once upon a beach, in a magical time. That is to say a time when magic still reigned over science and its outlandish logistical ways. There lived a young aquatic one. A being of the "Aqua". A sea dwelling people who have lived since before the time of man. Some even say man descend from them. Curious Aquonians venturing onto dry land only to forget the eternal ocean. Thus sealing their fate as human and banishing them until the end when the prophecy comes to pass and all shall return to the deep blue sea. But that tale is for another time. This is the story of young Anglil.
Anglil was always curious. His mother warned him countless times to stay clear of the surface and beach. And even further from humans.
"But why?" Anglil would protest. "Other than being terrible swimmers they don’t seem too bad."
Anglil knew only what he'd seen of humans from afar. Always dancing aboard ships and frolicking at the shore, they seemed to him pleasantly carefree. He simply could not believe the terrible story’s he'd heard of them from the elder Aquonians.
"They are not like us Anglil." His mother would say. "They cannot help themselves as they are not shrouded in eternity. They feel too much".
But little Anglil knew not what his mother meant. So on a particularly curious day Anglil found himself surfaced near a large reef, close to a small beach, protruding through the waves. It was there he decided to untie his satchel and examine his strange human treasures. Emptying out the bag made from finely woven seaweed onto a flattened portion of reef he then began to lift and scrutinize every strangely shaped object with the fervor and fascination gifted exclusively, it seems, to the wide eyes of youth.
Most of the objects shone or sparkled in the mid-day sun. It would appear that like humans, beings of the deep have an affinity for things that reflect.
A few coins, a corkscrew, a ring with a couple good sized pearls in it, an old rusted skeleton key, a dazzling red ruby, and his favorite item, a golden heart shaped locket. He did not know why he liked it so. The ruby had it undoubtedly beat when it came to sheer luminosity. But every time he held it he felt a comforting calm wash over him.
All the while lost in his adventure of imagining what simple complexities these items held and the human use for them; he failed to notice the small rowboat that had appeared just shy of the beach and not far off from his position half submerged on the edge of a reef.
Needless to say his upper body did appear that of a glorious youth. With some of what can only be labeled as "fantastic aquatic features". The long fine strands of his lush hair, dried with the radiant sun, shone in an auburn hue kissed with golden light. While the lengths that remained submerged took on a strangely translucent quality; which wonderfully miraged his lower form in illusive depth. His fingers were long and webbed, tipped with sharp nails that kept a mother of pearl sheen. His ears, now curled in on themselves, when raised opened like night blooms, with several extending lobes, mimicking a bisected starfish and reaching just over his head. Eyes slightly larger than that of a human were as clear and deep as the ocean, sharing with it in color as well. Opening as humans do but with a clear protective disc that could slide across them horizontally at will; no doubt for clarity while swimming the depths. His skin was pale and strangely luminous while above but surely only added in reflecting his surroundings below. Nose slightly flattened, lips obscuring razor like teeth. But the most peculiar aspect of this aquatic being were what looked to be pale long thin scars running from the back of his hands to near his elbows, down his back, one reaching from the end of his clavicles across the arcs of either shoulder, and one that ran from the center of his forehead to the back of his neck. They of course were not scars but actually a sort of fin. Fins the Aquonians can raise and retract at will. Used for speed and navigation or even detecting the faintest sound or movement in the water.
As the boat came to a halt adjacent to Anglil some fifty feet away he took no notice while he slipped the human ring onto one of his long webbed fingers and held it up against the sky to watch the light dance to and fro off it as he slowly limned an arc back and forth with his fingers. The most fascinating adventure must have been abound in his thoughts because just then a smile touched his lips. And it was at that exact moment, fate intervened. Yes just as Anglil held his hand at the symmetric height for a ray of sunshine to reverberate off the metallic band at the perfect angle and find it's way right into the iris of the fisherman in the rowboat not far off from him, just as he released a weighted woven mesh net. The net caused a splash which Anglil simultaneously heard and felt thus tearing him from the safety of his pleasant daydreams. He quickly looked in the direction from whence it'd come only to find a human on a rowboat looking back.
Instinctively filled with a sense of dread Anglil grabbed his treasures and vanished with a small splash almost quicker than the eye could see. Yes before all the drops of water that had escaped from the nets intrusion had time to settle back into the ocean in a thousand tiny ripples Anglil was gone.
The fisherman stood dumbfounded. The sparkle that had met his eye along with the splash from his net left him with a sense of confusion that forced him momentarily to question his sanity. But being a man of conviction he could not doubt what he knew he had seen. So quickly paddling over to the spot Anglil had just been moments before… he found nothing. But upon closer inspection a familiar light found its way into his eyes once more. There, on a flattened portion of reef, lay a ring with a few good sized pearls in it, glittering invitingly with the water and sun's generous rays on it.
Like a gift. The fisherman thought.
"Thank you." He spoke elated and quickly picked up the ring. Examining it for a moment to see that the band was real gold and pearls still held their pristine luster.
"Yes this will fetch a fine price." He said to himself as he thought what his wife’s expression might be when he arrived home with meat and bread instead of a feeble catch, and perhaps even a new frock for the child. Then he paused for a moment, the smile leaving his face as he contemplated whether it was right to take the ring. Knowing, as a fisherman, the ocean does not give without taking. He then looked down at his wrist and slipped off the cheap beaded bracelet his wife had made for him and left it on the flattened portion of reef where the ring had just lay.
“That should do it.” He proclaimed to no one in particular, as the smile returned to his lips. Then he kissed the ring and said thank you once more.
“I shall keep this secret my friend and hope to see you again one day.”
With his words lingering in the air he quickly reclaimed his net paying no mind to the fact that it was empty and went ashore. Rushing from the beach in a gait starkly contrasting the tired sullen one from which he’d come.
The wind picked up. Bringing soft waves to crash upon the reef. Causing the beaded bracelet left by the fisherman to ebb dangerously close to the edge of the flattened reef. And just as it was about to sink into the depths below, a pale hand caught it. Yes Anglil had not fled the scene entirely as any other Aquonian would have done. Instead he had stayed, watched, and listened from a safe distance below. The curious actions and words of the fisherman left Anglil with an even more curious sense of wonderment. He felt a strange mixture of excitement and happiness as he passed the beaded bracelet between his fingers. He did not care that the human had taken the ring. That simply added to this exotic encounter. The human had something of his and he had something of the humans. An odd connection had formed binding the Aquonian to a human. The bracelet filled Anglil with a warm sense of joy he had not felt before. A human feeling. A deep cavernous emotion. All the love a wife had felt upon making and gifting it to her husband, and all the joy a man had felt upon leaving it for riches. Anglil took into himself, in his curious youth, joy and love for a human man.
Human emotions are powerful. And the young naïve Aquonian not yet in control of his own peculiar powers and emotions set sail for dark uncharted waters, the likes of which one rarely comes back from unscathed.
Thus with swirling thoughts clouding his mind Anglil set off in search of more endearing treasures to leave for his strange but fascinating new friend who had left for him a glorious human token of acknowledgement or as Anglil saw it, a most peculiar friendship. And he knew the perfect place to go to procure such treasure. A secret place he ventured to alone. An old lost shipwreck. Too far below for humans to find, and far too human for any other Aquonian to care.
In true Aquonian form Anglil swam the distance to the old shipwreck in less than fifteen minutes. It would have taken any human on a sailboat at least an hour to cross such an expanse. But what else could be expected from the rulers of the deep. Yes man may have taken claim to dry land and all the harsh elements that accompany it. But below the tides the Aquonians reign supreme, and have done so since before the gods of the deep gave rise to the continents and allowed man to step foot upon them.
With skin that secretes a fine gelatinous layer on them, which allows for no friction between themselves and the water; not to mention their thin, webbed feet and toes that can expand far wider than that of a humans, granting maximum propulsion. Plus, if either of those aquatically engineered features failed to do the trick their thin but thrashingly dynamic tail would not. But their feats, however, did not reach an apex simply in the sense of aquatic maneuvering. Their scientific prowess and miraculous ability to habituate themselves inconspicuously with the flow of life is not short of astounding. They have built entire cities and civilizations from nothing but sand, mastering an alchemic form of fusion they posses the ability to alter molecular compounds making the simplest elements as tough as steel or clear and frail as glass. Chemical orbs of light illuminate their under water metropolises and plasma fields that deflect and diffract matter protect them. Even forces that defy gravity and it's ever present pull exist in their ancient sea dwelling world. How else could they prosper comfortably for millennia relatively unknown next to man and his ever ignorant ways?
Approaching the dilapidated vessel hundreds of feet below the surface light no longer bathed his surroundings. Although his eye sight allowed him to roam about freely even in the murkiest of depths it did not afford him the luxury of details, which he was in need of for his treasure quest. So with a series of internal contractions and a click of his jaw, from out of his mouth came what looked like a giant pearl. It of course was not a pearl. About the size of his palm and perfectly spherical, the strange orb had the most beautiful hues dancing about inside it. Almost translucent, the outer layer held the most curious sheen that allowed it to look solid in one perspective and clear as glass in another. Upon closer inspection the orb would appear to have hundreds, no thousands of tiny facets all over it, yet remained smooth to the touch. The area from whence it came was a pouch like organ the Aquonians posses within themselves. A passageway extends from their trachea directly to it and is lined with muscles that contract to bring objects from it as needed. Down below, where water holds sway to all, such an internal pocket seems only practical.
Bringing his right hand to rest upon a small sphere that lay encrusted on an elaborately jeweled necklace he wore caused it to glow in a pale blue light. Which in turn seemed to spark a reaction in the larger orb he held in his left hand. The soft colors within that had, up until now, danced harmonically with each other, suddenly appeared to become enfrenzied for a fraction of a moment before the orb came alive with a flash. Dropping his hand, the now shining orb stayed its position hovering in front of him. The small similar one attached to his necklace kept its pale faint luminescence as well. It would appear the two alike orbs shared a technological relationship, for everywhere Anglil swam about the old ship the large orb stayed but a few feet in front of him illuminating his surroundings. And if ever the orb seemed to interfere with an object in his path Anglil could be seen sliding his index finger across the orb on his chest which would in turn move the larger orb to its desired position. Finally entering a room that struck his fancy, his eyes alone told all of no one he had been there before. As he did not survey his surroundings, which would have been expected of any adventurer coming upon such a scene.
The room was clearly the master's suit. Or had belonged to someone of importance; perhaps royalty once graced this chamber, for it was not lacking in time withered and water ravaged extravagance. The soft dark floor held remnants that at one time no doubt belonged to fine rugs or tapestry. All the walls, now torn and crumbling, had once been cloaked in fine silk or velvet. The large canopy style bed still held its frame, for the most part, and appeared to be made. Almost as if in protest of times unapologetic and indiscriminate decaying touch. Reminding all who come upon the scene that age may rob it of its aesthetic value but not of it's purpose. The few paintings that hung on the walls echoed a different time. Anglil knew nothing of human history, but he was certain the woman in the portrait he currently observed had to be someone of importance. In contrast to the man he had come across her garments were greatly embellished with jewels and a puffy material he was not familiar with. She wore a shining head-dress and had an overall air of dignity that even little Anglil was able to sense through this darkened and damaged depicture of humanity. He remained transfixed on the painting for quite a while, staring at it with a strange look in his eyes one might describe as pathos, before moving on to sit himself at a vanity that remained intact. The mirror was broken and the candelabra's were useless, but he positioned his glowing orb just above the mirror which granted him enough light to view himself staring back in the stained and broken glass.
There was an impressive display of objects that sparkled or shined in the glow of his orb laid out before him. Set in a manner as if they remained in use and their master had not long since gone from them. Anglil began to fill his satchel but suddenly could not resist the urge to play with the objects one final time before he would pass them back to the world from which they had come. He took the sterling silver brush and ran it through his long, now semi-translucent hair. He took a sparkling necklace brimming with jewels and overlapped it onto his own around his neck. Applied several rings with large stones, pearls and jewels of varying vibrant colors to each of his fingers. Then, stealing a glance at himself in the mirror, a strange expression ran across his face. Something was missing. It spoke volumes and drowned the very water around him. Suddenly, looking down to his right he pulled open a drawer and took from it a small silver box. Prying it open a dull light shone within, it came from no where in particular but the contents remained dry non the less. He quickly touched his finger inside, then, looking over his shoulder at the portrait of the woman, he brought it to his lips. The water around his face was momentarily stained red. Then, facing once more towards the mirror, he smiled. Sparkling with jewels in the glow of his light with his lips now a deep crimson. The mirror reflected not Anglil but a hopeless dream. Brought forth by insatiable curiosity and desire, mistakenly gifted upon one who could not help but be drawn to it's flame.
Removing his human accessories and adding them to the rest of his bounty, he carefully placed the silver box back in the drawer. Pausing in the slanted and broken doorway to take one last look at the old empty room before fleeing the scene. Once he had gone silence pervaded the wreckage once more. Yet from beside the bed on the floor of the dark and ruined suit, a sparkle remained around the neck of a lost voyager wearing an old elegant gown. Sorrow glided in on wings of decay and became once more, the shallow breath of time that holds all murk laden depths.
Back on dry land, where nature and it's ever changing moods hold sway to all, the fisherman had done as he'd intended. Visiting the local pawnbroker and acquiring slightly less currency than he had hoped for, he went to the market to procure necessary luxuries such as meat and alcohol. Because at a time when man is low on supplies necessary to purchase necessary supplies, a sudden surplus could only result in an expenditure of morale boosting amenities. Having finished his shopping he then returned to the meager house he shared with his wife and child.
Entering with a jubilant expression he found no one in the sitting room awaiting him. He had arrived earlier than usually expected. So he closed the door with a backwards kick of his boot and called out to his wife.
"Ana? I’m home."
"Henry is that you?" She inquired from an adjacent room. Only to appear seconds later with a towlette drying her hands. He swooped over and kissed her amply on the mouth. She allowed her hands to fall for a second, lost in his lips, then gathering herself, she pulled away.
"What are you doing?" She said, still slightly lost in the post passionate rush. "Here, that is." She continued.
"I didn’t expect you till past noon."
"I know dear but.."
"And what’s all this?" She interrupted. Eyeing the bags that filled his arms.
"We can't afford this.." she exclaimed her voice steadily rising.
" You haven't been gambling again have you because god help me Henry if I find..."
"No, no! Just listen will ya." He finally interjected.
"The most amazing thing happened while I was out fishing." He began, recounting the entire occurrence at the beach and his day up until now. Sparing no detail except the part where he left the bracelet in place of the ring.
" And look!" He said as he reached into his pocket and dropped a handful of coins on to the kitchen table where they now sat, along with the spoils of his market visit.
"Its left over from what I've spent. Its enough to last us a week or so if were careful. He stopped there as she stared at him with a troubled expression.
"What?" He asked, his joyous countenance melting to worry as well. "Well say something will ya.."
"I can't believe it.." She finally spoke after a long silence.
"I know its amazing but.." He then began, only to be cut off by her once more.
"I can't believe you to think me so dim-witted as to absorb such a fabrication like a useless sponge!" She shouted.
"If you've gambled our money away and actually won for once, at least have the courage to tell me so,, rather than concoct such a tale with sea creatures and treasure." She finished sharply, now pacing the kitchen while rubbing her forehead.
The fisherman sat dumbfounded. His worst case scenario having played out before him. He was about to speak when a distant child's crying broke the silence and beat him to it.
"Now you've gone and waken the baby!" His wife spat as she rushed off.
When she did not return he found her feeding the baby in the rocking chair he had made for her just before their child was born. Finally seeing an opening, he began to speak in a low tone.
"I remember when I made you this chair. This little one was still sleeping within you, and I promised you I'd do all I could to better your life and the life of our child's. Now I know I haven’t been a complete success in that department, and I've lied in the past. But look into my eyes now and believe me when I tell you this is no fabrication. I am not capable of such fanciful notions, and would not believe it myself had it not happened to me. But it was me, and it did happen. Can't you see Ana, our fortune is finally changing. The sea, which washes away all has, for some reason or another, decided to smile upon us. And I nor you is in a position to question that favor and this fortune granted to us. Now if you truly wish to turn your back on such a gift, I can return all I've purchased, retrieve the ring and depart it back to the waves." He paused there, staring straight into her dark eyes.
Looking down at him, as he now knelt before her. His soft earnest words lingering in the air. She believed him.
"Okay" She spoke. "Say it is true, do you think these gifts shall persist? What if they do not, what then?"
"Then we thank god for his blessing and go on as we did before. We've nothing to lose. I tell you what, I will return tomorrow and if nothing happens I shall speak of this no more."
"Alright then." She agreed
"Now" He began as he stood up, the smile returning to his lips. " I believe we have some steaks that need a cookin."
Laying the child down to rest, a smile finally graced her face as they made their way back to the kitchen.
Early the next afternoon, Anglil returned to the spot of reef he had visited the day before. Carefully surveying the area to see that it was clear of humans and safe for him to advance above as he intended. He knew that being there, surfaced, was against the code of his people. But it was at his own risk and he felt a false sense of certainty with this human in particular for which he waited. Because his feelings had been compromised and diluted with fire like human ones that scorched his rationality. And they had not subsided in the least. All night long Anglil dreamt of the human, of being human, and of a strange passion that distorted his mind. All the while the coporate of his human affliction sat quietly around his wrist.
Removing yesterday's spoils from his satchel and laying them out on the flattened portion of reef before him, he wondered whether to leave them all. But then he would have to go searching for more, and that could be troublesome since he had taken everything from his secret hideaway. Plus who knows how long that would take, and he could not risk being away too long. What if his human did not return... "No" He thought to himself, remembering that the man had appeared to be attempting to catch fish. Which means that humans must eat them as Aquonians do. This thought invigorated Anglil. That Aquonians and Humans were not as different as he had been led to believe. Also confirming to him that the human must return eventually.
As Anglil bobbed there submerged from the shoulders down pondering which treasure to leave, he was unaware that his impressive array of diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold and silver cast reflections of light far and wide. And although the surrounding reef shielded most, one such ray escaped the fray and danced swiftly from a glittering necklace into the eyes of a human. Anglil's human to be precise. Who stood aloft a small hill just beyond the beach.
Smiling to himself he said aloud, "I knew it! I knew fate and fortune have finally smiled upon us." as he began his decent making his way to the beach and to the small row boat lying capsized in the sand. He was without his fishing gear this time around save your standard harpoon no vessel did without. Returning the boat to it's position right side up he then dragged it ashore. The moment it began to glide across the ever beckoning waves he jumped in. And it was from that simple action Anglil sensed his presence as it traveled through the tiniest of ripples to his now unfurled fins over fifty feet away. Still obscured by the surrounding reef Anglil quickly stuffed most of his treasure back into his seaweed satchel and disappeared into the watery depths once more. Watching from below as the fisherman approached.
Making his way around the reef, making sure not to damage the boat with protruding corals from beneath, the fisherman came upon the flattened portion as he had the day before. Only this time what greeted him was not one lonely ring but a pile of them. Gold and silver shimmering wildly with the day's brilliant sun raining down on them and sparring beautifully with the droplets of water that clung to them from their trip through the depths. But they were not alone. Lying next to them and appearing humble by contrast was a simple golden heart shaped locket. Giving it the most curious gaze with an expression of equal distinction, he began to lift the locket only to have the thin chain snag on one of the rings; sending the pile into frantic disarray, causing one of the rings to roll over the edge of the reef and yet another to bounce straight in and back to the sea from whence they came before he had a chance to stop them. He retained the urge to dive in after them for a moment, before fear of the unknown took over once more. The ocean in and of itself is a daunting element, but now that he was privy to the fact that beings existed outside his realm of comprehension, made the simple task all the more ominous. Then again, this creature seemed to be of good intention. Why else would it leave such gifts? Just then, as he'd convinced himself no harm would come to him and inserted his hand into the water to see if the rings would some how make their way back to him, a rustling disturbed the surface a few feet from his face.
Watching the boat from below Anglil could feel every vibration, thus discerning the mans position at all times. He could even sense the infinitesimal vibrations of the mans vocal cords to know when and possibly even what he spoke of, if, that is, he understood the human tongue; which little anglil did not. But his peculiar Aquonian gift allowed him to feel as humans and even some Aquonians could not. Giving him access to the tap that continuously flows with feelings and knowledge of one's heart and very soul, deeper than any word could ever travel. He watched silently, the human did not speak. Then, moments later the silence shattered as he heard the rings scatter and one, no two, plopped down into the water. Holding his position for a moment he waited. When nothing else happened and the human stayed his position he swam forth to meet the rapidly descending rings. Drifting swiftly before his face he caught them some fifteen or so feet below the small rowboat. Confusion tinged his expression for a moment before he felt it had been a mistake. The rings, having not been touched directly by the human were touched however by the necklace which the human held, leaving nothing but a fleeting emotion held by the human in that instant. It was then Anglil decided to do something wholly forbidden by Aquonians everywhere. He started his ascent towards the surface right in front of the boat just as a human hand entered the water.
The soft rustling gently gave way to a strange distortion directly before his face as the fisherman knelt, bent over the side of the boat with his hand in the sea. Then an even stranger translucent protrusion came forth and almost instantly changed hue to a light auburn color before giving rise to a face where he found two large eyes staring back at him. Deep ocean eyes that he felt would suck the very soul from him if he did not move. But the fisherman found himself frozen. Partly from fear and partly from astonishment but mostly from fascination. He knew he had seen it if only for a second. But now it stared him dead in the face. Any uncertainty he had been fighting, this creature of the deep vanquished in an instant. Such a loss to his mind and memory left him faintly dizzy. But just then the creatures hand rose from the water, it's webbed fingers blooming like a flower bearing a familiar sparkle that restored the fisherman’s demeanor. The two rings that had fallen.
Seeing a human up close Anglil thought he looked rather coarse. But that could have simply been because he was completely dry. He tried to envision him underwater but stopped short when the human suddenly removed his hand from the water. Anglil could not sense any hostility, he wanted to speak but knew if he could not understand the human words there was no way the human would decipher his. Yet the human spoke non the less.
"Hello, my name is Henry." The fisherman nervously rambled out.
"My wife and I would like to thank you for these gifts, for your generosity... Or whatever reason it is you leave such treasure for us."
Anglil stared at him puzzled, but delighted to gaze upon his face as he spoke and watch his human expressions flit to and from it.
All the while Henry continued to speak.
"I’m actually glad I got the chance to speak to you, I was sort of hoping for it. Because you see I don’t really have anything to give to you in return for these extravagant gifts except maybe the pleasure of my company.. and well this." He paused while digging for something in his pockets. "Ah, here it is." He said as he held out a small wooden horse.
Anglil did not move. The fisherman held it at arms length, filling the gap almost half way between himself and Anglil. Just as he was about to set the horse down in the water a spray shot up lightning fast right from beneath his extended arm. The fisherman fell back in to the boat out of sheer shock. What in the hell just happened he thought as the two rings he'd lost came flying back into the boat. He caught them and stuffed them away in his pocket.
Meekly peering over the side of the boat he found Anglil in the exact same spot only now holding the wooden horse. A forced smile replaced his fear.
"You sure are fast aren’t ya. Hell, I didn’t even see you move. But I see you like the horse huh?" The fisherman spoke warily.
In all actuality Anglil had not moved. Well at least not his body directly. It had in fact been his long whip like tail that snatched the horse with exact speed and precision. But the fisherman knew not of this aquatic trait.
Anglil held the horse with both hands looking it over every which way as if it were the most fascinating trinket he had ever seen. All the while the fisherman went right along speaking.
"I’m glad you like it.. I had been whittling it for my son but he's still an infant and I can make him another, I'm sure he wont mind. Besides your helping us far more than some wooden horse ever could."
While the fisherman rambled on obnoxiously, Anglil's attention was on him, but his heart fluttered away carrying his mind off with it. As he looked over and toyed with the wooden horse, once again emotions not meant for him seeped into his being. A misunderstanding Anglil had no way of knowing. All the joy and love the fisherman put into making this little wooden gift for his son now overcame Anglil and blinded him with passion as deep as unconditional love travels; beyond the ties of life itself. A smile rising to his lips he looked up once more at the human, this time with a new light in his eyes. The fisherman was taken aback. He thought in that moment how beautifully sinister Anglil looked with pearly white razor like teeth partly obscured by his crimson tinged lavender lips. And Anglil brimming with the warmth and love coursing from his heart like liquid fire, without thinking, advanced to just beside the boat; closing the small gap between them. The fisherman thought it was odd how the creature moved through the water without even moving his arms or making any gesture what so ever. As if the ocean itself moved in sway of the being and not vice versa. It was of course, in actuality, once again Anglil's tail that had allowed his advance to appear effortless.
With Anglil just outside his boat not but inches from him, Henry suddenly found himself mesmerized by this fascinating creature. It's eye's alone, large and blue seemed as if one could fall into them just as one falls into the ocean, and melt away. He was torn by what afflicted him now, his conflictions. Was this some sorcery being projected on him by the creature to whisk him away to the cold depths? He was unsure. But he did not feel threatened at all. That sinking feeling one feels when you come upon a large beast and your life hangs in the balance was no where to be found.
They stared at each other for a good while, locked in mutual fascination. Before Henry suddenly could not resist the urge to reach out and touch it's pale luminous skin. Anglil noticed his movement but was unafraid, he did not move. And just as his fingers were about to gently caress Anglil's face, a shudder ran through him, and he was gone with a splash.
The fisherman wondered what could have happened. Had he done something wrong? Just then he stood up, his senses returning to his surroundings. And that’s when he noticed the two other boats that had just entered the water. Had the creature sensed them? He thought to himself as he stared out into the open sea, seemingly lost in a daze.
Collecting the rings and stuffing them in to his pockets along with the heart shaped locket necklace to which he put in the breast pocket of his vest, he then continued to row back ashore.
Anglil was alive like never before. He stashed his satchel away and swam the depths as fast as he could. He felt like he would explode with happiness if he did not move. The entire ocean was suddenly not large enough to contain him as he shot forth out in open water again and again, like some aquatic angel glittering in the droplets hued with rainbows sent up all around him bathed in the light of day. Truly a sight to see, which luckily for Anglil, no one was around to behold.
Back on dry land, the fisherman did as he had done the previous day. Visiting the pawnbroker only this time making his way straight home to his wife. He found her in the sitting room with the child. He walked in and emptied the bag of money he held right on the small table that sat in the center of the room. Coins bounced around causing a metallic cacophony, as the bills fell with a soft splash of paper.
"Henry." She nearly shouted. Cupping her hand to her mouth. "Where did you get all this? What have you done?"
"From the creature!" He boasted with a grand smile on his face.
"What? You saw it?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes Annabelle it was amazing, you should've seen the thing."
He went on once more to explain all that had transpired, and when he was finished this time she wore an expression of amazement.
"I can't believe you actually saw it face to face. And it was strangely beautiful was it?" She said shooting him a sardonic look of contempt.
"After all I've told you that’s what you focus on... Don’t tell me your jealous of the thing." Henry countered in a wry tone mimicking his smile.
"I don't know, should I be?" Annabelle replied, turning her head up to the ceiling.
"Well what if I told you I didn’t sell off everything?" Henry inquired, smiling with his eyes and lips.
"What do you mean you didn’t.."
Annabelle was cut off as Henry slipped a golden heart shaped locket around her neck.
"Oh Henry.." She said as her breath escaped her.
Grabbing the locket she pried it open, it was empty. Henry neglected to mention he had removed the portrait of a beautiful woman that had been inside.
"I shall put a photo of you in it, and of Christopher as well. Both sides of my heart" She said, closing the locket. The infant, Christopher lay sleeping in her arms.
The fisherman shared a kiss with his wife before they went on to count the money and plan how to use it. At one point Annabelle stated she wanted to go with him to see the creature as well and bid it her thanks. To which Henry replied he was not even sure the thing understood him and he didn’t want to scare it off, so better to wait a while so that he can establish some trust… She agreed.
Day's passed, turning to weeks as Anglil and the fisherman kept up with their secret rendezvous. Anglil continued bringing him treasure and the fisherman sometimes brought strange human trinkets some of which Anglil kept and others he threw back. But they never came into physical contact with one another. Anglil tried speaking once but that only led to the human covering his ears in apparent agony. They became an odd pair of what could be labeled as friends.
And back in the human village the fisherman and his family had suddenly come in to a phase of wealth. The rumors were that a rich uncle had passed leaving them his fortune. They, of course, had been started by the fisherman himself. Only he, his wife and the pawnbroker knew the truth. The broker did not know the entire story and did not want to know so long as the treasure kept coming.
All was well and all were happy. That is, until the day the fisherman arrived as scheduled, only… he was not alone.
Anglil made his way to the surface as he felt and saw the fisherman approaching, as usual, to their spot near the reef. Today he had left a beautiful tiara laden with diamonds on the flattened portion of reef just as he'd sensed the fisherman's boat enter the water. Only then, as the boat approached, he noticed something was wrong. The boat was heavier than usual and he could feel the vibrations of two people talking. He was wary about going up but knew "his" human was one of the two on the boat. So, slowly but surely, Anglil made his ascent.
Quickly breaking through the surface he found himself looking upon a confusing scene. His human was indeed not alone. He was with a female human who now wore the tiara he had left. Her voice was loud and she seemed to be cradling a tiny human in her arms. She was dressed in a bright color that mocked the sun and held a strange human device above her head that looked to Anglil to resemble an octopus on a stick.
"Oh my! Is that it?" Annabelle squeaked as she pointed at Anglil.
"Yes, and don't point at it. I don't want you to scare her off." Henry said as he grabbed and lowered Annabel’s arm.
"Since when do you know the sex of the creature?" Annabelle shot. "It looks quite androgynous to me."
"Don't be silly, mermaid remember.. There's no mermen. And is this how you say thank you?" Henry argued.
Anglil watched as they spoke, laughed, and especially how the fisherman held her close. And suddenly all the false joy and love he held in his heart for this human rapidly began to turn into something else. He realized in an instant that all he had done for this human the human had done in turn for his family. They were not coming here for each other, well at least one of them was not. Something stirred within Anglil as the warm feelings within him became hot and burned into another human emotion he had not known. All the human love that coursed generously in his being, rapidly degenerated into black hatred. There, out on the surf on this bright and altogether perfect day, A storm brewed within little Anglil. And as if the wind itself was privy to this, a rogue gust suddenly caught in Annabel’s parasol sending it from her hands and into the water.
"Oh no! Henry be a dear and get it will you?" Annabelle chimed.
"Alright then." Henry responded. Making his way to the end of the boat just behind Annabelle.
As she sat with the sun's glorious rays pouring down on her, a sparkle from around her neck caught Anglil's eye. And that simple, benign act of light reverberating from one reflective surface to another, which began this entire act in the first place, now saw fit to end it. For it was that ray of light that sparked the explosion within Anglil when he noticed it was his heart shaped locket she wore around her neck. Unable to contain his fury, his resentment for this woman who had everything that should have belonged to him. Annabelle had but a second to notice the change in Anglil's expression as he launched himself out of the water just as Henry sat back down to return her parasol. Crashing just in between the two, Annabelle screamed as Anglil slashed her face with his sharp claws. Anglils face was no longer his own, it was now dark and twisted in seething hate. Henry tried to pull him off of her but was thrown back by Anglil's powerful tail, hitting his head on the side of the boat. The baby's crying rang in Anglil's ears. There was no remnant in him that had not been infected with human love, which now burned as anger and pure malevolence. He bit in to Annabel’s shoulder as he tore the necklace from her. She screamed a blood curdling scream as she fought and kicked trying with all her might to protect her baby. Henry drowsily awoke from where he lay on the bowl of the boat, suddenly pulled back to the gravity of the situation by Annabelle’s screams. He turned around to a horrific scene of his wife and child covered in blood and the sea creature on top of them. Quickly grabbing his harpoon he stabbed it into Anglil's side. Anglil screamed as blue blood poured from him and once again used his tail to knock back Henry who fell to the floor covering his ears. Annabelle covered her face as Anglil began to vomit blue green spewage all over her. Then he suddenly fell over the side of the boat, disappearing into the sea with a splash.
The attack was over as quickly as it had begun. But the screaming had not ended. Henry rushed to Annabelle’s side, checking her wounds. But she was not screaming in pain for her wounds. No, she screamed for her baby, which Anglil must have grabbed just before he'd fallen in. The water below the boat became a murky dark blue cloud. And the beautiful day was swept away as hastily as an eclipse, the sky darkened and the sun retreated behind a cloak of gray, as if it could not fathom such events. All the pain and wrath solidified rained down with thunderous applause as the scene was curtained in innumerous tiny wet daggers, that drowned out Annabelle’s screaming and all that was lost in sorrow.
As Anglil desperately attempts to make his way to a familiar wreckage, the once warm and comforting waters feel as cold and distant as he now realizes his world was from that of the humans. And it is that painstaking discovery that snuffs out his eternal light, and his sorrow laden countenance merges with the equally abysmal depths.
Sleep now in the oceans arms, and be not acquainted with love’s broken heart.
Anglil and the child were never seen again. Annabelle waited by the beach everyday for her baby to return, never daring to venture into the water. Until one day, when she thought she heard a familiar cry and walked straight into the surf, never to be seen again. Henry lost all his fortune and died with nothing and no one. No fish ever ventured into the surrounding waters and eventually the entire village dissipated into ruin. Perhaps that is the price for killing a child of the sea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day, long after, a wayward traveler came upon the beach. It looked rather picturesque and peaceful, so he decided to rest for a while. After setting his things down he figured he'd try and catch some fish. As he walked along a glimmer met his eyes from where the surf drowns the sand. He rushed over and picked up the source of the sparkle. A golden heart shaped locket with a broken chain. Prying it open he found a picture of a child inside the other side empty. His eyes lingered for a while forcing his mind to wander about the fates of objects lost at sea, and more so about those that had lost them. He then uttered a few words that were whisked away by the crashing waves and wind as he closed the locket and threw it back into the sea. Knowing full well that the ocean does not give without taking away.
Anglil