his work with the coral, he was going to see if he could find a way to keep these fish safe. He did his part, but most people didn’t seem to care about the ocean. If they didn’t live close enough to it, they didn’t bother thinking about it. It was just too hard to take everything on his own.

  He stopped right in front of the rock and looked up. There was that feeling once more. He was being watched. He pretended that he didn’t care about it, but secretly began to move around the rock. Underneath all the water, he could hear something. At first, he figured it was his overactive imagination but it couldn’t be. He noticed the sand moving on the ground.

  The first thing he noticed was a mermaid with long black hair that went down her back. Strange plants and flowers were woven into her hair and her tail was long and blue-green. Her brown eyes were locked on him, but his were on the merman next to her. Like the mermaid, he had dark hair and brown skin. His tail was green and he had some scales on certain parts of his body and arms. Half-human, half-fish. He thought he was hallucinating, but they were moving. They were here.

  Oh my God, they’re real! Callum thought, feeling his hand going to his heart. I know I’m not seeing things! They’re real!

  He could have drowned at that moment and he wouldn’t have minded. One thing was confirmed for him. Mermaids were real. Mermen were real.

  If that was the case, his angel was also real.

  Chapter 7

  Callum could feel his heart beating but couldn’t move. Not only was his merman here, he was with a mermaid. That took care of one of his burning questions; there was more than one of them here. Both looked frightened, but Callum didn’t turn from them. He didn’t try to scare them. Instead, he reached out his hand as a gesture of friendship.

  I’m not going to hurt you. He tried to tell them telepathically. He had no idea if a mermaid could read minds but he had to get through to them. He stretched out his fingers so one of them could touch him. Come on. You were following me around for a reason and now I’m here. I know we could be friends if that’s what you want.

  The mermaid didn’t move, but his angel inched closer. He looked down at Callum’s hand as if to inspect it. When Callum didn’t do anything, the merman carefully touched him. It felt just like a human hand would feel. The merman’s fingers grazed across his palm and touched his wrist. Then his hand went up Callum’s arm and stopped halfway. If Callum could smile at that moment, he would have. When the mermaid saw there was nothing to fear, she also inched closer and touched his hand. Like the merman, she also had a very soft touch.

  See? You have nothing to worry about. He wanted to say. To his awe, the mermaid actually spoke to him. Unfortunately, his words were nothing but gibberish and bubbles. Well, now he got one of them to talk. He just didn’t know what she had said. Looking up, he nodded to the surface and motioned them to follow him. They were a bit hesitant but decided to do as he wanted. One by one, they began to surface. Callum spit out his regulator and lifted his mask so he could get a better look at both of them. His neighbor’s boat was in the distance and no one was looking at them. This was good. He didn’t want anyone else to scare them off.

  “I...I...” He was trying to find his voice. Now he had found them, what was he supposed to say? He broke out into a smile and said the first thing that came to mind. “I can’t tell you how happy I am!”

  The merman replied in gibberish, looking incredibly confused. Callum’s smile vanished. Both of them were still scared of him and he couldn’t understand a word.

  “Oh, I should have known,” he realized. “Of course you wouldn’t speak the same language I do. There’s got to be another way for you to understand me.”

  This time, the mermaid inched closer to him and touched his neck. He almost pulled away but he could feel her pressing down where his vocal chords would be. Her hands went all over his neck and up to his face. For a second, he felt something burning inside. That made him open his mouth in pain and she gently touched the tip of his tongue. It felt like his entire upper body had been set ablaze. He looked down to make sure that he hadn’t caught fire.

  “Ow!” He groaned, hands going to his throat. “What the...”

  “I’m sorry! I know it hurts but the pain will go away.” The mermaid assured him. “This always happens to humans.”

  “When will the pain go away? I can barely...” Callum’s eyes widened when he realized that she had replied in English. “You...You do speak my language!”

  “No.” The merman shook his head. “You are now speaking our language. My sister gave you that ability so we could speak to one another. That’s why you felt the pain. You now have the ability to communicate with the merfolk no matter where you go.”

  “Oh.” Callum rubbed his neck and chest. “I was scared you were hurting me. I’m glad that you trust me enough to let me talk to you. We’ve barely met.”

  “I’ve seen you many times.” The merman said. “I see you in the water all the time. I thought you were a fellow merman at first but then I realized you were human. What do you in our waters so much?”

  “I’m a marine biologist. It means I study things that are in your ocean.” Callum finally held out his hand. “I should introduce myself. Dr. Callum Caldwell, marine biologist.” They looked at him like he was crazy, having no idea what to do. He realized that perhaps merfolk didn’t shake hands. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you probably aren’t used to how humans do things. I wanted to shake your hand like so.” He carefully to the merman’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “This is how we greet each other.”

  The merman kept shaking his hand until he finally pulled it out. “You can let me go. One firm handshake is usually fine.”

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Callum Caldwell.”

  “You can call me Callum like everyone else does. And what is your name?”

  There was a brief pause before the merman spoke up. “Kai. My name is Kai and this is my sister, Romina.”

  “You both have beautiful names.” Callum had no idea what convinced him to say that but it was the truth. “Are you...do you live here?”

  That was a stupid question and they immediately realized it. Both started laughing while Callum wanted to drown himself. Of course they lived in the ocean. Where else would they possibly live? “I’m sorry. What I meant was...do you live nearby? I’m staying here for a few days.”

  “Our home is further down, but we go everywhere,” Romina explained. “Would it be easier if we came closer to the shore?”

  “Yes, I’m getting very tired of being in the water. I have to go back to the shore now. I have so much to ask both of you...if you want to talk to me, that is.” He looked over at Kai and blushed. Was this his angel or was it Romina? What if it was another merman or mermaid? “I swear I will not tell anyone about you. I can keep quiet.”

  “I’m not worried about you exposing anything. I know you want to know more about us,” Kai said. “Come out in the morning. Come close to the shore and I will tell you everything. Go to the place where you saw me today. I’ll be waiting.”

  “Oh...okay.”

  “Hey, Cal! Cal!”

  Callum heard his neighbor calling him and carefully turned around. He waved to him to let him know he was ready to come back. Then he turned to face Kai and Romina. “Sorry, that’s my neighbor. He…”

  He never got the chance to finish his sentence because the two of them were already gone. He felt disappointed that he didn’t get to ask more questions. However, if Kai was true to his word, he would be there tomorrow morning. They did trust him if they gave him ability to speak to them. His throat still felt warm and dry from whatever Romina had done to him. Hopefully, it would heal in time.

  I have the ability to speak to merfolk. He realized. I wonder how many people can say that. Now I know they’re real. Not only that, my angel wants to see me again
! Oh God, I have so much to ask and say and...ah, where do I start?!

  When he came back to the boat, he was humming to himself as he got on. His neighbor noticed how happy he seemed to be. “Well, you must have had a good dive.”

  “One of the best,” Callum admitted. His neighbor smiled in return so that meant his voice was back to normal. He was talking English again. “Sometimes I get so caught up in my work that I forget how beautiful the ocean is. I forget to take a moment and just soak it all in. I’ve really needed this vacation.”

  “I’m glad to see you’re more relaxed. You didn’t stay out as long as I thought you would.”

  “Yes, well...I got a cramp,” Callum lied, rubbing his side. All right, it wasn’t a complete lie. He did have a little pain but it usually wasn’t enough to get him out of water. “I’m also pretty tired. I’d like to go home now.”

  “Your wish is my command. I have no doubt that you are probably starving too.”

  Callum could hear his stomach rumble and realized that his neighbor was right. All that excitement was making him hungry. At the same time, he had to keep his discovery a secret. His neighbor didn’t notice Kai or Romina so they were safe for now. He already told them he wouldn’t spill the secrets. He didn’t want anyone else to know about them until they told him it was okay. There were some things that the world didn’t need to know.

  It didn’t stop him from humming to himself. When he got in the house, he went to freshen up and take a quick shower. While he didn’t speak to anyone, they all noticed his demeanor. That happiness was back. He took it all in stride as he passed by them. He made note of all of them as he walked by; Abby, Brent, Emily, Frankie, George, Hannah, Isabella, Josh, Keith, Laura, Michael, Nate, Olivia, and Pearl. All of them, regardless of age, could tell something was up.

  “Hey, guys. Don’t mind me. I’m just in a good mood.” He told them. As he turned around, he almost ran into his father. “Oh, hey Dad! I’ll be out in a little bit!”

  “I...I didn’t ask that but it’s good to know.” Jacob said as his son went into the bathroom with his things. “Huh. Your brother is acting strange today.”

  “Isn’t it obvious why he’s acting that way, Daddy?” Laura asked. “Callum’s in love.”

  “Your brother claimed he isn’t in love.”

  “Callum claimed a lot of things in the past,” Isabella said. “You can’t see it? Look at the way he’s walking and smiling. There’s that bounce in his step and he’s humming. When was the last time we’ve heard him hum?”

  “He was humming yesterday.”

  “Exactly. It’s a recent thing.” Hannah pointed out. “It must someone he just met.”

  “Is that so?” Jacob grinned. “It’s about time! I never pressured your brother to date anyone but I do wonder if he’s lonely. I think he needs a friend and it’s high time he got one. Still, I don’t want you to pester him about it. Let him do the talking if he wants to.”

  They agreed to let Callum have some space and didn’t ask him about anything. When he came out of the shower, dripping wet and smelling like evergreen aftershave and lotion, they kept their eye on him. His humming had now changed to singing and he was barely paying attention to where he was going. He nearly ran into a wall instead of walking into his bedroom.

  “Ah, I need my contacts!” He laughed to himself. “I can’t see shit without them!”

  “Your bedroom is on the left, son.” Jacob told him.

  “Thanks, Dad. That is you, right?”

  “You’re not that blind, Cal! Besides, you know the sound of my voice.”

  “True, true.” Callum laughed again before disappearing into his bedroom. “See you downstairs!”

  Jacob soon understood what his other children were talking about. Callum was normally very serious and focused on his work. While he was not a cold person, he wasn’t known for having fun or laughing either. Since his twin sister’s death, he didn’t care much for parties or socializing. He didn’t know what it was like to have fun anymore. Sure, he went out with people from time to time but none of them were friends. Perhaps this woman, whoever she was, could bring out a side no one saw before.

  “I really wonder who the lucky girl is,” Jacob chuckled. “Maybe she’ll be able to turn our Callum’s life around. She’ll give him the support he’s desperately craving.”

  Sadly, none of them really knew what was going on in Callum’s mind. They had no idea why he was singing or what the song was. Callum wasn’t known for listening to popular music so this had to be something big. They also knew that he wasn’t going to tell a single soul about it. When he was ready, he would spill, but not yet.

  All they had to do was sit and wait.

  Chapter 8

  Kai couldn’t believe his luck when that human reached out his hand as a sign of friendship. He had been terrified at first but saw that the human meant no harm. He could see it in the human’s eyes. It told him everything he needed to know about Callum. He was a human that was excited yet there was a pain hidden inside of him. He was not like other humans who could hurt the merfolk or the sea creatures. That wasn’t his intention.

  Now I’ve seen him. He’s so beautiful. This is the first human I’ve actually spoken to. I never dreamed it would be real and now it is!

  Since he was young, Kai was fascinated with humans though he only watched them from a distance. They went about their lives and remained unaware of what truly lay below the ocean. Sometimes, he got close enough to hear them chattering, but he could never understand what they were saying. They were always so animated, walking up and down, and just having fun. Kai desperately wanted to be part of that group. He wondered what it would be like to have legs. He wanted to be able to run around on the shore. He wanted to walk down those things that humans called streets.

  Other merfolk entertained his excitement, but they always warned him not to get close. Most humans didn’t believe in merfolk. If they did, they only heard stories. They didn’t really know what merfolk were like. They loved the legends but were ignorant to the truth. In a way, it was a good thing. They could live in harmony without anyone bothering them. They just needed to stay in their own spaces.

  “Humans may look harmless on first glance, but not all of them are,” Kai’s father told him. “I don’t mind you being fascinated with them. Just don’t take any of this further. You don’t know what can happen to you.”

  “What if a human were to speak to me? What do I do then?” A young Kai, still learning about the land and sea, had asked.

  “I don’t think a human will speak to you unless you were to go on the land. Humans do come into the sea but I wouldn’t try to approach them. They’re not meant to live in the sea. They come here only to explore and nothing more. At least, that’s what I have been told.”

  “What if you are wrong, Father?”

  “There’s no way of knowing that. I just know that you can’t get too close to humans. We belong in the sea and they belong on land. That is all.”

  His father encouraged him to read up on humans, but never to approach them.

  Kai was actually happy that he managed to talk to the human now. He had wanted to do it for a while but never found the nerve to swim up to him. Anytime he saw Callum, he always deep in concentration. His eyes were always locked on what he was doing. The one thing he had learned about humans was never to startle them. Humans weren’t like merfolk. They couldn’t breathe underwater on their own. They needed their own land air to spend a few hours down here. There was no way they could live in these waters.

  “Humans aren’t like us.” He heard many of his friends say. “We have to keep our distance from them. You never know what their intentions are.”

  He understood what they were saying and he believed that not all humans were good. After he heard about the horrible things they were doing to the land, he was afraid of them. Callum was an exception. When he first saw him, he knew there was something comforting and trustworthy about him. Since Callum was
in full scuba gear, he had no idea what the human really looked like underneath. However, he got a quick glimpse of his eyes under the mask. They were the same color of the ocean and filled with so much excitement. Whatever he was focused on was making his face light up and his eyes sparkle. He could also see that Callum was tanned because of being out in the sun.

  For the longest time, Kai would just watch him. He would watch as Callum would stray from his fellow humans and do a little exploring of his own. He was also so deep in thought and fascinated by everything he saw. He would take pictures with something that was called a camera. Kai was a little afraid of it at first until someone told him that this was no weapon to harm anyone. It was a way that humans kept memories of things. If they wanted to look back at something, they could with the camera.

  “That human isn’t here because he wants to be here. I think he’s looking for something,” Romina said. She was the only person that Kai had talked to about the human. She knew that he was watching from a safe distance but she still worried about him. “You can see it from the way he moves that he is very dedicated. He puts everything into what he does.”

  “What does he do?” Kai asked.

  “Why don’t you try to ask him?”

  “How can I? I don’t think human would want to talk to me. Besides, I’m scared. What if he turns away from me? What if he tries to hurt me?”

  “Look at him. Does he look like someone who would hurt you?”

  No, Callum definitely didn’t look frightening but Kai was still worried. He didn’t want to cause the human any fright either. He didn’t know too much about how their bodies, but he knew that they weren’t like fish. What if he scared him so badly that the human’s heart stopped? What if he caused the poor human to drown in these waters? He would not be able to live with himself if that were the case.

  “It’s not the right time,” Kai decided. “I’ll wait.”