The Sea in our Veins

The next day, August was back carrying a large ladder. She leaned it against the side of the tank and climbed up before she extended her arm, “My boss wants to see you,” she said.

Virgil shifted into human form and his clothes became soaked before he grabbed her hand and August pulled him out of the water. Together, Virgil and August climbed down the ladder, Virgil going slower than August as he was trying to get used to his legs again. Once Virgil and August were safely off of the ladder, August led Virgil out of the door and down the hall. Virgil took the opportunity to scan the hallways, watching the various scientists who passed for familiar faces, yet he didn’t recognize any of them. The hallways looked so familiar, though and Virgil switched to instead watching the floor, and staring at the droplets of water that fell from his wet clothes.

August led him to another room and held the door open for him. “In here,” she said.

Virgil walked into the room and then froze when the door closed right behind him. He tried the door knob and was relieved to find the door was unlocked. When he pushed the door open and glanced out into the hallway, he couldn’t fid August, so he closed the door again and instead glanced around the room, searching for something to occupy himself. He ignored the chair in the venter of the room, refusing to even look at it, with its straps and chains soaked in blood and instead, sat in the corner, staring at the door. Finally, the door opened and Virgil was surprised to see Roman walk into the room. He was wearing the same clothes that he used to wear back in the lab, clothes that reminded Virgil of a time when Roman hadn’t been as nice to him.

“Sit in the chair,” Roman ordered, his voice devoid of all warmth.

“No,” Virgil said firmly, though he refused to make eye contact with Roman.

Roman stared at Virgil as the room feel quiet. Virgil tried his best to swallow the pit of fear in his stomach as the silence stretched on.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” Roman ordered and Virgil slowly raised his eyes until he made eye contact. He was rage in Roman’s eyes. “Sit down in the ******* chair.” Roman spat and Virgil obeyed.

As soon as he sat down, he felt like he was back to before he and Roman had escaped before Roman had been kind to him and it scared him. He bit his lip to prevent himself from making any noise as Roman strapped him into the chair but with every rattle of the chains he felt like screaming.

Finally, once Roman was satisfied with Virgil’s restrains, he stepped back and studied him.

Virgil stared at him defiantly, trying his best to not show any fear.

“It’s good to have you back where you belong,” Roman said.

Virgil couldn’t recognize Roman anymore. The caring hands that had brushed away his tears and had taught him how to be human had looked like instruments of torture.

“**** you,” Virgil spat.

A grin slid onto Roman’s face, “I see your friends have taught you disobedience,” Roman said, “It shouldn’t take much to retrain you to be obedient. Maybe this time, I’ll have you eating out of my hand like the good dog that you are.”

“They’ll rescue me,” Virgil said confidently, trying to be brave in front of the monster that he faced.

Roman laughed, “Do you really think your friends are going to rescue you?” he asked, “After you abandoned them twice, Rafael?”

Virgil stared at Roman, frozen. Roman stared him with a satisfied smile on his face as Virgil realized the truth with a dawning horror. “I’m Rafael?” Virgil asked, “You took me away from my family and lied to me. You said that my family didn’t want me.”

“And why would they want someone like you?” Roman asked, “They were better off without you.”

“So what?” Virgil asked, “Is this all one big game to you?”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect them to find you again, but by now, they’ve probably forgotten about you and moved onto the next thing.”

“They never gave up on me.” Virgil replied, “They always knew that Rafael was alive.”

“But this time, you were the one who left them,” Roman said, “You left a note for them at the house saying that you appreciated everything but living under the sea as a mer wasn’t for you. And if your friend, what’s his name… Michael, goes looking for you, he’’ only find that you moved as far away from him as you could get and as far away from the water as you could. That’s if he even bothers looking.”

“Why are you doing all of this?” Virgil asked.

“Oh, many reasons,” Roman replied, “Money, fame power, it will all be so easy to obtain with you. But we have out work cut out for us. You’re far too rebellious right now and that needs to change. Roman reached into his pocked and pulled out a familiar folding blade. Virgil froze when he saw it. Many of the scars on his body came from that very switch blade.

“Please,” Virgil begged when he saw the look in Roman’s eyes, “I’ll do whatever you want.”

Roman looked him up and down as he were a prized choice of meat. “That’s not good enough,” he said, “I want your loyalty. Empty promises aren’t your loyalty. I want you to know that you’re mine.” Roman held the knife over Virgil’s heart as tears started to slip down Virgil’s face.

“Please,” he begged, “I’ll be good.”

“Then be good and stay still,” Roman said as he began to carve, and Virgil began to scream.