Into The Blue

Cold salty waves crashed against the rocks. His green eyes were sensitive to the setting sun as he watched his favorite ship and sailor sail into the open waters as a storm brewed on the horizon. She knew better, his thoughts wandered as he watched, climbing the stairs of the lighthouse.

Opening the hutch he moved around his bed and walked to the balcony that wrapped around the lighthouse, the air was salty, cold, and windy. Seagulls flew to the dune grass for safety as the waves grew choppy and the tide came in.

He noted a ship further out in front of her own that intrigued him.

Heading inside he sat down in front of the radio he installed when he agrees to take this job. He radioed her ship waiting as the sky darkened, rain began to fall. A choppy voice came through the radio.

“Vlad I have the “ static came through the line after her excited but panicked honey voice. Looking out the foggy glass he could see the water was growing more dangerous as the minutes passed.

“Talia you need to come back to shore there’s a storm and you’re heading straight for it.” he radioed back anxiety filling him as he hoped she would turn around.

“ I have proof that they are illegally fishing and dumping into the water “ the radio came through clear.

“ Good, then come back and we will take care of it”

“Now where would be the fun in that fish boy” a familiar voice answered instead of Talia. A lump filled his throat and he realized that she wasn’t on her ship she was on theirs. He knew what he had to do.

“ Don’t hurt her” he radioed

“ Come and get her then“ the radio filled with static as dropped the receiver. Quickly his feet bounded down the stairs as he began stripping off his clothes. The cold air hit his skin as he was assaulted with icy drops of rain that stung his skin as he ran across the rocks and down the sandy beach to the water.

Hitting the cold water the waves crashed around him as he submerged himself.

His golden-brown hair changed to teal sea green, his neck gaining gills and his legs fusing to form a tail littered with colorful sharp scales and fins perfect for fast swimming.

He swam quickly silently cursing himself for being so careless and getting attached to a human.

The very reason he had to come to land, to begin with.

Advocating for clean waters and research that large companies wanted no part in. His hands tangled in something slowing his swimming he grumbled as the plastic bag wrapped around his hands came into sight.

“ Mother of pearl how many plastic bags can you humans use,” he thought as it floated to the seafloor behind him.

Under normal circumstances, he would have kept it with him removing it from the waters it polluted but right now he needed to get to Talia.

His tail stopped but not on his own accord. Another bag he thought angrily looking down only to be frustrated to see his tail tangled in a fishing net as he leaned down to cut it with the scales on his arms he struggled as the net closed in around his body, surrounding him.

He was pulled to the surface and immediately plopped onto a deck on a ship that reeked of dead fish.

“ Now see Talia, we aren’t the bad guys here we haven't been lying about who we are.”

Talia sat on the seat of the ship her hands tied looking confused scared and horrified at the sight in front of her.

“ Your monsters, you’re killing sharks, turtles, and dolphins and for what a few dozen fish. To get paid to dump whatever they ask you to? ”

“ You still think it’s about the fish? Or the money from the dumping? ”

“ Are you blind look at what’s in front of you he will make us millions”

By now Vlad had transformed back into what he called landform and was laying naked tangled in a net.

“ Interesting so when you’re in the ocean your a fish and when your not your human I see how that works, more convenient for me this way anyway. “ the captain appeared from below the deck. Laughing as he Looked from Talia to Vlad.

“ Oh and this, it’s useless to you now, “ he said throwing a camera overboard.

“ Burn her ship, they come with us.” He directed the two men in front of Vlad and

Talia.

The man who was familiar to Vlad left boarding Talia’s boat dumping copious amounts of gas on it before igniting it with a match, just as the other man shoved a pair of painter's pants and a shirt at Vlad. Holding a gun pointed at both him and Talia gesturing that they move below the deck of the ship.

“You are both in for a ride.” The man laughed cruelly as the ship rocked harder.

“ You need to turn around, sailing through this storm would be nearly impossible”

“ You would say that fishboy “

The man from Talia's boat came back finally revealing his face.

“Kyle! “ Talia said shocked looking at her ex standing in front of her.

“ I told you to stop poking around”

“ You also said you and your crew weren’t a part of the groups harming the sea life that’s been washing ashore.”

“ Talia, do you think that Gucci sandals and ships buy themselves?”

“ I knew you were a liar.”

“ Good luck proving it, I on the other hand will have no difficulty proving that Vlad here is a mermaid, merman, whatever you want to call the fishboy. Like I told you all along, from the time he moved into the stupid lighthouse you love so much, something just wasn’t right with him. “

The ship suddenly jerked to the right water rushing up onto the deck leaking down into the cabin. Both men were alarmed at the sudden movement and quickly climbed the stairs returning to the bow and deck.

Lightning crackled in the sky as the ship rocked steadily from one side to another. Silence surrounded Talia and Vlad as the storm pressed on.

Hours passed as the sun rose and the waters calmed. The men nor captain had returned since the night previous. Talia was working through the last piece of her rope rubbing it on an exposed nail in the post she was tied to as Vlad slept tied to the post he was left on hours ago. Finally freeing herself Talia breathed in relief and rubbed the red spots around her wrists that were bloody and raw from the wet ropes. Her clothes soaked she shivered as she untied Vlad's hands and he sighed looking at her as she helped him up.

“ I thought you said you were done with this T,I also never wanted you to find out like this” he asked using her nickname looking defeated.

“ You know the oceans important to me. Between the slaughtering of the sharks for their fins, the high deaths of sea turtles and whales from plastic ingestion, and the rising temperatures we are all in trouble if we don’t work together to do something soon. also I’ve known about your , uh, species for quite sometime , it’s just never been in my interest to blab about it or tell others. I figure you are here for a reason , right? ”

Her bright blue eyes and words about his species out him at ease, the admiration of Vlad's true home made him happy and prideful. Had she been a merperson she would have been a good mate.

We should see what they are doing she whispered pointing to the hatch. Approaching it she opened it allowing sunbeams to shine through the crack as she slowly opened it. The deck was empty. Calm waters surrounding them. The men and Talia's ship nowhere in sight.

“ What now?” Vlad asked looking at her

She bit her lip thinking looking off the edge of the ship.

We swim back, report by ship as stolen, and this one as abandoned to the coast guard. They won’t suspect anything with my ship. As for this one, she walked to a holding tub and opened it revealing sea turtles and rare blue-spotted fish swimming in confused circles. They will find the illegal animals release them and confiscate the ship selling it at the next auction when it goes unclaimed.”

“And if they come back ?”

Something tells me that isn’t going to be an issue” Talia said with certainty holding up a bloody scale similar but larger than one of my own in merperson form before smiling at me she threw it off the edge.

“ I always knew there was something special about you Vlad and don’t worry you’re secret is safe with me, your fight to save the ocean through well that we are going to face together “ she smiled looking at Vlad as she jumped off the deck of the ship into the cold water looking up at him waiting for him to join her.

“Talia Blake you surprise me more every time I see you” he sighed relieved at her acceptance and promise to keep his secret. Her ingenuity was important this situation could have easily ended with him being a lab rat.

“ Could say the same to you, merman “ she giggled splashing Vlad with water making his dive into the cold water inevitable as soon as the water touched his skin scales momentarily appeared on him only to fade away before appearing everywhere once he dipped his body into the water fully submerging himself. Swimming back to shore with Talia as calm waves washed up behind them and the sun rose as the seagulls and sandpipers emerged to look for their next morning meal.

Talia and Vlad reached the shore exhausted but ready to face the beginning of their newfound friendship and alliance together. Vowing to keep the animals safe and the ocean cleaner together while keeping a secret about their near-death experience to themselves.