The small Finnish siren looked down at the slightly wavy water surrounding the rock he was perched on. Cars drove over the bridge, people coming to the beach all the while they ignored the beautiful being that was resting on a rock, his tail curled to the side as his fin rested in the water.
The sirens name was Tino, His tail being a shimmering white with light blue membrane. He had a back fin, which was folded down and two side fins, starting a few inches below where the scales started. Tino had light blue arm fins and scaled shoulders, Light blue scales being the color of both things mentioned. He had small webs between fingers which were pale blue, flecks of white everywhere. His ear fins flat against his head were now flared open, dropping from sadness. Tino had gills on his neck and his side and lastly scales under his eyes, a line of them with stray scales dancing around his eyes. The siren had his hands behind him, head to the side with his eyes looking down.
He sighed, flicking his tail upwards letting water shower down on him so his scales wouldn't dry up. A quiet whimper came from his mouth. The lonely siren had just been abandoned by his pod, he would drag everyone down. Tino hated that the other sirens though his voice would do no good. It wasn't Tinos fault that his voice was two high for a males. He would constantly get picked on for never getting a mate, his voice was too high and he had now stripes on his tail to communicate in dark waters.
Children's laughs made Tino happy, seeing the small beings playing and dancing in the water that he had called home made him smile. Today the weather good, fishers were out fishing on the early spring day. Tino softly sang the tune to a song he heard coming from shore. That night he learned what the word 'concert' meant.
Soon, the day dragged into mid-day, the sun was shining and the boats were docked. People were out sitting on the warm sand eating lunches, but no one saw the figure sitting on a rock, his tail swishing back and forth as he sang softly a tune to a song he might never know to title of. Tino was glad the water was calm, He might stay up here on the little rock he claimed all day. The siren was now shifted so he was on his stomach, hands propping his head up as his tail fin barely touched water. Sometimes, Tino would move back so his tail went under and he would curve it, lifting his tail up out of water dumping the water that was in the dipped area onto himself.
Mid-day was over soon, People packed up there lunches and finished their day at the beach. A black car rolled up when the sun was almost done setting, its doors opened and at least 4 people coming out, two guys and two girls. They ran to the shore of the beach, Tino tilted his head to the side, wondering what the people were doing. He could hear there slurred laughter, the two guys stripping their shirts off and setting them down.
'I wonder what these people are doing. I'll go find out.' Tino though, Sliding into the water without a sound.
Tino pushed his tail downwards, lifting his head above water just so the top of his head could be seen. His ear fins were flared out and you could see a few of the spines of his back fin, but that was nothing to worry about just yet.
The 4 had stripped naked, Tino made a discussed sound, sticking his tongue out and turning his head, eyes closed. He turned back, tongue going in and eyes opening. Tino lifted his entire head above water, ears fins still flared out showing the many different black swirls that showed. The people were in the water, the two guys had the girls on their shoulders as the girls started to play fight, and the one on the right fell off with a playful scream. The girl's head popped above water, there was a silence before they all started to laugh.
At the sight of the playing, Tino laughed, his beautiful charming laugh that would make anyone happy rang out for a few seconds. Tino closed his mouth when the human's laugher stopped. The 4 were looking around,
"You guys hear that?" Tino heard on of the guys say.
Tino stuck his head under water, taking a deep breath and letting the oceans air calm him. Tino swam forwards a few feet, keeping his tail movements down so no large ripples would show.
Tino used his extra good hearing to try and listen to the conversation. But the calming ocean was filling his head. Next thing he knew, The 4 people were pulling there cloths on and it was already dark. Tino made his way back to his rock, jumping up and taking the position he first had. The Finnish male picked up one of the small fishes that had cough this morning and popped it in his mouth, snacking on the fish until he ate the rest of them.
Tino never knew he was crying until the scales in one spot of his tail had the color they take on when he's under water, not the slightly dried color they take when he's above water. Tino let the tears fall, soon from a few tears Tino was now sobbing on the rock, his angelic voice ringing over the ocean. Tinos voice made his crying sound horrible. Once Tino charmed a fish that passed by when he was crying. Tino remember his mother saying "When a siren cries, people that hear the sirens voice feel guilty and sad."
The siren sniffed, quieting his sobs. Suddenly he saw the headlights of a blue truck roll into the parking lot. Tino watched, seeing a tall man with blond hair, a blue shirt and blue pants get out of the truck. He walked to the beach, sitting down on the sand by the shore. Tino heard a deep sigh come from the man, making Tino feel saddened by the strange man. The siren dove into the water, swimming as close as he dared to get to the human male. What made Tino stop was when the male pulled something out got a black bag Tino never noticed the male bring. He saw the title of the book read sketch book and a pencil in the male's hands. Tino swam closer to the male, getting as close to the shore as he dared.
"I know your there little siren." The deep voice of the male said as he looked up from his sketch book.
Tino gasped loudly, squeaking and pulling his head under the water. He heard a deep laughter from the surface, when he stuck his head up he saw the male was sitting cross legged, looking up and down from the Ocean to the paper. Tino swam closer, dragging himself so his human torso was laying on the wet sand.
"What's that?" Tino asked, pointing to the book.
The male set his pencil down, looking up from his book and at the siren, muttering "A sketch book."
"Oh, what are you drawing, human?" Tino asked again, his tail swishing back and forth.
"I was drawing the ocean, would you like to see?" The blond asked
Tino nodded his head, the man getting closer to Tino and turning the book so he could see. Tino marveled at how good the drawing was, gasping at how beautiful and detailed it was.
"Do you like it?" The man asked "My names Berwald by the way, what's yours?"
"I love it, my names Tino." Tino replied, his ear fins flaring out as he looked from the drawing into the deep blue eyes of the somewhat scary looking man.
There was a silence before Berwald closed his sketch book after a few minutes, putting it in the black bag with his pencil.
"Wait, sir." Tino started to say, looking from the sand to Berwald
"hm?" Berwald said, turning his head to the side to see Tino
"Three things Mr. Berwald. One, why are you not freaking out at my sight? Two. Can you push me back in the water and Three, can...can you come back tomorrow and draw me?" Tino asked, s sheepish grin on his face as he looked away to the side.
"Well, You're a beautiful being who I just couldn't muster the will to even think, let along speak the words along 'That boy is a freak.' Of course and I'll see if I have free time" Berwald answered.
The Swedish man set his bag down on the sand, getting close to Tino before rolling him into the Ocean. Tino moved a bit ways back, sticking his torso out of the water waving his hand, a smile on his face. Berwald waved back, picking his bag up. Soon the mysterious man Tino met was in his car leaving the beach. Tino carefully swam from the shore to the little seabed he made in his free time, Curling up and closing his eyes, thinking about tomorrow.
Tino opened his eyes the next morning with a yawn, seeing there were many fish swimming around him. He smiled when a small albino baby dolphin swam up to him, nudging Tinos hand with her smooth head.
"Hi Hana!" Tino clicked, his gills flaring a bit "Ready for some fishing for breakfast?"
The dolphin nodded her head, clicking and whistling in excitement. Tino stretched, opening his side fins and raising his back fin as he stretched. Tino pulled his larger side fins in, leaving the smaller ones and his back fin out and open. Tino swam around the rock, looking for a special type fish.
'Found them!' Tino though, flaring his larger side fins out.
The fish looked at him with fear, too scared to move. Tino snag a soft melody from a move he saw a while back while watching humans, the movie was 'Titanic' if Tino recalled the old memory. The fish's eyes had a soft blue glow as they all stopped moving suddenly. Tino watched them float to the surface, all of them dead. Tino swam to the surface, Hana following him. The siren gathered the fish, placing them on the rock. He picked out two large fish and threw them to Hana, who chirped in response before eating them quietly. Tino picked out a few fish, eating them within a few minutes before turning back to Hana and diving in. The two swam around for a bit. Tino chasing after the baby albino dolphin. Tino stayed under the whole day, playing with his friend he made a while back while he was still in the pod. The baby dolphin and Tino both stuck there heads out of the water when the sun started to set, Tino sighing and looking back. The colors danced around the Finnish man, him smiling as he suddenly reminded himself that the man he met yesterday was coming back to draw him.
"Oh! Hana there's a nice man that I met yesterday, his names Berwald. He's coming tonight to draw me and visit me, isn't that nice!" Tino gasped, turning his head so he looked at Hana.
The dolphin whistled in response, nodding her head. Tino talked about Berwald with The albino Dolphin until he saw the blue truck rolling up to the parking lot.
Tino gasped, hugging Hana before whistling "See ya in a bit, Hana!"
Tino let go of the dolphin, turning and swimming as fast as he could to the shore. The Swedish man was a few feet away from the shore when he saw the excited Siren jump out of the water onto the sand, sitting on his tail.
"Berwald, Hello Berwald!" Tino called from his spot, waving and bouncing up and down excitedly.
"Hi." Berwald replied, sitting down pulling out his sketch book and a pencil, setting them down next to him. "You ready?"
"Yeah, I've been waiting all day for you, Ber-bear!" Tino chirped
Berwald blushed at the nickname, Tino blushing too.
"Sorry, Berwald." Tino apologized, looking down.
Berwald muttered something along the lines of "Its okay." As he looked back to Tino, staring at him for a second before saying "Lay on your stomach."
Tino tilted his head, making a confused noise before 'ohh'ing, turning on his stomach. Berwald grunted before looking at Tino again, only to say "Move your tail over your head, and put your head on your hands, look at the tree's over in front of you."
Tino did what he was told, moving his tail fin over his head and putting his head on his hands. Berwald suddenly said sternly "Stay still, you're going to stay like that for a somewhat long time."
Tino nodded, whispering "Okay."
Berwald began to draw, making the outline of the beautiful Siren that was in front of him. As Berwald drew, Tino shifted a tiny bit only for Berwald to mutter "Still, Tino."
After what felt like days, but was only 3 hours, Berwald finished the drawing of Tino. He got the angles, light and scales to perfection. Tino was panting, his scales a bit too dry for his liking.
"Done." Berwald sighed, quickly writing to date, his signature and the title of his drawing in the corner of the paper.
Tino groaned, his tail flopping down as his head went face first into the sand. Tino rolled into the ocean, Berwald just looking at him confused for a second. Tino popped his head out of the water a few feet away, a smile on his face.
"Can I see?" Tino asked
Berwald got as close as he could, showing the drawing to Tino. Tino gasped, putting his hand over his mouth at how good the drawing was.
"It's...It's not as good as I wanted it to be, I decided to stop because I saw how dry yer scales looked, Tino." Berwald muttered, pulling the drawing back and putting it in his bag.
Tino and Berwald were in a good 20 minuet silence before Tino smiled, gasping and looking Berwald dead in the eyes.
"Wait here, I'm going to get something for you, it's my way of saying thank you." Tino gasped, holding up his pointer finger and turning around, diving in the ocean.
Berwald grunted, backing up a bit before picking up the bag. Tino head appeared above the surface after a few minutes. He lifted his hand above the water to show a necklace made of shells, in the center a single dark blue pearl was. Berwald took it from Tino, Tino muttering shyly "It was my fathers, but since he and my mother are dead, I guess I don't need it anymore."
Berwald slipped the neckless on, ignoring the blush that was growing on his face.
"Thanks, I should be going now." Berwald said, taking a few steps backwards.
"Can you visit me again tomorrow?" Tino asked "My pod kind of left me alone."
Berwald was silent for a bit before grunting "Sure, same time as I was today." Before turning around and shouting "goodbye Tino."
Tino shouted back "Good by Berwald!" Before watching the blue truck roll away into the dark night.
Tino turned around and went back to his sleeping place, taking the same position and going to sleep the instant he felt Hana curl up next to him.
This continued for the next 3 months, Berwald coming at night to draw, talk and even just stare at the ocean with the little siren he had become friends with. Berwald and Tino both claimed to be good friends, seeing each other from the beginning to the end of night. Berwald would always come at the exact same time each day, Tino would be a bit early or a bit late, but he would be there. A few weeks after Berwald drew Tino, Tino took Berwald swimming, and holding his hand as Tino pulled Berwald a bit. They would go up for air (Mostly Berwald though, Berwald could hold his breath for a long amount of time) before exploring the deep. That night was also the night Berwald met the Albino dolphin named Hanatamago, Hana for short. The begging of the second month, Berwald exclaimed what human life was like, showing Tino electric objects but making sure Tino would never touch the, afraid he might break them of shock himself. In exchange for that, Tino told Berwald what life would be under water, living with a pod, hunting, mating, even the kingdoms.
"Each Ocean gets a ruler. They met up once every few months to discuss things and talk about peace. There was once a time that all the oceans were at war." Tino explained
Berwald was fascinated at every word the siren said taking notes and writing everything down. By the end of the second month Tino was a bit stronger, his fins a bit bigger. The third month was filled with drawing, Tino and more drawing. Berwald loved drawing Tino in different positions, sometimes Berwald would dive under water and take pictures with an underwater Camera, printing and drawing them. Berwald would always show his drawings to Tino, if Tino likes them he would keep the, but if he disliked them, Berwald would throw it away. Tino would visit every day, but leave a bit earlier to take care of a growing Hana.
But one calm day at the start of the fourth month, Berwald suddenly stopped visiting.
Tino was worried that day, he sat close enough on the shore so Berwald could see him, but far enough so he could always get back into the water. After waiting into the morning when the sun was rising, Tino sighed dragging himself back into the water, whispering "Maybe he forgot"
Tino continued for this every day, coming and waited every single night for Berwald, never leaving the rock unless it was for hunting, swimming or swimming to shore. Berwald never came the first moth Tino waited, but Tino waited and waited. Less people came to the beach over the time Tino waited.
Tino had waited a full year by now, His friend Hanatamago went out to find a new pod, Leaving Tino alone again. Tino still waited, but sat on his rock. The siren would sing softly without any charming magic the one song he memorized form the move he saw a while back. He would sing it once, soft a quiet and the next, loud enough to wake the fish so it echoed around him.
Tino had waited two years now, His scales a bit brighter in color and a bit thicker, he was a bit longer too. During the 5th night of the second year, Tino saw an old red van roll up during the middle of the night. Tino got excited, thinking it was Berwald. A smile on his face as he swam to the shore, he yelled out "Berwald, I waited for you this whole time!"
But instead of the tall Swedish man, a girl with brown hair got out. She looked around, shrugging her shoulders before going to one of the bathrooms by the beach. Tino felt his heart shatter, tears welled in his eyes. He gulped, blinking back the tears and sadness, turning around and swimming back over to the rock, resting his arms on it. Tino whimpered, settling down for the lonely night.
A few weeks later, a blue truck that looked like Berwalds pulled up during the day. No one was at the beach that day, so Tino gasped, yelling from the rock
"Berwald! Berwald I'm over here!" Tino yelled, diving into the water.
Tino was about to leap into the air, only to see a boy who was about Berwalds high with a hat, bushy eyebrows and blue eyes step out, the boy closed the trucks door. Tino Still though the male to be Berwald, so he swam to the shore, sticking his neck and above out of the water. Tino had the biggest smile on his face. The male walked from the truck, towards the beach with a frown on his face, a tear strained face to be presented. Tino soon saw that the male was not Berwald, in fact the male looked nothing like Berwald besides the fact he was tall, had blue eyes and blond hair. The other looked up, doing a motion the said 'Come closer, I have something to tell you.'
Tino came closer to the boy, going up so his torso and up was on the shore. The male got closer to Tino, getting down and sitting on his knees.
"Are you Tino?" The male asked, looking at Tino with a frown on his face.
"Yes I am, why do you ask?" Tino asked, feeling a bit frightened.
The male smiled saying "Don't afraid of me Tino, Berwald was my father, it's okay you can trust me."
Tino sighed, moving a bit closer to the male saying "Why are you hear? Where's Berwald?"
The male frowned, taking a deep breath before saying "Berwald... Berwald was shot and killed during a mass shooting two years ago, the next day after he visited you. He went to go get more pencils from a strip mall but was shot in the chest. He died right after the bullet hit. I'm sorry, Tino."
Tino felt his heart shatter once again, Tears filled his eyes. The other male looked at Tino with saddened eyes too, Tino let out a chocked sob, the other saying "It's okay, let out Tino. My names Peter by the way."
Tino leaped from the water, landing next to Peter and burring his face in the boy's chest, sobbing his heart out. Peter shushed Tino, Telling him He was in a better place now. Tino cried and cried, his tail whacking the sand and making a hole. Peter soon started to cry, listen to the heart wrenching sobs of the Siren.
The rest of the day, Tino and Peter sobbed their hearts out, the only sound they could hear was the sound of their crying echoing over the empty beach. The empty echo sounding like the last cry of a young siren.
Fin.