TW in the description - Please read it carefully for this chapter especially
Thank you to Inkendz for this heart wrenching piece!
(Song: Find you by Ruelle - "Don't let go")
Luca POV
Alberto was laughing on the pebble beach, watching Luca fall over and over. He was learning to walk for the first time while Alberto helped. He remembered the warmth of the pebbles in the sun. It made him warm.
Then Luca was hammering nails into old sea wood, making their very first Vespa. They both looked at their finished work proudly. It was the most fun Luca had.
"I can't wait to take it for a test run," Alberto said, wiping sweat off his brow.
"Me too!"
Luca then raced home before his parents noticed he was gone.
Then Alberto was speeding towards him atop their homemade Vespa. Luca holding the ramp, bracing for impact. But the Vespa fell apart before reaching Luca, and Alberto ran up the ramp and into the water.
They had laughed for days about that.
"You have a Bruno in your head." Alberto said to him as Luca hesitated by their newly made Vespa. He was so scared to get on it.
"Silenzio Bruno."
"Louder! Say, Silenzio Bruno!"
"SILENZIO BRUNO!"
"CAN YOU STILL HEAR HIM!?"
NO! JUST YOU!"
"GOOD! NOW HANG ON!"
Then Luca was on the back of another homemade Vespa, racing down the hill, clinging to Alberto. They hit the ramp, and for a moment, they were flying. It was one of the happiest moments of Luca's life.
Then they were sneaking into Portorosso for the first time.
They met Giulia
He tasted pasta.
He fell asleep under the "Fish".
Memories flashed in Luca's mind in quick succession. Each one held a very special place in his heart. And each one had Alberto in it. His chest warmed as each memory played past like a movie. He only wished he wasn't watching but living in these memories instead.
Then a storm rolled in. Alberto stood. He was older than the previous memories. A look of pain etched on his face as the rain pounded them.
"I'm in love with you, Luca." He said.
Then an explosion sounded, and he was wrapped in thick metal chords.
"Luca, RUN!" He yelled, but Luca was transfixed to the spot. He couldn't move.
A black figure approached him.
"He is mine now, Picoletto."
A knife flashed, slicing Alberto's neck.
~.~.~.~.~
"NOOOO!" Luca screamed, waking from his nightmare. He was breathing hard, the water passing through his gills. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was black. Then he realized his eyes were open. Luca was trapped somewhere with no light.
He began to feel around him frantically, looking for a way out. He searched and searched, his webbed hands looking for a latch, a door, anything that would let him free. But only smooth metal greeted him on all sides. Luca was in a metal box filled with stagnant water. He noticed the water was still, making it hard to breathe. His gills worked hard to extract any bit of oxygen.
"No. No, this can't be happening." He said, swimming back and forth frantically. Luca swam blind and accidentally hit his head on one of the metal walls. He held it painfully.
"Luca?" A voice sounded from one of the corners.
"Alberto!?"
"Yeah, it's me." His voice was weak.
"Where are you?" Luca swam towards Alberto's voice, his arms outstretched as he felt his way around. Then two searching hands met his.
"Alberto!" Luca said with relief and put his arms around his friend. Alberto groaned in pain, and Luca quickly released him.
"B-broken ribs." He croaked out.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Luca said but didn't let go of Alberto's hands. They held onto each other, webbed claws locked together.
"I'm so glad you're here," Alberto said hoarsely. "I knew you were close, but I couldn't see."
"How did you know I was here?" Luca asked.
"I could smell you. But I thought maybe you were in a separate box or something. I'm glad you're here."
He squeezed Luca's hands.
"Alberto, where are we?" Luca said, letting the fear in his voice come out.
"I don't know," He confessed. "I think we are on a ship. Ocassinaly, the water in here will rock back and forth."
"How long have we been here?" Luca asked into the darkness. He truly couldn't see anything.
"It's hard to tell, but I've been awake for several hours at least. But we might have been in here for days already. Who knows."
Luca shook his head.
"This can't be happening. This can't be happening." He thought over and over.
Memories from the attack came to him in pieces. A group of men beating Alberto. Luca fighting them away. A blast, then a net coiling around him.
A familiar voice.
"Alberto... do you know who captured us?" Luca asked.
"The Mercenaries, I imagine."
"I meant who specifically," Luca asked, wondering if Alberto had heard the same voice.
"Not a clue."
They were silent for a while. How long? Luca couldn't tell. Then Alberto's voice spoke softly.
"Luca... did you see? The night we were captured.... in the streets."
Flashes of brightly colored scales motionless on the ground came to Luca. Bodies. Sireni bodies were strewn all around Portorosso.
Tears filled in Luca's eyes, and his shoulders shook with silent sobs. Alberto pulled him close, careful not to irritate his broken ribs.
"They were our families, Alberto." Luca sobbed into the stale water.
"I know," Alberto said, stroking Luca's head. "I know."
Luca let all the fear and hurt spill out. He cried into Alberto's embrace.
Alberto POV
Alberto held Luca to his chest, letting him cry as long as he needed. Alberto would have wept as well, but he was too drained. Too empty. Physical pain on top of the fear he now felt kept the tears at bay.
Why had they been captured? Why weren't they lying with harpoons in their chests on the streets? Where were they going now?
.... what horrors awaited them?
All these questions ran through his mind. But what scared him the most was the Sireno crying in his arms. Alberto could tell he was hurt. Two or three broken ribs, at least. He worried that he couldn't protect Luca in this state. He wrapped his arms around Luca tighter.
"I won't let them hurt you, Luca." He breathed so quietly he knew Luca hadn't heard.
Minutes passed.
Maybe Hours.
Maybe Days.
Time meant nothing in the black box. There was no light or sound—only the occasional rocking of the ship that carried them.
Alberto woke with a sudden panic, not realizing he had been asleep. He felt around the water, but Luca was gone.
"Luca!" He shouted
"I'm here!" Luca said and a second later felt Luca's searching hands find him.
"We must have drifted apart," Alberto said, bringing Luca back to his chest.
After that, they took to sleeping with their tails entwined together to keep them from drifting. Alberto was careful to wrap his tail in a way, so his barbs didn't cut Luca. They gripped each other tightly, not letting their tails come undone even for a second. If things weren't so terrifying, it would have been intimate.
They stayed that way. Not moving. Not talking. But always together. In this black world, they found themselves in - Luca was all Alberto had.
Alberto woke again, this time to the sounds of his own strangled breathing. He couldn't breathe. He heard Luca beside him, struggling the same way. Gasping. Choking. No matter how much water he forced through his gills, the oxygen wouldn't come. The water had become too stagnant. There was no oxygen left for them to breathe.
Alberto felt Luca's panicked claws grabbing onto him. With each empty gasp, he felt his consciousness slip away. He was drowning. He, a Sireno, was drowning in the black water. His eyelids fluttered.
He is going to pass out.
Alberto felt Luca's grip on his suddenly go slack.
They were dying.
"Heeeeeey stupido! Have you not been replacing the water? Look at them; they look like the fish your mama cooked for us last night." A distant voice from outside the box spoke.
Then with a painful burst, a lid slid away from the top of their black prison, letting in piercing white light. With a splash, a hose was thrown in, bringing with it a stream of fresh oxygen-rich water.
Alberto gasped, breathing in the new stream. With the light, he could see the dark green hose flowing beside him. He quickly grabbed in and pointed the fresh water at Luca's face.
Luca's eyes fluttered to life, and he gasped too. They both held onto the hose, breathing in the water, letting the oxygen rejuvenate their bodies.
Alberto looked up. Their tank had been opened. Just as the thought of swimming to the top entered his mind, the hose was jerked from their grasp, and the lid quickly slid back on, plunging them into darkness.
"Next time they start gasping, give them a little more."
"Si, Signor."
Alberto's mind began to clear as his gills sent oxygen to his brain. So they had a guard. And that guard would be opening the lid to give them water.
That other voice, though... it sounded familiar.
But Alberto was too weak to ponder on it long. He placed a hand on Luca's back, feeling his chest expand as he breathed.
"You ok?" Alberto asked.
"Yeah," Luca said, his voice shaky. "That....was terrifying." He said.
It was. Alberto never imagined that it was possible for Sireni to drown. Yet he almost had.
"It's ok. It shouldn't happen again." He said, trying to sound reassuring.
Clearly, he and Luca were wanted alive. For what purpose, Alberto didn't know.
——Time.
———————————Passed.
—————————————————————————-Slowly.
Bits of food scraps were occasionally dumped into the water through a small slit in the lid. Potatoe peals, the tops of carrots, tomatoes that had already gone rancid. But those were the more palatable choices. They also got fishtails, bones, and heads—even the fish entrails.
But it was all they had.
Alberto was the first to the food, picking out the best portions in the dark based on touch and smell. He gave those to Luca. He knew Luca couldn't see what he was doing. Otherwise, Luca would have objected. Alberto's stomach felt like it was going to dissolve itself. He was starving, and he knew Luca wasn't far behind.
As they held each other in the dark, Alberto could feel Luca's ribs through his clothes. He knew his were the same way.
Occasionally Luca would wake suddenly from a nightmare, screaming.
"It's ok!" Alberto shouted, trying to calm him. "It's just me, it's just me."
"Oh..." Luca breathed hard, clutching onto Alberto's tattered clothes again.
Alberto rubbed his hand down Luca's back, pressing his the fins down, forcing them to relax. He didn't know why he was doing this. But something.... something deep in his memory told him to do it. To rub his hand down Luca's back, pushing the fins down to restore calm.
Maybe his mother once did this to him.... he never thought of it before. Flashes of Saphire scales surfaced from deep in his mind. Why were small memories of his mother coming back to him now? Maybe because he was going to meet her soon...
Regardless where the memory came from, it always worked. Luca relaxed right away and nuzzled back into Alberto's chest, falling into a fitful sleep.
That was all they did.
Sleep.
Wake with stomachs growling with hunger.
Sleep.
Eat garbage.
Sleep.
The worst was waking with the sensation of water in their lungs. Drowning.
Choking as the air in the water depleted around them.
Then - always when he was about to pass out - the lid to their prison opened, and a hose with fresh water fell in. And each time, just as Alberto's mind began to clear, the hose would be jerked away, and the lid slammed closed.
This continued again.
And again.
And again.
Each time Alberto thought he would surely drown. And each time, he was given fresh water just as he was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Luca and him passed the time by telling stories. Some real, some made up. Anything just to keep each other talking. Luca told Alberto every single detail of his life in Genova. Every minute detail. And Alberto talked of his long fishing endeavors, telling Luca about their incredible catches and close calls. No detail was held back. Because as long as they had something to talk about - they didn't have to face their reality.
Each word was a lifeline to them. A lifeline that Alberto knew would soon run out.
Once while Luca talked about the different train stations between Portorosso and Genova, Alberto blinked hard.
"Luca?"
"Yeah?" Luca said, stopping mid-story. "What is it?"
Alberto blinked again. It had to be a trick of his eyes.
"Luca blink three times."
Luca obeyed. In front of him, a pair of glowing orbs opened and closed exactly three times.
"Luca, your eyes are glowing."
"What?" Luca said in surprise.
Alberto blinked, again and again, each time seeing more of Luca's body.
"No... all of you is glowing." Luca was giving a faint green glow all down his body. The strongest points of light came from his eyes. It was more of a silhouette. Alberto couldn't see details, just a general shape. Luca faced him, green orbs blinking.
"So are you, Alberto," Luca said, staring.
Alberto looked down to see the same faint green glow emanating from his own body.
"What do you think this means?" Alberto asked, poking himself.
"Maybe your bodies... are changing." Luca guessed.
"Why?"
"Because we are in the dark. My Uncle Ugo glows a little too. He lives in the deep." Luca said.
"Wow. I wonder how long we have been in here for our bodies to change like this."
Luca didn't answer. Neither of them really wanted to know the answer. But if their bodies were adapting to the darkness - they must have been in the blackness for a long time.
Once, while Alberto was coming back from nearly passing out as the hose fell into their tank, he heard a voice.
"Their scales are changing nicely. I can't wait to see them skinned and placed on my wall. It'll be like a very expensive nightlight."
Several voices chortled at the joke.
"Aww, look at the poor little Picolito - he is so tiny and pathetic." The voice continued. "And the big one isn't looking too good either. Not so tough now, are you Sea Monster?"
"Should we skin them now, boss?" A deeper voice asked.
"No, no. I want them fresh. Skinned alive. We only have a few more weeks until we reach my family's Vila. You can do it then. But call me first. I want to watch those Sea Monsters get what they deserve."
Then the voice spat into their water, and the lid was thrown shut again.
Alberto felt sick. So that was their purpose. To be killed, skinned, and hung on a wall.
But that voice - he knew it at last. He had heard it several times but couldn't place it.
Ercole.
Ercole had captured them. Was holding them, prisoner, making sure they suffered. All to hang them on his wall. Alberto's body filled with rage.
He wanted to kill him.
He wanted to kill Ercole.
But as time drew on, Alberto knew he would never get that chance. It took strength that he didn't have to keep himself awake. He felt himself wanting to pass out, to give up. But he held on. He held on for Luca.
~.~.~.~.~.
Alberto never let go of Luca, and Luca never let go of him. In one of the more frequent silent spells, Alberto felt Luca nuzzle close to his neck and take a deep breath.
"You have a smell." He whispered in Alberto's ear.
"What do you mean?" Alberto asked, rousing himself to be more awake. He had been dozing off.
"A Storm. You smell like a Storm. When I close my eyes, I can see the swirling rain clouds. But it's not scary. It's... comforting." Luca said softly.
Alberto had never heard Luca say that before.
"You too," Alberto confessed. "You have a smell too. It's like the Sea. Like the crystal clear water when the rays of the sun pass through. The Sea you and I swam through as kids."
Then they fell silent again—the darkness pressing in on them. But Alberto closed his eyes and let Luca's scent wash over him.
Together, they were Storm and Sea.
~.~.~.~.~
(Song: A Final Sacrifice by: Luke Richards - "Feeling you Fade Away")
Minutes.
Hours.
Days.
Time passed.
Their food became more infrequent. Luca had begun to cough regularly. He would have such terrible coughing fits that his entire body would shake. After these fits, Alberto could smell blood in the water.
He clung to Luca. Willing his remaining strength into Luca's body. He was terrified that he would wake up to feel Luca - lifeless in his arms.
Their conversations had stopped. Neither of them had the strength left to talk. The spans of silence stretched on and on.
After a while, despite his exhaustion, Alberto tried talking to Luca. Because even though they clung to each other, Alberto felt like Luca was fading away. He spoke less and less and even began to refuse food.
He could feel it.
The end. It was close.
(Credit to: Inkendz on Instagram)
"Luca."
No response.
"Luca," Alberto said louder, squeezing Luca's arm.
"Hm?" Luca barely mumbled out.
"Do you remember that night when we danced on the tower? We somehow got that old radio to work - and we danced all night. Do you remember that?"
Alberto felt a faint nod against his chest.
"I remember when we were done, we were both so worn out. You leaned against the edge of the tower. The wind was blowing through your hair. Then when you opened your eyes, I could see the stars in them."
He paused, letting himself fall in that memory.
"I think that was it for me. That was the moment I knew I was in love with you, Luca. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."
Alberto tried to keep his voice from cracking. Even as the words came out - he knew they sounded like a goodbye....
Luca was quiet for so long Alberto thought he might have fallen asleep or passed out again.
"I r-remember." Luca's voice was so small. So weak, Alberto's heart sank at the sound of it.
"Do you remember," Luca said breathily like it was taking all his energy just to get the words out, "When I got hurt?"
Alberto nodded. How could he forget? He reached down and felt Luca's scar across his thigh. It was more prominent than ever against Luca's emaciated body.
"I was lying in the hospital bed," Luca continued. "And I heard a voice. It was warm. I wanted to follow that voice. I was so tired, but I chased it. It was your voice, Alberto. I woke up and saw you next to me, holding my hand."
Luca paused. He paused for a long time, taking in labored breaths.
"That was when I knew." He said, his voice broken and full of tears. "That was when I knew I loved you, Alberto."
Alberto couldn't take it anymore. He let the tears finally spill out. If those were the last words he got to hear in this life - that was all he needed.
Then Luca went limp in his arms. Alberto tried rousing him. But Luca's head lifelessly fell to the side.
"No.." Alberto spoke. But there was nobody to listen.
"No... no please...." He shook Luca, but there was no response. No breath. No heartbeat.
He was gone.
Alberto squeezed the small empty frame. That's all it was. An empty shell that once held the person he loved.
Luca was gone from this world.
"I am so sorry. Please forgive me, Luca. I couldn't save you....
I couldn't save you.....
I couldn't save you............"
Alberto felt his consciousness slipping away, and this time, he didn't fight it.
"Luca..." He whispered into the dark. "...I'm coming."
And with Luca's name on his lips.... he faded away.
~Fine~
Words: 3,388
Italian Translations
Sireni - Merpeople (Plural)
Sirena - Merperson (Female)
Sireno - Merperson (Male)
Authors Note:
And that is the end of Storm and Sea - I hope you liked it. Bye!
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JUST KIDDING!
Yes, this is the end of "Storm and Sea" BOOK ONE! I have an entire second book titled "Hurricane" coming THIS SUNDAY! Search on my page, and you'll find it listed with the first two chapters this Sunday October 10th! I hope you enjoy Book 2 of my Luca series.
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