The Little Merman

Chapter Thirty: "For Life and Love"

Nathan turned the blade over in his hand as more tears ran down his cheeks. Could he kill Sean? Killing a human should come easy to him. His mother had killed the pirates without a second thought. His heart was starting to hurt as badly as his legs. Closing his eyes, he tried to think this through. He wished Mark was here. Behind him, Jetsam held onto his shoulders and purred into his ear. "Dear child... What choice do you have? You'll be disgraced. Debased. Reviled. Your only hope is to salvage what you can. Do you think your dad will be happy that you just let him go? I don't think so." Nathan sniffled, glancing at the door and away from Jetsam. Jetsam switched shoulders slowly, locking his eyes on him like a sea snake. Jetsam's voice turned even more soothing as he told him. "You have this one chance to make this all go away. If you kill him, your pain will go away. You'll get your tail back. With his death, everyone will forgive you. Your love for him, will die with him." Nathan shook his head meekly.

Jetsam cupped Nathan's face, whispering to him. "Poor child. Growing up hurts... but it doesn't have to stay that way. This isn't you... You are a merman. He thinks you are a monster. He'd kill you if he had the chance." Nathan's fingers tightened on the dagger as his words sank in. Jetsam then added coolly. "Why should he live happily ever after? He played with your heart... He made you believe that he loved you. We drown men like him. Now, you poor sweet child... Are you going to let him treat a beautiful creature like you that way? Or are you going to show him what happens when he hurts you?" Nathan felt a spark of anger flood him, but it suffocated out just as fast in his grief. Jetsam looked to Ursel, before Ursel took Nathan's arm and told him in his motherly tone. "Tell you what. You can think about it along the way. Ok?" Nathan limped and whined. Blood was streaking under his feet as he walked. Both Ursel and Jetsam kept him upright, walking him out of the room and down the hallway.

Nathan just didn't know what to do. He didn't want to trust Ursel but letting go of his pain just sounded so good. However, even with the mean things Sean had said... he just didn't have the strength to kill Sean. He loved him. Reaching another room at the end of the hallway, Ursel opened the door slowly. The door slowly swung open to reveal Sean kissing Verlaine. He was holding her in a close embrace and kissing her so passionately that Nathan stopped breathing. Sean's words had hurt but seeing him kiss her was unbearable. Everything went numb. He no longer felt pain or love. Pulling from Jetsam and Ursel, he moved up behind Sean. His grip tightened on the dagger as he raised it. He wanted to stab him in the back and make that kiss his last. Positioning his arm to stab him, Nathan's hand shook as his anger started to fade. Mark's words suddenly coming to mind. "I know the person you are. Just like I know that you act out when you're scared..." Looking at the mirror on the vanity, Nathan saw his reflection and didn't like what he saw. Stepping back, he dropped the dagger.

The dagger clattered to the floor, causing Sean to jump in surprise. Nathan kept backing up. He couldn't believe what he had almost done. He didn't care how much Sean had hurt him; he'd get over it. If Sean wasn't his happily ever after, then he'd just have to keep looking. He was stronger than this. Sean whirled around to face him with wide eyes. Locking his fragile eyes with him, Nathan signed out to him with teary eyes. "I forgive you." Tears ran down his face as he turned and ran. Ursel and Jetsam shared shocked looks but let him run past them. Nathan squealed in pain as his legs protested, but his adrenaline kept him going. The cuts opened to the bone, forcing Nathan to let out a bloodcurdling scream as he leapt over the railing of the ship. Guests gasped and screamed, watching the flesh of his legs merge before the skin peeled away to reveal his glittering purple tail. The final rays of the sun were sinking over the water. Closing his eyes, Nathan didn't even brace himself as he splashed into the sea. Nathan hit the water so hard that it stunned him, causing him to just slowly sink to the bottom unconscious.