Second Siren Story Chapter 4
Ben was rather fortunate that the Bristol Cove research center was well-equipped for the task at hand. Maddie had asked him to look into the lepto that was infecting the new comer and Ben's scientific mind was wrapped into the mission. It felt good to be doing general research again; he had been so caught up with thoughts about Ryn and Maddie. Seeing them all together for the first time in months…well it was distracting to say the least.
Adjusting the microscope where the samples from the new mermaid were inset, he peered quizzically at the view. There had been plenty of scales left on the viewing table after the young mermaid had been taken to Helen's that he had not trouble finding a sample. But even he admitted there was something off about the sample. It did not look like a typical lepto. He had lost count of the times he had pulled a skin sample from one of the sick sea lions or even dolphins that ended up at the center. Typically the infection was caused by a bacteria that incorporated itself into the marine animals' skin but this one looked—bigger, worse, enhanced somehow.
Where the hell did this come from? He jotted down a few notes and then slid another sample under the scope, comparing the skin sample from the sick mermaid to an older one of their sea lions.
As he studied the scope his mind inevitably wandered with the quiet of the office. Jerry had come in earlier to feed the lion but then quickly departed, undoubtedly off to some party of other. As he continued to jot down notes Ben could not help but think about how Ryn had barely spoken to him, barely looked at him since they had been caught up in this sick mermaid business. Is she ashamed of me? Angry? He would not blame her one bit if that were true. She was staying away from him for his own safety, and she was clearly unhappy about the situation.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now is not the time, he berated himself. We have a sick mermaid on our hands and she needs help. His scientific mind focused once again.
It was the late afternoon before his research was interrupted.
"Ben, are you here?" Someone called out.
Ben looked up from the scope. "Back here!" he recognized Maddie's voice. No doubt she wanted an update. He quickly pulled his notebook closer and was prepared to fill her in when the sight of Ryn and the new mermaid stopped him short. All three women had rounded the corner but his eyes fell on the older mermaid first. He quickly looked down at his notebook, avoiding her eyes. She is angry at me so it's best I stay away.
When he looked up he instead focused on their guest. She was looking a little better now; she was clearly dressed in some hand-me-downs of Maddie's: a flimsy tank and some jean shorts but still no shoes. Where the rash had been worse, with infection and bleeding, she now had a fresh bandage and she looked as if she had some food in her now. Her inhumanely large eyes looked right back at him, unflinching.
"You, Ben," the new mermaid said unexpectedly. "I am Anna." She spoke with a similar husky accent to Ryn's but lighter, more of a child's tone.
Maddie smiled awkwardly. "She's already picked a name."
"And she seems to be picking up the language too," Ben could not help but comment. He should not be surprised, mermaids were fast learners.
Maddie nodded. "She's been watching 'Sesame Street' all day." She smiled proudly. "And Ryn was also a big help."
"Help."
Everyone glanced over at Anna. The teenager's head had jerked upward at the word, as if she recognized it suddenly.
"Need…help," she spoke up again. Her right hand came up to her left shoulder, fingering the bandage Maddie had placed.
Maddie moved forward, thinking she meant to remove the article. "No, no you need to keep that on." She reached over to touch the girl's hand.
The teenager hissed and stepped back a little. She was still wary of the touch of humans.
Maddie quickly stepped back and raised her hand. "It's okay, it's okay." She was not offended. After all, it took Ryn sometime before she would allow herself to be touched by either Ben or her.
Ryn moved forward and placed a reassuring hand on top of the other mermaid's shoulder, calming her with a touch and some gently cooing noises.
"We help you," Ryn said to her fellow mermaid. "Help you now."
"No," Anna shook her head. She let out a frustrated-sounding hiss; similar to how Ryn sounded when she was trying to convey a thought but did not yet have the words. "No need help, need help…wwwaaater."
"What do you mean?" Maddie asked. "Are there others who need help?"
Anna's huge blue orbs lit up. "Yes!" She nodded her head rapidly at comprehending a new word. "Others! Others need help."
Comprehension dawned on all three at once. Ben was the one who voiced it out loud. "Are the others sick too?" When he got a confused looked from Anna he tried again. Gesturing towards her bandaged shoulders he asked, "Are the other's—like this? Are the others sick and hurt?"
"Yes."
Maddie quickly looked at Ben. They both were thinking the same thought as to who was to blame for this. The military is trying to drive them out again.
Ryn however seemed more concerned about the safety of her pod rather than the cause of it. "How many?" she asked Anna.
"Many," came the stead-fast reply. The younger mermaid raised her eyes to Ryn, pleading. "Come help? Ryn come help?"
"I…" Ryn stammered a little. She glanced at Ben and Maddie, conflict clear on her face. She was a banished mermaid; forbidden to come back to the water because of her attachment to the humans. Not only that, it was inconceivable that she would help a strange pod; it negated the laws of survival for their kind. "I—cannot."
The devastating look that came upon Anna's face was heartbreaking. "But—I come to you! You say they help!" She gestured wildly to Ben and Maddie. "You say! In water! You say!"
Ben and Maddie glanced at each other. It was clear the young mermaid was referring a time when Ryn had advocated for the humans, had spoken up for them when the other mermaids all were of the opinion that humans were nothing but bad. Ryn was different than most mermaids; she had spent time with humans, had come to trust and even love them. The majority of the others, including this young one, did not seem to share her sentiment.
Anna was still pleading with Ryn. "I come…hhheeeere." She gestured to the lab but was she really gesturing to dry land in general? "I come, need help."
Ryn looked heart-broken. "I cannot go back. I am—" she struggled a minute to find the words "—too close to humans, this is why." She narrowed her eyes a little, she said with a little heat. "Not my family, your family. Not my kind."
"Ryn?" The mermaid glanced over at Ben; his expression was curious. "She is not from you…pod?"
Ryn shook her head. "We do not help others; fight, kill, not help." She glanced back at the young one. Why I help you? She was beginning to question her decision now. Something had made her want to help the young mermaid but now, she was being asked to help a rival colony. One that might one day threaten her own. No no help. It was against everything it meant to be a strong leader to help a rival—and yet, something in her wanted to.
Anna hissed, but it sounded more sad and frustrated than angry. She then turned and looked unexpectedly at Ben and Maddie.
She came forward, looked right up at them. "You—you help Ryn. You help me. Help others?"
Ben and Maddie both gazed at the young mermaid, their hearts going out to her. Her eyes were pleading, how could anyone refuse her outright?
Maddie finally spoke up. "We will try." She looked at Ryn, fully expecting an angry retort since she had just said they would help a rival pod.
But oddly enough, Ryn's face was neutral.
Anna squinted her eyes, clearly confused. "Tryyyy?" She clearly did not know this word.
Oh boy, Maddie thought. Trying to explain something like that was going to be tricky. She was about to begin when Ben beat her to it.
"It means we will help you as best we can," he said firmly. "We will help."
Anna pulled her lips back and made a more-content hissing noise than before. Was this a mermaid's version of a smile? Maddie wondered at the expression. Ryn never smiled, never laughed. It was not that she was ill-tempered all of the time but she never displayed other human-emotions. This younger one seemed to be trying to smile.
Later, the three of them made their way back to town. They reasoned no more could be done at the lab and Ryn needed to take Anna to the ocean, get her back in the water before she got sick with the land dryness that came with mermaids spending too much time onshore. With her current condition it was probably best to avoid getting sicker by simply being on land.
As they walked along Anna gazed across the street and saw a group of humans clustered together. They all seemed to be wearing similar assortments of clothing with the same colors and cut, blue with white. They were chatting loudly and shouting gaily. About what, she did not know but she stared curiously.
Then her huge eyes widened further. She recognized a face.
The one who help me!
Allison from the seafood restaurant was amongst the group of teenagers, celebrating a whopping 17-3 football victory for the Whalers. The entirety of Bristol Cove's high-schoolers would be out celebrating this evening and far into the night.
Allison did not look across the street, her attention was on where the party was going to, but the mermaid's eyes followed her. She was more aware of human behavior now, had more of their language down, and she wanted to properly express her sorrow at hurting and scaring the human.
Ryn had been right, she knew that now. Not all humans bad. Unlike most of her kin, Anna had now had a few good experiences with humans and was more than willing to learn and experience more. She was a very young mermaid after all, and she was more curious about this human world than wary.
While Ben, Maddie, and Ryn were in deep conversation she stepped off the curb and quickly started to follow the group of teenagers.
No one in the trio noticed for now.
"Can we get Xander to check the waters for us?" Maddie was asking.
Ryn frowned. She did not trust, nor even like the human male after all he had put the young one through. He had threatened Anna with a gun after all. "No," she said firmly. "I go."
Maddie grimaced. "Ryn, it's a very long way. It might be dangerous for you to be out, so near to a strange colony."
"I know," Ryn said. "But…need help." There was no point in denying it anymore, it was clear now how she felt; she wanted to help the other mer. "I will not—" she struggled for a minute, Ben and Maddie waited patiently for her to find the right word "—leave, alone…not—"
"Abandon?" Ben asked, his own voice carrying a little hint of sadness.
Ryn looked at him, her eyes sad. "Yes." She reached over and stroked his arm. "I will not abandon." Then, she reached her other hand over and started stroking Maddie's arm as well. She looked into both of their eyes, her message was clear. She would not abandon her people nor would she abandon them.
"I am sorry Ben," she finally said.
This startled him; it seemed out of place. "What? For what Ryn?"
The mermaid was distressed, but Ben could not figure out about what. Not for the first time he wished he had a better understanding of mermaid language and behavior.
"I try to stay away," Ryn's head tilted up so that she could look into Ben's eyes. "I cannot."
"You're not hurting me Ryn, why do you think that?"
"Ryn and Ben…too much time together." Ryn struggled through the words, trying to find a way to convey her meaning. "I know it hurt Ben's head."
"Ryn…"
"Not right."
"No. It's alright Ryn," Ben placed his arm on hers, his hand massaging soothing circles into her shoulder. "My head is getting better and you being here, it is actually helping me."
"Ben not…sick anymore?" Ryn watched Ben in muted disbelief.
"I am—better Ryn," Ben was fully telling the truth. He still found himself staring at her at times but he did not have the song pounding in his head when he saw Ryn, he did not have the same visions of her as before. Somehow, the mission of helping the young strange mermaid had aided his own consciousness. It brought back the old him, wanting to save and help the creatures of the sea, no matter what they may be. "And I want to help you and your people."
Ryn's hand gentled reached up and touched the side of his cheek, fingering the ever-present stubble. "I am glad you help." She turned to Maddie who had been silent as she watched the exchange, smiling in relief at the progress that was being made in front of her eyes. "Ben and Maddie."
The trio stood silently for a moment, acknowledging the unique bond that was now being fortified between them when Maddie suddenly asked, "Where is Anna?"
Ryn whipped around, scanning the nearest vicinity and her inhumane eyes widen in shock. "No!"
She started to pace, scanning the town and hissing rapidly as if in a panic.
"Ryn!" Maddie quickly grabbed her arm. "Calm down, we will find her!"
…
The party at the 'Siren Song' motel was in full swing when Anna crashed it. She had followed the group of teenagers, but then momentarily lost them when they all got into one of the moving-wheeled vessels. Running as fast as she could she caught up with them at the motel and managed to slip into the area, blending into the crowd of teenagers quite well. Her ratty clothes and lack of shoes did not seem to out-of-place, even here.
There was a table set up with draping plastic checkered covers, and spread with an array of alcohol. Red buckets held more bottled of chilled beer bottles; beads of moisture covering their gleaming sides. The noise was terrific: chatting teens, pulsating music, and the occasional shrill of laughter from one of the girls.
She scanned the crowds, avoiding the gyrating bodies of teens dancing to some music, which was terrible but enthusiastic. Then, she spotted her prey. The other teenager was engaged in a conversation with a male.
"Come on Brian," Allison was saying. "You know you hog the spotlight, you're so full of yourself!"
The good-looking running back shrugged his broad shoulders, flicking his hands upward. "What can I say, the cameras love me!" He wondered off, clearly looking for more worshiping girls to hang out with.
Allison rolled her eyes and took another sip of beer. She did not know what half the school saw in this big idiot but, as a reporter for the school newspaper, it was her duty to get a statement from the main scorer for the game. She was still sipping her illicit drink, trying hard not to cringe at the nastiness of it, when she caught sight of a familiar face coming towards her. Fast.
"You!" Allison stiffened as soon as she recognized the girl who had almost attacked her. "What are you doing here?"
The other teen just walked right up and looked at her, with those huge piercing blue eyes.
Allison was stiff with suspicion and a not-a little bit of fear. "What do you want?"
There was still no answer but at least the strange girl was not attacking as she did last time. Allison was tempted to call Brian back over for protection when someone else beat her to it.
"Hey Ally!"
Allison could have kissed the school's quarterback Tyrell for coming over and standing next to her. Normally she avoided the pompous jerk like the plague but he would provide some backup with his muscles, should the girl prove dangerous again.
"Man did you see that last score, I was so fly!" he said enthusiastically, not noticing Allison's response at all. He glanced over at the mermaid, his dark eyes taking in her fine figure and somewhat-ragged appearance. "So who's your friend?" Tyrell asked.
Allison was about to declare loudly that this girl was absolutely not her friend when the stranger spoke up. "I am Anna." She said it in an odd accent and with some difficulty, as if English was not her first language.
Is she foreign? Is that why she was acting so weird earlier? Allison thought. Was she just…lost or something?
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Anna," Tyrell stuck out his hand and did his signature 'I am the best-looking guy in our school' flick of his hair. "And I must say you are looking—" he glanced at her dirty flimsy tank and old denim shorts"—lovely today."
Anna stared at the hand in front of her, not making a move to take it. Allison smirked. This was probably the first time any girl had ever rejected a clear advancement from Tyrell; and it made her like the stranger a bit.
Tyrell nodded and lowered his hand with an awkward laugh, clearly trying to cover up the fact he had been shunned. "So—you must be an exchange student. I bet that's rough, learning how to speak English and all."
Allison fought the urge to gag. The guy was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole and she was more and ready to watch. The spoiled brat of a quarterback who had girls worshiping the very ground he walked on would not know what rough was. What was rough was being a scholarship student, like Allison, at a preppy high school like Bristol Cove High. What was rough was having to work double shifts at a seafood restaurant and still be a part of three committees and do the school newspaper.
But her heart went out to the foreign teen, still standing there looking at Tyrell curiously and with a little shock. He kept peppering her with questions about what country she was from, did she like the good ole' US of A and more annoying things. She tried to get the guy to back off a bit. "Ty, don't you have to find your girlfriend somewhere?"
He nodded. "Yeah she'll want to be featured in the article too. I mean, it's not every day we kick those guy's asses." He looked at the foreign girl as if expected some big reaction. When she simply stared at him, he said, "I'll see you around then Anna." He jerked his chin at her, did a twitch of his eyebrows, swaying his shoulders and moved a bit closer to her in a suggestive kind of way.
Allison gave the girl 100% credit for backing up and glaring contemptuously at the pompous jerk. She pulled her lip back, almost as if she were going to hiss at him?
"Nice try genius," Allison said to break the awkward moment. "I don't think she's into you."
The jock glanced quizzically at the two girls then stalked off, clearly not in a good mood.
The other girl simply stood there, staring after him. Allison felt the need to say something. "You do realize you just brushed off the most eligible-piece-of-ass in the whole school right?"
The teen turned towards her and Allison was once again startled by how big those eyes were and how intense her stare was. "Ass?"
"Yeah," Allison said. "An ass." It then occurred to her that she should not be teaching someone who was just learning to speak English bad words. Probably give us Americans even more of a rep than we already have. She tried to have a normal conversation.
"So, um…I guess you didn't know how to speak English…before huh?"
"Yes, I learn," Anna said firmly.
"Okay," Allison said. "Then, I guess you're not from here?" She was still somewhat hoping for an explanation as to why the other girl had acted so weird when they first meet but, now that she knew that the girl was a foreigner, would not likely get it.
"No," Anna replied. Then her expression was sorrowful. "I am…sorry."
"Um, you're sorry for not being from around here?" Allison was confused.
Anna shook her head. "I am sorry I…hurt you." She gestured towards her own unusually long throat then towards Allison's. "I was…afraid, hungry. You help. Then I hurt. I am sorry."
Allison was so startled she did not know what to say for a moment. She had never been good at holding grudges. When she was a kid if she argued with a friend or one of her sisters, she would swear never to speak to them again, but that usually only lasted an hour. Maybe less.
Her gentle heart gave into itself. "Hey, it's okay." She shrugged, trying to cover her faux pas of being slightly intimidated by the strange body language of this foreign girl with the greater faux pas of too much talk. "You—you didn't really hurt my, just kind of scared me more than anything." She took a sip of her beer. "I just was scared because I thought you were cray but—you seem alright now." Maybe she was off her meds or scared for being in a new country, glad she is acting better. She saw that the other teenager looked worlds better than she had in that alley; like she had had a few decent meals and some better clothes. The bandage was noticeable however.
She was about to ask about it, then thought better. We just met and she probably got hurt when she had one of her 'sodes. She probably does not want to talk about it.
Instead, she asked, "Do you want a drink?"
The other girl looked at the cup in Allison's had curiously. "Yes."
Allison smiled and led her to the drink table. "The beer is crap but it might interest you to try a true American stable."
Anna wrinkled her brow. "Beer?" She did not know the word but she tried to piece the information together. "Beer is drink?"
"Yep," Allison said as she had the keg tender pour a cup for Anna. No one cared that they were clearly under-aged, so long as they did not get roaring drunk or cause a scene. And the beer was only a light Bud. "Like I said, a true American stable." She handed the red cup to Anna then raised her glass to tap the other girl's beverage in a small cheer. Anna cocked her head and quickly followed suit by slamming her own glass into Allison's a bit hard, so that some of the liquid splashed out.
Wow, she's strong, Allison thought. Then she was shocked further; Anna had tilted her head and was downing the whole cup in only a few seconds. Both Allison and the keg tender could only stare until Anna straightened her head, her drink completely gone. She did not look like the taste or the carbonation bothered her at all.
The keg tender shrugged and gently took Anna's cup to refill it. "Maybe the little lady needs something strong?"
Allison quickly spoke up. "No thanks!" She did not want to think what the girl would do with a vodka or tequila. "She's new so take it easy okay Kyle?"
The keg tender shrugged and handed the refilled cup back to Anna. She took it tenderly and said very clearly. "Thank..youuu." It was as if she was practicing speaking.
The two girls wandered off to the side of the party. Allison had meant to lead the girl away from the thicker part of the crowd; she noticed the stranger seemed a bit intimidated by the crowding around the pool.
"So Anna," Allison attempted another somewhat normal conversation. "Are you here on an exchange scholarship? How long are you in the States for?" She took out her phone, hoping to look up some social media info on her new companion.
As Anna was looking at Allison, looking very confused at the cascade of new human words that were thrown at her, a group of boys had managed to come over. Tyrell had told his fellow football starts about the "good-looking foreign chick" and they were coming over now to confirm his report. Allison threw caution to the wind and immediately pocketed her phone again, her guard up. She knew guys like this could be jerks and did not want Anna to get hurt or scared again.
She might have another 'sode, she thought.
"Hey there Anna," Tyrell cocked his head again at Anna. The girl glared at him and he just smiled like a dufus. "I thought you might like to meet some more American guys." He gestured to his passé and they seemed to press around the girl, clearing taking in her exotic good-looks and foreign appeal.
Allison did not like any of this. The other girl was looking more and more distressed, her breathing was becoming more erratic and she was jerking her head from side to side. She stepped in front of Anna, trying to block her from the jocks.
"Okay guys, she's new in town so back off," she tried to say it casually but it came out stronger than she intended. It was the wrong move because the sensitive Tyrell immediately took offense.
"What's you prob?," he slide sideways with the grace of the football star he was and managed to move passed Allison. "Just wanted to have a proper intro." His words were slurring more; he clearly had had a few more stiff drinks. This really made Allison worry.
"Come on Anna," she held a hand out to the foreigner. "We should go."
The other girl reached for her hand but then Allison was pulled back, into the arms of another drunk jock.
"Hey come on," the voice behind her shoulder said. Allison nearly gagged at the smell of the booze on his breath. "We just want to say hi to the newbie." He put his arms around her, very unsettling.
"I said back off jerk!" Allison twisted out of the jock's hold and stepped back. His adolescent drunk mind did not take the hint and he kept coming. Allison was about to deliver a strong kick in the shins to the asshole when Anna shot past her and shoved her tiny hands into the guy's torso. With her being so petite Allison was extremely shocked to see the guy fall backwards and slide a few feet. As if he had been delivered a huge blow.
The mermaid hissed and glared at the other three jocks surrounding her. Brian immediately took offense for his wounded friend. "Hey, what the hell is wrong with you!" He came forward and tried to shove away the clearly deranged chick when the mermaid slid away, placing herself between him and Allison. She opened her mouth and an animal-like snarl came out.
"Brian!" Allison shouted. "Just back off!" She knew that Anna was just trying to defend her and did not want to see the other girl hurt.
The football player did not heed the warning; once again he tried came forward and tried to grab at Allison but Anna's hands shot forward and gripped his arm. She twisted it upward and there was a small pop! She had broken his forearm. The shriek of the adolescent was deafening. By this time, all of the other team members were coming closer.
They had been so wrapped up in the brief fight no one had heard the police sirens or seen the flashing red and blue lights. "Alright, break it up!" voices were calling out. "Parties over!"
"Hey!" Tyrell called out. "Over here!"
"Ty!" Allison could not believe it. He was calling the cops over to them!
She turned to Anna. "Run, go!" The other girl did not seem to understand or want to leave. She was hissing again, jerking her head from side to side at the chaos of the departing teenagers and the blaring sounds of the police sirens. She gently took the other girls hand and tried to lead her away but was stopped in her tracks by no less than three police officers, blocking their only exit out of the motel pool area.
Tyrell was pointing right at Anna. "That's her officers." The stranger snarled at him and backed up a few steps.
"I am surprised at you," the female officer spoke up. "Willing to be arrested for under-aged drinking and noise complaints just to get another one of your friends arrested." She stepped forward with her arm out. "You're going to have to come with us," she directed her steady voice to Allison and Anna.
"Officer please," Allison pleaded. She had a bad feeling about how Anna was going to respond to all of this. "My friend is not from around here and she did know that—"
"Your friend apparently broke some guys arm so she needs to come to the station," the cop responded promptly. She made a subtle nod to her fellow officers and they started moving forward.
Anna was hissing and snarling further, clearly not liking being surrounded by the two burly men. One gently laid a hand on her shoulder to guide her towards the exit and she shoved him away.
The female officer's eyes lit up at the sight. "Damn not another one." Deputy Marissa Staub recognized a pattern. Petite, ratty clothes, insane strength, she thought. It's another one of those drug girls. This time her voice was harder. "You have to come with us, now!" Her hand strayed to the Taser on her left side. No need for the gun, she needs to be alive for the drug tests.
…