Going back up to the snow this weekend. I should update again though on Monday if not sooner. Hope you all enjoy and please tell me if there are any mistakes because I still have no beta.

-Mira

"What in bloody hell are you doing with all that equipment?" The director of the volunteer boards asked and James finished filling up his equipment bag with every piece of gear he could find that could help him.

"Working on the report that will get me on the list for new apprentices."James said honestly.

"Well I hope you know what you're doing sport, because just as quickly as that gear can help get you on that list it could also get you kicked off it should anything go wrong."

James took in a big gulp of air and looked up at the director, everyone knew you had to be a junior in collage to get on the apprenticeship boards because of all the hours you have to put in and all the research needed but James had been diligent and was determined to get onto the list before his sophomore year was up.

"Well good luck there sport." The director said as he fixed his expensive looking suite and hurried out the door to the main offices were all the scientists brought in their research for him to look at. He was mostly there for all the dollars he pumped into the facility but sometimes he could be very handy with all the tools around the labs and made it a point that he oversea most of the work done so he could put in his two sense and funding.

James grabbed his bag and headed out of the lab toward Mako island and hopefully toward answers. He had seen the creature within ten kilometers of the place and he knew that typical marine animals liked to stay within a specific radius of their home area.

As soon as James was within view of the island he anchored and pulled out a radar and several other tracking tools that would help him out in his search. He also pulled out a small sample of water closer to the shore and made sure to put it away for later study.

"All right then, where are you my pretty little mermaid." He said to the ocean floor down below. He wasn't too far off the coast now and there was a little beach right off a large cliff and several jutting rocks. His green eyes scanned the surrounding area looking for anything out of the ordinary that could help his search.

After a light breakfast, several packs of granola bars and an hour in the warm morning sun, James decided to go on shore sand look around the island under the coolness of the heavy forest cover.

He hiked for several minutes until he came to a small stream that led up to a waterfall and several jutting rock faces. Without a second thought he stripped down to nothing more than his boxers and jumped into the water loving the way the cool water felt against his skin. Flashes of the mermaid flooded his mind as he closed his eyes and dipped his head under the water.

He could see her face clearly as if she was right there in the water with him. He large orange tail moving in the water and keeping her from sinking down to the bottom of the ocean, her sapphire blue eyes staring at him with a deceiving innocence and her blonde hair all wet and hugging her body. It was as if he could reach out and touch her, to feel how real she really was, and expel all the doubts he had in his mind about her.

"Come on in, the water is so great tonight." He heard he speaking. He nodded his head, trying to take a deep breath but then he found his lungs flooded and he opened his eyes in shock realizing that he was still underwater and quickly came up gasping for air as he swam up to the shore line. He quickly put his pants back on and left his shirt off as he explored the nearby rocks. Even the thought of the girl had brought danger to him. James knew that he had to stop her before he sucked him into another one of her spells.

"Keep it together James 'ol boy." He said climbing up the side of a very large boulder. He stood on top of a little bit, taking in everything, but then his foot slipped on something and he found himself slipping down into a small cave like entrance.

"What have we here." He said s he peered around the corner and found himself starring at a large pool of water.

The pool had a wired looking waterfall behind it that seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly he was very upset that he had left his tools back on the boat onshore. The composition of the rock seemed to be volcanic which explained the hole in the top of the roof. James reached his hand out and gently let it slide into the warm pool water. The source of the water seemed to be a mixture of the strange waterfall and the ocean which meant that it had an outlet to it.

"I'll have to come back here on my spare time." He mumbled as he checked his watch and quickly hurried back the way he came. He was going to be late for classes and if he was late he would have to stay later then he wanted. Thomas and him were supposed to get a late lunch near the mall, and head to the shipping area to look for a new pair of hiking shoes for the big expedition coming up for the labs.

James quickly left Mako Island, but not before he marked on his map where the peculiar pool was and how to get to it, as he headed back he looked at the map in his lap and then pinpointed the roundabout area the ocean entrance would be, near one of the many reefs.

He would come back here later and get all the answers he needed, and when he did he would find and expose the mermaid for who she really was.

R&R