Don't Let Yesterday, Take up Today

Don't Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much of Today

A tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, male creeps through a dark hallway littered with old family photos, past an older woman sitting in a rocking chair in a dimly lit room. He looks down at his watch, 2:45 am. "Lucas, where are you going?"

"Mormor, I'm heading out to the Avede Power Station. There is a spot to watch the sunrise at the end of a rocky path. I just want to catch the picture that I wasn't able to catch yesterday," he exclaims, walking out the door shutting it before she can speak.

She mumbles to herself, "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today."

He jumps into his burgundy Fiat coupe and drives off in a rush to get to his destination. He is excited because yesterday he didn't wake up early enough to catch the picture that would finalize his photography portfolio. As Lucas arrives, he realizes that he can't drive up as close as he would like. So, he stops at the end of the narrow path, parks his car in a graveled parking area, and begins his trek to the end of the rocky road. As he reaches his destination, he is awestruck looking out upon the majesty of the Ke Bay. As he sets up his camera, he hears a splashing sound at the end of the man-made rock peninsula. He walks over with his camera and sees nothing. Believing it to be nothing but fish, he walks back to complete his task.

As he holds his camera towards the beautiful crystal blue water, a face appears before him. He snaps three pictures. The first of which is blurred, but still a majestic splash of rainbow colors. The second picture is less blurry, displaying dodgy humanlike characteristics. The final image is clear, it's a dark skin male creature holding his hands over his face. His body appears bioluminescent, and his hands are an almost crystal complexion. "What is that?"

He slowly walks back over to the edge of the water and looks in. He can see the figure swimming below like it is slightly frightened by the fact it was caught on camera. Then it looks as if it is about to pounce. As it swims up, it terrifies Lucas, causing him to slip backward hitting the ground with a thud. The creature emerges half of its body out of the water, half still within.

"You...you...you're,"

"I'm a merman, yes. I'm sorry if I frightened you," he says, placing his elbows upon the peninsula resting on some larger rocks.

"But you aren't real," Lucas replies, looking at the beautiful creature with long wet wavy white hair, a sleek mahogany body, with hands that are clear enough to see through, his tail long and snake-like until you get to the fin.

"You are from Denmark, are you not?" he asks.

"Yes, how is that you are speaking English?" asks Lucas with a thick Danish accent.

"How are you speaking English. Just like you, I've picked up a few things over my many years on earth," replies the beautiful merman gliding his body upon the rocks allowing his fin to twirl water beneath it.

"I have so many questions," Lucas says as he crawls closer to the beautiful creature. "What is your name?"

"My name is Merete, and I understand that you have quite a few questions. However, we can't let this day be taken up by that," Merete exclaims looking deeply into Lucas' eyes.

"Where are you from?"

"I am from there," Merete says, pointing into the sky.

"What do you mean you are from there?"

"Those that you believe to be one God are many. They are celestial beings, many, many light-years away. Just like they control the heavens, we merman and women are sent to control the waters on every planet that we inhabit. We are here to restore order when mankind gets in its way," he stays pulling wet hair from his shoulders

"So, you all exterminate us when we are getting out of control?" Lucas asks, shocked.

"No dear, we are all embodied with certain powers. Certain tribes can dry the water up, some tribes cause storms. I am from a tribe that controls the waters in its entirety. There are only a few of us left because many broke off or went back to be with the celestial bodies. I like it here," replies Merete looking out upon the bay.

"Can you show me?"

"Can I show you what?"

"I want to see your abilities," Lucas says holding up the camera.

Merete takes his hand and scoops up a hand full of water. It fashions itself into a ball, then into a figurine, then into a dancing woman, finally into a knife. Lucas takes a picture and Merete, shocked, throws the water blade into the camera, slicing Luca's arm causing him to bleed.

"Fuck!"

"Oh, I am so sorry. Come into the water. I can heal you. We, merman, possess the ability to heal. I can show you," Merete says as Lucas suspiciously moves closer to the creature.

Merete summons a tear from his eye and holds the floating orb above the palm of his hand. As Lucas places a cut piece of his flesh underneath, Merete allows the droplet to fall upon the open womb. It quickly begins to heal.

"Do you trust me?"

"I don't have a choice I'm here with all these cuts all over my face and arm," replies Lucas as he slowly slides into the water.

Once in the water, Merete goes from the bioluminescent blue color to pure marble white. He swims up to Lucas and attempts to kiss him. Lucas pushes back. Through telepathy, Merete says, "This is the way to healing."

Lucas looks at the beautiful marble white creature and pulls him in. Lucas realizes instantly that he can now breath underwater.

Merete's eyes turn red, and his once humanlike teeth are now sharp daggers. "You are never to trust a merperson. Haven't you heard the tales?" exclaims Merete as he wraps his fin around Lucas like an anaconda.

"No," he says, muffled by strangulation.

"The celestial beings cursed us because one of us fell in love with a human man. Yes, young Ariel. Your beloved Danish mermaid princess. When Ariel and Eric fell in love, the celestial beings sent one of their own back to earth to seduce Eric. Yes, your tales of the sea witch Ursula are true. However, Ursula, like Ariel, was not of this world. Upon the marriage of Ursula and Eric, Ariel tired her best to kill them both. However, still in love with the man and unable to walk on land because of brittle bones given to her by the wickedly sinister celestial being, Ariel turned into seafoam and retreated to the sea never to be seen again. However, she is still alive. She and her sisters rule the tribe of seafoam warriors. As for Ursula, she eventually ended up leaving Eric to die of a broken heart or a heart attack. Who knows," Merete says mockingly. "After Ariel, in order to keep order, the celestial beings made it impossible for merpeople to fall in love with humans."

"How," Lucas says as a small amount of blood leaves his nose and mixes with the bay waters.

"They gave us a ravenous appetite for human flesh," Merete says trusting forward pulling a chunk from Lucas' neck. Merete watches as the life leaves his eyes, with a sinister grin upon his face, he throws his lifeless body to merpeople waiting below.

Merete then raises himself back out of the water, grabbing the broken camera lying upon a bed of rubble. He looks at the pictures of himself, deletes them all, and throws the fractured camera back upon its stony bed. He sniffs the air as he slowly slides back into the water, he can hear male voices in the distance. As they reach the peninsula, they don't notice the eerie white snake-like body slithering back into the depths of the deep blue bay.