Chapter 56: More Than Words

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Chapter 56: More Than Words

Splish. Splish. Splish.

Jim twitched as water droplets splished into his ear. Blearily, he flumped a pillow over his head.

Splish.Splish. Splish.

"Morph..." Jim moaned into the mattress. He flinched as water splattered across the pillow. "Morph it's too early for this."

Morph (snuggled in Jim's sock) snoozed dreamily unaware as water continued to rain down.

Splish.Splish. Splish.

"Morph..."

Splish.Splish. Splish.

"Morph."

Splish.Splish. Splish.

"Morph!"

Tolerance threshold breeched, Jim flipped over. Raising his pillow to wallop Morph into a billion pink squiggles, Jim jolted as a thin trail of water sailed through the window and splashed into his forehead.

Jim could almost hear Ariel giggling.

He lowered the pillow. Sliding from the bedsheets and slicking water from his hair, he crossed to the window.

"Well." Jim leaned over the edge. He smiled as Ariel waved from below. "There's a beautiful girl."

Cheerfully, Ariel rolled her eyes. As always, Pirate's Point was blustery and Ariel had donned her green and purple beanie along with Jim's jacket to keep warm. She also carried her beach bag, which was stuffed to the brim (probably with squirt guns), and her trident. Each article was oversized, but Ariel still looked like a supermodel fresh off the runway. 

Jim sighed. She was so beautiful.

"That was an interesting wake up call." Jim indicated to Ariel's squirt-gun. "Little damp."

Ariel twirled the squirt-gun behind her back. One eye squinted, she fired.

Jim dodged. He clapped the water as it streamed by. Ariel aimed again, and they repeated the sequence, laughing like children.

When Ariel was out of ammunition, Jim wrung his shirt. "You are deadly with that."

Proudly, Ariel pretended to blow smoke from the plastic tip. Touching a finger below her chin, she curtsied.

"Very few redheads can kill with a squirt gun." Jim teased.

Ariel curtsied again. Thanks!

Jim glanced over Pirate's Point. He scoped the shoreline. It was early dawn, but he worried the Tritons would notice Ariel's absence. 

Returning to Ariel, Jim motioned to the drainpipe.

"Coming up?"

Ariel scrunched her nose. Ugh. Drainpipe. Disinclinations clear, she nevertheless stooped behind her beach bag, and produced two take-out coffees. The cardboard sleeves read Tony's Caffè Espresso.

"Coffee." Jim salivated: he could almost smell the dark, roasted aroma. Living in a household of tea-drinkers, a cup of coffee was pure gold. "Okay how much you want for it?"

Ariel hopped. She motioned downwards, careful not to spill the coffee. Come here!

Jim grinned. "Be right down."

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