UnOrdinary fanfic

Chapter 15

The first time John awoke, he was tied up with ropes and held underwater with a bubble around his head, which apparently allowed him to breathe. He groggily cracked open an eye and gave his surroundings a one over. He was in a big mansion made of pearls and a bunch of other ocean materials that he could not recognize. He was stuck in a small room with only one tiny window which overlook the east wing of the mansion that stretched far across the seabed. John could make out bright exotic sea plants and clumps of colorful corals outside, and transparent jellyfish which drifted around them like guard dogs. He groaned, shuffled a little, and sleep took over him rather quickly, as though the mere action of opening his eyes exhausted him greatly.

The second time John was conscious, it was rather unpleasant. A merman, at least that was what John thought it was, prodded him with a spear, his eyes a luminous yellow and skin azure. John jerked at the contact of the sharp end, hitting the stone wall with his shoulder. He winced and knew it would bruise later on.

The merman stared at him curiously and swished his greenish fish tail. It whacked onto him, hard scales and all. The merman's eyes widened in the expression of "Oops". John bit his lip and tried to stay calm. Where the heck was he? In some underwater mansion? Perhaps asking would work?

"Hey-" John broke off into a cough. His voice was hoarse and he realized how dry his throat was. "Could you tell me where I am?" he pleaded, looking up at the merman.

The merman grinned goofily, flashing all his pointy shark teeth, which glinted menacingly under the dark lighting.

"Uhhh...how about the time now?" John tried once more; a tad desperate. The merman poked him with the sharp end of the spear again, causing John to flinch away. Then, he cocked his head and thought for a moment. At this point, John started to doubt the merman's ability to understand English, as shown from him poking John with a deadly weapon, smiling stupidly at a normal question and then proceeding to poke him again.

A loud knock resounded into the air, breaking the merman out of his thoughts. The merman pulled a face, as though upset that he could not continue torturing John for fun. John fumbled uncomfortably, hoping the newcomer was someone who was going to get him out of the "torture chamber".

When the door swung open, it was a female instead. John sucked in a breath at the sight of her. She had straight black hair that hung around her waist and doe-like yellow eyes similar to the merman. Her skin was a dark red and from waist down she had a shimmering purple tail. She was obviously higher-ranked than the merman and gave him a superior look, as though he was filth. That look made John growl-it was so like the looks he received for being a cripple. Although she was pretty, she was the same as most humans; ready to mock those beneath them and suck up to those above.

"There are orders for you to bring the prisoner to Lord Poseidon's throne room, and to leave him there for the rest of the day," she instructed. Suddenly, she moved forward so fast that John saw a blur and forced the merman's chin up so that he was looking at her. "Understood?" she hissed through her sharp teeth, yellow eyes glowing. The merman choked out a reply as John watched the scene unfold with unconcealed horror.

"What was that? I cannot hear you, servant!" The mermaid growled. She smacked a hand across the merman's cheek, with so much force and hate that sent him sprawling to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"I... I understand!" the merman scrambled up quickly and answered. The mermaid swept her long dark hair back and cupped her ear.

"Did a servant just speak to me without addressing me?" she mocked. The merman gulped and muttered a "madam".

"Stupid servant. Your rudeness shall be addressed as how you forgot to do so for me! The head servant will hear of your insolence!" The mermaid wagged a scolding finger towards him and left with a great flap of her tail, which sent a huge current towards them. Both John and the merman crashed into the wall and slid down onto the floor.

The merman made a mournful sound at the back of his throat. John could sympathize-he had been in that position too many times. "Is she always like that?" he asked.

The merman looked at him sadly and tugged him by the back of his shirt out of the room. He swam, dragging John along with the current to 'Lord Poseidon's throne room'.

"Can you talk?" John asked on the way to the throne room. The merman showed John his forearm, which carved the word 'servant' around his wrist. He shook his head and his yellow eyes gleamed with an unknown emotion that made him turn away and focus entirely on swimming, not once paying a hint to John for the rest of the journey.

Do the merpeople carve their status on their wrists? Wasn't there where the nerves, arteries and veins were? Wasn't that dangerous and just plain idiotic? John thought incredulously.

When they neared the throne room (it was pretty obvious which one it was from the guards that stood outside the door, which was heavily studded with pearls and corals and clams), the guards slammed the bottom of the spear onto the floor loudly. Apparently, that was some command for the merman to depart, which he did, his head bowed down in inferiority.

John looked at the guards and they stared back coldly with their luminous eyes. He shifted awkwardly. Was he supposed to go in? Wait outside? Well, weren't they going to SAY ANYTHING? He waited for what felt like an hour, and the guards just continued staring on with that unfeeling look. He sighed and plopped himself down onto the floor, his arms and legs still bound tightly by thick ropes.

He was going to stay there for an eternity, he just knew it. And those guards were probably internally laughing at him at that moment and would do so for the next few hours.

Bloody sadistic beasts.