Pregnant by the Sea Serpent

Chapter 7: The Dark Fungus

I jerk back from Naithan and spin around, heart pounding.

A man is standing there. He looks about thirty, slender, tanned skin, and dark-haired. Handsome in a bespectacled, studious sort of way. His brown eyes are wide with shock, bouncing between me and Naithan.

"Who—who are you?" I ask, heart pounding.

He blinks and then scowls. "Are you serious?"

Naithan steps between us, shielding me with his body. "Answer her," he says in a soft, commanding voice. "Who are you?"

The man gives him a look of startled outrage and steps forward, bristling. "I'm her boyfriend, Roger!"

Boyfriend?!

"W-wait," I say, peeking around Naithan's shoulder. "Are you really? You know me?"

I feel a spiraling sense of dismay—of sheer unreality.

"Of course, I know you!" he exclaims angrily. "Lil, what is going on? Who is this guy? Where have you been the last week? We were losing it looking for you! We thought you drowned!"

"Wait—I'm sorry." I lift my hands and see that they're shaking. "C-can you slow down? I'm getting a headache."

Naithan gently takes my arm as though to steady me. "Do you need to sit down?" he asks.

"Hey!" Roger lunges forward, narrow face twisted into a scowl. "Who the hell are you? Get the fuck away from her!"

He makes as though to shove Naithan, but Naithan bats his hands away like it's nothing. Roger stumbles, looking shocked again—then furious. He opens his mouth to say something more—

"Oh my god! Lil?!"

Head spinning, I turn toward the new voice and see a couple rushing down the sidewalk toward us, their faces full of shock and worry. The man is older, maybe in his fifties. The woman looks about my age and her eyes are full of unshed tears.

"Lil, we were so worried about you!" she cries, throwing her arms around me. "We were sure you'd been lost at sea! We've been talking to the Coast Guard practically every hour. Where have you been?"

I look up at Naithan, my eyes wide. He's frowning at the woman like he wants to pull her off me.

Her dark curls tickle my face, and she smells like coconut suntan lotion. The scent knocks a blip of memory loose inside me.

"M-Maggie?" I mumble.

She pulls back and smiles at me tearily. "I was so scared! I can't believe you took that boat out on your own, and then the storm came in and..." She shakes her head in silent horror. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

The older man stands right behind her. He smiles too. There's real relief in his eyes. His salt and pepper hair and sun-darkened face are vaguely familiar.

"Professor Abernathy?" I say, dazed.

He pats my shoulder awkwardly as Maggie releases me. "You really had us worried there, Liliana. Glad to see you're okay."

"Who are these people?"

I look up at Naithan again. He's hovering close, watching the newcomers with frowning discomfort.

"I think... I think they're my colleagues," I tell him.

"You think?" Maggie exclaims. "Lil, what happened to you?"

I tell them about the boating accident—about how I nearly drowned, how I got a concussion, and how I lost my memories. I explain that Naithan found me, and we were stranded on his island until the bridge reopened yesterday.