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Chapter 42
Standing speechless can tell you much
Wandering through the curio shop, the tall and casually dressed young woman brings a lilac V-neck top to the proprietor.
"How do you think I would look in this color?"
Helen is busy straightening out a collection of miniature ceramic figures of mermaids, she has spent most of the time in the opposite corner of the store, giving an occasional glance in the customer's direction.
As she walks to the young woman, Helen's expression changes.
"My goodness, you look as if you saw a ghost?" The stranger asks.
Dropping her jaw, the startled woman breaks the stiffened stance that came over her as she drew closer to the customer.
"You are…" Her breathing becomes irregular. "Are you with Ryn's tribe?" She finally gains enough composure to speak. "You look…"
"Hah!" The stranger smirks. "How does it feel to be a Hybrid?" The ashey blond woman shudders, as if the word left a bitter taste upon her tongue.
The caustic remark sends Helen's blood boiling. "Who are you? You look familiar." The older woman sneers at the figure before her.
"Well, Ms. Hawkins, I see you have some sense of pride over your illegitimate and mutant existence."
She reaches for the horn rimmed glasses. Pointing the black pair at Helen, "You pathetic freak, don't you remember me?"
"Who are you?"
"Oh, we never met." A hoarse chuckle leaves the disparaging woman. "Maybe you saw me on television?" Fixing the collar on the black jean jacket, "come now. I guess you had some bastardized Hybrid immunity to my enhanced song."
"Your song…"Helen leans to the glass countertop. She appears ready to keel over. "It can't be." Her lips quiver.
"Yes it is. Tia's back in town." A thunderous laugh fills the shop.
"Now that we've done with introductions," her tone and character no longer resembles Angel. "Tell the bitch, her daughter is asleep in my trunk and will stay in that condition till she meets me to finish what she thought she ended."
"You're lying." Helen snaps back. "Hope left this store before you even came in."
"Look at me, Hybrid." Tia's face is filled with disgust. The usual moist lips are turned upward under flexed nostrils, as if in proximity of a foul stench. "Here's her cell phone." Opening the shoulder bag, she takes the pink I-phone and tosses it on the glass counter.
With a shaking hand Helen picks it up, a sticker of Ariel is on the back. A gift from her to a younger Hope.
"What do you want?" Her figure trembles as she speaks.
"I know where that secret little beach is." Tia reaches in the satchel again. "Here is who I want there." She places a white sheet of paper with a list of names. "I will decide what time." Taking a breath, "and there are instructions for the bitch and her human boy-toy." A snorted laugh halts as a customer enters the store.
"I'm so sorry, my dear. We are closed for inventory." Tia says as she approaches the gray haired woman.
"But I saw this t-shirt in your window." The fifty-ish heavy set tourist explains. "My granddaughter will love it."
"What size is she?" Tia asks.
"A girl's extra small, she's so petite."
"Oh, she must be darling." Placing her bag on the counter, Tia reaches for an XS pink top featuring a panorama of Bristol Cove framed by young mermaids in an array of colors.
"How much is it?"
"For you, my dear…nothing." The apparent saleswoman replies.
"Oh no…I…"
"We have to close now. But, for understanding, please take it."
Tia gives the shirt to the smiling customer, hanger and all.
Her hands rush the bewildered grandparent out the door.
Turning to Helen after flipping the Open/Close sign hanging on the glass.
"If the Navy is involved? The cops or anyone?" She inhales. "The little bitch dies." Her expression appears to contort. "I will know if she tries to set up some kind of trap. Just like I know, all your houses are bugged." She snorts a laugh. "My dear Hybrid, FYI," Tia sighs as if bored. "The shop is not bugged. Only where you live."
"How do you know this?"
"What do you care? And the number on the paper is for the bitch to call me. I want something else beside her head." Tia's olive skin-tone darkens. "Do what I tell you."
Helen steps back. "Ok, I'll do it." Her head nods.
"Yes, but just in case you decide to get in touch with then before I leave town. We don't want anyone being a hero and following me."
In one motion, Tia whips the bloated pistol out from the hobo bag and sprays Helen. After catching the limp body, she drags her to a sofa in the back.
"Bye bye...freak." She whispers to the still woman.
Ben and Ryn's Home
The couple stand over a snoring Little Ted.
"Ryn, I must talk to you." He tilts his head toward the open door.
Standing outside their bedroom, Ryn remarks. "I guess we'll tell your mother she can buy that bed now."
Ben chuckles as Ryn's expression stays the same.
"What is it Ben?"
"There's something going on with Maddie." He closes the bedroom door.
"I know, I can sense it." She agrees. "But, if she wants to be a part of our family," her eyes focus on Ben's expression. "She must have your…" Ryn pauses. "You don't want her to have your baby?"
"Ryn, it's just that it was a shock when you said it. I mean, you told her we both decided."
"Ben, you are one of us now. You and I are connected." She pushes her head up to his lips.
After the kiss, he speaks.
"But, I don't know. Plus we didn't talk about it." He whispers. "I don't think this is the time for another baby."
"That doesn't matter. I want her to have your child. The baby will be a perfect brother or sister to our son." Standing on her toes, she kisses him again.
"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" He asks.
"I am your Queen. You are a member of my tribe. Or, soon you will be when your total transformation is complete."
"Ryn, I still have an opinion. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Ben swallows as his throat becomes dry. Light brown eyebrows twitch from the strain.
"You will respect my decisions. As one of us you must obey me."
"What?"
"Ben!" She grabs his arms. "In our world, the strong rule. Am I not stronger than you?"
He pulls his arms free of her grip.
"I thought you believe in choices?" His tone is direct.
"Yes, but I have chosen you as my mate for life. That is unusual in our world. Soon to be your world." She places her hands on his chest.
"Chosen me?" Ben takes a breath. "And if I did not want to be chosen?"
She slides her fingers across the white t-shirt.
"Ben, in our world if a female wants a mate," she shakes her head as in disbelief, "I don't understand you. You should know this."
"I should know what?"
Ryn steps back after the question, annoyed at her lover's tone.
A cell phone rings in the other room.
"That must be Hope, I told her to help Helen move some things." The irritated woman returns to the bedroom.
Little Ted begins to sob from the disruption of his nap.
"Ben can you see to him or are you still enough of a human to be offended by a female's request?"
He enters the room and brings an immediate smile to his son. The boy's arms open wide.
"It's Maddie." She speaks in a low volume but her point will be made.
"We will finish this conversation later." Returning to the cell.
"Yes, what! Helen? Hope!" Ryn's irritated expression melts into one of fear. Her breathing becomes irregular as she cannot catch her breath.
"Ben…" Her voice is weak and tears stream from her eyes. She hands him the phone.
"Maddie, what's happened?"
Ryn embraces Little Ted. Her lover stands speechless.
Notes to the reader:
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