Amongst The Water-Fresh Waters

CHAPTER 43: Festival Returns! Part 2

  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: Monday July 10, 2023

  Thursday March 29th,2018(2 months, 3 weeks,7 days.)

( 1 month, 3 weeks, days after breakup with Jacob.)

(Kye and Finn dating = 3 weeks, 3 days)

(Kaylee & Brian dating = 9 days(1 week, 2 days)

On International Mermaid Day; Mr.Sanders along with the Mayor of Sooshanie and the Prime Minister of Australia agreed to re-boot the Mermaid Festival that used to be widely popular in the area. Mainly in the New South Wales region. Normally it would take place from March 24 or 25 to April 2 or 3. But since it was scheduled to be brought back just a short week beforehand; Mr. Sanders is extending it to last from March 28 a day before International Mermaid day until April 8.

"I can't believe she's still around." Kylie pokes at her Shrimp Cocktail with her fork. Finn remains staring at the busty woman. "I can't either." Kylie looks at Finn and tries to redirect his attention to her and their friends. "So how do you know her?" She asks, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. Finn remains glaring at the older woman.

Jakobe walks up to Finn and nudges him. "I get that she has..." Jakobe gestures toward his chest. Kylie looks at him and rolls her eyes. Jakobe shrugs and sighs. "But that doesn't make her attractive." He admits. Brian scoffs. "Amen!" Brian raises his left hand as he's chomping on a Lobster Leg with his other hand. He walks up from a Seafood Buffet and shivers while looking at the woman. "She gives me weird vibes." Brian admits.

"Same here." Matt says, his voice coming from behind the group. Kylie and Finn look behind Evie and Kaylee to see Matt and Lonnie. "You've been so quit, I forgot you were with us." Finn says, looking at Matt. Matt nods. "It's hard to get a word in when you guys are rambling at how great Mr. Rites was." He shrugs. Kylie sighs and her shoulders slump. "He would have loved this new and improved Festival." Finn looks at Jakobe. Jakobe nods. "He would have." Brian nods agreeing. "He loved anything to do with the Sea or water." Kaylee scoffs. "I wonder if he was a Merman." Finn and Kylie look at Kaylee startled by her comment. "If he was, then we have no shot against Kleodora." Brian sighs defeated. "Because he knows almost everything about Science related stuff and especially the Ocean."

"He wasn't. I didn't senses anything AT ALL when I was around him. Well besides fear. Which was likely Kleodora's doing." Matt says informing them. "And I'm certain the Sea Hag did kill him. Because she is a Siren." Kylie gasps. "That's not good." Matt looks at Kylie and sighs. "It's worse than you think. Sirens aren't what are in the books and on TV." Finn stares at him impatiently. "Care to elaborate?" Matt nods.

"Sirens are banished Mer-Folk. They get banished for doing unspeakable things in their Village or Kingdom. When they are banished; their powers are less affective or they have little to no power. And their attitude toward Mer-Folk is drastically changed. They may seek revenge toward their own kind." Matt sums it up. Kylie and Finn's jaws drop. Kaylee scoff. "Well we are in for a crap storm." Lonnie looks at Kaylee and chuckles. "That we certainly are." Lonnie's chest tightens. She looks at Matt and sighs. "Unfortunately there is more bad News."

Matt groans annoyed. "Seriously." Kylie's rubs her forehead, trying to mask the pain that's starting to form. Lonnie nods. Finn looks at Kylie and grabs her hand and sends a soothing wave toward her. Kylie's chest eases, but her stress headache doesn't go completely away.

"That Hag form Hell also is a Selkie." Matt holds his finger up to keep them quit. "And that's also not correct from what you have learned either." He rolls his eyes. "The books never have it correct. Lonnie sighs annoyed as if aggreing with her brother. "Selkies have two types. One are Vampiren-They are the offspring of a banished Mer-Folk, know as a Siren, and a Vampire. They will eat anything. Including alive and dead things." Kylie, Finn and Kaylee gag. "They rarely will accept someone else's food; but when desperate they will." Matt continues. "They need to suck blood just like any Vampire in books or TV. They LOVE to create chaos and sing their Siren Song to anyone. Most of them don't discover their Vampire 'needs' and 'abilities' until a turning point in their life." Matt air quotes 'needs' and 'abilities'. Finn, Kylie and Kaylee stare at him completely baffled.

Matt chuckles at their blank faces. "Since Vampiren are such feral creatures; they are strictly carnivores." He explains. "And since they are part Siren, they feel the need to have many lovers. But the Solitary trait of their Vampirism causes them to kill almost anyone they get close to. Sometimes they feel the need to stay in touch with the small bit of Mer-Folk humanity that they have left. But they typically go about it the wrong way and end up killing people and end up seeking revenge instead. Sometimes they suffer so much with their multiple emotions and conflicting feelings between two worlds; they die from starvation or commit suicide." Matt finishes up.

"That sounds terrifying." Kaylee squeaks. Lonnie nods. "It is. Kleodora wasn't the best Mer-Friend to be around." Lonnie shivers as a chill runs up her spine. Matt looks at his sisters stricken face. "She wasn't. She always challenged King Poseidon and tried to overrule Queen Amphitrite." Matt informs them. Finn sighs. "So we know about one type of Selkie, what about the other kind?" He asks Matt. Matt looks at Finn and sighs. "That one is less insane. But can still be dangerous."

Lonnie looks at Kylie, Kaylee and Finn. "The Sea Witch is technically a Vampiren AND a Merpire. But she is more a Vampiren because she more vicious, feral and power hungry." Lonnie explains. She looks at Matt, who looks exhausted from explaining. She places a hand on his. "It's okay I'll explain this one." She assures him. Lonnie takes a deep breath, then she exhales. "So Vampiren are always Merpire." Lonnie pauses. "But Merpire aren't always Vampiren because Merpire aren't as vicious. Kylie squints her eyes.

Lonnie looks at Kylie and nods. "Just like Vampiren; Merpire are also the offspring of Mer-Folk and Vampires. But the Mer-Folk were never banished. So that immediately makes this Species less vicious. This Selkie Species still fight with their humanity, but not as much as Vampiren. Merpire's still crave blood like Vampiren and Vamire's, but they NEVER crave meat. They also still take part in Mer-Folk traditions, Rituals and foods because the Mer-Folk accept some of them into the Village or Kingdom's, unlike the Vampiren. The Merpire's still struggle with suicidal thoughts though." Lonnie finishes her explanation of the other Mer-Species.

"That's crazy to think about more than one type of Mer-Folk." Finn says astonished. Kylie shakes her head. "I know right!" She exclaims. Kaylee sighs. "And to think that my joke about Vampires that one day was true." Kaylee shivers, as she gets goosebumps. "That's so creepy." Kaylee's voice cracks. Brian and Jakobe nod in agreement.

"It is." Finn watches the woman who keeps staring at him. "Is she still staring at you?" Jakobe looks in the direction Finn is looking. "She is a creep." Jakobe retorts. "How do you know her? And why is she around again? Why was she at the Crab Shack harassing you the other day?" Kylie rambles nervously. Finn looks down at Kylie and pulls her close to him protectively. Finn grunts. "I wish I didn't know her." Finn growls. Kylie flinches by the heat radiating from his body, but she can't move because of the grip he has on her. "Finn." Kylie mumbles. Finn nervously watches the woman approach them. He latches on to her harder. "Ouch." Kylie says as she squirms in his grip. Finn slowly loosens his hold and apologizers. "I'm sorry." He looks into her eyes and kisses her on her for head.

"Ummm that woman is walking over here Finn." Jakobe says. Finn wipes his head up to see the older woman stop in front of him and Kylie. He quickly pushes Kylie behind him and grabs her hand.

"I almost didn't recognize you from afar." The woman says alluringly. Her blue eyes look him up and down and winks at him. "You sure have grown up. You always were incredibly fit at such a young age, but this is soooo....." She takes a step closer and slides her finger down his chiseled abs. Finn swats her hand away. The womans un-usual large lips pout. "Sexy." She flutters her eyes. "I thought you would have still liked that." She says, upset. She looks down at Finn's hand interlocked with Kylie's. She sighs and flips her overly processed hair. "Too bad you are taken." She pulls her low-cut top down, revealing more cleavage. Finn diverts his eyes and growls.

"When she doesn't satisfy you; you can come back to me. You know I will." The bimbo says glaring at Kylie. Kylie scowls at her and shows her teeth. The woman flinches. "I guess you guys have your own little bedroom games going on." The woman winks at Finn. "Like I said before." "When you get bored. You can always come back to me. They always come back. I am the only one who can satisfy men." The woman giggles.