A Chance Encounter [MakoHaru]

Chapter 1

It was a warm summer afternoon. Makoto could feel the grainy sand underneath his feet as he walked along the beach. There was no one there except for him, and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of waves lightly splashing against the shore. Makoto took a deep breath and could taste the saltiness of the air around him. It was a very nice day, so he wondered why no one else was at the beach.

"The forecast did call for rain today, but it hasn't happened yet. That's probably why," he thought out loud. Makoto didn't mind the rain. It made him feel calm. Thunderstorms were a different story, though. Those threatening grey clouds howling up above, throwing blinding bolts of electricity in a fit of rage toward the ground as the sky churned. Makoto had almost drowned whilst swimming in the very ocean he was walking by.

It was a quite few years ago. He was only a child at the time. It had been a day like this one: good weather, the beach wasn't too crowded, and the water felt nice. Makoto had been out swimming when the storm came. It was so sudden he didn't have enough time to swim back to shore. The wind picked up, and soon the sky was dark with storm clouds. Then, the first clap of lightning shone bright and the boom of thunder rang out. The waves became rough, and Makoto found himself barely being able to keep his head above the water as the rain beat down on him. Disoriented, he could not tell which way the shore was. He paddled frantically. He was panicking. His limbs soon grew very tired and he was coughing like a sick man as wave after wave of salty water crashed into him. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a massive wave and was dragged under, into the dark, icy depths of the ocean. The fear caused him to exhale quickly, and he ended up swallowing quite a bit of water. It stung his eyes, nose, and throat. He paddled with all his might to get back to the surface, but it seemed like the cold hands of death were restraining him, dragging him deeper and deeper into the water.

After what seemed like hours, it became quiet. Makoto could hear the faint noises of the havoc above the water, but it seemed so far away. Everything was still. Even the burning of his lungs was dulled out. He felt.. peace. His vision grew cloudy, he knew he didn't have much time left. His eyelids slowly started to slide shut when he swore he felt a hand wrap around his shoulder. He didn't have much time to assess if it was a figment of his imagination from not getting enough oxygen to the brain, or if it was real. His vision faded to black.

Makoto woke up to see his father's face above him. He was saying something, but he couldn't hear it. He looked panicked. He tried to call out to his father but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a series of pained coughs and salt water. "..Makoto! Makoto!" his father was shouting as he shook the boy's shoulders.

"..Dad..?" he wheezed. His vision was fuzzy and he had no idea what was going on. All he remembered was swimming, and then darkness.

"Thank goodness you are okay! I thought I'd lost you!" his dad cried and hugged his son. Makoto could feel a few hot tears land on his freezing, exhausted skin. He ached all over, and all he could taste was salt, but he was alive.

Ever since that day, when Makoto heard thunder, he would have panic attacks and hide under his bed with a blanket and a stuffed orca whale plushie. He didn't care if he was a high schooler now, he was afraid, and that calmed him down.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Makoto continued walking along, gazing at the beautiful scenery. The ocean was a vibrant blue, waves shining in the bright sunlight. The sand was pure white, and seashells were scattered along the shoreline. The sky seemed to be at war with the ocean, trying to see which could become the most beautiful blue. A few white wisps of clouds dotted the sky. As he continued to scan the scenery, that's when he saw it: off in the distance, something pretty large and silvery-blue was on the shoreline, half in and half out of the water. A beached dolphin, perhaps?

Makoto picked up his pace and burst out into a sprint towards the unknown thing. He had to investigate. If it was an animal, he would help it back into the ocean.

As Makoto got closer, he couldn't believe what he saw. He stopped just a few yards away from what looked to be a human boy.. but with a fish tail instead of legs. A merman. Makoto rubbed his eyes and blinked, but the image didn't change. It was really there. He was shocked. Looking up and down the boy's body, Makoto saw that he was injured. He had a pretty large gash along his stomach, trailing up towards his chest. It was still bleeding. He snapped out of his trance and realized he needed to help this boy. He could freak out later. Kneeling beside him, he placed two fingers on his throat and felt a heartbeat. He lowered his ear to the merman's mouth. He could hear faint breathing. He was alive. "Thank goodness," Makoto sighed. "Who on earth do I call for help about this?" he wondered out loud. "Do I take him to the hospital, or the vet..?"

Makoto slid off his shirt and used it as a temporary bandage for the wound. He had no time to waste. He scooped up the fish man in his arms bridal-style and carried him towards his car. He had a feeling that something bad would happen if he took him to the hospital. They would most likely alert the media and he would be taken away and confined and researched. Makoto didn't want that. He had only known this guy for a little over a minute and he was already growing protective of him. Makoto made it to his car without being seen and laid the strange being in the back seat, draping a towel on top of his fishy half and wound so anybody who drove by would just think he was a regular human sleeping in the back seat. He quickly got in the driver's seat and started the car, heading for home. He had a first aid kit and vaguely knew how to patch up a wound thanks to his two younger siblings. Hopefully that will be enough.

He arrived home and quickly carried his damsel in distress inside. Thankfully, his family wasn't home. This would be a tough one to explain. Makoto decided that the best place to fix him up was in his bathtub, seeing as he could wash away any blood. He gently placed the injured stranger in the tub, dragged out his first aid kit, and got to work.

When Makoto finished, he carried the merman to his room and laid him on his bed. He still hadn't woken up yet. Makoto put a hand to his forehead and realized he was frighteningly cold. He gently layered blankets on top of the fish-boy and went to go dampen a washcloth with warm water.

When he came back, the merman's state had not changed. Makoto wondered how long it would take before he woke up. He laid the warm cloth on the boy's forehead and sat in a chair next to the bed. He had gathered food and bottled water for when his patient woke up, and locked his door in case his family tried to come in his room.

Now in an odd silence, Makoto finally got a chance to observe. The merman had black hair and pale skin. He was thin, but finely built at the same time. His features were graceful. He was pretty handsome. Makoto's cheeks tinged with red for a moment and he shook his head. 'What on earth are you thinking?'
His scales were a blueish color, and he really looked quite magnificent. 'Again, stop thinking like that, Makoto,' he thought. On his neck were a set of gills. He could breathe on land and in the water. It was remarkable.

Day transitioned into night, and Makoto found himself drifting off. He tried his best to stay awake, but failed miserably and ended up falling asleep with his chin resting on his folded arms as he slouched over onto the side of his bed.