She gazed upon the young man she had saved and carefully searched his body for a pulse.

"Please be alive." She prayed. "Please be alive."

She felt relief wash over her when she heard him take a breath. He was alive. She had gotten to him in time. She hadn't of killed him.

She truly did not mean to lure him so close to the ocean. In fact she never meant to lure him at all. She wasn't even aware that he could hear her. She was only just sitting on a rock, combing her hair, and singing to herself. A normal pass time but she tried to do it at a place and time where no one could hear her because she knew how dangerous her voice could be.

As soon as she saw him looking out at the sea, looking for the one singing, she immediately stopped before he could hurt himself. But then to her horror, her song had already drawn him in front a large, moving, thing that forced him to jump into the water to avoid getting hit. To make matters worse he was knocked out when a wave threw him against the rocks. When he went under she quickly swam to save him.

She lingered over his face, now taking the time to really look at him and observe his appearance. She had seen men before but she thought that this one was the most handsome. More handsome than even the countless males her father had tried to pressure her into mating with. She stroked back his wet hair, discovering the nasty bump that the rocks had left on him the night before. She kissed his high, smooth forehead and the bump faded instantly.

His eyes started to flutter open and for a brief moment he saw a vision more lovely than anything he ever could have imagined. Then he closed his eyes and smiled as he was having a wonderful dream.

"Alastor!"

She look upward to see a young girl standing at the top of the hill. She appeared to be frantic, desperately looking for something. Or rather someone. Did she know this man, perhaps? If she did then the girl needed to be informed of his location. However she couldn't risk exposing herself. What was she to do?

That's when she took note of the sun's rays shinning very close to where they were, reflecting off the pendent of her necklace. It gave her an idea and she proceeded to undo the chain.

Beth waited for her brother to come back to the house for hours, around ten o'clock she fell asleep while waiting on the sofa and when she awoke this morning to find that he still hadn't of returned she became very worried. She tried to call him but he wouldn't pick up. She went outside and found that his car was still parked, and that his keys and cell phone were left discarded on the side of the road.

This wasn't like him. Yes he was known to stay out late but never all night and he would always call to inform her of where he was. He was also extremely organized and would never be so careless as to leave his keys and phone behind.

"Alastor!" She called out. "Alastor!"

She was getting scared. She started to go back in the house with the intention of calling the police when a light was suddenly flashed into her eye. When she recovered from the shock, she followed to where the light came from which was down by the shore where her brother was laying motionless.

"Alastor!"

She quickly bolted down toward the beach.

"Alastor." She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Alastor wake up! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes and began to stir.

"Beth?"

"Yes it's me! The sister you almost caused to have a heart attack!" She embraced him. "Where did you go last night? What were you doing down here? And why are you wet?"

"I...I don't remember."

"What do you mean you don't remember?"

"I don't remember. I was going to my car and I was just getting ready to put the keys in when I heard something down by the beach. Everything became foggy after that."

"Do you remember seeing anyone?"

"No. I'm pretty sure I was alone." He placed his hand over his forehead. "But for one brief moment I had the strangest feeling that...Nevermind."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's not important."

"What? What did you feel like?"

"For a moment I thought that I was in the presence of a young lady. But I wasn't. I dreamed it."

Beth looked around the area and tired to see if there were any other people around but she couldn't see a single soul. No wait, was there someone in the water? Watching them from behind the rocks?

"Oh no!" Alastor cried when he looked down at his wrist watch. "It's already 7:15, I have to be at the Claire de Lune in forty-five minutes! I need to shower! Comb my hair! I can't be late!"

He ran up the hill to the house, Beth followed him but not before taking a moment to see if someone would come out from behind those rocks. But no one did. However she did see a large fish tail come up from the tide.

"Beth if you want breakfast then you better hurry up!" Alastor called.

She continued toward the house and found a plate of toast and fruit waiting for her. She quietly ate her morning meal while watching her brother frantically ready himself for his audition. He hated running late, it made him feel sloppy and that was something he wouldn't allow himself to be.

"Do you know what you're going to do for your audition?" Beth asked him as she put the dishes away. "Are you prepared?"

"Yes. I figured that Rosie would expect an audition before hiring me so I made plans for one long before we even left."

"When do you think you'll be back?"

"I don't know. I'll call when I find out."

"You know I was thinking of taking a bike ride through town today. Maybe do a little exploring?"

"I don't know about that."

"Oh come on Al, nothing's going to happen. It's a small town."

"Bad things happen in small towns Beth. I heard about it all the time on the news. Not mention children and girls are the most common victims."

"But the town is just a few blocks from the house. I won't talk to anyone I don't know and I won't get into a car with anyone."

"Mmm..." He thought for a moment. "Maybe I should call Angel and ask him to go with you."

"No! Don't leave me alone with him!"

"Don't worry he never drinks in the morning."

"He doesn't creep me out because he drinks. He creeps me out because he's creepy in general."

For those of you who would like some elaboration on who Angel is, Anthony Lombardi or "Angel" for short was Alastor's friend from high school, a troubled teen who had gotten into drugs and booze to deal with his emotional problems. His father was apart of a private operation that sold illegal drugs and he used his own children as couriers. When his father's latest product was found in his backpack by a teacher, he was arrested but didn't squeal on his family's business. Luckily though the judge bought his fib about just being a stupid kid caving into peer pressure.

He was given probation and had to attend mandatory guidance counseling which is where he met Alastor. He was in there for assaulting a student for calling his mother a gold-digging slut. They bonded over the fact that the main male figures in their lives mistreated them and that they had big dreams. Alastor as you probably know, dreamed of having his own radio show but Angel's was to be an erotic novelist. Now erotica didn't appeal to Alastor but he would try to support him if possible.

Beth didn't like Angel because he tended to be very crass and perverted. Growing up, whenever he was around her they would constantly bicker. Bicker more than she and her own brother did. It annoyed Alastor but he couldn't really blame his sister for her negative feelings toward his friend. Angel had made some poor choices and he was not an easy person to get along with, especially if you were a female. But Angel was his longest and most loyal friend. He had always been there for him when he really needed it so he couldn't just cut him out of his life.

"Look Beth I don't have time to deal with this now." Alastor said. "I have to go. We'll talk about it when I call you, in the meantime do not set one foot out of this house."

He checked his reflection in the mirror again. He checked his hair, his clothes, his teeth, they were all neatly in place and clean. Perfect. His appearance was acceptable.

"Good luck Al." Beth said.

"Thanks Beth."

He put on his jacket and left for his audition. Once he was gone Beth decided that she would read until he called her. First she read a few pages from her Encyclopedia on the Ocean and it's Inhabitants, studying the differences between dolphins and porpoises. Then she switched over to her Guide to the Myths and Legends of the Sea, learning about krakens, the Lernean Hydra, and her personal favorite mermaids.

"When merfolk choose their mates, is done solely on breed and bloodline. Male and female must have similar background, abilities, and class before bonding as one." Beth read out loud. "Unlike most commitments, love comes after the process of mating however merfolk only choose one mate and it is for life."

Beth made a skeptic look.

"Huh? Well if they mate for life you'd think they'd want love to come first."

She turned the page and proceeded to read the one that came after it.

"Merfolk are known to be very hostile, prideful, and vain creatures who harbor distaste to humans but mermaids in particular tend fall into two categories. The first being animalistic but seductive, paring her attractive appearance with a false illusion of human feeling which hides a heartless and genocidal monster." Beth took a moment to wince. "The other one is the more rare, innocently beautiful maiden who bravely expresses her emotions without self-consciousness and is capable of having a tender heart. This type takes a special fancy to human children because they empathize with their child-like wonder and open mindedness."

When she turned the page, she briefly glanced down at her wrist and just now realized that her charm bracelet was missing. Her favorite piece of jewelry, a gift from Alastor on her sixth birthday. That year, a month before the big day, she and Alastor were going home from school and work when she spotted the bracelet on display at the local window shop. It was pure gold with four charms hanging from the chain: A music note, a piano, a ballerina, and a swan. She begged him to get it for her but he told her that it was too expensive. But on her birthday he surprised her with a tiny box that contained the exact bracelet she wanted. She was so happy, she called him the best big brother in the world and promised to keep it forever.

She panicked when she discovered it gone. She searched the entire house for it. Under the beds, under the sofa, under the tables and chairs, in the closets, even in the cupboards but the bracelet was no where to be found. Then she pondered if maybe it had slipped off her wrist when she went down to the beach this morning. Now she knew that she wasn't supposed to leave the house at least until Alastor called her and talked to her but if the bracelet had fallen by the shore and just about to be washed away for good?

"I'll just be out there for five minutes and then I'll come straight back." She told herself before heading out.

But she would be out there for much longer than five minutes.