Fiction: The Girl & The Merboy

June's Words for Wednesday is hosted by Charlotte at Mother Owl Musings. June 29th's prompts are: humdrum, hapless, righteous, puny, importance, weak, troubled, quirky and the photo below. I used all the words except hapless and importance. For more Words for Wednesday, visit Charlotte at Mother Owl's Musings over here. 

(Note: This story is related to the St. Felicity Tales but you don't have to read that. But if you want to, start here or see all the post here.)

-----------------------------------------

Fiction: The Girl & the Merboy
Under the dull light of the moon, a girl wheeled her chair close to the shoreline. Gingerly, she pushed against the chair's arms and dropped onto the ground. The sand was cool under her fingers. For a moment she sat still, not caring the hem of her nightgown was soaking wet.
    Behind her, a few distances away, was the beach house where she was staying with her parents for the summer. On her right, the lighthouse was dark and silent. The water in front of her was calm while a cool breeze was gliding by.
    The girl took out a book and a pen from a backpack hanging on her chair. Turning to the second page, she scribbled down a few words but then scratched them out. She scribbled again and crossed them out. Frustrated, she pulled the page out, crumbled it and threw it into the water. Then she tossed the book and pen in as well. Leaning forward, she crawled toward into the water, closer and closer until she was half way in.
    The month before, when she woke up unable to move her legs, she had thought she would be a hero with a righteous heart ready to slay the demon in her way and even laugh at the puny attempts to strike her down. But she did not laugh. To pass the hard days of therapy and medication, she told tales to herself, ones with happy endings.
    Her parents kept her doctors away so she wouldn't talk to them. But the nurses gossiped as they changed beds and tubes. 'Such a pity for one so young.' 'Only a miracle can save her.'
    Their words troubled the girl. They echoed in her head every time she saw her parents. It wasn't just her legs they had to worry about. For a year now, she had been fighting a disease with an iron will that was slowly weakling. Each time she thought she was fully cured, she was brought back to the hospital.
    The cold water enveloped her. She looked up at the moon. Once when she was five, she told her father an invisible spirit was up there and taking care of the moon. Only those with true hearts could see it. Her father merely smiled and nodded.
    Above, the moon was clear and not a living soul in sight. Why had she thought of such childish things?
    In the water, she floated for a while and then she began to sank. Lower and lower until she saw only darkness. Then she was panicking. All she wanted was to breathe again. She tried to rise up but her arms were heavy and her chest was tightening.
    Then something wrapped around her waist. She tried to pry the hand away but a voice popped into her head. Hold still or I will hit you.
    Who was this voice telling her what to do? And how dare he thought to hit her?
    But the boy didn't want to hit her. He merely said what he knew would get her to obey him.
    At once, he pulled her up to the surface. She let out a deep breath and the boy towed her onto the sands. She sat up, coughed and drew in and let out deep breaths.
    The boy was half in the water and watching the girl. The light from the lighthouse came on and it fell on the girl and moved away. He estimated her age to be eleven or older, much like him.
    She met his unblinking brown-gold eyes. His skin shimmered a light blue. She did not had any desire to thank him. She would rather like to hit him but she was too worn out.
    The boy blinked. Live, whatever else you think you should do.
    She heard his words but his mouth never moved. What did he know? He was only a boy. Certainly, he was not much older than her.
    Without a word, the boy reached out and placed a hand on each of her legs. A small current ran from his fingers toward her. Thinking it might not be enough, he strengthened the current and as he did so, a shock from his hands shot out and he was thrown backward into the water. He surfaced again and swam a little closer to the shoreline.
    The girl was staring at her legs. It was glowing slightly but then it faded.
    You can walk, I can guarantee this. His lips tilted into a half grin.
    She didn't return the grin but stared at him wide-eyed.
    Then he swam out and dove his head into the water. A silver tail appeared and then was gone.
    "Birdy!" Someone was calling her but she kept her eyes on the water but it was calm as if nothing had happened.
    
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day, Birdy and her family returned to the city for Birdy's new treatment. The day after that, she was feeling better than before. A new and strong current ran through her body every time she moved but she was walking, slow, but walking and she wasn't weak and she didn't had any ill feelings like before. Birdy could scarcely believed it but she went with it though it seemed like a dream. Several days after, her doctors allowed her to go home. Birdy knew it wasn't the new medication. It was the merboy's doing.
    Later, they returned to the beach house for a short vacation. Birdy started writing in a blank notebook, the story about a merboy. Every day, it kept raining so that Birdy was forced to stay indoors. On the days when the rain was light, she sat at the back porch writing and every now and then, watching for signs of the merboy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Theo peeked out of the water and when he was certain no one was about, swam out and crawled onto the sands. He waved his fingers at his tail and a small current shot out and dried his tail. Within seconds, he had legs. Wobbly, he made his way to the wall of rocks surrounding the lighthouse. The rain from that afternoon was gone and left everything soft and muddy but it didn't make it easier for Theo. Walking was a strange manner of moving his body though he had done it a few times.
    A light goes on at that moment as Theo knew it would. Its ray rotate round and round. Though no ships or boats came this way, Albus, the old lighthouse keeper, always turned the lights on after midnight.
    Theo leaned against the wall of rocks and then put on the cotton pants that Albus had left for him. Albus had said humans did not like it when others walked around naked and yet, they also delighted in seeing one another naked, especially the adults. Humans are quirky that way, he added.
    A short figure walked slowly toward him. Theo was ready to run but then he noticed it was the girl from before. She stopped just before him.
    "Hello," Birdy said. She smiled and gave a little wave. She was wearing a coat over her nightgown and slippers on her bare feet.
    Something in her smile made him smiled too. Hello, what are you doing out here? He sent his thoughts to her.
    The girl's smile widened. "No reason. What are you doing out here?" A few moments ago, she had awakened and saw the lights and had a desire to go out.
    No reason. Theo didn't want to tell her he had been coming here every night hoping to see some humans and study them. He looked out toward the water on his right. It was calm. There was a cool breeze about. Theo remembered they called her Birdy. Why do they call you Birdy? You are not a bird.
    Birdy pursed her lips into a line. "Everyone just calls me that because I love watching birds fly in the sky."
    Theo looked up at the sky. He had seen birds up there but he had not thought they were special.
     "Can you read minds?" Birdy asked.
    He looked back down and shook his head. No, but I can send my thoughts to your mind. That is how my people communicate. He could tell she wanted to ask more about that but instead she said, "Are you a healer?"
    Not fully. I am still learning. My father said it will be years before I master the art but he said I was learning faster than most of our people. Theo reminded himself he should not be so prideful.
    "So what you did to my legs was your way of healing? How do you do it?" Birdy asked.
    I just touch whomever and it just happen. I have only done it twice before you but those were minor. He crossed his arms over his chest. Albus should have provided him a shirt too. He didn't like being bare-chested in front of the girl.
    Birdy's eyes landed on the book tucked between two loose rocks. "That's my book." She pointed with a thin finger.
    Theo had found it in the water. There wasn't anything written in it and a few pages were torn out. He pulled the book out of the rocks and held it out to her. Take it.
    She took it and clutched it to her chest. "You know, I might write a story about you."
    Why? Theo never found himself interesting. It was humans that interested him.
    "Just because I want to." Birdy smiled. Did he not know what he had done for her was extraordinary?
    That is not a reason. Theo was reminded again of Albus words. Humans are quirky.
    "It is to me. Maybe you can tell me about yourself. You know, where you come from, where you get your powers, that sort of thing." Birdy smiled hoping it comes off as friendly and not nosy.
    The lighthouse light at that moment fell on her round face. She looked happy, almost too happy.
    I do not know if that is wise. My father does not want me to associate with humans. It was why Theo had to sneak out at night.
    "I can understand that." She leaned on the rocks beside him. "Then don't tell me anything. How about I tell you some of my stories?"
    He looked at her sideways. Only children are told stories. Older ones read them but he nodded. Why not?
    Birdy started on a tale about a dragon who wanted to go magic school. Then it was the story of a group of orphans kidnapped to serve trolls. After two more, Theo had to stop her. I must go. I have to get back before my father misses me. He stood up and walked carefully toward the shoreline and turned around.
    Birdy was right behind him. "Maybe we will see each other again. I'm staying at the beach house." She pointed behind her to her left.
    Maybe. Theo dove into the water. After swimming a few paces in, he turned around.
    Birdy was still standing there with her feet soaking in the water.
    Goodbye. He waved.
    Birdy grinned and waved. "See you!"
    He dove into the water and was soon far away.
    Only when she was opening the back door to the house, did Birdy realized she did not know his name.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Theo returned home, he was taken to the council. Unknowingly, he had cured Birdy of her illness. The council, the ten men and women governing their world, ruled Theo had broken the law. Theo tried to explain curing humans was not wrong but the council was unconvinced. After all, that law had held up for hundreds of years, how could they think to change it? Even Theo's father, one of the councilmen, could not help Theo.
    As a punishment, a light one since he was still quite young, Theo cannot go the surface for two weeks. But the worst was, what Theo had done for Birdy, was going to be reversed.
    Theo spent the two weeks in a humdrum existence or so he hoped to appear in order to let the council see he was complying. If he did another thing they didn't approve off, he wouldn't be able to go to the surface and see how Birdy was doing.
    Another summer passed and Birdy was happy and yet, a part of her knew, it was not long before all would end. She did not know how she knew but she knew. She was sluggish when she moved and when she lay in her bed at night, she had the feeling that if she slept too long, she might not wake again.
    On Birdy's insistent, the family returned to the beach house. The book she had been writing of the merboy was finished and she wished for him to have it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The days went on. Theo saw Birdy now and then when she sat alone at the back porch of the beach house. Sometimes she caught him and waved. Other times, she sat unmoving as a statue watching the sky though there were no signs of birds. Her complexion was ghostly. Theo knew she didn't have much time left. He didn't go to her. He didn't know if he had any right to speak to her anymore. A week after, she was gone from the house.
    One sunny, early morning, Theo went up to the surface and as he waded toward the shoreline, there were sounds of voices coming near. He dove his head back into the water and swam toward a large rock and hid behind it. When all was silent, he took a peek.
    A group, consisting of four men, four women and two children all dressed in white, stopped at the edge of the shoreline. A woman in a white dress spoke but a strong wind tossed her voice about and Theo did not hear her words. The woman threw something small, black and rectangle into the water. Then she started sobbing. The man beside her pulled her close. The others females cried too. Then one by one, they left. When the last person was out of sight, Theo swam toward the spot where the rectangle object was thrown. Down below, lit by sunlight, the black object was resting on top of a thick section of seaweed. He picked it up and swam back to the surface.
    He climbed onto the rock he had hid behind. Slowly, he opened the book. The pages were soaked but the scribblings were only a tiny bit smeared. A thrill went through him as he turned the pages. The girl's handwriting was a bit messy but her words had a certain charm. There were three drawings at the end of the book: a boy with a tail sitting on a rock, a girl on the sand building a castle with the boy and the last one was of the boy and girl leaning against a wall of rocks and watching birds fly above them.
    A few droplets fell on the pages. He smoothed it away and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. A shrill cry made him looked up. A large white bird was gliding against the cloudless blue sky. Theo watched for a moment. The bird flew back and forth and then it flew out of sight. He held the book tight as he dove into the water. Though the book will become more damaged down in the water, he wished to keep it with him, always.