At First Sight

Alina was awed by the ethereal beauty of the mermaid. Her long, silver tail glittered under the moonlight while her skins shone like a pearl. There was a calming aura emitting from her which was alleviating Alina’s earlier anger against her uncle. Just looking at the mermaid was so relaxing and made her happy.

“I can’t believe that mermaids actually exist!” Alina squealed. “I’ve been searching for one for so long!”

She had read about mermaids and their amazing powers. The books she read were fictional but mermaids were faster than normal humans and quite strong too. They were known to be intelligent creatures which traveled from one sea to another in order to roam around the world.

“You’re so pretty…” Alina sighed.

“Thank you.”

Alina blinked and yelped in shock. The mermaid stared incredulously at the girl who seemed to be scared out of her wits.

“Y-you can talk?” she stammered.

“Yes!” the girl giggled as she swam lazily around the pond. She was happy and content to be swimming after so long. The lab she was kept in had a pool but it made her isolated. She was like a caged animal who was being studied and experimented upon. Just thinking about it made her shudder but now that she was out of that hell hole, she wanted to live her life to the fullest. 

And it was not just for her sake but also for that couple who had sacrificed their lives for her. She wanted to honor their last wish.

“How did you reach here?” Alina asked. “Aren’t mermaids supposed to stay at the sea?”

The mermaid sighed and pulled herself out of the water. She sat on a rock, letting her tail down to lightly splash on the water while ushering the little girl to sit next to her. Alina, overcome by her curiosity, sat beside the mermaid. She was very curious and was like an apt student who was listening to her favorite teacher.

“I...was caught by some bad people,” the mermaid revealed. “They kept me in a cage for a long time. But two kind people helped me to escape.”

“Where are they now?” Alina asked. The mermaid lowered her eyes in sadness. A look of genuine pain and grief dawned on her face and she was reluctant to talk about it. Her only mission was to find their daughter and ensure a safe future for her…

“They are...not around anymore,” she slowly said, unwilling to say anything more. “But I want to live my life by fulfilling their wishes.”

“I’ve read all about mermaids,” Alina claimed. “Is it true that you guys can travel the whole world using the seas?”

“Nah!” the mermaid pouted. “I’ve never gone out of this country. We can’t swim very far because there are certain areas in the sea which are dangerous for us. Sharks and other deadly sea creatures can attack us so we don’t travel much. I'm not sure about the rest of my kind.I lost a lot of my memories so I can't remember anyone from my species. They might be out there somewhere in the sea.”

Did anyone look for me all this time? she sadly wondered.

“Do you have super powers?” Alina asked. “Like...are you the fastest person on earth? Or can you take down a building?”

“I’m faster than humans,” the mermaid confessed. “And stronger too but I can’t take down a building! But I can fling a guy heavier than me across the field!”

“Then why didn’t you knock down those people who kidnapped you?”

“They had tied mercury bands around my arms,” the mermaid said. She pulled up her sleeve and to Alina’s horror, there were lage angry blisters circling her arm. The red scars looked as if her skin was burnt in those areas.

“Mercury is our weakness,” the mermaid went on. “If we’re near mercury, then our powers don’t work. We become weak and can’t fight back. These wounds will take time to heal.”

Alina was awed by this new piece of information. “But I’ve seen in some movies that mermaids are thought to be dangerous,” she said. “The song of a mermaid can lure travelers to their deaths!”

The mermaid pouted in anger. “Darn movies ruining our rep!” she grumbled. “We are very peaceful creatures! We stay away from people and don’t harm them at all! In fact, we don’t just sing for anybody. It has to be for someone special.”

“What do you-”

Alina began to ask but suddenly, there was a crunching of branches. The mermaid quickly slipped into the water, submerging completely beneath it. Alina hurried to stand up and face the person who was approaching their way. 

Jason emerged from the bushes. He was wallking along the patio when he heard someone talk in the garden. To his surprise, it was Alina.

“What are you doing here?” he frowned. 

“Nothing!” Alina said quickly. “I was just...enjoying the fresh air!”

She smiled and pretended to appreciate the nature. Jason rolled his eyes.

“Go back inside!” he ordered. “I thought I told you that you were grounded.”

Alina glanced at the water. The mermaid was nowhere to be seen and she did not want to leave her there. What if she ran away again?

“Go!” Jason scolded her. Alina jumped in fright and lowered her head, mumbling, “Yes uncle.”

She quietly walked away. Jason watched her head back inside the mansion. His tone came out harsher than he had intended but whenever he saw Alina, he was only reminded of his sister had abandoned him when he needed her the most. After promising him that she would return to fetch him, she never came back. 

And now, she was gone forever. He did not have anyone to vent out his anger at and somehow, Alina had to bear the brunt of his wrath. It was not her fault but Jason was not a patient man. The scars of his past were ingrained into his soul. Nothing could heal them.

He slumped on the ground, laying back to stare at the starry sky. His mind was flashing the images of the past which he could never forget. The memories he had once suppressed were coming back to him, especially after Sheila’s death.

He could still hear the sounds of the whips which cut through his skin. The air was cool that night, relaxing his body but his heart remained troubled. As the memories rushed through his head, he fell into a trouble sleep...

The distant yelling of that man was echoing his ears while his mother and sister were cowering in a corner, begging the man for mercy. A young Jason was crouching in front of the man, crying hard. The man did not listen but hit Jason with the whip. 

Blood gushed out from his wounds and Jason let out an ear piercing scream.

“Forgive me, dad!” he begged, holding onto the man’s thigh. “I won’t do it again! I won-”

But his pleas were met by more hitting from the whip. Sheila was also begging her dad to let go of Jason but Sr. Cho was determined to punish his son.

“You can never escape this house!” he gritted. “NEVER!”

Jason watched fearfully as Gregory Cho raised the whip and brought it down again. Then everything went black.

…

The mermaid slowly came out of the water. There was a man lying on the ground, sleeping. But he was murmuring something. Curious about him, the mermaid swam to the shore. She hoisted herself up to study the man. Upon seeing his face, she was awestruck.

He was beautiful. It was the only word which came to her mind. She was gazing at his sharp features while his tanned skin was glistening. His brown hair was styled into soft bangs which fell on his forehead, giving him a boyish look. Even though his face was icy, he was defenseless in his sleep. There was a warmth about the man which contrasted with his coldness, making her even more curious about him.

“Let...me...go...dad…” 

The mermaid was taken aback. His eyes were still closed but he was murmuring in his sleep. To her shock, a drop of tear fell from his eye.

“I...won’t escape...don’t...hit...me…”

The mermaid was saddened upon hearing those words. She did not know this man and yet, in these short moments, it felt as if they were each other’s closest kins.

“Are you hiding your pain too?” she whispered. The man was still asleep but his dreams were haunting him. The mermaid sat up and slightly lifted his head, placing it on her lap. She held his hand in an attempt to ward away his bad dreams.

“I can’t do much for you,” she softly sighed. “I can’t wipe away the pain. But I can stay here and hold your hand for a while. So don’t think about bad things and go to sleep.”

Jason’s troubled expression began to soften. A sense of peace was seeping into his subconscious mind, the lines on his face starting to go away as he fell into a deep sleep. 

The mermaid held on to his hand all night, her heart beating for this beautiful man who had shared his pain with her for a brief second. 

That night, Jason had a good sleep.