Triple Nightmare /Bakudekutodo

Chapter 26: The old man and his dream of a Mermaid!

Bakugo POV:
As I had finally found a comfortable position and managed to fall asleep I was already being ripped out of it again. It was that grandpa again, who was screaming in my ears to get up. The sun had barely glimpsed over the horizon. Even though this had been a rough night I felt decently rested. "What is it old man?" I asked while straightening up. "Time to FISH!" He shouted exited. "Hah?! I wont fish with you unless you pay me!" I said. "I'll pay you with manners you brat!" "No, thanks!" "I guess you won't get your stuff back then..." that guy was seriously pissing me off. "If you behave I'll even let you sleep in a bed tonight" he suggested. "I don't need your bed. I will be leaving before that!" I answered. "Why so hasty?" He asked.
"Because there are people waiting for me. Not that it's any of your business!"
"Oh really?! Are you seriously expecting me to believe you have friends?"
"Of course I have!"
"Aha... What's their names then?"
"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"
"Oh im sorry, do you need more time to come up with some?!"
"What? No!"
"Then tell me!"
"Geez fine! Deku and Half n Half!"
"The second one isn't even a real name!"
"It's a nickname dumbass, his name is Shoto!"
"Who the hell is called Deku and Shoto?!"
"I didn't name them ok?!"
"Just stop lying already!"
"I'M NOT!"
"Even if you weren't they will probable leave without you. I couldn't believe there is actually someone that hangs around you out of his free will!"
"You are! Aren't you? I mean you literally won't let me GO!"
"Yeah because you are pathetic and I have a big heart! Now stop wining and get your ass up!"
"You want to fight old man?!"
"Try me brat!"
Before I could even get up he smacked me with his fishing rod on the head and I fell back. "I won! Now get out of that damn boat! Or is princess not capable of something as simple as fishing?" The old man said. "Oh I'll show you! I bet I can fish at least double the fish you have fished in your entire live!" I shouted back. "Please, feel free to prove it!" And so we made our way to the next jetty. Of course the old man let me carry all the stuff. Once we arrived we sat down and started our competition. After a couple of minutes the old man mentioned: "By the way I'm Grizzled Fin but everyone calls me "Fins-and-Fantasies". I'm fine with Fin though and you?" "Haha, you seem well like, huh?" I answered. "I asked you a damn question! Answer it, brat!" he shouted. "Bakugo. Katsuki Bakugo..." Who cares if he knows my name. "So, there a reason why you called "Fins-and-Fantasies"?" I asked. "NONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS!" "GEEZ IF YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO ASK WHY DID YOU TELL ME THEN?!" "YOU ARE SCARING THE FISH AWAY!" "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO STARTED SCREAMING!" We sat next to each other in silence again. "Tell me boy" the geezer started again "Have you ever seen a mermaid?" "You've gone mad in your 300 hundred years of live?" I asked. "Im only 95, you brat" he answered rather relaxed. "Yesterday you were 106..." I said. "So have you?" Grandpa asked again. "No." We went silent again. "Have you?" I asked. "Sure have!" He said. I looked over to him "aha" He looked out the open sea. His eyes focused on the ocean. The orange read sun rising on the Horizont in combination with the last remaining stars in the sky both reflecting in the water made it look as though the universe had liquified and we were sitting right in the middle of a sea made out of planets. I must admit, it did look breathtaking. "It was quit a long time ago actually." He realised. "I was 19 back then" "I didn't ask" "Shut up and listen!" He cleared his throat.

"I was 19. My dad and I used to go out fishing on his boat once a week. The sixth week after I had turned 19 my dad refused to go fishing because of bad weather. Even though he forbid me to go I decided to go on my own anyway. The sea was wild and I struggled to move forward. But then in the distance something that seemed like and immense fish! I knew if I came home with a fish that big the entire harbour would praise me. As I moved closer I realised that it wasn't an ordinary fish though. It was a beautiful women with light brown slightly red hair held together with Shellfish and water plants. Her eyes were scarlet red and her skin as white and smooth as wax. She had a beautiful greenich-blue tail so big that if you would hug it you wouldn't be able to touch your hands. But that wasn't all. The women was wrapped in a fishing net wish kept her from swimming under water to take shelter from the storm. I jumped into the water without any hesitation and started to open the knots of the fishing net so she could escape. As soon as I freed her she swam away as fast as possible. But when I turned back around to get on my boat it was gone. The current had carried my boat away and I was stranded in the open sea with a tide that was getting worse and worse. Soon my arms got too tired to keep my head over water and I started to sink. When I came to again I was laying on dry sand. And when I straightened up there she was again. She was sitting on the wet sand of a beach looking out the ocean. The water had calmed down and in this light she looked even beautifuler then when I had seen her for the first time. Once she noticed I was awake she quickly got back into the water and I never saw her again. Once I got back to the harbour I told everyone but no one believed me and I quickly got the name "Fins-and-Fantasies". "You finally done? Wow you really are terrible at making up stories but you are even worse at telling them." I said after he was done. "Well I didn't think you'd believe me anyway. On the other hand it couldn't have been that bad of a story if you listened to it that long." As I looked up I realised that the sun was already on its way back down. Most of the day was over. I looked in the old mans bucket it was full while mine was still empty. What the fuck?! "Now common, that's enough fishing for today." "Wait what?! No! I haven't caught a single fish! I can still catch up!" The old man stood up and started to pack up. "If your that eager to beat me, try again tomorrow" "I told you! I will be leaving this evening!" "Who said I will let you go?" He said while leaving. "Now move your ass slowpoke!" I quickly grabbed my stuff and ran after him. "Wait! I'm not done with you yet, Grandpa!"

Today the old man took me with him into his house. As soon as we entered two cats jumped out of a corner and instantly demanded petts from me. One had orange stripes the other black spots. I put down the stuff I was carrying and kneeled down. "Cute aren't they? The orange one is called orange and the black on spots" "Very creative..." "Do you want to sleep outside again?!" "I won't sleep here either way!" The geezer ignored me and started to prep the fish while I was busy with the cats. Then we ate. I hadn't eaten the entire day so I was thankful for the meal even though I would have prepared it more deliciously. Once we were done I was about to leave before he could keep me here.

"And your stuff?" The geezer said. I stoped "Where is it?" "I won't tell you..." I was so close to beating that guy up! "What ever I'll just leave without it!" I turned back to the door but... it was locked. "Are you serious?!" "I told you I won't let you leave. You still haven't payed me back for the fish or last nights place to sleep or that I was so kind to teach you some manners and we have an ongoing competition." I started to boil with fury. But as I started to try and get the door open with force the old man stood up grabbed his fishing rod and started smacking me until I stoped. "OH YOU OLD-" "Yes, continue..." I had to contain myself from killing him right here and now. "GET INTO BED RIGHT NOW, YOU UNTHANKFUL BRAT! OR DO YOU WANT ME TO HIT YOU AGAIN?!" He shouted all of a sudden. "FINE!" I answered. I stomped over to the bed and angrily settled in. I swear to god, tomorrow I will beat that bastard and with the fish I catch I'll pay him back. Then he has to give me my stuff back and let me go.
I was so angry I couldn't sleep. But then all of a sudden both Orange and Spots jumped in my bed, climbed over me, curled up in front of me and cuddled against my chest. I started petting them and soon calmed down enough to fall asleep. That night I slept way better then the last. Maybe it was because the warmth of the cats reminded me of Deku and Shoto or I was just over exhausted from the old geezers behaviour.

And so neither if us made it back by sun fall, as we had promised.

To be continued ...