Merman - Romance

Chapter 15

“You want to be telling these strangers everything about us?”  Tim, a middle aged angry looking man cut in.

“You were all strangers too,” Kyle pointed out and then continued with the introductions.  “Tim is also Rea’s dad…”  He paused for a moment and looked around the room and then stared over at Tim.  “Where’s Rea?”

“How would I know?  Do I look like I follow her around?”  Tim demanded angrily.

The Tim guy definitely had issues, Ridec could see his mind and all that seemed to be there was anger and hatred.  How could a father be so filled with those emotions?

“She’s your seventeen year old daughter, if you don’t care where she is who will?”  Kyle demanded although he never raised his voice as he spoke.

“She’s always lurking around somewhere, never where she’s supposed to be,” Tim grumbled.

Ridec grimaced and glanced over at Jessell, mermaids didn’t have as strong a telepathic connection as mermen did so she couldn’t see what was going through Tim’s mind.  Tim was remembering how his wife had died; he blamed his daughter for the incident.  She had been loitering behind the family and one of the zombies had grabbed her.  Tim wanted to run with his wife and son but Rea’s mother had turned back and saved her daughter’s life, she lost her own life in the process.  Tim never forgave Rea for that.

“Well it’s a pleasure meeting all of you, this is…”  Ridec started to say but Kent cut in.

“Skip the introductions; we don’t plan to hang around here long enough to make their names matter.” 

“But you will help Kayla?”  Steve persisted.

“I’m sorry,” Ridec muttered.

“You want to help her, don’t let that witch tell you what to do,” Steve barked angrily.

“I’m going to have to go with Kent on this – we’re not going to be here long enough to learn names or help people,” Jessell said quietly.

“Maybe…”

‘No maybe’s Ridec’ that last thought was planted firmly in his mind.  ‘This place is dangerous and you seem bent on getting yourself killed here.’

“Please help us,” Steve begged just as Kayla groaned and grabbed her stomach.

“She seems to be going into labor, the contractions appear to be getting worst,” Kyle pointed out.

Kent gripped his knife firmly in his hand and positioned his feet steadily on the ground and looked ready for action.

“What are you doing?”  Ridec asked.

“These unclean babies…”  He stressed the word ‘babies’ in a derogatory tone.  “You never know how they’ll come out.”

“How they’ll come out?”  Ridec questioned.

“Don’t you dare hurt my child,” Steve screamed.

“Just calm down everyone,” Kyle said quietly.

“I think we need to be giving some thought to how to get out of this place,” Jessell put in.

“She’s in pain,” Ridec said.

“That thing she’s trying to deliver will probably kill her before it’s born,” Kent said through gritted teeth.  “It’s nothing more than a monster.”

“We want our child,” Steve yelled.

“There should be a law against uncleans having kids,” Linda grumbled brandishing her own weapon.  “It just makes this stupid place more dangerous.”