The Little Mermaid (MerLock)

The TwoLeg

Merlock groaned in frustration. Fincroft had caught him deconstructing a jellyfish merely a few leagues away from their cave, and had seen fit to punish him (Merlock found it unacceptable that he was practically an adult and still received punishment for something as childish as being away from the cave). After spending a good ten minutes yelling at him, Fincroft had sent him to his resting space and had thoroughly instructed him that he was grounded and to not come out or he would be in even greater trouble. Growling at the injustice of it all, Merlock absentmindedly ran his fingers over his sketches. It had been hours. But that night, a strangely shaped shadow cast darkness over the colony, reflecting starkly against the light from the moon. It intrigued him, willing the science driven part of his brain to take just a peek. Yes, tonight would be the night to explore the surface. Screw his brother and his idiotic rules, a voice said. Merlock jumped.

 "Molly, you musn't be whispering in my ear like that. You nearly killed me," Merlock gasped, frowning at the responding giggle. 

"Really too easy. Now, just so you know, wherever you're going, I'm coming with you." 

 The moon was visible from his deep sea view, bright and shimmering with possibility. He calculated that Fincroft would soon be asleep. Merlock waited. And waited. And waited some more. Soon, he heard Fincroft's loud snores echoing through the cave. Suppressing a snicker, he quietly slipped out the door, careful not to make any noise. Fincroft stirred slightly, freezing Merlock in place. With a placating whisper, Molly hushed him back into careful rest. Merlock let out a breath and continued to swim away, faster now that he was far enough. He had always been curious about the surface, and now he finally had the opportunity to see what the fuss was all about. 

Merlock didn't look back. He swam swift and powerful, thumping his tail in broad strokes. The pale light of the moon was getting closer and closer. He could feel the freedom; and he longed for it. He broke through the light film of water and stuck his head out. The cool nip of the air felt brilliant. Merlock's long black curls clung to his face and neck, soaking wet. He cast his eyes all around him, finding himself face to face with a giant wooden thing. He smacked his nose on it. 

"Oww," he exclaimed through gritted teeth, clutching his nose. 

"Good start," Molly snorted, making the merman scowl.

Merlock recognized the thing almost immediately. Fincroft had told him that it was a "boat." Twolegs used boats to get around the water, rather than swim. It was the largest boat he had ever seen. He gazed at it. It had a few portholes, and on the front was a carving of a mermaid. Merlock looked up and saw lights on deck. He heard music and laughter and the thumping of feet.He knew he shouldn't get closer. Twolegs were dangerous and untrustworthy and blah blah. But he couldn't help it. Curiosity caused him to swim up to the deck and clutch onto the bars. What Merlock saw amazed him. There were female and male twolegs singing and dancing drunkenly. There was a man behind the helm of the ship, whose sharp grey eyes were narrowed and hard like glittering stones. But there, smack dab in the center of this ruckus of jovial activity, was a beautiful boy. A sigh escaped Merlock's lips before he could stop it, and he almost recoiled from the how breathless it sounded. The boy looked to be about his age. He was a bit on the stout side, had a shock of blonde hair cut close to his head, friendly blue eyes, and a laugh that Merlock could've listened to forever. He was joking around with the other men, while being eyed (obviously) by the women. 

Merlock couldn't pull himself away. It all looked so fascinating, and he wished fiercely to be up there. He had managed to hang there precariously with no one noticing for quite a while. By that time, dawn was glowing bright and resilient on the horizon. But he didn't want to leave. He wanted to gaze on the lovely features of the twoleg boy for a very long time, perhaps even to join him. Merlock wished with every fiber of his being in that moment that he could be human. He shook his head violently. 

"No," he hissed to himself. He couldn't. He was a mermaid. The boy was a twoleg. And he was very obviously male. While Merlock had learned long ago that he had no interest in females, he had thought that he was merely asexual. That was perfectly alright in the colony. But a boy? And a twoleg at that? His head swam. It was too much and not enough at the same time. Merlock realized with a start that he needed to go. He'd had enough. He was smart enough to see the danger in him staying any longer. Slipping off the edge, he quickly started swimming away. He halted when he heard a sickening crack and screams coming from the ship. His head whipped around so fast his neck ached. He was rooted to the spot, watching the horror unfold. The oil lamps crashed to the deck, and the ship lit up like a bonfire. It was steadily starting to sink. Everything was happening almost too fast to register.Merlock watched the boy remain surprisingly calm, directing people in a loud voice to small boats hanging on the sides. Others jumped off. The ship's hull splintered, and the masts fell down with a fiery explosion. Bits of debris flew everywhere. To make matters worse, a torrential storm rolled in, swirling the sea into a black mass. Merlock struggled against the tide. He realized with a sickening twist of his gut that some of the passengers around him were dead, lifeless eyes unseeing, and that the twoleg boy had not gotten off yet. He looked like he was about to dive into the water when a burning piece of debris struck him across the back, and he fell off. 

Without thinking, Merlock swam at full speed toward him, propelling through the water.

"Merlock, wait!" he could faintly hear Molly's voice calling out. 

He caught up with the boy, and struggled to drag him up to the surface. He churned on and on, keeping the boy's head above water, praying he was alive. With a final burst of energy, Merlock hurled himself and the twoleg onto the beach. The storm was starting to clear thankfully. Now on the beach, Merlock took time to brush the twoleg's matted blonde hair out of his face. Up close he was even more handsome. The early morning sun highlighted his tan skin and he practically glowed. He had perfect, pale pink lips, and ears that were slightly too big for his head. To his annoyance, Merlock found that utterly endearing. After checking for a pulse (the twoleg was alive thank mother sea), he caressed him, gently singing a mermaid lullaby to him. The twoleg's cloudy blue eyes fluttered open. 

"Wha-" Merlock cut him off with a finger to his lips. 

"Hush hush, joli garçon," he whispered in twoleg tongue. He could practically hear Molly's eyes rolling. 

The boy seemed at ease until he really took in Merlock's appearance; namely, his long blue-black tail and pointed ears and teeth. His eyes widened comically. 

"M-mother of god, y-you're a sirène," he sputtered, before passing out. 

Merlock's forehead creased with worry. Poor, ignorant twoleg and his obvious lack of education. But he had bigger problems. He could feel himself getting dry, and realized he had been gone far too long. Fincroft would soon discover his absence. With a grimace, Merlock turned and slipped into the sea, leaving the injured boy to rest. He only hoped he would make it back to the colony in time.

"You shouldn't have spoken to him. He's just a twoleg," Molly murmured.

Merlock grunted in response.

"OOO YOU HAVE A CRUSH!" she crowed, delighted. 

"Shut up, Molly!!"