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Chapter 9: Lydia
"Great way to end the year, Lydia."
My body is slightly rigid. I'm usually calm, relaxed and joyful. But now, I've taken a complete one eighty.
My head turns and I looks at the body over my shoulder slowly. When my eyes meet theirs, I can only feel my blood begin to boil.
"You have got be kidding me," I mumble. My body faces theirs fully and I can't help but grimace in disgust.
"Hello, Ms. Sky." Douglas, the man who poisoned my mermaid scales and health, welcomes me, his teeth all crooked and yellowing.
"Why are you here?" I beg the question, my eyes glistening with tired tears.
Douglas looks around at the city, his old crinkled eyes taking in the views. His clothes have barely changed from his Los Angeles attire. Over his hole-filled shirt is a rugged jacket that makes him look like a child wearing their father's clothes. His jeans are ripped at the knees and stained from god knows what.
"Douglas, I suggest you leave before something irrational happens to you." I explain, tugging Harry's sweater closer to me. Even though my blood has been set fire to, the chill of the new year hasn't warmed me yet.
"I need to tell you something." His eyes focus on me, as if he's under some influence that I couldn't possibly understand. "I found out two months ago and I...well, I haven't been able to find you in my waters."
With a roll of my eyes, I turn away from him, looking around at the crowds. It's too busy out here, leaving me with only one option.
"Let's go somewhere private." I tell him as I walk away to one of the many shops and hole in the walls this city seemed to possess.
A few minutes pass and we enter through a small cafe with a fresh caffeine and lilac scent. Small children are barely staying awake, leaning against their parents as their lively eyes droop in exhaustion.
"Do you want anything?" I question, walking to the counter where a smiley barista greets me.
He grunts and shakes his head, his salt and pepper hair falling around his face. "No, but Lydia. You need to know-"
"One tall coffee with cream and sugar." I say, keeping my order short and simple.
"Okay, name?" They question as I pass them some cash and change.
"Lydia." I mutter, then nod in approval as they scribble my name.
When my order is said, I retrieve it from the barista, smiling when the perfection meets my lips. I lead Douglas to a table in the front, right by the entrance and sigh, waiting for him to continue.
"What is it that you were so worried about?" I question.
"Your tail might fully disappear in due time."
My eyes widen at his words. Disappear? What is he talking about?
"Care to explain further?" I take a gulp of the steaming hot coffee. The liquid burns and I nearly sputter at the pain.
"I was extremely mad when I first found out you are a mermaid-"
"Could you say it any louder?" I hiss, lowering his head to the table.
He rolls his eyes at me before continuing to say, "For years, since my wife and daughter were... well, taken by your kind-"
"Why would we take them?" I ask, sipping my drink. His accusing tone is getting really annoying by now.
"They were!" He hisses back, his face contorting to rage.
"Mermaids and merman are kind-hearted and loving people!" I say back, still avoiding glances from other customers every so often. "Killing is not in their nature."
"But, Lydia. Revenge is in everyones nature."
I stop myself before I respond. I never really thought of it like that. Sure, humans and merpeople are similar in almost every way -excluding the tail of course. So, why wouldn't us water-breathers seek revenge too?
Suddenly, a thought crosses my mind.
"Did you ever torture someone else with your injections?" I question, giving him a perplexed look.
His eyebrows slacken and he looks down.
"How dare you come to me for help, out of all people."
"I needed to warn you about your tail. You most likely won't be able to go back under water when your tail fully disappears." He whispers, his dark eyes pleading with me.
"Did you test it on the scales you stole?" I refer back to when I was in his shack and saw his secret mad-scientist room full of mermaid specimens.
"Yes..."
My heart rate quickens and I feel as though I would break down any second. This couldn't possibly be true!
"Are you sure?" I whisper.
"I wouldn't have wasted a plane ticket on New Year's Eve if it weren't." He shrugs, picking at his filthy nails.
Shutting my eyes, I take in the news.
"Are you-"
"I swear to god if you ask me if I'm sure one more time, I won't help you." He grumbles, scratching at his stubble filled jawline and chin.
"Help? You're going to help me?" I mutter, gaining a bit of enthusiasm.
"You promised me that you would help find out what happened to my wife and daughter. I promised I would help in any way I could and then leave you alone at the conclusion of the deal." He repeats back to me the guidelines of our deal.
"That is correct," I mutter. "How are you going to help me?"
"There might be a solution to the deteriorating of your scales." He pats his jacket pocket where I see a faint outline of a bottle.
"Is this just poison to finish me off?" I glare from his pocket to his smoky eyes.
"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have injected you with that in the first place." He rolls his eyes again.
My eyes linger on his hand covering the pocket. Looking around the shop, at all the people celebrating their last hours of the year, I can't help but feel like a fish out of water, pun very well intended.
"What's in it?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." His eyes look away from my own and I gulp nervously.
"Do I take all of it?" I wince, giving in to the healing liquid.
"I'd say start with half of the vial, then take the rest if you see no improvements in the coming days."
"And, you're sure it won't kill me."
"It only heeled the scale I tested it on." He shrugs.
Sighing, I say, "Fine. I'll take it."
"And then?"
I roll my eyes, "And then I'll get back to Los Angeles to try to find your family."
A smirk lights up his tan yet crinkly features, "Fantastic."
With his hand stuffed into his coat pocket, he pulls out a clear glass vial with a murky violet liquid within it. A few bubbles of blue float around, reminding me of an ancient lava lamp. A cork rests at the top, sealing off the container.
"Remember, take half of it to begin with." He stands up, getting ready to leave the shop.
"I heard." I mumble.
My fingers hold the mysterious cure in one hand, the other grasping my coffee cup. We leave the building, making our way out into the chilly December air.
"If I'm found dead after taking this, and I somehow become a ghost, I will haunt and torture you." I tell him seriously. He shakes his head at me before looking from the vial and back to my face.
"Good luck, Lydia." He nods once and then turns to go off to god knows where.
I hope Douglas's scale solution really does do more good than harm.
*****
Holy crap, right?
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-Caroline