Sphaera Unda

Chapter 2

"You know that's off limits."

I spun, putting my hands behind my back. Stelly harrumphed and crossed his arms, ready for a fight. I hoped father would understand this time and not get Stelly all worked up and ready to give him problems for the day.

I gave father a hopeful look, even though my hands trembled. I clasped them together, hoping to quell my nervousness so I could appear innocent.  "Just cleaning away the dust father, being helpful." I tried to smile but failed when father's stance didn't change. Stelly scoffed.

"Stupid mer, thinking always the wrong thing. And here this lassie was simply giving me the respect overdue your most devoted servant, and that's all you've got to say to the lass? Blathering imbecile. I'll have your internet moving so slow you'll have to compare it to a molasses icicle, that ye will. See if I don't."

Father moved around me, checking his cords and then turning the power button on. I cringed when Stelly continued to hurl abuse in his direction, father completely oblivious to it. I never could figure out how it was that father could not see the daemons when I could see them clearly. I held my tongue, having learned my lesson early on not to mention them, or their intended messages. Father finally turned to me, his computer giving him a wait screen that said it was booting up. I knew better. Stelly was still yelling, right in front of him, promises of deliberate virus's now on the list for today instead of inside the computer where he should be, making it work. I made a shooing motion with my still sleeve covered hand, unfortunately also getting father's attention. He threw a withering glare in my direction and motioned to the door with his head.

"Breakfast is in the kitchen Sang. Be sure to clean up after yourself."

He turned back to his computer, distracted by it. I backed away a few paces and turned, glad to be dismissed so easily. I had made it through the door when his cough had me pausing. I peeked back in, noticing the computer still hadn't booted up and that he was glaring at it with his arms folded.

"Yes Father?"

He halfway turned to me, his eyes still on the blinking cursor.

"Be ready for your weekly ration after I'm done here, Sang. No running off."

He faced his computer again and tapped at a few keys, getting no effect. My eyes lowered and I saw Stelly still at Father's elbow, a wicked demonic smirk on his face while he gleefully watched Father get more and more frustrated. I fluttered my fingers to get his attention, managing to catch his eye to sign to him to not anger Father too much. Stelly scowled at me but nodded sharply, disappearing suddenly through the grating on the side with one last scathing look for Father. I spun, also eager to escape before Father lost his composure.  As much as I liked Stelly, he always seemed to get me into trouble.

****

I lifted my chin, ready to get this part of my weekly routine over with. Father slid the long, spindly glass instrument down along my tongue, making me swallow my reaction to gag. I felt the cold tap of the glass on the teeth I had in the back of my throat, and then the blissful warm flow of plant essence filled my senses.

I gripped at the wood stool I sat on,sweating at the sheer relief my weekly ration gave me at first and trying not to give in to the temptation to let my song burst forth right in front of father. Last time I'd done that, he had doused me in water and sent me to my room to hide the ugliness that erupted every time I touched seawater to bare skin.

I eyed the bucket he kept at the ready now, shuddering at the possibility waiting for me if I messed up. He tapped his instrument on the teeth I had at the back of my throat, letting the last drops fall before withdrawing his instrument and wiping it with a soft cloth.

I swallowed painfully and fidgeted on the stool, ready now for our session to be over since my butt was having issues from sitting still too long. He looked up from putting his equipment away at me and made a shooing motion with his hand. I gladly stood, adjusting my balance from one foot to the other to ease away the numbness before moving quietly away and sneaking up the stairs back to my room.

"Sang."

I stopped mid-step, already halfway up. I looked down over the banister, confused that father had followed me to the foot of the stairs. My brows furrowed at the muscle tick in his forehead as I waited for what he wanted. He took off his glasses and rubbed at the stress point.

"How are you holding up, Sang? Are the cravings under control? Have you...I know it's difficult, being so near an ocean."

My own eye twitched. He often asked me such questions, but admitting that this was difficult was new. Usually it was instructions on how to be stronger, or to stay away from normal people. I backed up a step, turning so I was facing him better.

"Yeah, I still can't figure out why you moved us here. It just seems...kind of an unnecessary torment."

I rubbed at my arm and waited. Father was acting strange. If I didn't know him to be the very image of perfect control, I would think that being near the ocean was giving him his own share of urges. Not that it was a problem for him. He didn't need to suck the very soul out of drowning victims like female sirens did.

Like me.

His eyes darted back and forth as I stood there waiting for what he wanted. I didn't think he even saw me anymore, lost in whatever world my comment had put him in. He finally rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed.

"It..was necessary. There were issues that were out of my control in this move. You'll adjust. We'll both adjust. We just need more time, yes, that's it. If I can create a..."

He paused and his eyes found me again, as if they had just come back into focus and we were both in the same world again. Father's behavior stumped me even more now. Why did we need more time? I'd never known him to have a deadline in his work before. Wasn't even really sure what his work was, really, other than it had something to do with research. He sucked in a breath and dropped his hand, straightening from a slump I hadn't realized had come over him. His unusual behavior frightened me. Something was off somehow. Was it just the ocean? Did it really effect him as much as it did me? He shook his head, putting his hands on his hips.

"Never mind. I'll fix it so it's not a problem. I have something else I need to discuss with you anyway. I'm running low."

I groaned. If father was low, that meant that he would be leaving for a few days to gather the plant essence that I needed to keep the urges at bay. This meant I would be left all alone here, nothing better to do than light housework, school, and trying to resist the constant tug of diving into the sea.

Fabulous.