Keith groaned opening his eye. He was staring up at the blue sky and heard a rustling to his side. He looked over stiffly seeing a tan boy rummaging through his backpack in the shallows of the lake curiously admiring every item inside.

"Hey!" Keith yelled sitting up scaring the boy who immediately backpedaled into the water. Kieth stood up and angrily walked into the water grabbing his bag.

"If you took anything you better give it back right now! You better come out and explain yourself! Are you the punk who has been messing with me this whole time? " The strange boy just tilted his head a bit and in the movement the sun reflected off small scales making his temples sparkle. Keith's eyes widened a bit seeing it an he stepped back quickly away from the water and safely on the sand. The boy covered his face shyly sinking a bit deeper into the water. Keith felt bad not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

"Hey.. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. " Keith crouched down near the water offering a smile. Big Blue eyes peeked through long slender fingers as the boy peeked over at Keith. Now that Keith was able to look better his whole body had a shimmer to it in the sun. It was actually really pretty he noted.

"Who are you? What's your name?" Keith asked softly not wanting to scare him. The boy let his hands fall into the water and he crept forward slowly.

"Yeah, come on out and let's talk. You might want to get out of the water, people have said there's some bad things in there" He said taking off his jacket to offer it to the boy who would be wet. The boy just stopped a few feet out and eyed the shallows warily.

"Whats wrong?" Keith asked watching him stop. The boy looked down then back at Keith. Keith felt tingly when their eyes met and he heard the softest hint of a sound in his head.

"What? Did you say something?" Keith asked not having heard him.

There it was again, the familiar tune he had heard since day one ringing through his head as he just stared at the boy in front of him. He was totally dreaming he had to be. Still unconscious probably.

"So.. you can't talk?" Keith wondered inching towards the water ever so slightly. He waned to see all of him, his curiosity winning thee internal battle to run or stay. He had to put his superstitions to rest and see this kid's legs. The pretty boy didn't move as Keith came closer and was waist deep now only a feet or two of water between the boys.

"I'm Keith." He introduced himself holding out a hand to the boy. The boy looked at it then up at Keith before carefully moving his own hand and took Keith's. As soon as Keith felt his hand in his he pulled back yanking the boy forward and with a sharp screech of surprise the boy was drug into the shallows. Keith screamed and fell back at the sight. It was human! Half human? His torso tapered off into a long thick tail with two fins at the end. If it wasn't on a human being it would have been beautiful the way each scale reflected the sun in several shades of blue but Keith was horrified at the sight. The boy was crying out trying to get back into the deep water. Keith grabbed his camera to take a picture but the boy just cried out at him holding his hands in front of his face. Keith stopped and lowered the camera seeing bright silver tears running down the boys face. Oh my god. Keith stood up and ran into the water and grabbed the boys shoulders pulling him back into the water. The boy struggled at first scared of the foreign touch but once he was back in the water he slipped out of Keith's hands and disappeared. Keith stood there his body trembling and his heart pounding. He barely made it to the shore before sinking to the ground in shock at what had happened. Yep. Definitely a dream it had to be. There was no such thing as mermaids.

Keith waited on the shore for him to return. He had pulled out his sketchbook which was wet from the bag's trip in the water so he laid it out and the sun dried the pages quickly. He had started drawing what he had seen. Brown soft hair framing the pretty face and those eyes.. The ones he had dreamed about. His perfectly tanned sculpted skin then.. the tail. Probably the prettiest thing Keith has seen through his years of traveling and sightseeing. He couldn't capture the beauty of it on paper. He decided to enjoy the dream while it lasted and was hoping to met the boy again before he woke up. He remembered the way his face sparkled, you wouldn't have noticed the small scales running down the side of his face unless the sun hit them perfectly. He was dazzling and didn't seem used to Human contact. I hope I didn't scare him off for good Keith thought watching the water for any sign of movement. He must have dozed off for he woke up the lake falling into shade as the sun started setting behind the trees.

"Wow.. what a dream." Keith said sitting up his back sore from sleeping against a tree. He looked over at the sketchbook open and the drawing of the boy still there and he froze realizing it hadn't been a dream. Oh no.. I'm officially crazy. What was in that ale? As much as it freaked him out he was also excited, if they're real then he had actually met one! And touched one! He gathered his things taking off into the forest unaware of the gaze from the boy under the dock. He grimaced looking at his shoulders covered in burns and welts. The human actually touched him. The touch of humans burned their skin but it would heal soon. He finally was able to meet this first human and it wasn't terrible.. well. Maybe it was but next time it would be better. His calls had worked to bring the boy back.

Keith was up the next morning with the sun preparing himself for the day. Through his research he learned these things called Sirens ate meat so today he packed a few cuts of beef to try and lure him out again. If he could just get one picture he would be famous. Man,He would be set for life with the one picture. His thoughts were distracted as he remembered the pain the boy had seemed to be in out of the water and his tears.. shiny opalescent silver color, just as pretty as the rest of him. Had he hurt him? Now Keith was worried he wouldn't see him again. He packed extra meat just in case.

Keith was back at the lake as the sun came above the trees filling the clearing with a golden morning light. Keith brought out the slabs of meat before walking to the dock. He knelt down at the edge before tying the meat to a string and dropping it into the water letting it float there as bait.

"Hopefully they like cows?" Keith muttered getting his camera ready. He saw the water ripple to his right and looked over seeing the same brown haired boy surface near the dock. His heart leapt into his throat seeing him again. He didn't reach for the camera just yet .he needed him to come closer.

"Hi.." Keith said pushing the meat towards the boy who just looked at it slightly disgusted before looking over at Keith and sank into the water.

"Wait! Come back" Keith called looking around for him.

"I'm here" A soft voice sounded in his head and he turned around to see him on the other side of the dock peeking over the edge.

"You can talk!" Keith exclaimed excitedly but the boy just tipped his head allowing more views of his elegantly placed scales running down his neck.

"What's your name?" Keith asked watching him closely.

A small smile appeared on his face. "My people call me Lancelot." Keith was confused not seeing the boys lips move but hearing the voice so clearly.

"How..?" He started but the boy came closer pulling his upper half onto the docks.

"I'm sending thoughts to you. " A reply came to the question he was thinking.

"You can read my mind?" Keith asked astonished and got another laugh from the boy. He actually enjoyed the sound.

"No, you're thoughts are so loud I can hear them" He motioned for Keith to come closer.

"I won't hurt you Keith" the boy thought but Keith didn't move.

"I don't trust you. You can come up here" He said and the boy hesitated before pulling himself up onto the dock. He sat on the edge allowing his tail to lay in the water. Keith's eyes took in the sight of his back, the muscular shimmery skin and Keith couldn't help thinking of how hot he was.

"Thank you" Lance thought looking behind him at the now reddening Keith.

"Get out of my head!" He grumped. The two sat quietly neither knowing what to say. Lance had never spoken to a human, it was forbidden among his kind.

"Are there more of you?" Keith asked and a look of sadness crossed his pretty eyes.

"Not anymore" Keith heard the quiet sad voice.

"What happened to them?" Keith asked and thought he had gone to far when the boy sank back into the water.

"They left" Was the only reply Keith got.

"Left where?" Keith asked leaning over to see him floating below.

"I know not" Lance looked up at him, "I was not invited to travel with the pod so it is only me here" Keith felt bad but remembered the old flower lady telling him about the sad lonely song.

"You're all alone here? " Keith asked and Lance looked away.

"I have been calling out for a long time, then you came and heard me."

"Why did your pod leave you?" Keith was curious what he did to be kicked out.

"I refused to feed on people." Keith wasn't expecting hat answer.

"And sadly the lake ran out of fish quickly but if I am lucky I can catch a bird or something" He thought looking around periodically making sure no one else around. Keith looked around too before looking back at him.

"Why are you hiding then? If you aren't harmful to us why don't you just get more people to come and meet you? You wouldn't be so lonely" He hadn't even finished when Lance was shaking his head.

"No one can know of our existence. I wanted to befriend the humans and that was forbidden, I got exiled but I still won't endanger my people. Humans are dangers to us. "

"Then why did you show yourself to me?" Lance looked up at him with a mall smile.

"I felt I can trust you." He replied before turning his head over to look at the meat that was still floating.

"Got any fish by any chance?" Keith heard and felt stupid for not thinking to bring fish.

"That would just make me sick" Lance thought lookin sideways at the cow floating while rubbing at his shoulders.

"Did I hurt you?" Keith asked looking at the wounds.

"It's fine. It will heal. " Keith felt sorry for doing it but Lance just smiled

"No apology needed my friend. I must go.' Lance said and before Keith could say anything he was gone. He had forgotten to take a picture.