Chapter 118

It had been a few days. Ryan had been contacting various scientists who had read about online. These scientists were interested in proving the supernatural and paranormal, alongside their research in respected fields. They might help to make the information more credible. All he had to do now was wait for a response.

Ryan moved to the couch. Leaning forward, he took the box off the coffee table – the one with the scale inside. He hadn't looked at it since he found it. It was the evidence that he needed.

Ryan opened the box. Hold on.

The scale didn't look like a scale anymore. It was all shrivelled.

Ryan frowned and took a closer look.

It was a piece of skin!

A little grossed out a first, Ryan's perspective changed when he realised what this meant.

"If this is skin now that it's dry, then…"

Ryan got up and grabbed his water bottle. He poured a little bit of water onto his hand and let a single water droplet fall on the skin in the box.

Ryan was a little disappointed – it did not change like he thought it might. He continued to stare at it as he pondered the fact that his evidence no longer looked like it came from a mermaid.

Just as he was about to put it down, a shimmer caught his eye – it was a scale once more.

"Of course!" Ryan mused aloud. He had forgotten that the change wasn't instant. This would be the perfect thing to convince the scientists if they gave him a fair go.

He couldn't let anything happen to it. Securing it in an airproof bag, Ryan took the box to his safe and locked it in.

He wondered if he would be able to get any other samples.

The more he thought about the mers not living at their house, the more the idea solidified that they must live on Mako.

It always came back to Mako.

He knew that someone bought Mako for a lot of money many years earlier, with the charge to protect the environment there, and to keep part of the island accessible to the public. Based on their regular patterns, most of the mers would be on the mainland for most of the day tomorrow. Ryan was going to go to Mako to see what he could find. He didn't necessarily want to drive them from their home, but he needed the big picture knowledge to satisfy his curiosity.

OoOoO

The next morning, Ryan sailed out to Mako Island – to the public area. He hiked up to the border between the public and private areas of the island.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Ryan sat against a rock and set up his drone and laptop for the image. It was better not to take any unnecessary risks.

High up in the sky, the drone looked down at the island. For half an hour, Ryan watched the video coming from the drone. It didn't look like there was anything there.

If there was, it was camouflaged from high up. It was clever – it would protect them from being found by satellite imagery.

Ryan directed the drone down, to just above the trees. Now the drone was more visible. Hopefully, none of the mers were home (if he found their home).

From the wider island video, there were a few clearings that might make good bases. Ryan directed the drone near to these clearings to see if it could capture anything.

The first few clearings were indeed empty. Ryan has started to wonder if it was a wild goose chase when something caught his eye at the next clearing.

Ryan zoomed in. It would have been easy to miss.

What even were they?

As he lowered the drone, he could see them much better. They were odd shaped structures made out of the strangest material. He remembered that the mermaids had powers. Maybe they made these buildings. Could they be made out of water?

There were six smaller ones and one larger one down the end. He bet this is where the mermaids lived. He was about to move the drone closer when he saw a door open to one of the houses.

Someone was home.

Ryan pulled the drone back quickly. A man (the one that always dove into the water) walked slowly towards the larger building with a group of toddlers around him.

It was definitely time to leave.

OoOoO

Ryan's heart was beating quickly as he packed up his equipment. While seeing the man didn't prove anything, those odd buildings screamed magic to him.

He didn't want to have to use this knowledge against them, but he would if he had to.

OoOoO

Andy and her best friend Evie were playing together on the school field. They stopped running around for a bit.

"Do you like climbing trees, Andy?"

Andy nodded with a smile.

"We have lots of them where I live, I love climbing," Andy said.

"Me too," Evie said. "Let's climb this one!"

Evie gestured to a large tree near the edge of the field.

They walked over to it. As they started climbing, the bell rang for the end of the lunch break.

"Aw," Andy said disappointed.

"I just want to get to that branch," Evie said. The other girl kept climbing.

"It's class time," Andy said, "and that's a high branch,"

"I know, almost there!" Evie exclaimed.

At a distance, the duty teacher checking the field could not see the girls through the leaves of the tree. She walked with the other children back towards the classrooms. This would prove fortunate for Andy.

Evie was getting close to the target branch. In her eagerness (and rush because they were now late back to class), Evie's foot slipped as a weak branch bent under her weight.

Evie squealed as she fell.

Andy reacted by instinct.

It took Evie a few seconds to process what she was seeing.

Evie had stopped falling. In fact, she was hovering above the ground, held up by a cushion of water. Evie looked up at her friend, still in the tree.

Andy was holding onto the tree with one hand, and had the other pointing straight at Evie, palm facing up.

Water. Andy. Stopped falling.

"Wow!" Evie said quietly.

Evie's word broke whatever reactionary state Andy was in.

"Oh no!" Andy exclaimed, releasing her control over the water cushion.

Evie fell the rest of the short distance to the ground, and Andy climbed down from the tree.

"Thanks for saving me, Andy!" Evie said, "Are you a superhero?"

"No," Andy replied with a giggle. "I'm glad you're not hurt. Can we pretend nothing happened?"

"No," Evie said, "But I promise not to tell anyone – I've heard it's important to keep a superhero's identity secret. Besides, I already knew there was something about you and water,"

Andy's eyes widened.

"How?" she asked.

Evie shrugged. "You never get wet when it rains,"

There was a moment of silence.

"So if you're not a superhero, what are you?"

Andy held her pinky finger up towards Evie.

"Pinky promise not to tell?" Andy asked seriously.

Evie nodded earnestly, grasping the finger with her own.

"I promise,"

"I'm a mermaid," Andy said. "I can control water,"

"A mermaid?" Evie asked, eyes widening in wonder. "Do you have a tail and everything?"

Andy nodded.

"But only when I get wet," Andy said.

"I'll need to see your tail someday, that will be so cool!" Evie exclaimed. "Can you just control water at any time?"

"Yeah," Andy smiled. She created a few water bubbles from the air and spun them around. "See,"

"Wow, you are so cool Andy. Why don't you live in the ocean?"

"My family live on land so I do too," Andy replied.

"Awesome," Evie replied.

"I'll answer your other questions later," Andy said. "Let's get back,"

Andy helped Evie to her feet and they walked back towards the classrooms.

As they got closer, a flustered looking teacher spotted them.

"Oh there you are girls," the teacher said. "I just came to try to find you. Let's get back to class,"

OoOoO

"Mum, Evie found out about me today," Andy said as Cleo was helping her daughter to get ready for bed.

At Cleo's look of surprise, Andy rushed through the next words.

"But it's ok, she pinky-promised not to tell anyone!"

"Okay, Andy," Cleo said calmly, but inside she was trying not to panic. "What exactly happened?"

"Evie fell out of the tree from high up and I caught her with my powers," Andy said quickly.

"You caught her with your powers?" Cleo echoed.

Andy nodded.

"I didn't mean to, it just happened. No one else was around,"

"I'm glad you could help your friend and keep her from being hurt, but you have to remember how important it is to keep your identity secret," her mother responded with an anxious tone. "You never know who might be watching."

"I know," Andy said sadly, "I'll try to control myself,"

"Andy, sweetie," Cleo said, wrapping her daughter tight in her arms. "It's okay. I'm sorry, I know that you know how important it is. These things happen. Be proud of yourself. You saved your friend,"

Andy looked up with a shy smile.

"That being said, it is still important to keep our secret, so let's avoid situations where you might be tempted to save someone," Cleo said with an encouraging laugh.

"Thanks Mum," Andy replied with a giggle.

Over the next few weeks, Andy and Evie became closer than ever. When they were alone, Evie asked millions of questions about magic and mermaids. Andy was happy to share.

Andy no longer had to hide a part of her from her best friend. It was freeing.

OoOoO

He answered the phone after a few rings.

"Hello, Ryan Tate speaking," Ryan answered.

"Hi Mr Tate, this is Dr Katya Alekhin. I am interested in your research proposal,"

A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you have been well! Leave me a review - let me know what you thought about the chapter :) Your comments really do encourage me.

I can't believe I've been a SLT for 7 months now. Time flies!

Thanks so much to the people who reviewed the previous chapter (and for the story compliments and constructive criticism): YaleAceBella12, Skalo, Reicheruu, Icy-petals & Walker.

To answer a few of the questions left in the reviews:

- I update the story when the chapter has been written :) As to when, I usually aim for a chapter a month (but can be more or less time) as I work full-time and have additional hobbies. I have ideas for this story, so don't worry, it won't be abandoned.

- I don't really pre-plan what I write haha (I also don't really proof read...which is something I should probably do XD) I have base ideas, and start writing. It just evolves organically. That is what has happened with the kids. I have a few ideas around their personalities (often related to who their parents are), but as I write, their responses form themselves, and I just run with it for future chapters. So as I write, I get a better idea. I hope that makes sense.