Back at Caroline’s house, you greet your friend as she re-enters – fully-human once more – wrapped in her bathing towel. You notice that she has a thoughtful – even worried – expression on her, before she disappears into her bedroom to get dressed.
Later, you and Caroline share a meal you’ve prepared – and you give Topaz some lightly-cooked fish to go with the plate of seaweed. She also enjoys the fruit you give her.
After washing up, Caroline urges you to get back home. Night is about to fall, and she’s mindful of the violent killings in town during the past year. Despite police efforts, no one has been caught – yet alone convicted – for the deaths of the burglars and muggers.
“Well, I’m no low life. I’ll be okay,” you reassure her.
“Even so, I’ll be glad once you’re back home.” Caroline looks flustered. “Topaz will be all right with me. Come round tomorrow, if you like – so that we can discuss when we’ll get our mermaid back to the sea. It’ll be Sunday, after all.”
“Sure. Thanks for your help, C.” You give her a peck on the cheek, and wave goodbye to Topaz – before leaving.
*****
However, you don’t walk straight back home. Instead, with Topaz’s offer of a new life replaying in your mind, you take a stroll through the woods behind Caroline’s house, as the light begins to fade. After a mile, you reach the narrow sand and shingle beach on the edge of town, and watch the sunset work its enchanting rays upon the roaring waves and the nearby, busy port. The sea air and the clean scents both invigorate and fill your senses – and the cries of seagulls flying close by remind you that there is so much more to life, than the soulless existence you’ve tolerated since the company you worked for went bust.
Finding a bench to sit on, as you walk along the deserted shoreline, you watch the moon start to rise – almost directly opposite to where the sun is clinging to the western horizon, now silhouetting a passing tanker.
Could you really be happy, spending the rest of your life in the sea? You wonder what it would be like to play with dolphins – yet have to be mindful of sharks…
Hello. What’s this? An unmarked black motorboat is crawling along the shore. It stops near to you, just where two men, dressed in dark clothes, have popped up from behind the beach huts. There is a muttered conversation between them and three individuals on the boat.
You decide to get closer. But as you come within earshot of this rather furtive-looking lot, a white-haired woman – who seems to be the leader on the boat – suddenly points directly at you.
“Wait! There’s the man we picked up on the hidden security cameras! He took our subject. Get him!”
“Yes, Dr Bright.” The two men turn swiftly and start making tracks towards you.
Oh hell!! You do an about-turn, and start running as best as you can across the myriad stones and pepples along this stretch. Luckily, you know the area well. Although spooked, you reach the main road – and leg it straight into town. However, your two pursuers aren’t far behind…
Using your knowledge of the local geography, you change direction – hoping to throw your shadows off. Soon, you find yourself in the undergrowth of the woods.
Hiding in the bushes, you recover your breath as you gulp air into your burning lungs. You heart is beating madly with fear – your head reeling with the realization that your ‘abduction’ of Topaz was recorded on a surveillance camera. Looks like you’ve found the marine biologist… And she ain’t happy with you.
Are these men going to…kill you? It seems absurd… But then you remember about the murders in the area…
You freeze rigid as something growls in the dark, right behind you.
“Oh f…fiddlesticks,” you whisper, as the blood drains from your face.