Chapter 3

Caw-caw!

Caw-caw!

The shrill cry of the lonely crow echoed through the air and awakened the groggy seventeen-year-old. He stretched his long, lean body and swung his leg off the bed in preparation for his morning descent. His queen-sized bed called for him to return, and he pondered the request, but quickly shook the thought from his head as he remembered his schedule for the day. If he did not start his day with a run, everything else toppled like an over stacked sandwich. With his eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the morning, he headed towards his en suite bathroom and conducted his rather mechanical routine, beginning with brushing his teeth and proceeding to wash his face with the cool water. It took roughly five minutes for DeAndre to complete his morning ritual before he finally headed out to begin his morning run. He enjoyed the scent of the ocean breeze which drifted up the path to the home he shared with his mom, dad, and twin sister Diedre, who were all sleeping peacefully. Jogging down towards the path that led to the serene beach, DeAndre thought he could also smell a hint of Noni. He never really liked the fruit and was allergic to it, so there was no presence of it anywhere near his home. Flexing his arms and stretching the rest of his body in preparation for the jog, he shook his head to evade the putrid scent of the Noni and the air. With his Playlist radiating the newest island jams, he set off on a steady pace along the white sandy beach.

The allure of the beaches cushiony, welcoming sand had tricked DeAndre into believing his morning run would be easy. After 30 minutes of testing the terrain, the avid jogger paused for a break to rejuvenate. He stood and marveled at the endless stretch of turquoise water beyond him, and contemplated diving in. The beach was quite empty during this time, and DeAndre took advantage of the opportunity. He could feel his muscles yearning for movement and begin to slowly run on the spot to appease his body's request. Once again, the wild stench of the Noni fruit began to enter his nose again. There was no way that a Noni tree would be so near the beach. He neared the water's edge to wash his face to erase the overriding scent of the Noni. Cupping a handful of the salty cure for his senses in his hand, DeAndre splashes his face.

"Well, that did not help," he said to no one in particular. He bent to dip another handful of water and came face to face with a body in the water.

*********************************************

Consuela felt herself gasping for air and coughed to relieve the heavy pressure which felt like a deadweight on her chest. The first breath of fresh air to escape her lungs was a welcomed reward. Positioning herself onto her hands and knees, she tried to slow the pace of her breathing to regain her senses. Her hair which was previously fashioned into an afro was now dripping wet and draped her shoulders and face. As she tried to stand, she felt a strong hand rubbing her back to offer comfort. She shrugged the hand away and pulled herself up by performing a balancing act in the sand and wiped her hair away.

Once she had regained her composure, she was met with a face that was certainly a welcomed relief. His black skin glistened under the sun illuminating his chiseled face. Dark brown eyes played companion to a wide, elegant nose and an enchanting smile that made his thick lips wonderfully inviting. Her head barely met his broad shoulders, from which his well-toned arms extend.

Who was this young lord?

"Are you OK?"

"I'm all right. I don't know where I am, though." She gently massaged the sides of her head, hoping to bring her memory back to life.

"One minute I was trying to escape those dreadful mermaids and I surely thought they had taken me, then the next thing I remembered was darkness."

Noticing the lord's confused expression, she paused.

"You're one of the mermaids' henchman, aren't you?"

Consuela turned from left to right, frantically surveying her surroundings. She had spun herself into a dizzy fit and stood still hoping to steady herself and then began running.

"Hey! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself if you don't slow down!"

With a quick glance back, she noticed the young lord was gaining much ground towards her.

What new sorcery was this that the mermaids had concocted? People had always said they could smell your heart's desire and use that to their advantage. So of course, they would send a young lord of such handsome stature to court her. Well, they were out of luck this time!

A few minutes had passed before she realized the lord was no longer chasing her. Was it possible the mermaids' henchman had tired of the chase? She was breathless and decided that a break was well deserved at this point. Resting herself onto the soft bed of sand, she realized that her garments had begun to dry. Her petticoat and apron which were once long had now become tattered and the only thing protecting her modesty was her under petticoat and stockings. Her brand-new blue striped gown and yellow butterfly handkerchief were destroyed, and her linen shift was stuck to her skin. The bright red cloak which finished her look was no longer tied around her slender neck. She realized to be relieved, she would have to unlace her stay. She set upon the task and was done in a matter of minutes.

"What sweet escape this is!" Consuela expressed joyfully. If her grandmother saw her now, she would cast her as an uncouth lady of no class. She extended her rest posture into a full laying position on her back in the sand and stared at the sky blissfully.

What in the world happened with the mermaids?

Did they banish her to an ungodly realm?

Was she even still alive?

"The view is really beautiful from here on a great day!"

Caught in her mystic daydream, she had not realized that the handsome lord had found her.

Caw-caw!

Caw-caw!

The shrill cry of the lonely crow echoed through the air and awakened the groggy seventeen-year-old. He stretched his long, lean body and swung his leg off the bed in preparation for his morning descent. His queen-sized bed called for him to return, and he pondered the request, but quickly shook the thought from his head as he remembered his schedule for the day. If he did not start his day with a run, everything else toppled like an over stacked sandwich. With his eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the morning, he headed towards his en suite bathroom and conducted his rather mechanical routine, beginning with brushing his teeth and proceeding to wash his face with the cool water. It took roughly five minutes for DeAndre to complete his morning ritual before he finally headed out to begin his morning run. He enjoyed the scent of the ocean breeze which drifted up the path to the home he shared with his mom, dad, and twin sister Diedre, who were all sleeping peacefully. Jogging down towards the path that led to the serene beach, DeAndre thought he could also smell a hint of Noni. He never really liked the fruit and was allergic to it, so there was no presence of it anywhere near his home. Flexing his arms and stretching the rest of his body in preparation for the jog, he shook his head to evade the putrid scent of the Noni and the air. With his Playlist radiating the newest island jams, he set off on a steady pace along the white sandy beach.

The allure of the beaches cushiony, welcoming sand had tricked DeAndre into believing his morning run would be easy. After 30 minutes of testing the terrain, the avid jogger paused for a break to rejuvenate. He stood and marveled at the endless stretch of turquoise water beyond him, and contemplated diving in. The beach was quite empty during this time, and DeAndre took advantage of the opportunity. He could feel his muscles yearning for movement and begin to slowly run on the spot to appease his body's request. Once again, the wild stench of the Noni fruit began to enter his nose again. There was no way that a Noni tree would be so near the beach. He neared the water's edge to wash his face to erase the overriding scent of the Noni. Cupping a handful of the salty cure for his senses in his hand, DeAndre splashes his face.

"Well, that did not help," he said to no one in particular. He bent to dip another handful of water and came face to face with a body in the water.

**************************************************************************

Consuela felt herself gasping for air and coughed to relieve the heavy pressure which felt like a deadweight on her chest. The first breath of fresh air to escape her lungs was a welcomed reward. Positioning herself onto her hands and knees, she tried to slow the pace of her breathing to regain her senses. Her hair which was previously fashioned into an afro was now dripping wet and draped her shoulders and face. As she tried to stand, she felt a strong hand rubbing her back to offer comfort. She shrugged the hand away and pulled herself up by performing a balancing act in the sand and wiped her hair away.

Once she had regained her composure, she was met with a face that was certainly a welcomed relief. His black skin glistened under the sun illuminating his chiseled face. Dark brown eyes played companion to a wide, elegant nose and an enchanting smile that made his thick lips wonderfully inviting. Her head barely met his broad shoulders, from which his well-toned arms extend.

Who was this young lord?

"Are you OK?"

"I'm all right. I don't know where I am, though." She gently massaged the sides of her head, hoping to bring her memory back to life.

"One minute I was trying to escape those dreadful mermaids and I surely thought they had taken me, then the next thing I remembered was darkness."

Noticing the lord's confused expression, she paused.

"You're one of the mermaids' henchman, aren't you?"

Consuela turned from left to right, frantically surveying her surroundings. She had spun herself into a dizzy fit and stood still hoping to steady herself and then began running.

"Hey! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself if you don't slow down!"

With a quick glance back, she noticed the young lord was gaining much ground towards her.

What new sorcery was this that the mermaids had concocted? People had always said they could smell your heart's desire and use that to their advantage. So of course, they would send a young lord of such handsome stature to court her. Well, they were out of luck this time!

A few minutes had passed before she realized the lord was no longer chasing her. Was it possible the mermaids' henchman had tired of the chase? She was breathless and decided that a break was well deserved at this point. Resting herself onto the soft bed of sand, she realized that her garments had begun to dry. Her petticoat and apron which were once long had now become tattered and the only thing protecting her modesty was her under petticoat and stockings. Her brand-new blue striped gown and yellow butterfly handkerchief were destroyed, and her linen shift was stuck to her skin. The bright red cloak which finished her look was no longer tied around her slender neck. She realized to be relieved, she would have to unlace her stay. She set upon the task and was done in a matter of minutes.

"What sweet escape this is!" Consuela expressed joyfully. If her grandmother saw her now, she would cast her as an uncouth lady of no class. She extended her rest posture into a full laying position on her back in the sand and stared at the sky blissfully.

What in the world happened with the mermaids?

Did they banish her to an ungodly realm?

Was she even still alive?

"The view is really beautiful from here on a great day!"

Caught in her mystic daydream, she had not realized that the handsome lord had found her.