The Little Merman

Chapter Nine: "Pain & Persuasion"

Nate pressed his back firmly up against the statue in fear as his father growled out in unfathomable anger. "Why did you do it? How many saw you do it?!" Nate couldn't look his father in the eyes, but timidly tried to defend himself. "No one saw me. He was going to drown... I couldn't-" Nate flinched, huddling up against the statue as his father cut him off to yell out fiercely. "So what?! One less human for me to worry about! Nathan, don't you understand what you've done?! You could have been seen!" Nate's body shook with fear. Trying to overcome it though, he told his dad sternly. "I care! When's the last time you've even seen a human?! You don't know ANYTHING about him!" Triton's whole body tensed, roaring back at him. "NEITHER DO YOU! I've seen things that I pray you NEVER see in your lifetime! Humans don't kill to eat! They spinelessly torture their prey to simply learn about them! They want to destroy us! They are incapable of feeling anything! You'd know that if you ever went to any of your lessons!"

Nate shook his head. He didn't believe a word of that. Triton pointed his trident at him, yelling out. "Don't you shake your head at me, you spoiled brat! I set certain rules and I expect those rules to be obeyed! Contact between Merfolk and Humans is strictly forbidden. YOU KNOW THAT! Everyone knows that! Now because of your actions, we could be in danger of being hunted yet again! Does the death of everyone you know and love mean NOTHING to you?!" Nate slipped around behind the statue to keep something between himself and his father. Cowering behind it, Nate weakly snapped out. "You don't know that..." Triton glared at him, stating out in a sudden calm tone that was frightening. "Tell that to your mother, Nathan. Ask her what they did to her. Cause at the rate you're going, you are going to get yourself killed by them too." Nate slowly raised his head to finally lock eyes with his dad in a heated glare of his own. His own anger was starting to boil over. Putting his hands on the shoulders of the statue, Nate angerly snapped out. "You are a tyrant! You are the unfeeling one! Not them! Did you suffocate her like you suffocate me!"

Mark gasped in the corner, shrinking up against the wall. Triton's trident began to spark as his rage boiled and he yelled out with more wraith in his voice. "How DARE YOU! I have been more lenient on you than my father would have been on me! You don't know the meaning of being suffocated! You have wanted for nothing! Everything I have done has been to keep my family safe!" Nate shook his head, snapping back louder than his father. "You keep us in a bubble! We aren't allowed to do anything unless YOU approve of it! Well, you can't control me like you control everything else! And that pisses you off!" Triton struck the end of his sparking trident into the ground, bellowing out so loud the grotto walls shook. "You are young and stupid! I am trying to save you from making mistakes that you'll regret for the rest of your long life! I'm sorry that I care!" Nate gripped the statue's shoulders more, practically screaming out. "You don't care about anyone but yourself! I'm not stupid and I'm not afraid of the surface like you are! You're a tired bitter old man! And I'm sick of you telling me what to do!"

Triton pointed a stern finger at Nate, sneering out through clenched teeth. "As long as you live under my ocean, Nathan, you will OBEY ME! Is that clear?!" Nate shook his head, his ear fins falling back aggressively as he shouted back without thinking. "I WON'T! You can't make me!" Triton's own ear fins rose to their full height, shaking aggressively as he commanded loudly. "YOU WILL! AND I CAN!" Nate swam up over the statue to bring his face close to his father's in a challenging stance. Hissing at each other for a minute, Triton growled out. "Back down, boy. Or I'll knock you down to size!" Nate hissed, trying to think of something hurtful to knock his father down to size with. He didn't believe his father would hurt him. Which left him free to emotionally try and hurt him. Locking eyes with him, Nate blurted out coldly. "I hate you! You can't control me or who I choose to love!" Triton's shoulders fell a little as he asked horrified. "What...?" Nate smirked at his dad to flash him his sharp teeth as he smugly told him. "You heard me. I love a human prince. And there is NOTHING you can do about it!"