Tidal Waves Edge

Chapter 3 Water Maiden

Author's Note;

Like, comment and/or vote if you enjoy. i, keeping it short since i know that no one really reads these things. ENJOY!!!!

 

 

Swimming through the wide open blue water as fast as a speeding Sail Fish, surrounded by sun warmed salty waters, knowing well that I was a safe distance from the shore. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. Pounding heavily in my chest. Having to breach the surface to catch my breath by jumping up like a dolphin.  The questions in my head were nagging at me the entire way back. Why did he let me go? Why didn’t he try to kill me? And, what kind of human was he?

The stories that I’ve hear. The things that I have seen, he doesn’t make any since. Humans hunt us for shows, money, fame and “science”, whatever the last one is. But he seemed different somehow. Or maybe his intentions where to trick me into thinking that he was really good? Whatever happened now, I’m free from them and he’s scratched up. So for now, I’ll call that a success for me.

Once I saw my Pod further out in the distance, my heart began to pace more at a regular speed. I need to forget about the docks. If they found out that I was that close into the hands of the humans, they would punish me, maybe even abandoned me. It’s forbidden to even come close to contact with humans. They destroyed everything that we held dear as a family, everything dear to me. If it wasn’t for the human’s greed, my father wouldn’t be dead and my mother wouldn’t have been taken out of the waters for whatever reasons were. I wouldn’t feel so alone.

“Azuela!!” A very furious sonar translated in my ears. Knowing well that I was either late for something or was founded out from my whereabouts.  Swimming towards where the sonar was located, an angry face man stared back at me. Seeing that it was Marius, first in command of our Pod who’s face never soften when it came to me. Not once in my life have I ever seen him smile. Well not true. He smiled once when he was disciplining me with a seaweed whip. Does that count for anything?

Slowly approaching him, keeping me head down. “Yes Marius?” I clicked and squeaked back, not wanting to look up at him.

“Where the hell were you? You didn’t tell anyone where you went!”

“I-I’m sorry, I was just swimming around following this Sunfish and I lost my bearings.” I apologized, not telling him the whole truth but knew that it wouldn’t mean anything.

“You’re so useless! Why can’t you be of some use to us!?” he shouted and slapped me across the face with the back of his hand. Spinning and flipping within the water from his shear force. Feeling as if my face had temporally separated from my skull. “Stay put where we can see you or you will have the same fate as your father and mother! And the Humans aren’t the only ones whom you should fear!!” he kept hitting me until I felt a current swim in between me and Marius.

“Enough Marius!!” Nixie interjected, keeping herself firm in between me and Marius who looked like he wasn’t near done with me. Blood oozed out of my lip and eyebrow as the salt water sting the wounds. Nixie didn’t flinch as he looked like he was about to strike her, and why would she. After all, she is Marius’ older sister. Why would she fear him when she practically raised him. “She does not deserve this treatment by any means! So how dare you lay a hand on her for such a ridicules reason as ‘being out of your sight’? I will not stand for this!” her sonar translated harshly, surrounding our entire Pod with a tight, suffocating rage of feelings. Who knew what side they’re on, though I doubt that they would ever be on mine, but maybe they would be at least on Nixie’s.

“You can’t protect her the entire time sister,” Marius said wickedly as his eyes focused towards me. Flinching, swimming backwards slowly but staying close enough behind Nixie, I hate to admit in how terrified I am of him. “Sooner or later she will get hurt if she doesn’t stay near the Pod, either the humans or an accident will happen to her. You never know what can happen in the open waters,” his tone was so horrid and ridged as he spoke.

“If ANYTHING happens to her, I am holding you responsible, Little Brother!” Nixie said harshly as her arm reached out towards me from behind. Taking her hand, feeling my shaking fingers stop in her firm hand. She wasn’t afraid of him as much of if any as I was.

Marius’ lips twitch in rage as he saw how kind Nixie was being to me and his narrow eye glared at both of us. “Her fate has been set when her parents died; don’t think that since she has you, she can survive on her own. She’s worthless flesh that made for shark feed, that her purpose in life. Understand that, Nixie!” flipping around, flipping his deep blue tail at us, he disappeared further in to the deep blue water’s beneath our tails. One by one, our Pod slowly followed him for their daily feedings in the deep, leaving just me and Nixie behind in the open water’s.

Releasing my hand, Nixie spun around and grabbed my shoulders in her firm webbed hands. Her big, round dark blue eyes stared deeply into mine and I held my position, waiting for her to speak.

“Don’t ever listen to a thing he says, Azuela, okay. He’s stupid and angry, which is a terrible combination. You did nothing wrong,” she tried to comfort me, but her words didn’t reach me. No one but him has ever talked about my parents. Everyone always told me that even though my father was dead, my mother could still be out there somewhere, wanting and waiting to see me again. Marius was the only one who would say that they both had died or that my Mother would never want to see a daughter as weak and frail as me. “She doesn’t want you!” he would repeat. How someone as wicked and distrait could ever have a sister as sweet and kind as Nixie.

Tears that mixed with the sea water around us washed away what tears flowed and my heart ached in my chest. Losing my breath, I pushed Nixie aside and shot up to the surface. Breaking the waters, I took in a deep breath of air, but the tears wouldn’t stop flowing, dripping and replenishing the ocean waters.

Dark shadow followed me to the surface and Nixie’s head popped out of the waters in front of me. Her very long dark black hair floated on the surface, surrounding her as water trickled down her perfect skin. A look of concern filled her wide eyes as he pulled me closer to her. Wrapping her arms around my shoulders, comforting me in her welcomed embrace, but my anxieties still lingered deep within my heart.

“Azuela, Excuse my words, but Marius is an Ass, and a big one at that,” she said firmly with no hint of a smile on her lips, so I nodded, knowing in how right she was. “But he’s wrong; you are not useless or worthless. You are priceless and unique. You have a heart bigger than that of anyone in our Pod. You are my dearest friend and Marius needs to be put in his place.”

“But,” I sniffed, holding back the tears from falling once again, back stroking away a foot so I could have some space. “But I always make him mad. I never can do anything right in his eyes,” I choked, wrapping my arms around myself, while keeping myself afloat.

“Marius gets pissed off his own shadow doesn’t show his outline just right. Absolutely nothing makes that boy happy.”

“He seems happy when he beats me though,” I said quietly, looking through the water, seeing nothing below, just in how I see my future with Marius in the way.

“Azuela, He’s twisted. He’s been that why since we were children. No one but me is able to stand up to him because everyone is so afraid of him. He won’t hurt you if you stand your ground towards him. Find your strength and stand up to him. Nothing will get better until you find your voice, and that goes for EVERYONE,” Nixie’s eyes had drawn me towards her. Feeling a little bit stronger like I always feel after her pep talks. I love her deeply for that reason. She can bring out the saddest, most depressed person out of the deepest pit of darkness and into the light of happiness.

“Thank you, Nixie,” I said with a little more strength, giving my friend a hug. Feeling the tears and dispute being washed away from her encouraging works, but who knew how long this feeling would last once I face Marius again.

Pulling away, she gave me another smile, but this one looked more goofy and playful. “So I’m hungry, ready to eat something?” laughing for the first time in a while, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Splashing her in the face i laughed. “Race you,” I said happily taking a deep breath then plunged into the deep as Nixie follow close behind until she reached my speed. Plunging into the deep, frigid waters below.  Fishing usually helps release my anxieties and brings out my agility.