Haley Thistle
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Hau the Merman: Part One (rough draft)
🕑 Added 2022-03-12 21:00:03 +0000 UTCThe strange cries came from the shore after a horrible storm. I had thought it might just be the gulls celebrating a wonderful feast, but the more I listened, the stranger the sounds became. Despite the persistent rain, I traversed down the rocky path towards the strange sounds.
It was as cold as hell and my whole body seemed prepared to be dashed upon the rocks with as choppy as the sea was. I climbed down the narrow path, managing somehow to keep the lantern in my hand. I was used to being wet, but something about this weather had me worried.
I finally lowered myself down onto the beach which was covered in large chunks of coral and debris from the reef forest. The cries were closer than ever and, as I raised my lantern, I noticed a mass caught against the dock.
The old dock had seen better days, and lately all it had seen were storms upon storms and the planks were beginning to show signs of rot. Halfway down was where the cries came from, louder than sirens, and much more unearthly than the sound of harpies. I knelt over the dock, grasping hold of what looked like netting tangled with coral and massive amounts of seaweed. Once I had this bizarre package on the dock, I used my knife to open it up to the shrieking from within.
There were two, small wriggling shapes within. They thrashed and screamed in terror, unable to move much beyond that. My breath was taken away and, as rain pelted me and froze my body, I noticed neither. I reached out to one of the small things; it had hands and feet, and shimmered like the ocean waters on a sunny day. They screamed and hissed at my touch while the other began to calm, maybe even fall asleep.
They were babies.
I used the netting to create a sling so I could carry them upon my back. I somehow managed to climb the rocky slope back to the lighthouse with them in tow. Once inside I could inspect them properly and make sure they were taken care of.
I had heard tales of sea monsters that used the reef forest for protection against the many fishing vessels that permeated the waters these days. In all my time at the lighthouse I had never seen proof of those stories until now. The two tiny creatures that wriggled before me appeared amphibious, as they were able to breathe without water. They were also injured and bleeding, and possibly starving. I worked through the night to keep them alive. I managed to find something they would eat, which was mashed fish. And by dawn they had fallen into a peaceful slumber.
The best I could figure was that they were carried away by the storm. Judging from all the coral I saw washed up on shore, they never stood a chance. They were possibly ripped away from their family with no hope of survival. They were so small and looked like soft little jewels.
They looked very similar, but one was more blue while the other was tinged more purple. They had white-pink bellies, which went down the backs of their arms and legs to the soles of their feet and the palms of their hands which were also webbed. They had signs of fins emerging, but they must have been very young, possibly even newborns.
All I could do was watch them. I was in an overwhelmed state, and it was all I could do to keep from breaking down. I sat there, gazing, awe inspired by what the reef forest gave me. I had lost my children when they were young, and now these two souls washed upon the shore.
I had come to this lighthouse out of desperation in an attempt to escape my grief. I was far from home and placed in a world I didn’t belong. I tended to the lighthouse to keep ships away from the dangerous reef forest where no soul outside the waters could survive.
One of the babies began to stir, fussing and grabbing at the bandage around their arm. I picked them up from the crib and they started squawking and thrashing their arms. I cooed to them, gently rocked them. As I sang to them, the little one began to calm.
I tried to keep my breathing even, but I was near panic at every second. I sat down with the tiny sea creature in my arms, only able to subdue my trembling by rocking the little one to sleep. I leaned back and tears trailed down my face. What was I to do? Could I dare to believe this was a blessing? No. I was never blessed.
Once the rains had subsided I took the two little ones back down to the beach. I thought that their family would be looking for them, so I placed them near the shore and I went back further towards the craggy wall. They splashed around in the water and rolled about in the wet sand. They were too small to walk and they seemed afraid to go too deep into the water. The little blue one looked up at me from their belly and started crawling my way.
“No, no!” I shook my head at them. “Go back to the water. Go! Shoo.”
It kept crawling towards me, making that soft little squawking noise.
I was near breaking down. “I can’t take care of you! I’m not your mother!”
The blue one was before me and reached out for me.
I dropped my head. “I can’t...I can’t...” I had resigned myself to loneliness, to suffering the death of my family in silence. I marooned myself in this desolate place, I knew my lot in life.
The blue one croaked loudly at me and I opened my tear filled eyes. I picked them up from the sand and held them to my chest. They curled up soundly, kneading their little hands into my skin. The purple one was watching, gazing blankly at me from a hole dug in damp sand.
“It’s getting late,” I whimpered. “Come now.” I scooped up the purple one and took the babies back home with me.
Each day I took them to the beach, letting them play in the shallow while I waited in the shadows of the rocks. No one came for them, and they always returned to my side when they were tired or hungry.
Over time they learned to stand on their two long legs and were able to toddle around. More time passed and they were able to croak out words and noises to talk to me.
I named the blue one Hana and the purple one Mali. I knew I was a fool to name them, that would be the end of us. Deep down I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to keep them, that wasn’t my lot in life. I was one of those few who watched the world burn around them and somehow remained alive. I wasn’t a survivor, I was a spectator.
Hana and Mali grew into their fins and were able to swim further beyond the shore. Despite this, they always came back to me when they grew tired or hungry.
One afternoon, Mali came running up to me with something in her mouth. She spit it out before me and pointed. “Fish! Fish!” While her mouth was open, I could see sharp teeth recede back, and on the fish there was a very distinct line of bite marks.
“Mali-” I said breathlessly. “Very good! For many reasons!”
Hana soon came running up, also with something in her mouth she spit out. It was a giant sea snail the size of my fist.
“Fish! Fish!” Hana squealed excitedly.
I pulled them into my arms, holding them tight. “I’m so proud of you both. You’re talking and fishing!”
They hugged me back, soaking through my clothes, but it didn’t matter. That evening we served Mali’s fish, and the sea snail turned into a pet they named, well, Fish.
One evening as I was tucking them into bed, Mali tugged on my hand. “Fish. Fish.”
I hesitated as I tried to figure out what they were saying. Mali pulled on me and the look in their eyes made me understand.
“Mama,” I laid my hand on my chest. “You can call me Mama.”
Mali’s eyes widened and their mouth became a perfect O. “Maa-” they croaked. “Maa maa.”
I was teasing fate with this. “Yes, that’s right.” I kissed their forehead softly. “Do you need something, Mali?”
Mali just smiled and placed my hand upon their belly. I kept it there until they fell asleep while fear tried to tear through my body. I wasn’t allowed this joy, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep these babies much longer. But while I had them, I wanted to feel happy again, I wanted to keep them happy.
The island my lighthouse was on was small, though I never traveled far from home. Much of the island was inhabited by harpies who often hunted on other shores, bringing their prey back to the island to be picked clean. There were a few I did trade with and knew by name, a rare occurrence. But I decided it would be best to ask them about the babies in hopes of better providing for them.
I traveled to the edge of the wood and laid out an offering for the harpies upon a stone. Mali and Hana watched it, pointing and cooing.
“That’s not for us, little ones,” I whispered.
“Featherless, what have you got there?” The voice croaked from the edge of the trees. A large red wing tipped in talons stretched out and stabbed into the fish offering.
Hana and Mali hid their faces against my chest.
“That was something I hoped you could tell me, Nyris.”
Nyris was one of the elders of the harpies, a giant red creature that blotted out the sun when she flew. She stretched out her long neck and bit into the fish I offered. As she chewed, her dark eyes focused upon the babies.
“How did you come upon these, Featherless?” Nyris hopped closer to me.
“I found them washed on shore a few months ago. It was after all those massive storms. I’ve been taking them to the beach in case they were being looked for, but no one has come.”
Nyris stretched her long neck out to have a closer look. “They are reef mers, children of the Nereid. Back when the tides could sink below the forest, they could climb the coral without harm. They once guarded the reef forest, but I have not seen their kind in ages.”
“What else can you tell me about them?” I asked. “I’ll give you anything in return.”
Nyris hummed. “I can tell you have two girls, a blessing there. They will also be extremely strong as they grow up. If there is anyone looking for them, you could be in great danger. The children of the Nereid are extremely protective and natural born warriors. They will do all in their power to protect their own.”
Mali and Hana raised their heads, looking up at me, frightened.
“That’s fine,” I murmured.
Nyris sighed. “Featherless, you have been bestowed a great treasure. If you do take these two and raise them as your own, there is nothing in the world that will harm you. I’ve fought many children of Nereid and, while I stand, they have taken many of my own. They are worthy of the reef forest.”
I looked up at Nyris, meeting her frightening gaze. “But how can I take care of them? What can I do to make sure they grow the way they should?”
“As long as they have the reef forest, then they will grow as they should.” She stretched out her wings. “Now, Featherless, take them home before I find them too appetizing.” She began flapping her wings to take off, so I hurried back with Mali and Hana to the lighthouse.
It didn’t matter to me that Mali and Hana were girls. Ever since coming to the lighthouse I hadn’t thought of myself as a woman or man at all. I was simply a being. It changed nothing with how I planned to raise them, however long that would be. But knowing a bit more of what they were and the lives they could lead helped more than anything.
A few more months went by before more storms came to the shores. For days it remained dark outside while the ocean rose high and beat upon the side of the lighthouse. Mali and Hana barely left my side, and when they couldn’t, they remained hidden under the stairs.
“It will be alright,” I told them. “Storms pass, they always do.”
Fish the sea snail was crawling up the wall, so I set him back down upon the floor. “Storms always bring treasure onto the shore. They brought you two to me.”
They looked up at me with big, wide eyes.
“Once they pass, we’ll go back down to the beach and you’ll find all sorts of amazing-” A horrible roar drowned out the sounds of the storm. A cold chill ran down my spine and I stood alert.
Mali and Hana whimpered and screeched.
“It’s okay. It was probably just wind.” As soon as I said this, another guttural roar ripped through the storm.
The door and windows were bolted to protect from the storm, this was the safest possible place on the entire island.
“It’ll be okay.” I repeated for the children, but also for myself.
I heard a window shatter outside the bolted shutters. The roar grew louder and the shutters began to shake and buckle from something pounding against them.
The girls began shouting and they jumped into my arms.
I grabbed Mali and Hana from the floor and carried them back to the bedroom. I placed them inside the closet.
“It’s just the storm. Stay here for me. Okay?” I tried smiling, but I didn’t know how well it came off.
“Mama!” They started screaming.
“I need you to be quiet for me, okay?” I hugged them back into my arms. “Be quiet for Mama. Stay here, alright?”
Mali and Hana continued to cry for me.
I tried shushing them and making them be quiet and then that roar bellowed through the lighthouse. I shut the closet doors and grabbed an axe by the fireplace. I went back out into the main room and saw one of the storm shutters was busted.
My whole body tensed in alertness and my heart pounded up inside my throat. I readied myself, holding the axe before me as I listened for anything over the storm. The howling winds and pelting rains hid any footsteps that may have been outside. Whatever was out there wanted inside. And a dark thought told me it was here for Hana and Mali.
The door shook, something on the other side was clawing and ramming against it. Segments of the door began to splinter and I could see shadows of the creature moving from outside.
My breath was shuddering but I was able to keep my hands steady. I squeezed my hands harder and tighter around the shaft of the axe. I could swing as hard as anyone, all these years alone I had been chopping wood myself. I could crack a skull if I had to.
The door began to break and, on the other side, the creature roared.
“Mama!”
I turned around to see Hana standing there.
I shook my head and pointed back towards the bedroom. “Hana! No! Go back-”
Hana looked around. “Fish?”
“Don’t worry about Fish!” I yelled at her. “Go back to the-”
The door buckled and was ripped from the wall. The guttural roar hit me like a ton of bricks. I raced for Hana, throwing my body over her. Chunks of wood from the door rained over me as it was slammed against the stairs.
Rain was forced inside by the howling winds and it felt like ice against my skin. I looked at Hana, gazing into her eyes as she watched me with fear.
“I won’t let it hurt you,” I breathed to her.
The creature screamed again and Hana echoed it. There was silence and a guttural clicking sound followed.
I was grabbed by the back of my neck and yanked off the floor. The creature held me aloft and, for a brief second, I saw it. It was massive, glittering like the ocean, and covered in thick, gauged scars. It tossed me against the stairs.
“Mama!” Hana screamed.
The creature growled at her and reached out towards her. Hana evaded, running towards the foot of the stairs. She tried to climb the stairs towards me, but she couldn’t make it. She turned to face the creature, hissing and spitting, her fins standing on end.
The creature snarled and, when it tried to step forward, Hana would scream. Moments later, Mali joined her, throwing things at the creature while they tried to guard the stairs.
I sat up slowly, trying to move my body so I could reach them. I looked the creature dead in the eye and I knew right away why they were here.
This was Mali and Hana’s father.
I managed to crawl down the stairs to them, and they placed themselves over me protectively. I looked up one last time at their father, who looked like the powerful warrior Nyris spoke of. I held out my hand to him, giving a slight nod before I could no longer hold on. I drifted away, fading deep into the darkness. I could only hope there was someone waiting for me on the other side.
I never expected to wake up, not alive anyways, and especially not in bed. I woke with Hana and Mali laying on either side of me and the storm howling just beyond me. It had been a dream, a horrible nightmare. I smiled as I felt the girls' little bodies against mine. I rested back into bed when I felt horrible pain radiate through my legs.
Not a dream.
I turned my head slightly and saw in the dim light the outline of the father. His eyes glowed in the radiant light and a luminescence glowed along the scars of his body.
“I knew you’d come,” I murmured. “It was too good to be true.”
Father sniffed.
Tears rose in my eyes. “I wanted you to come back before I loved them. Why did it take you so long?”
Father took a step forward, coming into the bedroom and bending himself over the bed. The girls remained asleep, but their hands tightened upon the blankets.
Sniffing, Father looked into my eyes. He raised his thick arm and placed his hand over my head.
I whimpered, but I was ready for it all to end. Hana and Mali would go back to where they belonged and I would finally be able to see my family again.
“They are mine,” Father growled. “But you are theirs.” He removed his hand from my face and rose over me.
I sniffled and choked on my own breath.
An awful growl filled the room. “They are only children, they do not understand how foolish they are. But once they do, I will rip out your throat so the harpies cannot hear you screaming.”
I closed my eyes and tried to breathe.
“But as long as you are theirs, you are also mine. I do not like it, but I will obey it.” Father’s voice was deep and loud, a storm on its own.
“I am grateful for as long as that stands,” I whimpered. “I only ever wanted to care for them, I promise you that.”
“Humans say lots of things. What makes your words any different?”
“I don’t know.” I swallowed and Hana crawled up closer to me. “Just look at them is all I can say.”
“All I have done is look for them. And now that I have them back, I cannot claim them. Do you know what agony that is? Do you understand how angry that makes me?”
“I do,” I said breathlessly. “I lost my children too. I lost them forever.”
Father was silent.
I sniffled and Mali nuzzled her face into my shoulder. “What’s your name?”
Father snarled. “Hau. Who are you?”
“Oshea. Hello, Hau.”
Hau growled low in his chest and the sound echoed off the walls of the bedroom. Hana and Mali began to still and rested heavily upon me.
“It’s been a long time since I had company, but you are welcome here.” I laughed out of weakness. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do...I don’t know what I should say to you.”
“Say nothing to me. I will remain here only for them. There is nothing that needs to be spoken between us.”
I rested against the bed again. “I think there is a lot that could be said between us,” I muttered. “These children...there’s so much…” I stopped myself and looked back towards Hau.
“I love them so much. Surely you understand that.”
Hau remained silent.
“I love them,” I insisted. “And I know they love me. I was willing to die for them tonight. You and I have that in common, Hau.”
He snarled. “Humans are demons, worse than demons. My daughters will not need you once they are grown.”
“Maybe,” I whispered. “But that’s fine with me.”
“You are frustrating me.”
Hana sat up sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and looked up towards Hau. She tensed up and placed her small body around my neck.
“Do you not recognize me, little one?” Hau growled. “Look at me! Surely you must remember.”
Hana remained protective over me and would not move.
“Show her you mean me no harm,” I tried to coax Hau. “Show her.”
Hau snarled under his breath.
I held out my hand towards him. “She won’t trust you until you do.”
Hau reluctantly took hold of my hand. I brought it close, placing a small kiss upon him while Hana watched. He flinched, gripping tighter onto my hand. Hana breathed and mimicked what I did, kissing Hau’s hand and smile appeared on her face.
“There, you see?” I looked up towards him as Hana held onto his hand.
Hau picked her up, cradling her in his arms. She looked so tiny compared to him. Hau was exceptionally big and powerful, he looked like a god.
“Mama,” Hana chirpped.
Hau snarled. “You do not need her, you know? You have the blood of ancient warriors in your veins. You are vicious and glorious.”
“Mama,” Hana burbled.
“Fine.” Hau handed her back to me. “You will learn better eventually.”
“Hana,” I said.
“What?”
“I named her Hana, and the other I named Mali.”
Hau got a stricken look upon his face.
“Did they have names before?” I asked.
Hau looked away from me. “They were too young when the storm took them. I never got a chance.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I tried to name them something...strong. I was a bit afraid in the beginning. I had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to help them.”
Hau turned away from me, walking away from the bedroom and the sound of rain pelting through the broken door. “It doesn’t matter now,” he sounded solemn. His deep voice held a whisper of sadness to it. “They are not horrible names.”
I smiled softly and closed my eyes again until Mali began to stir. I held them close to me, and silently thanked them for saving my life. In more ways than one, they had protected me. I just had to reckon with Hau now, a new storm, a new day.
Comments
crystal.soup
At first, I thought this Hau was Kekoa the Merman's child, but maybe I'm wrong?
crystal.soup
At first, I thought this Hau was Kekoa the Merman's child, but maybe I'm wrong?
