Pretty Fin

by Smokey Moment

  Lance emerged from the water and climbed up the dock steps. He stood on the dock dripping wet. The brothers looked in the water again. “Nothing but fish,” Lance said. Allan shook his head. He walked back to his children who were standing on the patio and took them back inside the house. Lance stood staring into the water. He saw something but it didn’t look like a woman.

  He looked out at the horizon. His mind ran through different scenarios. He was stumped as to what it could be. He wondered if someone weren’t in the water with diving gear, scavenging across the bottom for souvenirs. A man had found several oysters with rare pearls inside. Maybe he was back. Lance looked down. He could see fish. Different groups of fish swimming together. Suddenly something appeared.

  He adjusted his eyes. He tried to get a clear picture. It was at the bottom. It appeared to be a fish’s tail. He followed the tail up. Soon he saw flesh. And soon the face of a woman. She appeared to be looking at him. And as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone. He gasped. Someone was in the water. They had to be on some underwater exploration. He didn’t see a tank. He didn’t see bubbles. But that didn’t mean there weren’t any. He believed his eyes were deceiving him. He wanted to get back in the water. Have another look. If it was a woman, diving near his dock, why not wave and make her presence known. Acknowledge the frightened children, so they won’t be terrified.

  Lance continued to look through the water. It was puzzling. His nephew was right. Someone was in the water. With some sort of apparatus on, that looked like the tail and fin of a fish. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He walked swiftly back to his house.

  “What’s wrong?” Allan asked. “Nothing,” he replied, with a bewildering look on his face. “Yes. It’s something. You look as though you’ve seen a ghost,” he replied. Lance paced. “To be honest, I don’t know what I saw. Um…I saw something,” he replied. “Did you see her Uncle Lance? See. I told you. It’s a lady in the water,” his nephew chimed in. Lance shook his head. He wasn’t sure.

  “Call the police!” Allan said. “What! For what? It’s not illegal to go diving. I don’t own the water. They are not trespassing,” Lance replied. “Miles said she was floating. He said nothing about diving. She did not have on scuba gear. There is a body in the water Lance. A woman. Miles would never say something like that. He knows what he saw. Call the police,” Allan urged. “Allan come on…She swam away. I saw her swim away,” Lance assured. Allan sighed.

  “Go upstairs. I’ll be up shortly,” he said to his children. He was concerned. There were two different accounts of what was seen in the water and he believed his ten year old son’s version. His brother was stressed. And he could be processing things different. Lance wasn’t the type of man to make stories up. But he had been through a lot. He didn’t need any more traumatic events. It was obvious he was seeing things. A woman would not be able to just hold her breath and float at the bottom of the ocean. Not without scuba gear. And neither Lance nor Miles mentioned seeing gear. Allan watched as his kids walked up to their rooms. He walked over to his brother.

  “This is a bad sign Lance. Can’t you see. This type of thing never happens. You have been here, what, a few weeks. And now there’s a woman, floating in the water. Near your home. My kids have witnessed this. You have seen this. You need to sell that company and come home. This place is bad news,” he cautioned. Lance rubbed his neck. He continued to pace. “No. I can’t do that. I’m ok. I know you think I may lose it. That I can’t cope. But I can. I’m built for this. I will be ok. She swam away. There is no dead body. She swam!”

  F

  in went deeper in the water. She was still troubled by the children’s reaction to her. The terrified look on the little girl’s face was distressing. She felt like a monster. Their reaction to her, made her think. It was obvious she was different. She had been swimming, discreetly, close to the shore. And she couldn’t help but noticed no one had a tail. She originally believed they were a race of nermeins, living in another land. But she had been to the beach. She had gotten close to the swimmers. She could see that no one changed into their tail. And she also realized they were avoiding being submerged for long.

  These people needed something in order to stay under water longer. She had witnessed a man near the rocks. He wore a black suit made of a strange material. He had fins for feet. Not a tail. She watched as he came out of the water and removed them. There was something on his back and face. It released bubbles periodically. Finora was shocked. She didn’t know what to make of them. They were different. They obviously loved water. They laughed and splashed in it. It seemed to bring them joy. And she didn’t understand why they didn’t live in it. If they loved it so much, why not take full advantage of it. Swim far. Go down with the fishes. Explore the floor. It was a lot to take in. And then she realized something. And Miles and Yasmine’s shocking reaction helped her figure it out. They couldn’t.

  Things were vastly different in the new land. But there were similarities. And it was all connected. They shared the water. The sky looked the same. The wind felt the same. The people looked the same. The only difference, was in their behaviors with one another. And in their connection to the water.

  It was surprising to see the man place his hands on the boy’s shoulders. The touch appeared to calm the boy. The man was animated as he spoke to him. It was intriguing. It made her want to see more. But these were things, that had her more doubtful that the people were like her. In this new world, they engaged in physical contact. Even the little girl ran and grabbed her father’s leg.

  Finora swam slowly across the ocean floor. Her mind raced trying to put all the pieces of the strange puzzle together. What were these people? How long had they been there? Were they peaceful? And who was the man, that was staring at her through the water?

  She swam down towards the cliff. It reminded her of the one at home. She went to the base and entered a huge cavity in the side. An underwater cave. Small, but large enough to accommodate her. She was in the Pacific Ocean. It reminded her of the Trojian and Palimora Sea, back home. She felt comfortable. She had good recall of how to get around. It didn’t take long. This was her environment. Water.

  She could look at the ocean floor and make note of where she was. She had a natural sense of navigation and could easily get back to where she came from. But she wasn’t ready to go. Not yet. Lance had her attention. She wanted to see the family again. But for now, she would stay comfortable inside the cave. It would be dark soon.

  The sun shined through the clear ocean water. Like an array of spotlights coming through. Fin awoke and headed back towards Lance’s home a short distance away. She wanted to see the man that stood on the end of the dock. The man who searched the waters for her. He was unforgettable. She was intrigued. He was handsome. Interesting looking. There was something about him that attracted her. His eyes. His voice. His physique. She was afraid to let him get close. He seemed bothered at her presence in the water. His demeanor changed at the sight of her. Something that troubled her.

  She swam to the surface and looked to the sky. Something was coming. The clouds were thick. Finora liked this world. But not this new element. She could feel the power of a looming storm. She dipped back in the water and swam back inside the cave.

  She sat back. Tired and ready to sleep. The stress was mentally exhausting. Her eyes closed slowly. A small flutter in the water caused her to open them again. She watched a fish swimming close. Fin stared at it. It reminded her of home. She realized she missed her parents, but she didn’t really miss Madaka. There was something wonderful about this new place. Something that also felt like home. The feeling it gave her. The people. Their happiness and togetherness. It was deeper than what she witnessed in her world.

  Her eyes tried closing again. And again, she opened them. Small friendly fish came close then scurried away. They didn’t glow like the ones back home. But they were beautiful all the same. She thought of home. She wondered if her parents made it back to the castle. She
was sure they were looking for her. That the prince probably had his men searching the sea. And she was certain that Lark too was worried. She could see the worry on his face when they made the journey to Eulachon. It was all a terrible mistake. Her parents believed they were doing what was best. Finora hoped they understood that she needed to get away.

  The thought of returning home crossed her mind. But she feared being forced to marry Andreus. So, she decided to wait a little longer. If he thought she was dead, he would move on from the idea of her. Fin knew there was a chance he would always seek her for a wife. But she could not see herself being with him forever. Queen of a desolate land. Her plan was to stay long enough for him to marry someone else. If was rumored that his father was ill. It wouldn’t be long before he would be crowned as Eulachon’s new king.

  Fin sat back against the hard rock. She tried to put her troubles behind her. She was safe for now. She closed her eyes. The water felt good. It was cool. Invigorating. It calmed her. She slowly fell asleep. She wasn’t’ ready to go home. She wasn’t ready to face anyone. And she wanted to get close to the people of this world. Close to Lance. The handsome man on the dock.

  T

  he rain came down hard. Thunder lit up the sky. The sound resonated across the sky. Finora peeked out from the cave then went back inside. She thought of swimming back to her land. The unknown world was getting creepy. A disturbing element she was unaware of. Suddenly a loud boom. The sharp crackling sound was heard, and felt, through the water. It made her jump.

  What is this? she thought. It sounded like the strange world was crumbling. Fin swam towards the surface, holding onto the rock for comfort. She could shield herself between its large crevices, if needed. Day had turned to another evening. She emerged and looked to the sky. A lightning strike startled her. She wished she could relax. She was tired. A good night’s rest would suit her well after the long and difficult afternoon she’d had. But she was restless.

  She held onto the large rock under the deck, close to Lance’s home. Large man-made boulders placed in the water at the shoreline near the home for aesthetics. She looked around. She didn’t want to be seen. She had already frightened one family. She looked at Lance’s house. She could see him standing in his window. His house was well lit. Lights inside and out, had it illuminated brightly.

  She stared at him, keeping herself hid. She watched him from behind one of the wood beams of the deck. He looked like he had a lot on his mind. The storm started to settle. The clouds were thinning. After an hour, the clouds dispersed. As quickly as the clouds arrived, they had disappeared. Hours went by. It was two in the morning. The sky had cleared, leaving a few scattered clouds.

  The moonlight shone through. It lit up the ground and water below. Fin was still looking at Lance’s house. She could see him laying across his bed and his brother talking to himself with an object up to his ear. Both men were watching people on screens. Fin stared in amazement. She could see the images. Lance walked back to his bedroom window. As if looking for something. Fin wondered why he appeared to long for something.

  Lance was himself wondering that same thing. Something had him curious. He was drawn to the water. It was magical. He didn’t understand it. He walked down the stairs and into his living room. Soon the living room television came on. Lance seemed restless. He walked to his sliding glass door and opened it slightly. He thought of going onto his porch. It was equipped for wet weather. The contemporary round chairs and table under a waterproof awning was perfect. Lance slid the door open and stepped out. He walked over to the chair and sat down. He placed the coffee he was drinking on a cup holder and sat back. He let out a deep sigh. He wondered what he would do. Was his brother right. Was this a good move for him. Everything was happening so fast. He hadn’t had time to adjust. He hadn’t mourned his losses. His baby would have been born by now. It would have been a month old.

  “Hey,” his brother said, as he slid open the door. He stepped out onto the patio with a cup of coffee. “Hey,” Lance replied solemnly. “Can’t even tell there was a storm not too long ago,” Allan said, as he sat down. Lance put his feet up and got comfortable. “Yeah. The storm passed. The sky is clear now,” he said. Allan hesitated. He tapped his cup. “Listen. Yasmine is distraught. She wants her mother. I’m leaving in the morning. Miles is ok. It’s Yaz. She’s only six. She won’t sleep alone. I need to get her back so she can calm down,” he said. Lance sat up. He felt bad.

  “Of course. I’m sorry for all this. I should have never let them near the water. People swim, dive…I’m closer to the rock and so there are divers. A lot of clams and mollusk are near the rock. She’s young. I just hate the thought that she will never want to visit. She’ll always remember that. Talk to her. Help her understand what she saw,” he said. “Yep. I will. We’ll be back. She’s just spooked.”

  L

  ance sat in his office with the door closed. It had been several weeks since his brother left. He had called to check on Yaz and spoke with her briefly. She had already put the incident behind her and was speaking of returning with the whole family. Lance believed she missed the comfort of her mother during the scary incident at his home and just wanted to be with her. He was glad she was not traumatized. Allan’s kids were like his own. He would move somewhere less complicated and more child friendly, before he would allow something to affect them.

  “Can you fax something for me?” he said, as he called his secretary. Maria got up and came to his office. “Yes Mr. Reed. What do you need faxed?” she asked, as she walked over to his desk. He handed her several documents and the number to send it to. “Knock, knock,” one of his account executives said, as he lightly tapped on the partially opened door. “Hey,” Lance smiled as he entered. “So, some of us are going to a lounge called Castille’s. It’s about five minutes away. We we’re hoping you would come,” he said. Drinks after work was tempting. But Lance was exhausted.

  “No. Maybe next time. I’m not done with the Walden Project,” he said. The men spoke for a few minutes about another project before Dave left the office. Lance completed the final points and had his project ready for specification by an engineer. It was a crowning moment. He was proud. His work was making a difference. “Mr. Reed. I’m leaving for the day. Do you need anything?” Maria asked. Lance looked at the papers on his desk. He checked that all faxes and important files went out to perspective clients. “No. I’m all set. Have a nice night.”

  The soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye’s Heard it Through The Grapevine bellowed from Lance’s speakers. He was fatigued. He planned a relaxing evening of dinner and a moment of tranquility while watching the sunset. It was still light out. He had over an hour before the sun would be lowering over the horizon. A steak and vegetables would be easy enough for him to prepare. He drove up to a light. A family in the car next to him caught his attention. It was a husband, wife and two kids in car seats. Lance smiled and turned his attention back to the light. It turned green. He took off. His mind now recalling the day Paula laid on an operating table with doctors carefully removing the dead fetus from her belly. Her blood pressure was dangerously low. They didn’t have much time.

  The doctors removed the baby successfully. A girl. Lance held his dead baby in his arms. He tried to get Paula involved. She turned her head. She couldn’t take the sight of her baby in that condition. Doctors told her what she had feared. That they needed to remove her uterus. She would never have kids. It was devastating. They weren’t prepared to be the parents of a dead child. Lance left the hospital and drunk himself to sleep. The next morning, he went to the hospital only to have nurses tell him his fiancé wanted no visitors including him. Paula kept her distance. Her tormented soul requiring medical intervention that she refused to get.

  The garage door opened slowly. Lance pulled inside and hit the controller. He was glad to be home. The traffic was unpleasant and he desperately needed a shower. 3..3..7..5..3 disarmed the alarm. Lance dropped his head and sighed. He hadn’t realized how
tired he was. He glanced out the window as he walked into the kitchen. The waves were calmer. The sky was clearer. Boaters were enjoying themselves. He walked over to the window. A cup of coffee in his hand. A boater and his passengers decided to make his home a hang out. They were several feet out near his dock, laughing and joking. Lance hoped they didn’t make themselves at home and walk right up his dock and to his door. It wouldn’t be the first time. But he was used to traffic. There was always a gawker trying to get a look at his opulent living arrangement. The older gentleman and his three young female companions were obviously drunk. Really, Lance said, as he shook his head in disbelief. The man was fondling all three women as they laughed and giggled like school girls.

  The women were scantily clad. Young. The man, well in his sixties. One of the women gave an enthusiastic wave. Lance nodded and raised his coffee cup. He hoped they moved along from their sight-seeing adventure parked right in front of his property. He planned to shower and walk naked to his dresser. The women whispered and stared. The man waved. Soon he gestured for Lance to join them. Lance shook his head no, then walked from the window. He was in no mood for their type of partying.

  The shower was mildly successful at relaxing him. He wasn’t sure why he was tense. The day had started off great. The company was great. His mother was doing better. And he’d heard Paula was doing better. There was nothing to be on edge about. Yet he was.

  He slipped into a pair of linen pajama pants and a tee shirt. He was glad to see the boaters were gone. There was still some sun to enjoy before it would be dusk. Perfect time for a stroll to the end of the dock. He grabbed a sandwich bag and tossed fruit inside. His new favorite pastime was sitting on the dock eating his favorite fruit, and looking out at the horizon. The breeze always felt inviting. He needed it.