Merman - Romance

The Sea in Sight Part 56

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Chapter 56

“You’re going to kill yourself,” Jessell said but her voice was barely above a whisper.  “You have to slow down.”

“We’re almost there,” Ridec said feeling the muscles in his arm scream at the torture he was putting them through.  His legs felt sore and stiff and it was blatant determination that caused one to go in front of the other.  He was running; walking was not an option.

He could already see signs of sand and weeds associated with the sea; surely there could only be three more hours of the torture of pushing his body past its limits.  He had stopped only briefly to feed Jade and give Jessell some much needed water, the precious little water that they had remaining.

“Oh gosh,” Ridec groaned after another hour.  He leaned forward with hands pressed against his legs and the stitch in his side feeling like a knife.  “Oh my gosh.”

“Ridec,” Jessell muttered.  “Maybe we can rest here.”

He wanted to turn to see how Jessell was doing now but even that seemed like it would be too much of an effort.  He slipped the bottle from the bag and fed Jade the last of the milk he had secured from the base.  The hill in front of him looked very much like a mountain right now.  If he could get over it he would be by the sea in half and hour, going around it would add an additional hour to the time.

“I’m feeling a little stronger,” Jessell said struggling off the bed and onto her feet.  She wasn’t bleeding as much but the stuped over posture told Ridec that she was still very weak.  More alarming however was the fact that the orange lines had managed to make their way along her neck.

Ridec dropped to his knees tears streaming down his eyes, he was so close and yet he felt like he was a million miles away.  His whole body seemed to scream that he couldn’t go any futher.  He had been a fool to bring his family out here in an effort to make it back home.  He should have stayed at the base and tried to find a cure for Jessell.  That would have been pointless of course but at this crucial juncture he really couldn’t help second guessing himself.

“Ridec,” Jessell’s voice was soft and gentle as she dropped to her knees beside him.  “I have every confidence that you’re going to get Jade and me safely home.”

Ridec forced himself to his feet.  Jessell trusted him, he wouldn’t let her down.

“We have to go over that mountain,” Ridec said brushing his hand across his face.

“It’s just a hill Ridec,” Jessell said.  “We’ve already made it past the mountains.”

Ridec wrapped his arms around Jessell and pulled her to him his lips finding hers and gaining strength from her.

“I don’t want to fail you,” and glancing down at the adorable black haired baby between them he added, “Or Jade.”

“You could never fail us,” Jessell said.  “Jade will be the proudest girl in Merland to tell all the other little girls that she’s the only Mermaid with a father who fought against the world to bring her and her mother home.”

Ridec nodded managing to force a smile to his face.

“Then let’s go home my love.”

He slipped Jessell’s arm across his shoulder and started the climb up the hill but halted suddenly.

“Someone is coming,” he muttered.

Jade screamed as four zombies came tottering over from the other side of the hill.  Jessell gripped the sword in her hand and tried to rush forward but fell to the ground gripping her abdomen.