I was on a small boat in a dark stormy sea when the water beneath me began to churn. I twisted around to see something coming up from the depths towards me. As it drew closer it fractured into multiple shapes. A score of mermaid heads broke the surface, surrounding me…
I started awake, breathing hard and looking around in confusion. I was on Ethan’s couch, curled up into a ball. I slowly came back to reality, hugging my knees to my chest. He walked in carrying two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches with mugs of tomato soup, and I sat up self-consciously, blinking groggily.
“Can I help with anything?” I asked.
“Just eat,” he said, and I did.
I don’t think anything ever tasted so good.
We sat on the couch side by side and talked after we ate. I told him about my mystical encounter with the humpback the night before. He listened, impressed, as I described reaching out to touch it and how its eyes met mine. I tried to explain how the sound of its song was comforting, but words failed me, and I ended up frustrated and silent.
“I still can’t believe you were out there all that time,” he said.
“It was scary,” I said, “so I think she sent the whale to me.” I remembered how much better it made me feel. “To keep me company.”
Ethan told me about some of the times he’d come close to them when he crewed on his dad’s whale-watching trips. He said that the whales seemed curious about the boats, and would circle around, surfacing to thrust their heads out of the water for closer inspection. Sometimes a whale would even swim near the surfers, but one had never come up right alongside them.
I told him how Lorelei talked to the sea lions, and could command them. I described the way she had used them as a diversion to allow me climb out to her unnoticed.
“You know,” he said gravely, “we’re lucky those dolphins showed up when they did. I don’t think we would have found you without them.” He was quiet for a minute, as if imagining me still out there.
“Ethan, thanks for coming out to look for me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” I smiled ruefully. “It’s funny, really … because you’re the only person who would have believed me.”
“You can trust me.” His blue eyes were so intense I had to look away.
I took a deep breath. “I appreciate you not saying anything to Cruz. I–I’m just really not ready to talk about it.” I looked at him. “I need to talk to my father.”
He nodded. I leaned back on the couch and flinched.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I think I scorched my back,” I replied.
“Let’s see,” he said.
I twisted around and lifted up the back of my shirt. I could feel the heat radiating off my sunburned skin.
“Ouch,” he said, wincing. “I have something for that.” He left and came back with some Aloe Vera gel. “This oughta help–turn around,” he said.
I turned away on the couch and he peeled up my shirt. Flustered, my face burned as hot as my back. He put some on his hands and rubbed it on gently, carefully. It felt cool and soothing and I sighed with relief.
“There,” he said, his voice strange. I turned around and he looked … intense. “We better go.”