Boston, Mass. Three Weeks Ago.
Sitting on the deck of the sail boat Chris Downing looked up at the stars. Ever since he was young his father had taken him out sailing and told him the stories of the deep. The one he favored the most was the one of a race of people that lived under the waves. It was said that if you were to hear the song of one of the maidens, that you might soon meet your death. He had been fascinated by the stories of the people under the waves since he heard the story for the first time. Every night he would sit on the beach and wait to see one of the people break through the waves and sing.
His best friend Matt came on the deck with him and started clearing away the gear they had left out from their dive earlier that day. Chris looked out across the water and saw something jump out of the water. He jumped up and ran to the railing, trying to see the thing again. Matt walked over to him and said, "Chris, you're imagining things. Mermaids aren't real."
"They are Matt. Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean they aren't," Chris said defensively. He returned his gaze to the horizon as his friend pulled his red ball cap down on his head and turned towards the stern of the boat. He walked to the back and as he looked down over the railing, sitting on the platform they used to get ready to dive from was a woman with long blonde hair and seaweed braided into it. She turned around and said, "Hello there. Would you like to come with me?"
Matt stood there awe-stricken. The woman smiled and started to sing softly to him. "My name is Lorelei. Come with me back to my home Matt, I need you," she said seductively. Matt leaned forward and the woman grabbed his collar and quickly pulled him under the glassy, blue-green surface.
Chris turned around to see his friend gone. He had heard a sound from the back of the boat and went to go investigate it. He looked down and Matt's ball cap rise up from the bottom of the water. He leaned down and grabbed it out of the water. He looked up as he heard a voice rising from the depths of the ocean. A face looked at him through the water and as it broke the surface the maiden said, "Come with me my little mackerel. I've seen you before out here. Come with me, back to my home." Chris was so excited that he was finally talking with the creature he wanted to meet that he agreed and she pulled him beneath the waves.
oOo
Present Day Boston
"Sam what are we doing in Boston?" Dean asked agitated. He sat on the hood of the '67 black Chevy Impala, eating the burger he had just bought from the diner beside him. He looked out into the harbor and scoffed. Sam looked at his brother and asked, "What? You said you wanted a job and I think I found something here."
Dean looked at his brother, rolled his eyes and said, "What'd you find?"
Sam flipped the newspaper around and showed Dean the circled obituaries. Dean took the paper in one hand, the other holding the half eaten burger. One obituary read,
"In loving memory of Chris Downing, who died from drowning while doing the thing he loved most, exploring the ocean. A sailor from the age of three, he loved the ocean and its secrets. He graduated from Cornell's marine biology program and worked at the New England Aquarium. He leaves behind his mother Janet and his father Michael Downing. May his soul rest in peace."
"So we're here to investigate a drowning?" Dean said sarcastically.
"Well, they never found the bodies, only articles of clothing on the beach. So something must be going on," Sam replied defensively. Dean sighed and finished his burger. Sam read an article on his computer and once Dean was finished he threw his trash away, got into the driver's seat and started to turn the engine over. Sam packed his things and got into the passenger seat and they sped down to the nearest motel. Once settled into the room, they grabbed their gear and head to the marina where the police had taken Chris Downing's boat. They flashed fake FBI badges and the manager let them through. On the dock was a beautiful raven haired girl tending to a boat. She looked back and saw the two men staring at her so she stood up and walked towards them.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked her voice melodious and inviting. Dean smiled and said suavely, "Yes you can."
She smiled, giggled, and blushed a bit. She cleared her throat and said, "Well, what can I do for you?"
"You can-" Dean started to say but was cut off by his brother saying, "Whose boat is that you were tending to?"
"Oh that? It's one of the Aquarium's. I work there and I tend to the boat when I take her out. This reminds me, I need to get back to work. Would you like to walk me back? I can answer your questions while we walk," she stated clearly. She then went back to the end of the dock, grabbed her purse, walked past the brothers, and waved at the marina manager who waved back pleasantly. She beckoned the boys to follow and Dean did so willingly. Sam on the other hand looked very apprehensive about the woman.
When the brothers reached her she extended her hand and said with a southern drawl, "My name is Nikki. And you two are?"
"That's Sam, and I'm yours," Dean said smoothly. Nikki laughed and it sounded like wind chimes tinkling in the air. "Can I get a name so I can put a collar on you that reads, 'Property of Nikki' on it?"
Sam chuckles as Dean's smile fades a little. "His name is Dean and we're here to figure out what happened to-"
"Chris and Matt. I figured that's why you're here. They worked with me and were like my brothers. Chris was infatuated with legends of the oceans and myths of creatures and all sorts of things like that. That's what he would do every time he was able to take the boat out, he'd be searching for those creatures. None of us had the heart to break his boyish fantasy because he'd had it for so long. He was a sweet boy and Matt never let him out of his sight. Matt was almost like a babysitter for Chris whenever he'd go on those silly expeditions. Mattie would always keep him in line, bring him up when he thought Chris would need air, and he'd always listen to Chris' ravings about, well, creatures," Nikki explained as she walked down the sidewalk towards the building where she worked. She was wringing her hands nervously and Sam noticed it. Dean was too enamored by the way she looked and walked to notice anything else.
"Is something bothering you Nikki?" Sam asked quizzically.
"Oh no, I always wring my hands. It's just a habit. It keeps me from playing with my hair," she explained. She looked up at the building and said, "If you want to come in you can come and look around the two offices. I can get you in if you'd like."
Sam and Dean smiled and she led them into the building. The ticket clerk looked at her and she said, "They're with me Bryan. I'll make sure they don't cause trouble." The clerk smiled and nodded, allowing them entrance into the aquarium. Sam and Dean looked around the enormous building and saw the different aquariums in the room. The fish and other animals would swim by and look at the two men. Nikki walked over to one tank and the fish gravitated towards her. She laid her hand upon the glass and smiled. She then flicked her wrist, sending the scaly creatures away. She then motioned to Sam and Dean to follow her through a door that was marked 'Authorized Personnel Only'. They followed her down the hallway and she turned a corner to lead them to the offices. Passing by a desk she grabbed two passes and halted in front of them. "Put these on and you'll be allowed anywhere in the aquarium. Just, don't get into trouble because then it will be my tail on the line," She said quietly. The two men took the passes and tacked them onto the suit jackets they were wearing. She then tilted her head towards two doors and said, "Those two offices are Mattie and Chris'. No one's been in them because we can't bear to go in and move their things. They loved it here and loved working with everyone. It's a shame to see them leave us so early, but at least they went doing something they love."
Dean moved closer to Nikki and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam rolled his eyes as Dean smiled a bit and said sincerely, "We're sorry for your loss." She smiled and said, "Thank you. Now, I need to check our big ocean aquarium. You two can peruse the offices but, please don't mess anything up."
With that she left and the boys went about their business. Dean smiled the entire time and said, "So, what do you think of her?"
"I think she's a little strange. I mean, don't you feel something's wrong with her or that she's possibly to do with the thing we're hunting?" Sam asked incredulously.
Dean's head shot up, he looked at his brother and said, "Don't you say that Sammy. She's a nice girl. She's even let us check out the offices and given us access to the aquarium so we can see if they had anything funny going on somewhere else." He continued to rummage through the papers in the files. Sam was taken aback from his brother's outburst. Dean wasn't normally that protective of girls he just met. This woman was strange.
