Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 16 - |Rime| Part 1

WITH MY MOUTH AGAPE, I remain wordless at what I see in the distance. The water flows, swaying as a single Belua rises above the liquid, swimming towards Mika. I lean—with a slight tilt—around a tree that reaches to the skies. My gaze fixes on Mika, watching her every move.

Mika, what are you doing?

Mika walks closer to the water. However, I cannot read her expression. Slowly she steps into the liquid and stops. The bottom of her midnight dress is submerged in the water, and the Belua steps up, now standing on two legs.

The next sight leaves me conflicted, lost in a flood of emotions. As the Belua walks up to Mika, she slowly bends down on one leg and lowers her head to the scaly green creature.

My eyes widen, my breath hitches, and I stumble, only catching myself with the tree beside me. First, it was Seidon, and now Mika. How many ties to the sea are around me? No matter how much I try to escape it—to run free—it’s as if the ocean calls back to me, luring me into its watery depths and mysterious secrets.

As I inhale and exhale every breath, my heart thumps in my chest. I keep watching, looking at the Belua talking to Mika. From this distance, I can’t hear what is being said, but Mika looks up at the creature, clearly understanding every word.

For a brief second, they both shift their eyes in my direction, and I quickly dart behind the tree. I press my body against the solid wood, hoping they don’t see me. My chest pants and I exhale an anxious breath.

I can’t let them replace me!

Moving swiftly, I pump my legs and don’t look back. If they are watching me or spotted me, I don’t want to know.

As I run through the bushes, past the trees and fallen branches, I remember the first time I met Mika; the peculiar girl that filled me with curiosity.

I would watch Joe during the day, but that day, my mother was home, complaining about the smell between her legs. She told me some men enjoyed the aroma, but she despised it. Selling your body is no good on your bleeding time. My mother will do many things, but lying with a man during her bleeding was not one of them.

Once my mother and Joe fell asleep, I left the house and ran to replace Seidon and Lucas.

Back then, we had a secret meeting spot. A place we could see each other without our parents replaceing out. We were free, to laugh, to have fun, and enjoy being away from our responsibilities. Lucas always had to study to follow in his father’s footsteps as a scholar. His life was similar to Seidon’s, both growing up in the upper class, with a secure future.

I weaved through the crowd, inching my way towards Lucas’s home. To the alley behind his house, but unlike the ghettos, there was no rotten smell or homeless. It was clean, fresh-smelling, like blooming flowers blowing in the wind.

When I arrived that day, I saw Seidon leaning against the brick wall, smiling down at a girl with black hair and wearing a black dress. Lucas was standing behind the mystery female, reading a book. She was shorter than me, and her face was stoic, lacking emotion. Her body was petite, skinny. However, I knew she wasn’t like me, poor. Her skin was pale, but she was well dressed. I stopped in my tracks and then strolled towards them, looking confused.

“Seidon…who is this?”

I shifted my gaze to the mysterious girl, wondering who she was. As I stared at her and studied her expression, something familiar hit me.

“This is Mika,” Seidon beamed, stepping in front of me.

I was wry at first, but Seidon eased my fears like he always did. I stared back at Mika, looking at the ebony hair that flowed to her shoulders. She watched me with expressionless eyes, almost studying me. As I kept staring at her, an image of a young girl came to me.

“I have seen you somewhere before,” I said curiously.

I then heard a book shut. Lucas lifted his body from the brick wall and flickered his gaze to me. He took a few steps towards my direction, shifting his eyes between Mika and me.

“Mika’s parents moved into your old house,” he said. His voice was emotionless.

“Now, I remember.” I sighed. At the time, I didn’t want to recall the day my mother, Joe, and I were forced from our home.

“They are not my parents!” Mika said, nearly yelling. All of us looked at her in surprise, not understanding her words.

“What do you mean?” I questioned her, arching an eyebrow.

For a moment, Mika stood in silence and lowered her sight to the cobblestone ground. “I am adopted,” Mika muttered, only loud enough for us to hear.

After she said that, we all fell quiet, knowing it was best not to ask any questions. Mika’s adopted parents seemed normal, like any other members of the upper class. However, Mika was always stoic and quiet.

To this day, I never questioned Mika’s origins. As I keep running through the sea of plants and trees, my mind is a storm; confusion swirls inside of me, and I am lost in my own disbelief.

A gentle, chill breeze rustles the green leaves and blows through my hair. I pant heavily, pumping my legs as fast as I can move them. Despite the cool wind caressing my skin, my body is warm, sweating as I keep pushing myself. I know if I don’t escape this forest, Mika could replace me, or worst, the Belua.

“Elena…Elena.” My name whispers in my ear. The voice sounds inhuman, not of this world. Quickly, I stop and rank my eyes around the area. Surrounding me is giant trees, and their branches hide the light from the sun, only letting a few beams peek through. The smell of the woods blows into my nostrils: the fresh fragrance from the plants, the smell of pond water, and pine.

For a moment, I notice something strange—the woods are silent.

Elena…Elena, I hear my name in my head, like someone is communicating with me. I stay, shocked. Have the Belua found me? It can’t be Assan…

Without wasting time, I dart back towards town, running until I feel pain throb in my legs, and my shoes soak up mud.

Soon, in the distance, patrons walking through town and carriages come into view.

I am back

I run to the edge of town and then stop, catching my breath. Everything around me is changing, fading from what I once knew. As I step back on the cobblestone street, I think about Mika and the Belua. My mind floods with questions, just like when I was with Assan: Why is Mika with a Belua? Does she know about the merman and mermaids? The day she looked back at the waterfall, does she know Assan? And does Assan know about Mika? Could she…

“Out the way, girl!”

I snap from my thoughts and jump back. A carriage carrying two ladies dressed in fashionable gowns stare at me from the carriage’s windows. Disgust is on their faces as they look at me, but it doesn’t surprise me. I am not one of them, rich or light. Moving away from the street, I think back to the forest: Mika, the Belua, and the pool of liquid. I can only wonder if the waters surrounding Hlynn are filled with merpeople, or creatures of the sea humans no nothing about.

Shaking my head, I try to gather my thoughts. Seidon, Lucas! Do they know about Mika? Seidon did not say anything. I have to replace Lucas!

As I sprint through town, weaving through the crowds, I remember Seidon’s words: Let’s run away. Find Lucas.

With determination coursing through me, I dart through the crowded streets, making my way towards Lucas’s family home. Quickly I run pass the ports, the market, and into the wealthy, terraced housing. Unlike the ghettos, the streets are clean, the houses are tall, and colorful flowers – purple, green, pink, and red - decorate the front of the homes. Ladies in dresses walk along the streets with umbrellas in their hands, shielding them from the sun. As I walk along the side street, faces gawk at me, and I can hear the whispers of curiosity over my presence.

I should go around back, I think to myself, as I plan the best course of action. Moving with haste, I rush to back alleyway, until I see servant’s entrance for Lucas’s house. Unlike Seidon’s home, I am not welcomed around Lucas’s family. To them, I am and will always be a Negro woman.

Before I walk up the stairs to the door, I exhale an anxious breath. My heart thumps in my chest, but I cannot quit now. Soon, I will have my freedom with Seidon and Joe. Slowly I walk up the stone stairs and knock on the door.

No noise enters my ears, so I knock again.

“Who there?” An older, female voice is heard behind the door.

The door opens abruptly. A woman darker than me stares down at me, looking at me with confusion. She is wearing a white maids dress, and her dark hair is covered in a cap.

“What you want, girl? Get out of here,” she shoos me away with a wave of her hand. “We don’ give out no food here.”

Bracing myself, I swallow the gulp in my throat. “I am looking for Master Lucas. I was sent here by Master Laverton, his son, Seidon,” I say in a firm voice. I do not know if she will believe me, but I stay strong, not moving. When it comes to visiting Lucas, this is a role I am used to playing.

Her dark-brown eyes bore into mine, looking at me with a suspicious glint. I can tell she is questioning my actions, but I must speak to Lucas.

The older woman lets out an exhausted sigh. “You wait here, I get the Master.”

To her words, I release a breath of relief and wait for her return. Quickly she closes the door, leaving me alone on the steps. As I wait for Lucas, I think back to Mika and the voices I heard in the forest. The more I remember what happened, the more I want to know what spoke to me.

Assan…could it has been you?

I shift my gaze to the ocean-blue sky, looking beyond the top of the terraced houses. The clouds glide above me, and I think of the sea.

“Elena,” a familiar male voice says my name in surprise. I spin around, seeing Lucas’s brown eyes staring at me with shock. He then rushes out the house, closes the door, and stops in front of me.

“How did you escape?! What was that…thing?!” I can see the intensity in his eyes.

That thing…Assan

As I stare at Lucas, I feel the tension filling my body. I exhale and say, “One of them-let I go.”

Lucas blinks his eyes, not understanding. “Let you go?” He arches an eyebrow at me.

“Yes...but I…” I stop, thinking about Seidon’s words. “That is not why I am here. Have you talked to Seidon?” The words come out in a rush.

Lucas groans and runs a hand through his hair. “Yes, I have, but not since a few days ago,” he pauses, “Elena, what was that thing? Ever since that day, I have searched for my father’s books, looking for any information about what we saw. And Seidon…these abilities of his- I do not understand any of this.”

To Lucas’s words, I do not know what to say. I stay quiet, musing over his words. “I know, but we all saw it. Me, you, Seidon, and Mik-“ At the thought of Mika, I lose my words.

Lucas gazes at me, reading my expression. I shake my head, trying to focus.

“Maybe the rumors about the woods are not just rumors,” I mutter, remembering Assan’s words: They’re not rumors... I shake my head again; this is not about the sea or Assan, but about Joe. “Lucas, I need your help!”

Lucas hums in response.

“Seidon and I are going to run away. But I need to replace Joe. After I replace him, he needs a safe place to stay. “

Already knowing my thoughts, Lucas sighs heavily. He turns towards me, boring his eyes into mine. “Elena, you need to be cautious.”

I stare at him, confused.

“While you were gone, Seidon changed. Every day he went into the woods to search for you. He did not eat, sleep, or do anything else. He barely spoke any words. Because of his behavior, Dr. Leverton got angry. He told Seidon it was time for him to take responsibility, be useful to society, and take a wife.

Edith

“You mean Edith?” A sudden pain hits my chest, an ache I do not understand.

Lucas gives me a serious expression and does not move his sight away from mine. “Edith is the Captain of the guard’s daughter. He works for the Governor, Elena, controlling all the guards on Hlynn.” Lucas sighs again, “Seidon is caught in something dangerous, something big, Elena. You need be wary of your surroundings,” he says, with slight fear in his voice.

I step back, questioning, wondering more of what Seidon has really gotten himself into. Can we really run away from everything?

I lower my gaze to the stone steps, thinking about Lucas’s words. “We still need to try,” I mutter.

Lucas heaves a heavy breath. “I understand, but Elena, tell me something?” he asks, and I lift my sight back to him.

“What is it?”

Lucas stares at me again, with a serious gleam in his eyes. “Seidon heard a rumor. Did Leona take Joe to the House of Twisted Pleasures? What is your mother doing to you?”

As I hear the words spill from Lucas’s lips, my body stiffens, staying frozen. I turn into a statue, unable to move or think. I tremble slightly, not wanting to answer his question. My secret cannot get out. If Seidon and Lucas knew what I was becoming, or what I am, they would despise me.

I clench my fist and say, “Lucas, can I bring Joe here?” I ask, in a firm voice.

Lucas looks at me, caught off guard by my question. He pursues his lips together and answers, “Yes, I will tell my parents I am tutoring him.”

I let out a breath of relief, and my body calms down. “Thank you,” I pause, and then laugh. “If it was not for you and Seidon, I might never have learned to read and write.”

Lucas returns my smile with his own grin. “It was nothing. But Elena, I am serious, watch out for yourself. As for Seidon, humph, things to tend to work out for him, somehow,” he says, avoiding my gaze. For a moment, I thought I heard disdain in his voice, like jealousy.

However, I ignore it, wondering if I hear something that is not there. Quickly I spin around, keeping my back to Lucas. Before I run off, I think of Mika. I look at Lucas over my shoulder.

“Lucas, has Mika told you anything?” I ask in a curious tone.

Lucas shakes his head. “I have not talked to Mika since that day.” He lowers his gaze, thinking to himself. “Mika has been quitter than usually, why?”

“It is nothing,” I say as I run down the stairs. Now is not the time. As I dart out of the alleyway, I think about everything happening. Seidon, Mika, and for a second, I think about Assan. More importantly, I have to prepare myself. Once I return home, I will inform my mother I am leaving and taking Joe with me. She will fight me, but I have to be strong. Soon, I reach the main cobblestone street and weave through the crowd. As I zigzag through the sea of bodies, I muse about Assan and the voice I heard.

Could Assan be looking for me?

Running, I remember the last thing Assan said to me: “Listen, stay here, and don’t leave, no matter what happens.”

Even if I try to deny it, a part of me worries for him, and I wonder, is Assan thinking about me, too.