by B. J. Smash
Izadora came into the living room with a cup of tea in her hands, a sour expression on her face. My stomach clenched up.
“I saw in my blue bottle what you know,” she said. “I must ask you to drink this.”
***
I rode home with Aunt Clover that night, on the back of her four-wheeler. I didn’t want to walk through the garden again tonight. Not after the Silvie incident. We drove through streams and flooded areas like it was nothing. The engine roared and the tires treaded over rocks and mud, carrying us up and over steep paths. It had been so dark, and the only light came from the steady beam in the front of the machine. The air was clean and pure, smelling of pines.
I had fun, especially with Aunt Clover driving. She had no mercy on the poor four-wheeler, and we were often flying in the air like we were in the Dukes of Hazzard. Occasionally I got whacked in the face with a branch, but it only stung for a moment. I had a coughing spell once, and she had to pull over for a few moments until I calmed down. Man, my throat burned, and my chest hurt.
It was late by the time we got to Gran’s. Aunt Clover dropped me off and continued on home to her apartment above the café. My grandparents had already gone to bed, but Father and Ivy waited up for me. We ended up playing spades for two hours, and then I had to get to bed. My head felt fuzzy and my nose was stuffed up.
As soon as my head hit the fluffy pillow and my body hit the soft contours of the bed, I was asleep. My body was tired, and my mind even more tired.
I dreamt that Magella and I were on the houseboat. I had done something wrong. I think I had painted her boat white and she had wanted it painted black. Anyway, she ended up choking me, and I kept trying to swallow but couldn’t. I awoke to a coughing fit and ended up running to the bathroom and puking in the toilet.
I dreaded the thought of returning to Magella’s boat. I dreaded it so much. While I was pitying myself, I remembered the lozenges that Izadora had given to me, and I went to my purple robe that hung on a hook in my bedroom. Reaching in, I pulled the paper sack out and opened the bag. To my surprise, there was a note inside. I opened it and it said (in horrible handwriting, I might add): “Zinnia. Take one in the morning and one in the evening. This should help coat your throat.”
“Wait a minute,” I said aloud. “She must have known that I would need these.” She had handed me the bag already taped up. She knew I’d be coming, and she’d known that I would need these lozenges. Uncanny old woman. Her and her blue bottle.
I put one of the brown-colored lozenges in my mouth and let it dissolve. I lay back down and must have fallen right to sleep. I slept through the entire night not coughing once.
Chapter Seven
The time passed all too quickly, and Tuesday morning had arrived. It seemed like I’d just gotten here and that I should be making chocolate chip cookies with Gran this morning, or going for a morning stroll with my father, or even playing a game of chess with Granddad.
I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. I wouldn’t bother taking a shower this morning. I’d soon be in the water swimming for fish and later smelling of fish.
I’d be going to Magella’s houseboat. Back to prison.
I jumped up and got dressed, and donned my purple robe. Brushing my teeth, I didn’t even look in the mirror. I couldn’t stand the sight of myself this morning. However, I did take a tube of toothpaste from the bathroom closet and a bar of soap. Gran had told me to take what I needed. Stuffing them in my robe, I went downstairs, where she greeted me in the kitchen with a present to take back with me: a pretty afghan that she had knitted in soft browns. It was soft to the touch and would be much nicer than the smelly, old wool blanket that Magella made me use. My only hope was that Magella would let me keep it.
It happened all too fast. I ate a muffin, had some coffee, kissed Gran on the cheek, squeezed my granddad tight, and was in the car on the way to the dock. The sadness in their eyes when I left made me feel horrible. I was a terrible granddaughter to put them in this position. To have to leave them behind to worry.
At the dock I could already see Magella’s houseboat out in the gloomy bay, sitting in the fog, swaying on the water. It looked like it could be a pleasant boat from this angle, but I knew that it wasn’t. The water lapped the sides in a trancelike way, and the night was just leaving. The atmosphere was cool and filled with a tangy, briny smell.
My father pushed the air out of his lungs with an extended sigh and patted my back. “Come here, you.” He pulled me into a big bear hug. “It’s going to be all right. No harm will come to you, or she’ll have all of us to contend with. She knows that.”
I nodded my head yes. I pulled myself away and said, “It’s okay, Father. I will be fine.”
“You will. Just keep your chin up,” he said.
“I always, always do,” I replied.
Ivy leaned in for a hug, and I gave her a quick squeeze. I wished that I could have held onto her longer, and I wasn’t even a huggy-type person at all. But I would miss her. I just didn’t want her to know that. I pulled away and grabbed my afghan from the car and walked to the edge of the dock. Magella’s boat was right there, waiting like a death sentence. I hadn’t even heard it approach the dock. The big, dark boat loomed before me as I stepped forward. The paint was chipping off the mermaid’s eyes and nose. She looked more hideous than ever.
Magella stood by the railing. “Come on. I don’t have all day.”
Ah, but she did. She had all the time in the world. Still, I hurried aboard, using the short ladder to climb up. She glared at my father and Ivy. They glared back.
“See you next month,” my father said, but the boat was already backing up and heading out to sea.
“If you’re lucky,” Magella replied so my father couldn’t hear her. She was in a dark mood; I could tell by her clenched jaw. She must have lost money or gold or jewels at her card games this weekend. For I was certain she was a high-stakes gambler.
When she saw the afghan that Gran had made me, she scoffed and said, “What do you need that for? You are so high maintenance.”
“Can I keep it?” I asked, full of doubt that she would say yes.
“Yeah, you can keep the blanket. We could use something to wipe up the fish guts,” she grumbled. She made me sound like I was a child, and I hated it. But I would not argue, and she knew it.
Sighing inside, I wished that I’d just left it at home.
My father and Ivy began to look like miniature people now, far away. They waved at me, and I waved back. For the first time in a long, long time, my eyes glazed. I wanted to jump the boat and swim to the dock, grab my father’s leg, and beg him to help me. But I wouldn’t. Like Ian and Izadora had clearly stated, I had made my bed—and now I must lie in it.
“Get the net. I’m hungry,” Magella spat.
I could still see my father and Ivy watching after us on the dock. I willed them to go away, and I hoped that we’d be out of eyesight before Magella made me jump into the cold, dark waters. I did not want them to see me. To witness what Magella made me do.
It didn’t matter. Before I could worry too much, Magella cloaked the boat, and we were invisible to the outside world.
I placed my blanket and robe inside my ramshackle hut. Instead of cutoff jean shorts, I put on some black leggings and a black T-shirt. I felt dark and ominous. So, why not wear black? The color had always fit my moods well. It was different when I was with the Fae. Oh! The gowns that we wore when we cast our glamour spells. Wow. They were the prettiest, most beautiful garments I had ever laid eyes on. The intricate lacy details! The jewels that adorned them! And the colors of the fabrics were like none I had ever seen. But I didn’t have any of those gowns anymore. So, black it was.
When I first entered the water, my senses went numb. I almost forgot where I was. It was cold—oh, so cold. Not just from the ocean, but because the air was chilled too.
My teeth chattered endlessly. I attempted to hold my jaw still, but it was
pointless. My webbed feet immediately took their form. With the net firmly in my hands, I dove down deep into the dark waters and took my first breath of water. It burned as the saltiness touched my raw throat. I wanted to scream out in agony, but no good would come of it.
I swam around with my ears plugged up from the water and some pressure forming in my head. Finally, they both popped and, equalizing, I could dive even deeper. It was always a relief for them to pop, as sometimes my head felt as though it would explode. The cacophony of ambient ocean noises filled my ears, and any movements I made sounded like swishing noises. Occasionally, the few tiny bubbles from my mouth would rise and float above my head.
Looking around, I spotted some translucent-looking shrimp on the ocean floor. They were creeping around some sea plants and giant shells, trying to hide from predators. From my own observations, during the night they would feed closer to the surface on plankton, but they tended to stay in seabeds and on the ocean floor during the day.
I dove down and picked up a few and placed them in the net, and then I swam for a while over rocks and coral, observing the sea life, ignoring my numbing limbs. I thought about digging for clams but decided to stay with catching fish. Soon after I made my decision, I spotted a school of striped bass. I was in luck! I cast the net. It flew out faster than normal, encompassed three good-sized striped bass, and zipped back to me in record time. Right before I had jumped in, Magella mentioned that she had fixed the net—and she had. Thank goodness. Of course she only fixed it so that I could get her more food.
Just as I was about to head back, I heard a tap, tap, tap ahead of me. I couldn’t locate exactly where it came from until I heard it again. Tap, tap, tap. Like metal on metal. Underwater things sound magnified, and this time I knew it was coming from the right. I swam on in the company of a school of red fish. They surrounded me on all sides. This time, when the tapping noise sounded, the fish veered to the left and swam away from the sound, leaving me to fend for myself.
I should have followed suit but I was too curious, and so I swam on quite a ways. The boat was well out of sight now, but I persevered toward the noises. The rocks began to become thicker and larger, and the waters started to become gray and murky. Soon, I came upon the outside of a cavern. Not the same one as the other day, but a larger cavern with pointy rocks that jutted up at the front. Something seemed weird about this place, and I soon realized it was because of the bubbles that escaped the entrance and floated toward the surface. Then they stopped.
I breathed slowly, waiting for more signs of life. I decided that I had nothing to lose, and so why not check it out? If something like a shark ate me, hey, I wouldn’t have to live with Magella anymore. As I approached the entryway, more bubbles escaped. Larger ones. Dozens of bubbles, one right after the other. And then suddenly a loud but mumbled whinnying sound blurted out from inside the cavern. It sounded like a high pitched cross between a dolphin and a horse. Surely there were no horses underwater. Rumbling noises and multiple vibrations shook the ocean floor before me. A mini earthquake?
At this time, I decided to back away a few feet to the side, and it’s a good thing that I did. Shortly after, I saw what looked like a thick golden trumpet shaped snout sticking out of the dark cavern. This trumpet-looking thing lingered for a few moments as though it were being held back, and then another loud horsey-dolphin whinny echoed throughout the ocean. I have to admit, it jolted me to the point that I screamed out.
Shocking me back into silence, a head pushed out of the entrance, and the long, golden body of a giant seahorse fled the cavern. Its head was that of a horse, the body thick, with a winding tail that curved underneath. If I had to guess, I would say he was around fourteen to fifteen feet long.
My hands flew to my mouth as I held my breath. I was in shock to see one! I had no idea they could get this humongous. I had seen a tiny one at an aquarium once and had stood in awe. But now, it was surreal. So surreal. I loved seahorses!
And as he fled, I could hear high-pitched dolphin calls coming from the cavern. It was then that I realized the seahorse had a silver-white cord wrapped around its neck. This was caused by whatever else remained in that cavern. I didn’t have to wonder for long. A bustle of noise could be heard, and what I thought were dolphins was actually a crew of merpeople. They held onto the rope and the bunch of them was being pulled by this giant seahorse, resembling some type of game. The seahorse picked up speed, and the merpeople flew past me. The giant creature sped on, winding them around like a whip. They went out a great distance and then turned back around and came back my way. They appeared like they were waterskiing, only it was underwater, and they had fish tails!
This had to be a game or a sport of some type, and while at first I thought they were trying to capture this seahorse, it occurred to me that they were only having fun. A joyride.
As they swept by me again, the last merperson did an unexpected thing, she grabbed my arm and pulled me along with them. It was a female with long, flowing black hair, with a string of pearls woven into a small braid on the side, and she had the biggest smile on her pretty face. Her pale skin had a sheen to it, like it was coated with diamond dust.
She kept a grip on my arm while she and her friends held tight to the silver-white rope. Ahead I could see about twelve other merpeople gripping the rope, swaying with the currents left behind from the seahorse. Long blonde hair flew out behind one mermaid, shimmering red on another, and then there were some short-haired merpeople, probably the males, and they had some strong, muscular backs. You could hear the laughter escaping their mouths, and the occasional dolphin-like squeal or click from one of the excited members.
Occasionally the seahorse would make a whinny sound, and I could feel the vibration and hear it reverberate off the rocks and throughout the ocean.
We went on like this for about ten minutes, twirling around corals in pinks and blues, and flying through overgrown sea plants that grew all the way to the top of the water. I had no idea where we were, but I soon realized that I had dropped my net. While that caused some panic to arise in me, I couldn’t help but enjoy myself.
At one point we swam past a large underwater cliff. The cliff, I noticed, had many caverns and caves built into the side. Deep green sea kelp and many different kinds of colorful plants decorated the rocky sides, and a few faint sunrays seemed to spill over us.
In the end, we swam through some type of wispy red underwater plant that grew up from the bottom of the ocean. It felt like satin when it touched my skin.
Soon, they all let go. When we were stopped and were floating, my head spun momentarily and I had to get my bearings. One merperson, a male, remained on the line. He gave it one good pull and the line was released from the seahorse and the rope returned to the merperson, retracting like a tape measure until it was but a small circle in his palm. They all laughed and caught their breaths, before the majority of them swam away.
“Hey!” I called after them. “That was amazing, but I don’t know where the heck I am!” I surely couldn’t find Magella’s boat without help. With my eidetic memory, I could remember any words or numbers that you put in front of my face, but when it came to remembering turns and directions, no way.
Two remained by my side. One of whom I noticed in the cavern the other day. The boy with the purple-blue eyes. He waved at me and slid away, disappearing in the depths of the ocean.
The only one that remained was the girl with the long black hair. She turned her gaze to me and smiled. Her eyes were pearl colored, with shimmering foam green specks. “He’ll be here to take you,” she said, sounding far away.
“Who?” I asked.
She ignored my question and asked, “Your name is Zinnia?” When she said my name, she pronounced it with a long “i”—like Zynnia.
“Uh…it’s Zinnia,” I corrected her.
“My name is Harleena,” she said. “I am Eadgar’s sister.”
“Oh,” was all I could say. Why was Eadgar’s sister hauling me
along on a seahorse joyride? It had been so much fun, don’t get me wrong. But I had to get back to Magella’s or she’d have my head in a goldfish bowl before the end of the night. As it stood now, she was going to just about kill me for losing her net.
We floated there staring at one another for I don’t know how long. Her bikini top was made out of dozens of smooth, pearly pink shells, and her fish tail was blue, with a few pinkish scales scattered here and there. What a pretty combination of color! She examined me as much as I examined her, from head to toe. I saw her do a double take when she noticed my webbed feet. In fact, she held back a snicker.
Soon, Eadgar—or Ed—showed up. To my utter and happy surprise, he held the net. It not only held the bass I’d caught earlier but several big, fat salmon. He had filled it to the brim for me.
“Let’s go.” He swam closer, his big blue sapphire eyes shining, regardless of the fact that there wasn’t much sun out this morning. “I take you back now.” His muscular chest was sculpted like a proverbial god’s. The sun tattoo on his arm changed and shifted colors, from turquoise to green, to dark blue. It had to be the coolest tattoo I’d ever seen.
“Okay. Thanks,” I said. “It’s, uh…hard to catch salmon.”
“Not for me,” he said with his strange accent and while pointing to himself.
The dark-haired girl, Harleena, spoke to him in a high-pitched voice. The noise that came out of her mouth was not like any type of word from any language I had ever heard in my life. It was more like noises. “Eeeeek eeeeeek” and then a throaty clicking noise, and some type of whistling that also came from deep within the throat.
“All right. I will see you at home,” he answered her.
She waved to me and I noticed that she had a beautiful bracelet full of dazzling blue shells and a smaller version of Eadgar’s tattoo on her right arm. I returned the wave and then she whipped her tail in the water, causing many ripples, and she was off faster than a shark, her hair flowing out behind her.
