She swam to the side. “Oh, I see. Can you put your feet in at least? The water is smooth and warm. No pollutants can enter this far down. This is probably one of the only times you’ll experience such purity.”
Sitting down on the edge of the pool, I clung to the rocky arch.
She reached out her hand to assist.
I eased my feet into the warm water, letting them soak.
“That’s a start.” She smiled then dove away, leaving me with a splash.
For a long time, I simply watched her swim. No part of me wanted to join her in the water.
The room was quiet and the gentle splashing was calming. The water was a cloudy blue and even though my feet were not visible under the surface, I was not worried. For the first time in a long time, I felt at ease being near it. The air was thick and steamy and I closed my eyes to rest.
Within a few seconds Nasani popped her head out of the other side of the pool. “Are you feeling well?” She asked.
“I was just relaxing. You were right; this pool is like nothing I have ever experienced. The texture of the water is different. It calms me.” For a second I closed my eyes again.
In that short time, Nasani was in front of me, bringing her head and shoulders up onto the rock. “Seraphin, look at the other pool.”
Listening to her command, I turned to see an image of Nasani in the opposite pool, waving her arms.
The copy confused me. “How are you doing that?
“It’s a twin, an identical illusion of the pool and everything in it. Go and see for yourself. Try to put your toes in the other pool, though I warn you, do it slowly. Joseph will eradicate me if I let you wound yourself.”
I walked to the other arch to see for myself. There was no pool. It was a solid wall, made from stone, with the illusion superimposed.
Then a face emerged from the mirage. “Joseph?”
“I heard my name. Why am I going to eradicate you Nasani?” He asked with a smile.
“No reason. Seems there’s no need. She’s still in one piece.” She teased.
I reached out to touch him, only to run my knuckles against the rough stone.
“Seraphin, it’s good to see you walking around again.” His voice came from behind, sounding more energetic than before.
A mirrored reflection of the pool still seemed impossible. “This isn’t real. This can’t be real.” My fingers moved over the image as my brain tried to process what I was seeing.
Staring into my eyes as he spoke through his reflection on the wall, I wondered if he could see my confused expression though I was not facing him. “You’re absolutely right. This is the real pool—over here. That’s just a fake one to confuse intruders.”
“Intruders?” I went back to the real pool to see if I could see myself—or a mirage of myself. But I couldn’t. “What kind of intruders?”
Joseph swam to the edge. “The unwelcome and careless, I suppose. Think of how easy it would be to dive into the first pool by mistake.”
“Easy for me? No. That would not happen. However, I can see how the image of a realistic pool onto a stone wall could be life threatening for others.” Again I tried to make myself appear in the mirage.
Joseph caught on to what I was doing. “The only way you’ll show up in that pool, is if you get into this one.”
When I turned around, his hand was outstretched. I felt the urge to jump in. The pull was strong and I wasn’t sure if it was coming from Joseph or the water.
“Thanks, but you already know how I feel about water. I’ll just hang here on the rock, where it’s safe.” Again, I sat with my feet dangling in the water.
Joseph was beside my leg, his head and shoulders above the surface. While treading, several times he brushed against my calf as his arms moved back and forth.
Nasani was across the pool, swimming. She was flipping, turning and giggling like a child and it made me smile.
Joseph turned to watch her while I watched him.
The dark rings that were under his eyes had vanished. His skin held more color than it did earlier. A little bit of rest worked wonders on him. Again, I noticed a small tattoo on the nape of his neck. It was slightly darker than his skin tone and not very noticeable. The design was a simple geometric figure, consisting of two curves opposite one another with a perfect circle on the tail of each. It reminded me of the letter ‘S’ but with a break in the middle.
Before I could ask him what it was, he spoke. “You’ll be good for her. I’m all she has and that’s just not enough. She seems more relaxed since I brought you here and it’s been years since I have seen her playful. She’s like a dolphin out there.” Then he closed his eyes, held out his arm and hollered “MARCO” to which Nasani laughed out “POLO.”
He swam away to search for her.
Envy swelled inside as I watched them play like children. He was calling out—eyes closed—free of all inhibitions. Nasani laughed and dodged away from him. The water pulled stronger but I resisted, taking my feet out and pulling my knees up. I rested my chin on top of them.
Not sure of where the jealousy was directed, I found myself wishing I could play the game and giggle with Nasani. When Joseph finally located her position, he wrapped his arms around her. I found myself wishing it was me he held close. It was silly to be jealous, she was sweet and it shamed me to feel that way.
They both got out of the pool. Nasani was still smiling as she pulled the robe around her body, tying it tight with the pink sash. Joseph stood next to me and shook off like a dog, throwing water everywhere. “If you won’t get in I’ll bring the water to you. You have to feel it somehow, it’s invigorating.”
I held my arms over my head and laughed. The warm water felt good and so did his attention.
“I have to be going. Joseph, don’t keep her out too late. She still needs rest.” Nasani looked back and smiled, winking at him. “Behave.”
“Yes, Dr. Caro.” He laughed.
Nasani left but before she did, she shot Joseph a horrible glance and muttered. “Do not call me that.”
Joseph ignored her.
We were both quiet. I knew we should have immediately begun discussing the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’, but neither of us knew where to start.
Questions ran through my mind. Why did you bring me here? When am I going home? How does Nasani swim so fast? Why do you both have alias’? Where is Ms. Z?
Joseph broke the silence. “So, what do you want to do Seraphin?”
My answer was ridiculous. “Well, since Nasani tells me we’re in the neighborhood, I‘d like to start by seeing Rome. Probably grab an authentic Pizza Marguerite and maybe ride around on a Vespa.”
With a big smile, he shot my plans down. “We probably won’t be able to do that. You have to stay here. It’s for your own safety.”
“No offense Joseph but the last time you tried to keep me safe, the boat sank.” I smiled even though I was quite serious.
“No offense taken. Sadly, I’m unable to control the weather, that’s not my special gift. However, I did heal you. So, that has got to count for something, right?” He looked over shyly with a silly grin.
“I suppose that counts for something.” Smiling too but then remembering what Nasani said. “I heard it wasn’t a storm that sank the John F. Kennedy but rather an attack.”
“Oh yeah? Who did you hear that from?” His sarcasm was thick, as was mine.
“The Director of the United States Coast Guard called me this morning—they’re investigating.” I said then glanced towards the hallway where Nasani had just made her exit. “Who do you think told me?”
He laughed—I waited for an explanation. It wasn’t going to come easily. “Well? What happened? Why do you believe we were attacked?”
With a sigh he caved. “I don’t exactly know. One minute Nasani and I were swimming—we had only left the boat for half-an-hour—then, a swell came from nowhere. Next thing we knew the boat was getting tossed around like a toy.”
“I don’t follow. It was a storm, not an attack. Perhaps the sounds of the cannon blasts were lost amongst the thunder?”
“We were attacked with the storm. This was a centrally located storm that only had a diameter of a quarter mile. It was only above the John F. Kennedy,” he was trying to convince me of the illogical.
“So God attacked the boat? Mother Nature? The North Wind?”
“No—I don’t know.” Growing frustrated with my questioning, he shifted his weight.
“Joseph, you realize how crazy you sound, right?” I said in all seriousness.
He only shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject. “Do you want to learn how to swim?”
I laughed loud. Why would he suggest such a thing?
“I can teach you. I’m a VERY good swimmer! I was NCAA Men’s Swimming Division 1 Champion last year in Freestyle!” He held his shoulders proudly and offered me his hand. “No better time to learn than now.”
“Wow, congratulations, that sounds like quite the accomplishment. I can see that you are a good swimmer and I don’t doubt you’d be a great teacher. This might come as a surprise to you, but I can already swim. I just prefer not to. Thanks anyway.”
“But, do you know how to swim, the way you were meant to swim? Besides, might be helpful, seeing as though right now we’re under approximately 13,000 feet of water.”
Before I could react he jumped into the pool and sent a large splash, soaking me completely. The silk from the robe stuck to my arms. What did he mean we were 13,000 feet under water? Almost everything I’ve experienced today was unfathomable.
Joseph healing me was still at the top of my list of unbelievable feats but a part of me already knew he had such abilities. It finally occurred to me that when I fell jogging, the waves of healing energy appeared right before he whispered for me to wake up. In addition, on the John F. Kennedy he took care of my headache with just a touch.
Could it be that all this was a dream? Was I actually in a coma, lying on a hospital bed at the University of Maine Medical Center? I pinched myself, just to make sure. It hurt.
I watched the surface of the pool closely, waiting for Joseph to emerge, but the water stayed still. The ripples created by his cannon-ball style jump settled and there was no movement.
Where was he? I sat on the side of the pool and put my feet in the water; my ears began to ring and then, I heard him.
Seraphin, don’t freak out. I’m fine. I’m at the bottom of the pool. His voice rang through my mind, as clear as if he was standing next to me talking. I was reminded of him speaking to me as I was drowning. I need you to continue touching the water so you can hear me. If you don’t, I won’t be able to communicate with you. I want to show you something. Again, he was doing something that was rationally impossible.
I spoke out to an empty room. “Alright—I guess.” Feeling like Alice in Wonderland, I reasoned it was possible that Joseph would emerge as a giant multi-colored cat.
His face came out of the water first and he smiled.
I smiled. “Ok, why would I freak out? You can talk to me through water. It’s a little odd, but cool.”
Holding my gaze, he looked deep into my eyes. The blue of his eyes was impressive; I was trapped in them. Staying silent, he winked at me then dove down, head first.
Then, a large fin with silver and blue scales came out of the water where Joseph’s feet should have been. I pulled my feet out of the water and scurried back. I wondered if it was another illusion from the crazy pool. I waited before moving to the side, very slowly, I put one foot in.
I thought I scared you away. His voice was calm and gentle. I’m going to resurface when you’re ready to talk and I’ll explain everything. Put your other foot in when you want me to come up.
I waited, carefully deliberating, taking into consideration how he put my safety at the top of his priority list. He had been there, pulling me out of high tide and shipwrecks. I thought about Ms. Z, his aunt, and how she seemed to talk to fish. Joseph growing a fish tail made sense, in an anomalous way. Oddly enough, I wasn’t scared; it didn’t make sense to be frightened. He wouldn’t have saved my life so many times just to put me in more danger.
My toe barely touched the water. With a force more powerful than humanly possible, Joseph shot through the surface; half-man and half-fish. His upper body was perfectly normal but just below his hips began the fascinating sheath of texture that housed his lower extremities. And, though they were joined, the curves of his thighs, knees and calves remained but his feet were spread thin, stretched to create a caudal fin.
The silver scales were not, in my opinion, beautiful but they were remarkable. A stretch of blue that matched the color of his eyes ran down either side of the covering. Not a costume, it appeared too organic; so, what was it? It seemed to make him powerful. Nearly 20 feet above the pool, he twisted his body, bending over the stone arch and returning to the water without a splash.
Joseph caught my attention with a gentle tug on my foot. Are you freaked out? There was a touch of worry to his voice.
“A little,” I answered him honestly, speaking loud, hoping he could hear me under the water. “More so, I am curious as to what just happened.”
Reluctantly, he peeked above the water and tried to gauge my expression. Knowing what it felt like to be labeled a freak, I gave him a friendly smile and he seemed to relax. A smooth, soft tickle ran up my calf. The wide flat fin floated to the surface of the water. As I touched it with my finger tips it changed, shrinking back into two bare feet.
He laughed and pulled himself out of the water, sitting beside me with two absolutely normal legs stretching out from his swim shorts. “I know you don’t like the water. But you need to give it another chance, it’s where you belong.”
“Joseph. I can’t—did you just turn into…?” Facing him I didn’t meet his eyes but rather focused on his legs, waiting for them to change again.
“Yeah,” he leaned into me and nudged with his shoulder. “It’s pretty cool, huh?”
“Is it the pool?”
“No, it’s me.” Moving closer, he was inches from my face. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me but instead, he whispered in my ear. “Seraphin Shedd, you are a mermaid.”
I began laughing. There must have been something in the air. The pool was creating another illusion or Joseph was playing pranks. Taking my feet out of the water and standing up I noticed that he was not laughing, but instead, he looked offended. “You are very funny Joseph. Have you gone to such great lengths to get me into the water? Suppose I dive in now, will a magical tail just appear?”
Still very serious, he answered. “No magic, just nature and if you give me a chance I’ll show you how to make your scales materialize.”
Pulling the robe tight around me; I left Joseph alone by the side of the pool. “Make my scales materialize? Yeah right. Why are you playing games with me? I haven’t a clue where I am, why I’m here and who you are. If you don’t mind, or even if you do mind, I’d like to go home now.” My head was cluttered with thoughts and I found it hard to breathe. I continued laughing because if I didn’t, I would have cried.
“Seraphin, I’m not playing games. Please trust me, I can show you.” Joseph pleaded.
Nothing made sense but at the same time everything made sense. It had been so long, I almost forgot what was happening. He reached me just in time to stop my head from hitting the stone floor. His eyes met mine before everything went black.
My flashback was lucid. The details remained the same. I defied my father, my friends were horrible to pressure, I was weak to give into their demands but when I saw my father on the ship at sea, things were different. I watched in horror as he was pulled into the sea. What I remember as a giant wave was no longer that but instead a massive black creature emerged from the violent water, wrapping its self around the ship. Tentacles slithered the deck—capturing him. The other men huddled together, screamed in terror. As he was pulled to his death, he spoke h
is last words. “Seraphin, get out of the water.”
Wrapped in purple blankets and still shaking from what my mind showed me, I was afraid to move. It was the first time I had seen a vision of him being swept away. The creature was confusing. I was alone and thankful for it. Stepping down onto the cool rock, I noticed how much better I was feeling. My legs were no longer difficult to lift and my lungs were functioning better than before.
The waterfall was pouring down in the cavern adjacent to my room and as I passed by, I thought I saw a small shadow emerge from the steady stream. When I turned to take a closer look, Joseph walked in behind me.
“Seraphin, you have to stop passing out all the time.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “How are you feeling? I know it’s a lot to digest.”
The shadow faded into the waterfall when Joseph came near. Touching the water and pushing my hand through, I felt nothing unusual. I did not respond to his questioning but remained silent. Truth be told, I was angry at him and confused by my reluctance.
With a soft voice he continued. “Nasani found these things for you to wear. If you would like to get cleaned up and change, I’ll take you to the spring.”
Nodding my head, I obliged.
Joseph led the way down a narrow pathway. We curved around a stone wall and into a majestic room that held a trickling fall and a shallow pool.
“It’s only 2 feet deep, so no need to panic.” He laid the clothing on a rock. “Nasani has some soap over there. I’ll wait just beyond the stone wall.”
“Thanks.” I said. What I really wanted was my shower at the house on Briarwood Court, along with my clothing. I missed home, even if it was empty.
With a soft voice he spoke with meaning. “Seraphin, I’m sorry that I had to be the one to reveal such an unbelievable reality. I can’t begin to understand why your parents would hide such a thing from you. All I ask is that you don’t hate me for being the only person in your life to tell you the truth.”
When I turned to respond, he was already gone.
When, at last, he found me. Page 10
