Magic by the Sea

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Chapter Three

The Aftermath

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The rage of the storm had finally died away leaving a strange stillness to the Island. Trees lay ripped and broken, the thick dark grass lay flattened, and the birds were still refusing to come out of their hiding places. The school had been closed for the day and many of the students were out starting the clean-up. Ryan’s mother was forced to leave early to assess the damage at her workplace. She was not happy to leave Ryan behind and it didn’t take the teen long to work out that his grandfather had been put on guard duty.

‘Grandpa, I’m fine,’ he insisted for the third time that morning. Grandpa Jo beamed and passed him a plate of scrambled eggs, the generator finally up and running.

‘We just want to make sure lad, you took quite a knock. A little rest won’t hurt. Besides, you know your mother is positively fuming with you. You should consider yourself lucking she hasn’t shackled you to the bed,’ said the old man, pulling up a seat beside him. The local doctor, Deron had driven over the night before.

Ryan had a concussion, a gash on his right hand and a low temperature. Deron had the teen wrapped in blankets and monitored carefully but otherwise was not overly concerned. Tyler didn’t understand all the fuss and was quite happy to stay and watch Disney movies with his older brother, stealing some of the blanket.

Debra had stuck around, making phone calls and helping Jo with the kids. Debra had a sister named Dania. The two lived together in their cottage. It begged the question, why did Debra need her house keys? Couldn’t Dania have just let her sister in? Ryan was curious as to why her sister hadn’t tried to contact her but, in all honesty, it probably wasn’t much of a surprise.

Debra’s sister truly was nothing like her. She was mean spirited and wore a stone etched expression of relentless disappointment. Her mood was constantly foul but even worse when she came in contact with children. She would hiss at them, like a cat at a terrier. She sent them scuttling with a few cold words and a wave of her arm. There were times when Ryan could hardly believe that the kind woman that had babysat him was the sister of someone so socially distorted. He tried to imagine the two sisters playing together as children. Grandpa Jo tried to raise the boys with the idea that judging was wrong. Perhaps something serious had happened to Dania when she was a girl that caused her to be so hostile?

These days, Dania was not very functional. She spent most of her days in bed despite being only a few years older than Debra. Ryan had heard Debra speaking to his mother once:

‘It’s like the life has just been sucked out of her,’ Debra had said sadly. Alice had patted her hand gently.

Pete had dropped off Debra’s keys along with a letter. Ryan was still fuzzy on exactly what happened the night before, but the letter was from a woman named Mary. Her husband had been on the boat and Ryan had saved his life. The letter had a big picture of a pink heart at the bottom and scribbly handwriting from a small child that Ryan could hardly read.

He smiled to himself. Trent had been amazing, he left out the part where Ryan had jumped into the ocean and instead played it down to the other teen just going in knee deep and pulling the man out. He had supposedly slipped and fallen, resulting in his concussion. Alice had not been born yesterday but at the time she had been more concerned about getting her son home.

The day after however Ryan’s mum had left without saying a word. He knew she was angry.

Really, really angry.

It would be a long time before she let him have some freedom again. He couldn’t blame her. In hindsight, what he did was incredibly stupid. He risked that man’s life. He nearly killed them both. Ryan glanced down at his bandaged hand. His head was a little tender and he had drunk his way through more glasses of water than he could count. He lay back on the couch, his laptop in his lap. He had an old school friend who lived in Australia. They went to primary school together back when Ryan still lived on the mainland. The boy’s name was Nick. He had a sister who blew glass or something like that. Nick stayed in touch over social media.

Nick: Storms? R you kidding me? Do u want 2 no what we’re doing over here? Boiling in our own house. Literally. Its 41 degrees Celsius outside! I can literally cook my eggs and bacon off the hood of my mum’s car!

Ryan: Lucky for some. I nearly drowned yesterday pulling a guy out of the water. The more I think about, the dumber that idea seemed.

Nick: Did u save the guy?

Ryan: Yeah

Nick: Then I say u did awesome. Just don’t make it a habit.

Ryan laughed. Tyler looked up.

‘What’s so funny?’ the toddler demanded. Ryan leant over and ruffled his hair.

‘I’m reading some emails, that’s all. Why don’t you pick us a movie to watch?’ Tyler nodded and started rummaging through their DVD box. Ryan laid back on the cushions. He let his mind wander. It still felt like he was being rocked by the churning water. He could still faintly hear the ocean. Had he really seen someone else in the water beside him? Trent had said he dragged him to shore on his back, but Ryan remembered falling forward, face down in the water. When had he rolled over and how? Maybe it had just been a survival instinct to turn over.

‘I’m going to have a shower. A proper one,’ Ryan decided, sitting up with a wince. Grandpa Jo stuck his head around the corner.

‘You be careful. Watch that head of yours. That reminds me, we had to take your wet clothes off last night.’

Ryan made a face. ‘Grandpa!’

‘Oh, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before! Keep your hair on! We left you with your boxers. You didn’t need hypothermia on top of a concussion. Anyway, I thought you might want this back.’

Ryan flushed red and his grandpa handed him a necklace. He looked at it with a frown. ‘This isn’t mine,’ the boy grumbled.

Grandpa Jo laughed. ‘Well, you were wearing it, so I guess it is. How hard exactly did you hit that noggin of yours?’ Jo said with a boyish grin.

Ryan frowned. The pendant was round and smooth. It looked like it was made from some kind of shell. The cord was worn leather. ‘I guess a bit harder than I thought. Thanks grandpa,’ Ryan muttered. Ryan wobbled to the bathroom, necklace in one hand. He shed his robe. His muscles ached worse than any marathon run or weights class. His legs were in the most pain.

‘Suppose that’s what happens when I try to drown myself,’ Ryan muttered quietly. He sat on the floor of the shower, allowing the hot water to pour over him and wash away the scent of salt and sweat. He stared at his shell necklace. It wasn’t his. Of that, he was sure. It didn’t look like something his mother would wear either. She wore plain neat, gold jewellery, not large shells on leather cord. The shell had been polished meticulously. There was a symbol etched into the back. Ryan had no clue what it was. Strangely fascinated, he put it back around his neck.

After the hot shower, he left Tyler to watch his cartoon and crept stiffly back into bed. So maybe a day off wouldn’t be so bad. He grabbed the book he was given. He wasn’t a huge reader, but he was sick of watching television. He flipped through the pages. At the start of every chapter was a detailed black and white illustration. One picture caught his attention. It was of a man with long pale hair. Well, at least the top half was a man. A long tail arched out from under him.

‘Mermaids? That’s original,’ Ryan muttered.

<The islands were home to many exotic and magical creatures. Many explorers were positive that it was the magic of the wildlife that kept the islands in balance. To remove one of its inhabitants meant the destruction of the whole island and the treasures they held.

The island attracted travellers from all over the world who sought to use the magic for themselves. Pirates used the disappearing islands to store their riches and for years the pirates and the creatures of the ocean fought for the right to the islands. A curse was placed on all those who clashed in this war.

Those born of land were cursed to remain on it until the end of their days just as those born to the water were forced to live out their days in the dark of the ocean. The magic affected not only the pirates, but their kin until finally the war ended with the destruction of all of their ships. The islands were free to roam the water once more, guarded by the flesh-eating creatures, appearing as human, if only until their tails take them back into the waves.>

Ryan grinned. Well, saved by a mermaid in a storm. At least it made a great story to tell the grandkids someday. He lay back in the covers and dozed quietly. The day dragged on and by the afternoon, his headache was gone. He was still sore and stiff but that would probably take a day or two before it started to disappear. He padded out to the kitchen. Jo looked up from his cup of tea.

‘Glad to see you up kiddo. How are you feeling?’

‘Better,’ Ryan admittedly sheepishly. He opened the fridge to find it full of groceries. He frowned. Were mermaids buying them food now? He snorted in amusement.

‘Oh, ah, your mother dropped them off before going back out. She didn’t want to wake you.’ Grandpa Jo took a sip of his drink.

Ryan sighed. ‘More like she’s too angry to speak to me right now. I don’t blame her. It was a pretty dumb thing to do, going out in that storm,’ Ryan replied, pulling out some chicken fillets and vegetables.

‘True, but I don’t think young Mary and her family feels the same way. Alice is a good woman, but she is also a mother. So, she’ll worry like a mother. It’s what they do. It’s partly why us men need to stick together,’ said Grandpa Jo with a wide grin. Ryan laughed.

‘I’m going to make chicken curry for dinner,’ Ryan announced, wanting something to do. The older man gave a nod.

‘Sounds darn good to me.’ Debra took Tyler for a walk down the road to check on their neighbours whilst Ryan cooked. The cut on his hand ached and Jo eyed it with a raised eyebrow.

‘So… I suppose you got that when you... slipped over and knocked your head was it?’ Ryan winced. His teacher would often say that Trent had a silver tongue. He could sweet talk his way out of almost anything. Unfortunately, Ryan couldn’t. He didn’t like lying to his family

‘I may have gone a little further than knee deep,’ Ryan mumbled, pouring the coconut milk into the pan.

‘Figured as much. I’m proud of you for saving that man but I am also sad. You boys mean the world to your mother and I and I think you sometimes forget that. You need to be more careful.’ Jo rinsed his teacup in the sink.

Ryan felt a twinge of guilt. ‘I will be,’ he promised, stirring the curry with his good hand. Debra stayed for tea and the four ate, chatting away. Apparently, Tyler had seen a turtle on the rock shelves. After washing up, the boys retreated to bed and Jo said goodnight to Debra.

‘You’ve been such a good help dear, thank you.’ Grandpa Jo said with a smile. She beamed.

‘It was no problem at all. Thank you for letting me use your phone. Mine doesn’t work very well. Good night, don’t be afraid to pop by if you need anything.’ She waved goodbye and stepped out into the chilly air.

Ryan sat on his bed, on top of his thick pattern quilt. His grandmother had put it together for him when he was a baby. Each patch supposedly represented an aspect of his family’s life. There was a patch for the roaring sea, the night sky, the dinner table, his baby crib and even, strangely enough, a little pirate ship. He intended to give it to his own kids one day. His room was small but comfortable.

He had a large thick window and soft pale blue curtain that showed the dark rolling sea in the distance. The floor was old dark hardwood with a fluffy rug over the top. The rug was a bit faded, and the corners were a bit tattered, but Ryan liked it all the same. He had a tall bookshelf, a dresser, his bed, and a little work desk. There was only one television in his house, and it lived in the main room where everyone could watch it. Ryan had his laptop anyway. He didn’t need a TV in his room. There was a quite knock at his door.

‘Hey stranger,’ greeted his mother with a shy smile.

Ryan grinned, closing his laptop. ‘Hey, come in.’

Alice sat down on the chair beside Ryan’s work desk. ‘I’m sorry I missed dinner. It was delicious,’ she said hesitantly.

Ryan nodded. ‘That’s alright. I know you have to work late on Tuesdays,’ he answered. An awkward silence filled the room.

Alice sighed. ‘I don’t ever want to find you like that again Ryan. Ever,’ she said. Her voice was somewhere between anger and fear and Ryan felt another stab of guilt.

The boy dropped his head. ‘I know, mum. I’m sorry.’

She reached around and hugged him, the anger dissipating. ‘How would you feel about moving to the mainland to live with your cousins?’ she asked softly.

Ryan sat up a little straighter, frowning. ‘What do you mean?’ he replied carefully.

‘I want you to stay with your cousins on the mainland for a while,’ Alice said softly.

Ryan’s jaw dropped ‘What, why? What about my job and looking after Tyler. I can’t just leave!’

His mother looked uncomfortable. ‘It’s your holidays. You shouldn’t have to spend it on this rainy island. I have already called your uncle AND Mr. Simmons, and he’s agreed to let you take a few days off.’

Ryan’s face tipped into a frown. ‘This isn’t about me having a holiday, is it? This is about me getting hurt in the storm and that boat going down,’ Ryan accused, closing his laptop. Alice gently closed the old wooden door to his bedroom to give them some privacy.

‘You were hysterical. You kept talking about another person swimming in the water,’ Alice whispered. Ryan tensed.

‘I was a little concussed. That’s all. I was confused and concussed,’ he said carefully.

His mother gave him a hurt look. ‘Ryan, you’re a good boy and I love you, but I want you to get away from this island for a while. Tyler will be coming with you. Just for a few days, please?’

Ryan sighed. In all honesty his mother rarely asked him to do things. She was clearly worried about him. Besides, he couldn’t avoid his cousins forever. ‘Alright mum, I’ll go. But just for a few days.’

Alice’s face brightened, though the skin was still tight around her eyes. ‘Thank you. I’ll ring tomorrow morning and let them know you boys are on your way.’ Alice hugged her son tight. Ryan nodded and watched his mother leave the room. It was his fault really, for leaping into the ocean in a storm. He was lucky he wasn’t killed. His mother was strong, but he doubted she would’ve been able to cope if his stupidity had cost him his life.

A chill swept through his body. He had never been afraid of dying before but the thought of leaving his family left him feeling cold. Ryan parted the curtain of his window to look outside at the night sky. With the clouds now gone there was a blissful moment of peace, the stars completely filling the sky with a brilliant shine. Without realising it he found himself searching for the shadow that had stood outside in the street only two nights before. He frowned. He was jumping at shadows. Ryan dulled his lamp, settling under the covers.

The tapping on his window started not long after. A cold sweat broke out over his back. He tried to ignore it, but it continued. It was just quiet enough to be a branch, just constant enough to let him know it definitely wasn’t.

He swung his leg over the side of his bed and fumbled for a torch. The rest of the household was asleep. The rooms were all dark except Tyler’s who still had his dim night light. Ryan crept down the hall and out the front door. There was nothing out there and he was going to prove it.

Outside the grass was wet underfoot. The roaring of the sea grew louder, and the scent of rain and salt clung to the air. He walked stiffly to the patch of muddy lawn outside his window. Unsurprisingly, there was no-one there. Frustrated he went right up to the window and pointed the torch at the ground. What was he looking for? Footprints?

‘This is ridiculous,’ he grumbled. He stood up straight. The hair rose on the back of his neck. He spun around.

‘Hello Ryan.’ The man was tall, an old hat covering his head and leaving his whole face dark.

‘Who are you and what the hell are you doing outside my window?’ Ryan snapped, still trying to keep his voice low. He was spooked and tired and not quite in his right mind to be dealing with all this.

‘Relax Ryan. I’m an old friend of your father’s. It’s because of him that I am here.’

Ryan stood there, momentarily stupefied. ‘My father? My father, the bald banker who works in California, Tom Regale? I’ve met him like three times in my whole life. Why would he ask you to come here?’ Ryan spluttered.

‘Oh no, he didn’t ask me. The plan was to allow you and your family some time to work all this out. It has, after all been a rather traumatizing experience for all of you but circumstances are changing. You are nearing your eighteenth birthday and I won’t wait for much longer.’

Ryan opened and closed his mouth a few times. ‘Traumatizing? Mum divorced Tom when I was like, four! I barely even remember what the guy looks like. I’m pretty sure we aren’t too badly traumatised by his absence. Is there some kind of will I’m supposed to be inheriting or something? Is that why you’re here?’ The man had a strange stillness to him, a fluidity of movement that didn’t look quite right.

‘You truly have no idea why I’m here?’ the man said finally. He sounded genuinely confused and perhaps a little angry.

Ryan gave a huff of frustration. ‘Look, this is ridiculous. It is the middle of the night. Stop hanging around my window. If you want to talk about my father, come back at a normal hour and we’ll sit down and talk about this,’ Ryan snapped, trying to sound like a proper adult rather than a hysterical teenager. A light flicked on in the house. In that brief moment of light, Ryan caught a glimpse of a lock of shiny silver hair. The man’s features were sharp with high cheekbones and deep dark blue eyes.

‘Come with me,’ the man said hastily. He held out his hand, as though he expected Ran to take it without hesitation. The strange thing was, Ryan wanted too. The boy stood like a deer in headlights, trying to analyse this strange need to go with him.

‘Go where? If you hadn’t noticed, we’re on the middle of a freakin island!’ he spluttered, even as his feet slowly began to move.

‘Ryan, what’s going on out there, who are you talking to?’ Ryan spun around. Grandpa Jo opened the front door to the house.

‘I was just…’ Ryan looked over his shoulder.

The man was gone.

‘Getting some fresh air,’ he finished lamely. His grandfather raised an eyebrow.

‘In the middle of the night? Come inside now.’ The old man guided him gently back inside the warmth of the house. Ryan frowned as he stared at where the man had been. Nothing, not even a shoeprint on the soft damp soil where he had stood.

‘Grandpa, have you ever felt like you were going crazy?’ Ryan muttered. The old man smiled.

‘All the time, my boy. All the time.’

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END

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