What if it's the three sons of Emma, Cleo, and Rikki that become the next generation as the sons of mermaids.
Ash and Emma Dove have two children.
April Dove, 21, non-mermaid that's in her final year at UW-Madison in the veterinary school to follow in her dad's footsteps. Also won the gold medal in downhill skiing when she was 18. Loved to go with her dad on his rounds when she was ten.
Elijah Gilbert Dove, age 14, non-merboy, aspiring figure-skater for the winter Olympics since he was five years old, very driven takes after his mom, Emma. Elijah is soon to discover that he has much more in common with his mom, his connection to water and the ocean as he arrives at the gold coast.
The Doves live in the northern part of Wisconsin. Emma is a kindergarten teacher while Ash is the local veterinarian in town.
The children of Cleo and Lewis
Lexie, 21, non-mermaid, attends the university in Sidney majoring in mathematics and science.
Charlie, 14, non-merboy, aspiring competitive swimmer. Very imaginative, takes after is mum. Also feels a connection to water and the ocean.
Lewis is a high school science teacher and Cleo is a bestselling writer of fiction.
Zane and Rikki also have two children.
Zoey Bennet, 21, attends the university at Sidney going for a MBA in business, takes after her dad, Zane.
Richard "Ritchie" Bennett, 14, loves motorcycle racing, anything fast. Very much a rebel like his mum, Rikki. Ritchie feels the same connection to the water and the ocean.
The children of Will and Bella
Wednesday Hartley. 21, takes more like her dad Will. Competed in diving in high school, prefers the goth look interested in pursuing a career in the fashion world.
Ashley William Hartley, 14, takes after his mum, Bella, the most. Doesn't yet know what he wants in life. Only he feels a connection to water and the ocean. Ashley is quite the artist and he's the dreamer like his mum Bella.
As fourteen-year-old Elijah Dove stared out the window as the plane descending on the Gold Coast 0f Australia with his mom, Emma, sitting to him. It was still hard to believe his dad, Ash, had died in a fatal car accident over several months ago while he was coming home during a bad blizzard with white out in visibility, typical northern Wisconsin winters.
Elijah had just turned fourteen after graduation from the eighth grade. Now it's just him and his mom that are flying to Australia where his mom and his dad grew up on the gold coast, where we will now be living. Mom will have found a job teaching kindergarten. Warm climate and no snow or ice, makes it hard to train for the winter Olympics in Men's figure skating but his mom keeps reassuring him that there's a indoor ice facility that practically brand new, according to one his mom's friends, Rikki Bennett. Aunt Rikki and Aunt Cleo each have a son my age and his name is Richard, but he prefers to be called Ritchie, total rebel like his mom. Cleo's son is named Charlie.
Even though Elijah loved his mom and late dad but they both seemed odd at times. Because whenever he would ask his parents to either go swimming or ice skating with him both would beg off, as if they were afraid of water but why be afraid of ice too. It just didn't make any sense. Especially since the day that he had stumbled on the various trophies and ribbons that were his mom's that she had won as a championship competitive swimmer with her own dreams of competing in the summer Olympics just like him—Now what's up with that. Did she just quit, Elijah would always ask himself for he knew that that his mom, Emma Gilbert Dove, must have had a pretty good reason for his mom was no quitter. For she was his hero. There's also the fact that both his mom and dad seem to freak out during full moons what they called moon proofing, whatever that meant.
Another thing that kept gnawing at Elijah is when he had overheard his mom talking on zoom with Aunt Rikki and his mom telling her old friend, "No, Elijah, doesn't know about me, his dad, you, Cleo, Lewis, or Zane. Does your son, Richard and Cleo's son, Charlie know about us.
"No, they don't know", Aunt Rikki added.
"Are they like us?" asked my mom.
"No, they haven't," answered Aunt Rikki and they are both forbidden to go anywhere near Mako Island.
That will also be true for Elijah too", agreed my mom. Elijah and I will be moving there in two weeks". The zoom session ends.
Now what was that about and what did Aunt Rikki mean when she answered, no, when my mom asked if their boys were like us. What about that talk about Mako Island, Elijah asked himself. I then did a search on Go Duck Go of Mako Island, I didn't see anything special, only a simple island and looked at a volcano on it and the volcano was dead and the waters were supposedly shark infested.
Emma looked at her son next to her. "Oh, my poor boy," she whispered as she grabbed his hand. I know you miss your dad because I miss him too. He's looking down at us but right now it'll be you and me, honey. The gold coast won't be as bad as you think. It's where your dad and me grew up. You'll be back on the ice before you know it, Emma reassured her son.
The plane finally lands, and mother and son leave and soon they find Rikki waiting for them.
"Oh, Emma, so glad to see you again. "I'm so sorry about Ash and I'm also sorry about your dad, Eli", said Rikki.
"Thank you, Aunt Rikki, Eli, replied.
"How's Cleo", asked Emma.
"She's doing great and so is Lewis. They should be arriving from Sidney later tonight with Charlie", answered Rikki. We have everything ready for Ash's memorial service. Cleo has become a bestselling writer of fiction and Lewis is a science teacher at the high school.
"Yes, I know, agreed Emma. I've read several of her books. Scary as hell, reminds me of Stephen King's earlier books.
"Uncle Zane has set up an interview with a figure skating coach and trainer and if she selects you", Her name is Alicia Snowe, she is an old friend of ours. Alicia has an eleven-year-old son, Andrew.
The name of Alicia Snowe is familiar to Elijah, for had won the gold medal in ladies figure skating for Australia when was eighteen. "He felt honored to have a Olympic gold winner as his coach. I just appreciate the chance and thank you again for the roller blades you sent me for my birthday. They are in my bags along with my figure skates. Helps with my cross training.
On the way to Bennet's estate, Elijah noticed the ocean. For the first time in his life, He felt a pull to it for some inexplainable reason, as if he was drawn to it.
Later in the evening, Aunt Cleo and Lewis arrived with Charlie. Eli was introduced to Ritchie and Charlie. The three of us went swimming in Bennet's pool while the adults talked.
While the kids swam in the pool, the parents talked seriously. Zane was the first to speak.
"Emma, I don't have any idea of what you and Ash told Elijah about us and Mako but I get the feeling that Ritchie and Charlie are starting to get suspicious", explained Zane.
"I don't think that Eli doesn't suspect anything that we're all mermaids and mermen, explained Emma. Eli is so occupied with his ice skating and training for the Olympics. Besides, I've already told him that Mako is off limits.
"Don't you think that making Mako off limits, makes it more attractive to them. Maybe we should set them down to them tell the truth", suggested Lewis.
"Absolutely not Lewis," blasted Rikki. Not going to happen.
Out in the pool
"Eli, I take it that your mum has already that you are forbidden about Mako Island", asked Ritchie.
"Only because it's supposedly invested by sharks, remarked Charlie. I think that our mums are mermaids, and our dads are mermen
What is that smell I smell, I smell bullshit to me", added Elijah. I don't need to hear about our parents being mermaids and merman. If you believe that then it's time to put down Hunter's crack pipe. Can we please talk about something else, asked Elijah, for this talk about mermaids and mermen make me nervous.
After a while, the three boys discover they enjoy anything zombie, this includes the Walking Dead franchise and spinoffs and even the Zombieland movies. They have different tastes in music. Elijah likes Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ritchie likes Metallica, and Charlie likes the Grateful Dead. Also, they found out that they are fans of the first season of Fallout With the badass protagonists being Lucy, the Ghoul, Aka, Cooper Howard and Maxmus.
Over the next few months, the three sons of mermaids become best friends. By now Emma and Elijah find a two-bedroom apartment near the ice rink and life seems to be settling in for mother and son.
It was the Thursday before the last weekend of summer vacation when Ritchie brought up Mako Island again.
"Let's go camping tomorrow afternoon," suggested Ritchie. We can camp out at Mako, our parents don't have to know, we'll just tell them that be camping in our usual spot. You can bring along your drone with us, Elijah. My dad just gave me the keys to his old Zodiac, that's just been redone.
I'm in, offered Charlie.
Then, I guess I'm in too, Elijah offered back. What the hell? What a great way to end the summer. The last big adventure before school starts! Besides, I need a break because Miss Alicia, my skating coach, has been pushing me all week. So, hell yes, I'm in.
The next day at noon the boys arrive on Mako Island. While Ritchie and Charlie set up camp, Elijah sets up his drone and the laptop. After finishing, Elijah helps with the setting up camp.
After camp is done, the boys are gathered around the laptop while Elijah controls his drone flying around Mako.
"I've made several passes with the drone, and I have still yet to find anything unusual," complained Elijah.
Just then, the boys spot at the same time what appears to be an entrance to a cave. "We must check this out," said Ritchie. Charlie and Elijah agree.
After Elijah lands the Drone, the trio go off to find the cave.
It wasn't long before the boys following Elijah found the entrance, it was easy using the drone. They enter it and find a blue pool that is still like glass, the pool seemed so inviting so all three jumped in. even though this strange pool wasn't doing anything unusual. The boys, couldn't leave it, finally Elijah looked at his apple watch to find that it was getting to be five o'clock and they were getting hungry. So, they reluctantly left the blue pool to go back to camp for dinner.
After dinner of hot dogs and baked beans over campfire, the three boys decide to go back into the blue pool. At this time in the evening the blue pool looks vastly different than this afternoon. Now it swirls around instead of being still. The three boys, being the sons of mermaids jump in. Once they are in the blue pool, the water begins to violently swirl and bubble as the full moon begins to move across the opening of the dead volcano. After the moon passes over the three boys, the water 0f the blue pool returns to normal but leaves the boys feeling that something has changed about them but they couldn't their finger on why they changed.
Thirty minutes later, the boys decide to head back to camp to get some sleep.
Once asleep, Elijah Dove dreams that he is swimming with his mom in the ocean and he has a fish tail, and his mom has the same fish tail, and his tail is the same golden color as his mom's. Even though it was just a dream but it was a cool dream non-the-less.
Early, the next morning, the trio arise, make and start packing the camping gear and load up the zodiac.
"Before we leave for the mainland, why don't we take one last dip in our blue pool", suggested Charlie and Elijah and Ritchie readily agree. Soon the boys are on the edge of the blue pool and jump in and ten seconds later- 1, 2,3,4.5.6,7,8,9, and finally 10. The boys' legs are replaced by fish tails. Ritchie and Charlie are staring at their blue and white tails while Elijah is staring at his orange/golden tail, and they all find that they are now shirtless. Elijah is no longer wearing his green and gold Jordan Love jersey, that had been a Christmas gift from his sister, April, and Ritchie lost his Metallica shirt, and Charlie is no longer wearing his dead head shirt.
"WTF"! shouted Ritchie.
"Are we mermaids"? asked Charlie.
"Don't be stupid Charlie, shouted Ritchie. We're merman or merboys or whatever.
Elijah couldn't speak but could only stare at his new orange and gold appendage. Finally, he manages to say, how do you think we can get our legs back. We could be trapped here forever. Elijah looks down at his wrist to see where his Apple watch should be to find it's gone, and he left his I-phone on the zodiac.
"Does any of you have your phones", asked Elijah.
"Dah! "Do you see any pockets of the cargo shorts we were wearing, where our phones were", shouted Charlie. We are so screwed!
"Just think a minute," said Elijah. It's obvious that our moms are mermaids, and their tails aren't permanent for they can go back and forth. It's obvious that we're not getting out the way that we came in. There must be a water exit out to the ocean.
So, with nothing to lose the boys dive under the water to search the blue pool to find the exit out to the ocean.
The trio find themselves back at the Zodiac but are unable to climb aboard it, so they crawl up upon the beach on dry land.
Elijah is first to notice the first of his new abilities. By waving his hands over his tail he can heat himself and then he is back to normal, and he is completely dry and he's wearing his packer jersey and his Apple Watch.
While Ritchie was drying himself to get his legs back, Elijah forms a ball of water to fling at Ritchie just as he was getting his legs back—the water ball fight had begun for the three merboys. Just like an actual snowball fight but with water balls. After fifteen minutes, a truce called, and it was time to get back to the mainland.
Ritchie and Charlie follow suit and they are back to normal too.
"Now, that's one problem solved," said Elijah. Let's get back to the mainland because I'm going to be late for skating practice. Miss Alicia is going be pissed if I'm late. It's a good thing that I had my skates and roller blades with me.
Back on the mainland, Elijah enters the ice arena. He laces up his skates to join the rest of the class.
"You're late, Elijah," yelled Miss Alicia.
"Sorry, Miss Alicia", Apologized Elijah. And joins the five girls and Alicia's eleven-year-old son, Andrew, on the ice.
For the first time since returning to the ice, Eijah notices that we're on the ice for 50 minutes to cross train on roller blade or weight train as if Miss Alicia needs to get herself and her son off the ice.
After the day's practice session is over, the girls leave for the day and Elijah's real training begins.
"Now, Elijah, you still need to practice your triple axels, that's still something you have to work on", Miss Alicia said.
After an hour of practice, Elijah failed to land on one skate. Alicia says, "Try that again, Eli.
So, Eli starts over. He skates to gather enough speed, for the jump in the air, completes three full turns and just lands on one skate. His landing is perfect. Suddenly, as Eli skates forward, he falls forward and is flat on his stomach and his fish tail has returned and he's sprawled face down on the ice with his tail flopping and he's soaking wet, in front of his skating coach and her son.
"Look mum, said Andy, Eijah is a mer just like us. But why is his tail orange and gold like yours, and Aunt Emma, Aunt Rikki, and Aunt Cleo. While mine is blue and white.
Alicia sees how Elijah looks terrified. She realized that Elijah needed to get off the ice before anyone else saw him.
"Now, Andy I need your help in getting Elijah off the ice", Alicia requested of her son.
Alicia and her son step onto the ice to assist Elijah off the ice where he can dry himself off to regain his legs.
Once inside Alicia's private office, Alicia asks, "It's obvious why you were late to practice today. You were at Mako and found the moon pool during a full moon. Now you're a merboy.
"How do you know about Mako", asked Eli.
"Because I'm a mermaid like your mom and your aunts, Cleo and Rikki and my son is a merboy like you, Alicia answered. Was it just you or were there others with you last night. I was the fourth girl when we entered it when we were sixteen. "Just be honest and you won't get in trouble, we just need to know".
Elijah took a deep breath and answered, I was with Charlie McCartney and Ritchie Bennett. Is my figure skating career over"?
"Why, no, Elijah, answered Alicia. I was able to resume my career. I found that getting wet by water or any liquid took ten seconds to get to my tail but being on the ice took longer, like an hour. I must call your mum to come and get you. The two should have a talk. Same with Ritchie and Charlie to have a talk with their mums. There's a knock on the door to Alicia's office.
"This must be your mum, Eli, Alicia said. Come in Emma.
Emma comes and immediately rushes to embrace her son. Everything is going to be OK, honey", reassured Emma. I'm not mad. We just must talk, let's go honey.
Elijah then follows his mom out to the car with his gym bag.
The silence in the car was deafening on the home but Elijah realizes that they aren't going home but to a secluded beach.
"Where are we going mom", asked Elijah.
"To Mako", answered Emma.
"Don't we need a boat since it's an island", asked Eli.
"Not anymore, Sweetie, we'll swim it", answered Emma.
"Isn't it a little far"? asked Eli.
"Boy, you've got so much to learn about your new abilities," answered Emma.
"Like heating our legs to dry off to get our legs back", asked Eli.
"That's only the beginning", sweet heart, answered Emma.
Emma parks the car and tells her son to follow her to the beach as Emma reaches the water's edge to dive in and watches his mom transform into a mermaid. Elijah follows his mom into the water, and he transforms into a merboy. Emma notices that her son has the same color tail as hers, orange and gold, and not blue and white, like his dad's.
With ten minutes, mother and son enter the moon pool where they find Rikki and Cleo are waiting with their sons.
Rikki is the first to speak.
"We just want the three of you to know that we are not angry with any of you, for you are our sons and we love you".
"Originally, we wanted to tell you when you reached your eighteenth birthday, we did with your older sisters, they choose not to become mermaids. They just had other ideas.
"Mom, I have a question, why did April decide to not get into the moon pool", asked Elijah.
"At first, she was going to for she was intrigued with the idea of becoming a mermaid but at the same time she had just qualified for the winter Olympics in nationals in downhill skiing, with US team, that had been something that she had worked her ass off since she was small. She was so much like you about your figure skating winter Olympic goals. Also, April realized that avoiding water or anything or any liquid would be one big pain.
"I take it that this mermaid thing is permanent", asked Charlie. I suppose this ends my competitive swimming.
"I'm afraid it is Charlie," answered Cleo.
"But just remember that the three of you have us to guide you, as your mums", added Rikki.
Just then, Ritchie lobs a water ball toward his mum in the moon pool.
"Ok, fish boy, you are so dead, young man", threatened Rikki.
"Catch us if you can", challenged Charlie as the three merboys swam through the moon pool exit.
"How in the heck did they learn that" questioned Emma. Our sons just challenged us to their version of a snowball fight. Mother and son water ball fight.
"I'm so up for the challenge," agreed Rikki. As the three mermaid mums followed their merboy sons out into the ocean.
The three mermaids reach the beach and there's no sign of their sons, so they come onto the beach to dry themselves and are back to leg form. At this moment the three merboys are still in the water and each lob a water ball at their mothers, each getting a direct hit and each are back with their tails.
The three mermaid mums knew that had been ambushed by their sons. Knowing that the boys only had a temporary advantage but not for long. Rikki was the first to reach the water, after drying off to form her own water ball that gets lobbed at her son on the beach and Ritchie is back with his tail and Emma and Cleo fallow suit. Then all three boys' tails are back on the sand
"I have an idea," thought Emma. Let's go farther into the ocean. I have an idea.
Meanwhile the merboys dry off and are standing on dry land.
"What are our moms up", wondered Elijah.
Back out in the ocean, the mermaid mums each form their own small water balls and get them rolling on the surface of the water toward the three merboys, the water balls getting bigger and bigger. By the time the water balls reach the shore, they are huge. As they form the wave that hits their merboy sons and each are driven farther into the jungle of Mako Island away from the ocean and still in mermaid form.
"I think it's time to collect our merboys, isn't it", suggested Emma and Cleo and Rikki agree.
The three mothers soon find their sons with their tails flip flopping in the middle of the forest.
"Ok boys, you have just learned your first lesson for the day and that is to never mess with mermaids, especially their mermaid mums, for we have at this a long time while you've been like this for a day.
Then the mermaids help their sons get dry and their legs are back and each walk back with their arm around their sons' shoulder.
When they get back to the beach, it's Elijah that is the first to speak.
"You know mom. Today I had the most fun with you, like I bonded with you, even though you all kicked our butts today and he threw his arms around his mom. It was at that moment that the three mermaid mums realized that Elijah was right for that they too had the most fun today. Ritchie and Charlie also felt the same way for they too felt the mother and son bond that got closer.
So, the three mermaids and their sons entered the water for the return swim back to the mainland.
