The Call Of Thalassa

“The ocean has a rhythm,

but it has no heart.”

- Christina Henry

The sun was in the middle of the blue sky, beating with its bright rays the villagers of Seaworth and making shiny droplets of sweat appear on their warm foreheads. The market was busy with people who were in a hurry to finish their shopping as the time for lunch was slowly approaching.

Aileen and Aide had followed nana Alexandra to the crowded place, not wanting the old woman to do her chores without any help. They had passed by the colorful stalls with fresh vegetables and vibrant fruits, leaving the fiery nana to bargain for the items that had caught her eye.

After she had achieved the demanded price, she placed the products carefully in the bags the two girls carried, making them feel heavier every time they stopped in front of a booth. Giving them a sly smile, she turned around and kept looking at the stalls with the scented spices and the freshly baked bread.

“Honestly, nana”, Aide breathed heavily from beside her, “Do you need anything else?”

Her grandmother raised a judgmental eyebrow at her tired form, before moving her shining eyes to the girl beside her. Aileen could feel her hands hurting from the bags she was carrying, but only gave a small smile at the elder lady.

“You are twenty years old, Aide! Not sixty-five!“, she shook her head at her granddaughter’s exhausted state, “When I was your age I had a child and you cannot even help your old and frail grandmother to buy her groceries?”

Aileen bit the inside of her cheek trying hard not to laugh as nana widened her eyes dramatically making Aide comfort her immediately. Alexandra was anything but frail and weak, even at this age. The woman had a fire burning inside of her, making her as energized and hopeful as a teenager.

She could hear Aide apologize at the disappointed woman, reasoning that they should return home as it was almost midday. Nana looked away from her granddaughter as if she was mad, but Aileen couldn’t help her smile when the old woman winked at her without Aide seeing her. That was the playful and fiery nana they all loved –knowing exactly what to do to get her way.

The sound of bells flooded the market like an angry wave, causing fearful glances and restless questions from the surprised shoppers. Everyone knew what the repeating sound meant, but they hadn’t heard the signal in a while –danger, something had happened.

Aileen couldn’t hear the apologies of her friend anymore or enjoy nana’s mischievous games. She felt herself being pushed around as a lively river of hurrying people started to form. She turned around just in time to catch Aide’s hand before they lost each other in the crowd.

The three women let the mass guide them outside the market and towards the central square of the seaside village. They couldn’t see anything but the tall behinds of people as more and more gathered at the spot, wanting to know why the bells sounded after such a long period of time.

Screams of terror and horrified gasps could be heard, making the green-eyed girl stand on her tiptoes as she tried to see what laid at the front. Her short frame couldn’t take a glimpse at what was happening, but she could hear scattered whispers full of horror.

“This isn’t possible...”

“...Is that George’s son?”

“...What is left of him you mean...the boy is dead...”

“...Are these..what I think they are...?”

“No...they do not exist...”

“...myths...legends...”

“...Adrian is dead...”

Having enough of the whispers, Aileen snuggled into the busy crowd making her way towards the front. After a few angry murmurs and sullen glances, the girl managed to make it muttering a bunch of apologizes in the process. What lay in front of her made her gasp both in terror and surprise.

A shocked scream escaped her at the butchered body of the boy in front of her. His father could only sob as he tried to explain to the stunned mayor what had happened. Her emerald orbs widened even more at the sight of the murdered mermaids, whose tails had turned a dull color from their once vibrant one.

She remembered Havelock’s words about his uncle –the Atlanteans had no reason to attack a human and expose themselves. This was surely his doing -a way to get Atlantis into trouble. However, the people around her didn’t care about who killed Adrian. They were more focused on what murdered him.

The sight of a mermaid may have not been a surprise for Aileen, but it was a humongous shock for the rest of the villagers. They had just realized that the creatures of their myths and legends weren’t just marine tales for their children. They were a hidden part of their reality that had just been confirmed.

Perhaps, being ignorant is better than having the knowledge of the truth. The villagers of Seaworth lived mainly from the sea, their economy was connected deeply with the salty waters. They were completely surrounded by the infinity of blue but never felt an ounce of fear at this fact.

Until this very day.

Now, their perspective of the ocean and what lies beneath its waves had changed. They felt threatened by the creatures lurking in its salty waters. They had proved how dangerous they were by killing one of their own. The sea no longer brought to them peace and safety, but nightmares and panic.

“What are we going to do?“, everyone’s attention turned towards the man speaking, “Things will have to change! We cannot continue living like before!”

Murmurs of agreement were heard among the crowd.

“He is right!“, a new voice was heard, ” These creatures attacked Adrian! They are murderous and evil! They proved their intentions when they killed him!”

“We are not safe anymore! What are you going to do about it, mayor?”

Aileen’s eyes turned towards the older man that was pacing in front of them. His once brunette locks were now mixed with grey and his dark eyes hid more than he let out. His black suit was too tight for his round belly and his shaved cheeks were glistening with sweat. Alastor’s father took a white kerchief from his pocket and whipped the shiny droplets away.

“My beloved villagers”, he began in a trembling voice, “we are facing an unprecedented situation. As you can see with your own eyes, the marine creatures that we’ve known to exist only in our myths and legends are aliv-”

“Cut the political speech, Harold! We need actions, not words!”

The woman’s voice received a round of applause as the villagers shouted their approval.

“Right”, the mayor played with his fingers nervously, “Well, you’ll have to understand that we have to take extra measures for our safety. I know that almost all of you make a living from the sea, but it is too dangerous to continue these ways...”

The villagers looked at each other in discomfort as they waited for the mayor’s decisions.

“Αll ships are from now on forbidden to sail, unless they are large commercial ones. You all saw what happened to George’s small fishing boat...we have to take our measures.”

A round of swearing was heard as the villagers made their displeasure known. How were they supposed to stop going to the sea, when she was the one providing for them? How would they feed their children? They would have no money and would starve to death!

“All visits towards Seaworth’s harbor or nearby beaches are also forbidden. We are not taking any risks.”

A voice was heard in the crowd, making everyone turn towards him.

“What about the land, father?”

Mayor Harold took a look at his son’s disheveled form. His brown locks were messy and his dark eyes had black circles beneath them. He had grown a slight beard and his orbs had an unusual glow into them. If it weren’t for his designated clothes, he wouldn’t have recognized him.

“What about the land, son?“, he cocked his head to the side, “These creatures have tails, they cannot survive on land.”

Alastor let a chuckle escape him, making a shiver go down Aileen’s spine.

“We only know a handful of information for these creatures. Our knowledge comes from old tales and myths that go so far back in time that we cannot be sure if they are true or not”, his dark eyes looked upon the whispering crowd.

“How can we be sure that they cannot walk on land?”

The murmurs grew louder as the glances of the villagers became more horrified and alarmed.

“How can we be sure that they do not walk among us?”

“Son”, the mayor looked at his boy with worry, “Isn’t this a bit too much?”

“How can we be sure of the abilities of a creature, we do not know, father?“, his dark orbs left his father’s and turned towards the crowd, “I don’t know for you but I’d say we better be safe than sorry!”

The villagers applauded him in an answer, finding logic in his words. The mayor didn’t have much of a choice but to do what the majority wanted.

“Very well then”, he looked upon the villagers with a serious look, “as of now Seaworth is in total lockdown. Everyone will remain home as soon as night falls and there will be officers patrolling the streets after this hour.”

The crowd mattered a few words in discomfort but didn’t disagree.

“No one approaches the waters in any way. Whoever is found disobeying these rules will have to deal with me personally.”

“And how exactly is this going to help?“, a woman shouted at the mayor, “If we stay in our homes, what are you going to gain?”

“As my father said mermaids are creatures of the water”, Alastor drew their attention, “Even if they walk on land, they will have to return to the sea at some point. Sooner or later, they’ll attempt to do so and that’s when we will catch them. What better hour to try to return to the sea than when everyone is at home and darkness has fallen?”

Rumbles of conformance sounded around the square as the crowd pondered over the news. They weren’t pleased that their freedom would be limited but they understood why it had to happen. This was for their safety and peace of mind. Sometimes, it’s worth sacrificing your personal comfort for the collective interest.

“It is decided then”, the mayor confirmed.

The crowd slowly began to thin out, leaving the square empty. Α father’s cry for the loss of his son and the mayor’s reassuring words were all that remained. Aileen watched as two officers removed the dead mermaids, their once lively tails now crawling on the village’s cobbled pavement.

“Aileen.”

Was this how it would be from now on? Would she be able to meet Havelock during these difficult times? What was going to happen between humans and merfolk?

“My child”, a hand rested upon her shoulder.

Turning around, she met nana’s warm chocolate gaze. The old lady gave her a squeeze, her eyes promising things she wouldn’t dare say in public.

“Come, my child”, the elder said to her, “It is time to return home.”

She gave a last look to the empty square before leaving with Aide and nana.

“Home”, she thought inwardly, “is not always a building.”

It can be a person too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 27!!

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