“So you’re telling me that she isn’t human and you knew about it?!”
Nobody spoke. There were two patients in the room and a storm outside that rivalled Jericho’s rage.After discovering the crazy scene, Jericho dragged and tossed Ricardo’s body over the cliff while his dhampir boyfriend prevented Dawn from hurting anyone else. The gills grew on the side of Dawn’s neck and the bullet wound started closing up, so Melvin dug his nails in to remove the bullet. According to the legends, mermaid flesh was able to grant semi-immortality due to its rapid regeneration abilities. Many merfolks were hunted in the past for their flesh by humans who kept them as pets. As a result, merfolks chose to live in deeper waters, concealing their presence from everyone until they were merely a myth. Only those who lived long enough to remember those times knew about merfolks. Melvin was saved by one of Aqua’s kind long ago and knew a few secrets. Imagine his surprise when he learned how a"Aqua! Don't go too close to the land. Stay away from humans. They're nothing but terrible creatures who destroy anything they don't understand. If they see you, swim to the bottom of the ocean as fast as you can and don't look back."To this day, Aqua remembered her mother's words. Unfortunately, the old mermaid was severely injured by a crazy orca and passed away several years ago. Aqua only had her mother growing up. The lady taught her everything she knew, from hunting to astrology. She was still grieved thinking about the horrible day. However, the young mermaid knew that life had to go on. She might not have her mother with her but remembered everything she was told.The deep sea came with a different set of dangers. There might not be many humans in the deep sea, but there were sharks and whales that loved to eat merfolks. Aqua’s village was wiped out by a school of hungry whales, and her mother escaped with baby Aqua in her arms as her father and brothers fought valiantly. Com
At the age of twenty-seven, Dawn Daniels had everything anyone wanted — women, money and power. His father was an infamous mafia don, and it was no surprise that he would inherit the family business after his father died from a heart attack. There was no other family apart from the old don who refused to remarry after Dawn’s mother passed away from childbirth. However, the young don always saw his subordinates as his family. In particular, his father’s advisor had always been a big brother Dawn never had. Ricardo was the last person Dawn expected to betray him. Yet, reality was constantly disappointing him.“This is the end of line, buddy. It’s been a joy watching you grow up all these years. No hard feelings, Dawn. I’ll send you off without pain to reunite with your parents.”Growling at the traitor under his nose, Dawn couldn’t help but regret overlooking the signs. His father’s death had been suspicious from the beginning, but the young mafia boss had many things to settle on the t
It had to be a dream. There was no way mermaids existed, right?Dawn couldn’t see much in the dark watery tomb. However, he questioned his sanity when thin arms wrapped around his torso with a scaly tail pulling him upwards to the surface. Maybe he had already died, and this was the underworld.Although he could not see, Dawn could hear the splashing of waves and feminine grunts as his mysterious angel pulled him up on the rocks. She struggled with his weight for a while before shredding his shirt.If Dawn were still able to move, he would have leered at the action. However, he was too tired to care. Whatever, he was dying anyway. Nothing she did would help. A ruined shirt was the last of his concern, although dying in the arms of a fishy stranger wasn’t what he had in mind when he threw himself off that bridge.Instead of getting violated by his fishy saviour, Dawn heard faint sobbing sounds. Was she really crying for a total stranger?It wasn&r
Before Aqua could answer, the sun dipped below the water, and in a glow of light that blinded Dawn, her legs transformed into a beautiful turquoise tail.Gaping, the mafia boss stared at the large fish tail flicking on the rocks. Aqua took the opportunity to escape with a large splash.Cold water rained over Dawn, and he covered his eyes to prevent salt from getting into them. Spluttering, the shocked man looked to the sea. He couldn’t see anything, as if the mermaid who saved him earlier was only his imagination.He was still alive, and the gunshot wound from earlier had disappeared. There was no doubt about it. That wasn’t a dream. Dawn had been saved by a mythical creature with a turquoise tail.“Dammit!” he cussed silently and looked up. That was the bridge he jumped from.Without a way up or any hint of where his saviour had gone, Dawn weighed his options. His shirt was torn, and Ricardo was probably still trying to find his body. It was too risky to return. Ther
As far as crazy first dates went, this had to be Dawn’s worst first impression. However, he reasoned that more crime wouldn’t hurt his criminal record. Aqua didn’t have to discover that this yacht did not belong to him. He usually committed graver crimes like murder and money laundering, but he wasn’t against dining and dashing when the situation called for it. He was a mafia boss behaving like a ruffian, which was humiliating. However, pride won’t fill his stomach. Food did.Together, they finished Aqua’s stash of snacks, and Dawn told her his plan.“If you know any boats that don’t have people, we can go up there and take some of their food.”Aqua knew what boats Dawn was talking about. She often dodged them from beneath the water, and sometimes, she would smell very delicious things coming from them. Occasionally, if she waited beneath them, the humans from those boats would throw food down into the water. She d
Dawn did not know much about cooking. However, he knew some basics. It wasn’t difficult to follow the instructions behind the frozen food packaging. Besides, those gentlemen did not seem like they were professional chefs. Most men were only good at using the microwave and grilling meat.Aqua rolled around on the sofa and looked at the strange box that talked while Dawn cooked. She could smell all sorts of strange scents as the human busied away. Those new smells made her stomach unhappy, and Aqua lost interest in the talking box.Sniffing the air, the mermaid watched the human she saved, removing strange things from cardboard boxes. When he tossed the cardboard boxes, she gasped in alarm at the waste of edible material.“What are you doing? Why do you throw those away? It can be eaten!”Startled at the outburst, Dawn turned around. Aqua flailed on the couch with a panicked look on her face. He followed her line of sight, and it landed on the fro
Pizza was a strange human food. It was a lot of things at once, and Aqua had no idea what to make of the flavours that burst on her tongue. Most importantly, this thing called cheese stretched when she pulled it. She had never eaten anything like it before. Not only was it fun, but it was also tasty.“Do you like it?”Chewing happily, Aqua nodded. Dawn ate his pizza and watched as the mermaid stretched the cheese until it broke. She was like a child trying to see how long she could stretch the mozzarella before it snapped. He didn’t mind. However, they had to eat and leave quickly.“You can finish the rest of the food,” he told her. “I’m going to shower and find some clothes for you.”Nodding absentmindedly, Aqua continued to eat. She wanted to know if the cheese had a limit. So far, she could only stretch it as far as half her arm. Maybe if she tried hard enough, it would reach the end of her arm, and she could slu
It wasn’t very different from driving a car. When Dawn figured out where the steering and the throttle were, he turned on the engine. The key was still in the ignition where the original owners had left it. However, the boat refused to budge after a certain distance of moving. It took Dawn a while to figure out why.The anchor was harder to locate than the mafia boss thought. These boats were engineered to be advanced and had no manual anchors to throw overboard. Instead, there was a button in the cockpit to retract it.Once that was resolved, Dawn was finally able to move the boat. He didn’t want to run into any of Ricardo’s goons who might be searching in the area, so he ran along the city coast until he reached the end of the pier. These boats couldn’t dock in shallow waters, so he had no choice but to disembark at a different end of the same pier.Stopping the boat was easier than starting it. Dawn slowed the speed and dropped the anchor af
“So you’re telling me that she isn’t human and you knew about it?!”Nobody spoke. There were two patients in the room and a storm outside that rivalled Jericho’s rage.After discovering the crazy scene, Jericho dragged and tossed Ricardo’s body over the cliff while his dhampir boyfriend prevented Dawn from hurting anyone else. The gills grew on the side of Dawn’s neck and the bullet wound started closing up, so Melvin dug his nails in to remove the bullet.According to the legends, mermaid flesh was able to grant semi-immortality due to its rapid regeneration abilities. Many merfolks were hunted in the past for their flesh by humans who kept them as pets. As a result, merfolks chose to live in deeper waters, concealing their presence from everyone until they were merely a myth. Only those who lived long enough to remember those times knew about merfolks. Melvin was saved by one of Aqua’s kind long ago and knew a few secrets. Imagine his surprise when he learned how a
The crimson liquid oozed out of his hand, and colour left his face with his brows knitted in agony. Dawn could faintly hear Aqua running over. He made sure to shoot Ricardo somewhere vital when he saw the man look to the side. He knew he was losing blood too fast, even if the bullet missed a vital organ. The closest hospital was about an hour away from this resort. He wouldn't make it even if Jericho arrived within the next minute.“Dawn!” Aqua collapsed beside Dawn, scrapping her knees on the stony ground, but she couldn’t feel the pain.Supporting the man and bringing him away from the dangerous cliff edge, Aqua cried under the waxing moon. Why wasn’t it a new moon? She could be saving him with these tears that fell endlessly.Lying on Aqua’s lap, Dawn studied his beautiful saviour. Now that Ricardo was dead, he was finally a free man. They had to remove the evidence and body before the authorities arrived. It sucked to leave everything
Looking down into the whirlpools beneath, Dawn stopped. He ran to a place without witnesses in the area deliberately. It was only a matter of time before Ricardo caught up with him, and thankfully, Aqua wasn’t around. She would have jumped off the cliff and taken their chances with the deep blue sea instead of giving him a chance with the devil.Now that his heart was out of the picture, Dawn pulled out that pistol he always hid with him. It was a customised pistol made from printed plastic that could only hold one bullet. However, that was enough. After all, there was only one man he wanted to kill. Judgement day came at the wrong time, but it might be for the best. Dawn could only truly live his life like a civilian with Aqua once Ricardo was dead.For the longest time, Dawn waited for this day. He never skipped a day at the gym and continued to polish his martial arts skills because he knew that while Jim was satisfied with the raid, Ricardo was never confirmed de
“Stay close to me,” Dawn commanded, grabbing Aqua’s hand tightly. “We’ll make it out of here alive.”The commotion below died in a few minutes, and Dawn peeked at the lobby. Apart from the establishment staff lying on the ground with their hands behind their head, most customers fled the restaurant. It was unlikely that this was a robbery. A resort with such luxuries must also have a great security system. It would only be a matter of time before the security arrived. All Dawn had to do was buy time. The shooter came alone. He could take that person down with force if needed.“Where is he?!” the crazed gunner yelled at the head waiter. “I know he’s in here somewhere!”When they heard the voice, Dawn turned to Aqua immediately. For some reason, he knew that voice. Although it sounded much more unhinged than the refined, sleazy confidence in his memories, there was no mistaking who the shooter was.R
The sun and beach were not for everyone. Dawn and Melvin learnt that the hard way when they accompanied their overly enthusiastic lovers for a day out in the sand. While Aqua enjoyed the sun through her golden locks and seawater on her skin, Dawn suffered from heatstroke and a terrible sunburn that caused his skin to turn red, peeling in a few days. Likewise, Melvin spent most of his time under a shelter, wearing a copious amount of sunblock. The pale man was often sluggish, even when he hid under his umbrella. According to Jericho, the big man had some sort of allergy to the sun and heat.While the two men spent most of the day indoors, Aqua and Jericho had a blast at the beach. Thanks to the hectic and physically demanding nature of their work in the service line, they had no problems picking up physically challenging sports like jet skiing or scuba diving. Aqua was a natural, and Jericho picked up the skills quickly. They spent a lot of time surfing and eating street food to
Although it wasn’t Aqua’s first time travelling to an ocean, it was her first time travelling to a beach that had sand. She was thrilled when Dawn told her about the holiday idea to travel with Jericho and Melvin. After finding out where it would be, the mermaid started marking her calendar and counting the days. It would be their one-year anniversary as a couple, making this trip more meaningful than all their other vacations.The weeks rolled by as Dawn and Jericho finalised their preparations for the holiday and proposal. Aqua remained blissfully oblivious to her boyfriend’s shifting mood as work occupied her. They had less physical contact during the period, which bothered the mermaid a little. However, Dawn prepared sweet surprises for her regularly, whether showing up during her work, sending her flowers or buying her little gifts. The colleagues around Aqua swooned with envy at the romantic gestures. Even after nearly a year together, the mermaid still
It was nearing a year since Aqua and Dawn officially became lovers. More surprisingly, Jericho snagged himself a cute boyfriend a few months ago. Nobody knew where the bar owner picked his lover from. However, that man was rather odd. Jericho was surprisingly secretive about him as well. All they knew from the gay bartender was his name.“Melvin said this restaurant by the cliffside is famous for its seafood. Aqua likes escargots, so you should book a reservation in advance if you plan to propose. Do you need help with the rings?”Shaking his head, Dawn looked at Jericho’s tall but pale-looking boyfriend. Melvin’s hazel eyes darted to the side as he slouched a little under the ex-criminal’s gaze. It was still difficult to believe Jericho was dating such a wimpy man. Apart from his good looks, Melvin resembled a scared puppy whenever they met up. The two men had been dating for a few months now. However, Melvin had never spoken with anyone else
Dawn had finished about half the bottle of aged whisky that Jericho had brought in. However, the nerves did not disappear, and he was still very sober. Time passed very slowly when he was alone, and the tempo of the music playing did not match his heartbeat.Two almost inaudible knocks were at the door, but Dawn heard it in his hyper-vigilant state. The CEO glanced at his watch and noticed it was about time. Straightening himself, he stood up and opened the door.“Hey,” he greeted, turning into putty when he saw Aqua holding the bouquet he bought. “Did you like the flowers?”Blushing hotly, Aqua nodded. She rushed to get dressed and braided her hair for the date after the accident in the kitchen. Jericho had so many fragrances to borrow from, and Aqua picked something that smelled like flowers. It wasn’t the most original choice, but it was the safest. After all, it was probably better to choose ‘Floral Fantasy’ over ‘Bl
Staring at the two words in Dawn’s chicken scrawl, Jericho inhaled deeply. He didn’t know if he should dropkick his dumb friend or strangle the life out of him. Either way, it was good that Dawn came to him before he could present this bouquet of unique flowers to Aqua.“Have you completely lost all your brain cells?” the gay man hissed. “Be mine? You couldn’t come up with better words? Are you a Neanderthal?! You’re so lucky you showed me this before giving it to Aqua. This is no way to confess to a lady!”As expected, Dawn received an earful from Jericho, who looked like he was an inch away from jumping over that counter and stabbing him with an ice pick. However, the millionaire refused to believe reciting Shakespeare’s poetry would impress the mermaid, who had just finished learning long division.“Then what else would you have me write? She can barely do elementary Math. Her reading skills are slightly a