Mariana Trench

Eight: A Human's Eyes

    Apparently I was wrong when it came to Jesse. "Yeah, we saw them, how'd you notice? You never looked." Jesse looked, embarrassed? "Well, I'm not an indigo, as much as I would love to be. But I get a sense for things, especially when people are eying me like that." "Really," asked Demelza. "What do you mean by that?" Jesse shrugged, self-conscious. "It's just, a feeling I get, intuition I guess you'd call it. Either way, I knew they were eying us, well, eying you Thalea." "That's cool that you can tell things." I didn't find it cool, I didn't find it interesting at all. On the entire ride back to our hideaway, everyone was discretely watching me, their eyes filled with wonder, jealousy, excitement, as if I were on display.
    "Look at you." Demelza said when she closed the door to our huge human house. "Everyone already knows who you are and you haven't spoken much all day. Already showed Roxanne and William who's the real predator in the ocean." I snarled, a deep heartfelt snarl that made the room tremble. Demelza however, laughed. "I see I've no need to ask you how your first day at school was Mariana." "Nope," chirped Demelza. "She's only spoken a sentence, and has already showed the school bullies who's the real Orca of the seas." Demelza told her about the day's events as I stripped off the backpack and began to strip out of my clothing. Demelza put a hand on mine as I reached to pull off my shirt.
    "Really, we have windows, you really wanna give the neighbors a show?" "Yes, best not do that here, go downstairs." Said Minerva. "In fact, we all should." I stalked off, Demelza and Minerva following. Once we were in the underground cavern, I stripped out of my clothes, tearing a few in the process. Determined to dive into the water and let myself live fully. But before I could, Demelza said, "I think we were on the mark when we made the notes that Roxanne and William may have familial ties to the organization." Minerva nodded, gesturing for her to continue. "From what we've gathered, they have had a lot of power, since they first started at Coral Academy. A kind of power that no normal school bullies have. The kind of power no normal school would allow kids to have."
    I let Demelza speak, let her try to include me as I dropped into the water. My body sang, strength poured through my limbs, as if I just had, what was that human beverage, coffee. I rose to take a breath, and sank back under the roiling water, that beautiful push and pull. After awhile of drifting underwater, I let my body shift, let myself melt into my mermaid form. Even more strength poured into my body and I was suddenly angry, so angry that I had almost forgotten about this. Almost forgotten the feeling of this body. When I rose again, I saw Zoe, her eyes on me. She sang, "Majesty?" The word filled with such sadness and hope. I wanted to cry out, to lash out with my so called Orca Cry. I wanted to make them suffer, suffer as I was suffering. The water roiled around me, almost egging me on, as if it were encouraging me to lash out.
I opened my mouth, and sensed the attack. I moved my head and caught the spinning dagger, snatching it out of the air. "Enough," said Minerva, her voice expressionless. "You want to blame us, we do not care, so long as you get the job done and help us find the organization who is hunting our kind." I snarled, the vibration weaving through the water. I flung the dagger back at Minerva who sighed and caught the blade, plucking it out of the air. "Fine," said Minerva, before she dove into a flurry of movements that landed her on the edge of the stone before the water, her clothes behind her, a long sword in her hands. She leapt and dove into the water.
I snarled and dove away, my body undulating smoothly. But Minerva lashed out, her leg sweeping faster than it should've been able to. I dove, flicking my tail. Her sword narrowly missed my tail. I let out my cry, and Minerva was blasted backward, her hands going to her ears. I took the opportunity to snatch the sword and swim for her. Minerva spun and dove into me, her arms wrapping around my waist. I tried to lash out, but she moved, taking me with her. I felt us moving upward, and I prepared for what I suspected was her next move. She threw me out of the water and I flipped, letting my mermaid form molt away to human skin.
I landed in a crouch, and bared my teeth as Minerva landed a few feet away, water streaming off of both of us. "Continue Demelza." Said Minerva. "Well, there's something else, Jesse knows a lot about the Undead Gang." Minerva nodded. They continued their conversation, as if nothing happened. "Yes, a minor threat, one in which we will not partake in. For whatever reason, the countries armed forces have not come to disband them, nor have the Indigo forces. Most likely because the human forces would stop them. We will not be involved, not when our kind is in danger." Demelza said, "You can't be genuine right? The police force they're not able to handle this, we're here, we should."
"Why should we? Humans have hunted our kind for millennia. They've come so close every time to discovering us. And for what? Gain, human conquest? These creatures are nothing, they can't even live as long as we do. We're immortal compared to them." "I refuse to hate all of human kind for the actions of some." "Then you will die Demelza, die in the most gruesome way once you realize you were wrong." Over the next several days, Demelza's words haunted the back of my mind. A frostiness came between Demelza and Minerva. They barely exchanged more than necessary words to each other. Demelza never loosing that fire in her eyes, that drive and determination. "I truly believe that humans deserve protecting, that the Indigo were right, they have abilities that humans consider supernatural, powers, to them, we would be no different. Why shouldn't we help them, no matter what our primary mission is?"
As the days wore on, Demelza's argument encroached into my subconscious. We were getting nowhere, unable to learn anything new. And honestly, I very much still resented the Queen and my whole colony. Resented the Queen for sending me above, sentencing me here in this alien world when all my life, all of it, I was taught and trained to be an Orca, not a spy, but a true Orca creature. Regardless, I was stuck here, and rage kept building in my blood and soul. Every night after school was let out, I trained, trained in every fighting form, trained my cry. I dove in the water and shifted into my mermaid body, completely ignoring my orca skin. It was still too much, I only shifted into that skin once, but I was certain I couldn't do it again.
"Thalea, you there sister?" I gave myself a small shake as Demelza, no, Penelope, called my name again. "Did you hear what Jesse asked? She wants us to come see her art exhibit tomorrow." "Of course you don't have to, not at all. I mean if you want to that is, but you usually don't so, I'm just gonna stop talking now." Jesse blushed hard. "Sure we'll go, why wouldn't we?" Jesse's eyes locked on mine, and I knew, just, knew. "We'll go." I said quietly. Jesse smiled and turned her head, but not before the blush deepened. I opened my ears a little and could hear her fluttering heartbeat, could hear it fly into overdrive. "What time is the exhibit going to be on display?" "It'll be at twelve, the owner of the arthouse is closing his shop at five or six, doesn't want anyone to get caught out after sunset. The house is in the Quarter but still, the Quarter is right on the edge of the Crest so he takes no chances." She said in a whisper, "Sometimes I do though." "Really?"
"Well yeah, it's because I loose track of time and sometimes I'll lock myself in my studio and not realize it's after closing. Jackson, he own's the arthouse, he has a system to ensure everyone signs in and out just to keep track of us all. But sometimes like I said, I loose track of time or forget. He could kick me out, be rid of me, but I'm one of his best sellers." "Really?" Demelza asked again. "I don't really know why, I just make whatever's in my head, make the price, people buy it all. Some say it's simply because they've never seen someone so young with such a hand at creation." "Wow you hear that Thalea? I can't wait to see it tomorrow."
"Why?" "Why what?" Demelza asked innocently. "Why did you have to go and do that? Bloody shells she—"She's what? She's, what, exactly? Beneath your notice, human, scum? You know I'm honestly surprised you and Minerva aren't getting along like you should be, you both are a lot alike." I froze, my hand on my bedroom door handle. "What did you say?" "You heard me." I turned around to see Demelza, her hands on her hips, a light in her eyes I had never truly seen before. The look was the look of a predator, of the dolphin that bounced between her breasts under her shirt. "You walk around here, wallowing, moping, searching for someone to blame, lashing out at anyone because you have such unbending unquenchable rage inside you. You don't take into account that you are not the only one in this situation. You're not the only one living like this, sent from your home, forced to become something you don't want to be or not meant to be."
I stood there, stunned, dumbfounded, stupefied. "Jesse is the kindest human you could ever meet, which you'd know if you spent time around her without me forcing you to. She genuinely cares about you and me, and she has no other companions. No one else gives her any interaction, but I do, and so should you. She's brilliant, and she possibly is an Indigo and never knew." I was truly unable to speak. "I too have been taken away from my home, forced to live this spy life, forced without my consent, abandoned, don't think I don't know what you're going through. I just choose not to take it out on everyone around me." With that, she walked down the stairs and out of sight. I slowly opened the door and walked in, rather than smashing it to bits like my initial thought was. After closing it, I let the emotions of Demelza's words roll over me. Rage yes, but shock, surprise, and guilt, and, more important, shame. Guilt because I still keep underestimating her.
It was difficult, difficult and hard to swallow, but she was right. Demelza was right all the way. I never took into account how she felt, and could still be feeling. Continued to only think of myself and what I was loosing. Never thought of what her or Minerva could have lost and be loosing. Boiling magma it could very well be the reason Minerva was pushing so hard for all of us to find out who is hunting us and stop them. It might be her only way back home. I lifted the orca out from under my shirt. There were several aspects to the creature. Sure we were ruthless predators, hunting in pods, always taking down prey. But we were gentle, we were kind, loving, trusting, loyal, we were a lot more than predators. I could be more, more than just a predator. I could embody all of the orca on land, prove, not to the Queen, or Trench Colony, but, to myself.
When I came downstairs, Demelza was nowhere to be found, but her scent lead toward the front doors. "And I thought she hated me," said Minerva. "It would've been hard not to hear your, conversation." "Where'd she go?" Was all I asked. "Though I don't approve nor care for humanity, though I'd enjoy nothing better than to be under the waves, we are all here, and, we should attempt a mutual respect." It was the most I'd heard from her in the way of an apology. I nodded.. "Go after her." I followed Demelza's scent out the doors. I knew where she'd gone, knew exactly where. It was the spot I always wanted to visit, the place where I would always feel the most pain and rage, and, the most mourning. The place I'd feel the most sorrow and anguish. Demelza stood, knee deep in the ocean, her gaze far away, her flip flops on a towel on the sands. I waited, giving her time, as much time as she needed, as much time as she would've given me.
"I've always wanted to see a sunset from the shores. Never thought it would be under these circumstances, now I'm here, I can't really enjoy it." "I'm sorry." I said softly. "There's so much beauty in a human's eyes, through, a human's eyes. Their world is foreign, alien, majestic, dangerous, lovely. I wanted to visit their world, speak to them, embrace them, know them. I dreamed one day we and humans could just coexist together as one kind." I truly couldn't fathom it. Couldn't comprehend how any merperson could ever want such things. But Demelza did, and, and, and wouldn't this be something Jesse would want as well? To know Mermaids, know Indigo, and just want coexistence and peace?
    "We'll go to Jesse's art show tomorrow. We'll go, and, and, and support, her, her, her art." Demelza turned, tears were streaming down her face, and she gave a small smile. "I'm sorry I treated you so harshly. I'm sorry I acted like you were scum to me. I never imagined any person like us would've wanted to do anything with humans. I still can't imagine or understand it, but, I, I, I'll try, for you." Demelza sloshed through the water and said, "Thank you." I cringed inwardly as she wrapped me in a soft gentle embrace. But, deep, deep, deep in my soul, something warmed. The next day, we stood in front of a mirror, Demelza smirked as she looked at the outfit I wore. "Jesse's going to drool." "How, why, no." I said. "You look beautiful, very very beautiful." I shook my head. "At least it's more practical than our Coral Uniforms." "That's true."
    I wore a white dress shirt and pants with a softer white jacket. "It really brings out your eyes and hair. And does these wonders." Demelza said as she cupped my breasts. I snarled on instinct and batted her hands away. She burst out laughing as I glowered sea storms at her. Demelza wore a green dress that brought out her own eyes and hair. I couldn't help noticing that the design of the dress did her breasts wonders. Though I didn't reach and grab them. Human emotions and curiosities, just why? "Come on, let's be a little early."
    When we arrived, I saw, and started to understand that art was a lot more than just Jesse's world. People were already there, buying garden statues, benches with elegant designs, even water fountains and falls. To one side, a woman and her companion were speaking with an older male who was describing the elegant water fountain they were interested in buying. I looked for Jesse's name anywhere, but saw nothing. Demelza and I wandered through the outside exhibit and made our way inside, and froze. Jesse had an entire wall displaying her art. The house was huge, but her artwork was so vast, so, so, just, powerful there would be no way anyone could miss it.
    "Gigantic squid," swore Demelza, her mouth falling open. I struggled hard, very hard, not to gawp like her. "Ah, you must be Penelope and Thalea." A male came over, his hand outstretched to shake. Penelope shook his hand and he said, "I'm Jackson, or Jax." He turned to me, "And I know who you are, Jesse talks all about you. Come come, she's this way, she'll be so thrilled you could make it." We followed him through the maze that was the arthouse till we reached Jesse's part. Jax held up a hand as he saw her with a customer. "This is something to watch, it's why Jesse is one of my best sellers." "So you can feel this, when you look at it, when you touch it, you're there in the storm. But here, you feel this calm, this eye of tranquility. It's not just a storm it's a sanctuary that protects you. In the midst of all this chaos, these is peaceful place." The customer and Jesse spoke a few minutes more before he swiped his card and she thanked him. The painting was carefully bagged, and he walked off. Jesse smiled broadly and ran her fingers over a stone, a, a, a, a stone mermaid. Jax nodded and we approached. Jesse sensed us and turned.
    Her face lit up, a huge smile crossing her face as she saw Demelza and myself, then her eyes stared at me harder, and her face grew so red she looked akin to the Red Devil squid. Her mouth dropped in a perfect, "Oh." Jax said, "I'll leave you three to catch up, Jesse, keep up the good work." He patted her shoulder before walking away. "I, um, well." She swallowed, hard, her eyes still trained on me. "This place is so gorgeous, and you have the most amazing pieces of art." Jesse didn't reply for a few seconds, and I took a suddle sniff, and, knew. Oh dark basins and trenches, I, knew. "We have all, um, all kinds, of, of, of uh, of arts. We even have display art like armor, weapons, all, all, all kinds."
    "Wow, you make weapons?" Asked Demelza. "I don't, though I do secretly practice with them." She said in a whisper. Demelza's face glowed in genuine surprise. I frowned. "You know how to fight with those things?" "Oh yeah," said Jesse. "My preference are swords, in this city, knowing how to defend yourself is prudent. But I know more than just hand to hand." As Demelza chatted with her, Jesse's face seemed to relax, though she stole glances at me every so often. Someone walked over, staring at a centaur and Jesse perked up and said, "Hold on a sec." As she went over to the customer, Demelza smirked at me. She sniffed deeply. I hissed. "She's got the—"If you finish that sentence." I growled darkly under my breath.
    Demelza giggled and walked over to a wall with different paintings hung on it. Her mouth fell open in genuine awe as she eyed the beautiful landscapes, some twinkling in foreign ways. She paused at a painting of a castle that looked like it was made from ice, snow, and stone. Demelza shook her head, as if something about the painting bothered her. "It's not possible," she murmured. "It's as if she was there." "Been where?" She pointed to a sign under the painting. "A depiction of the Snow Kingdom Castle from the Indigo World." I remembered amongst the many things I had to study, the indigo being at the top of the list. And the fact Huntor and a number of others went to the Indigo World, but no one really knew what they'd seen over there, just that the sun had fallen for a number of months, and threw the world out of balance and a great evil known as The Dark Queen rose.
    "She's gotta be—"Hey guys, oh you found this one." Jesse came over, eyed her painting, and shrugged. "It's ok I guess, it just isn't reaching the kind of magic I was aiming for. This is showing the castle as a superjacent creature, like a hulking dragon that just stands there. I was going for more of a magical look but, meh, oh well. My mind works the way it wants to." "But I wanna show you a secret project I've been working on for awhile and I won't let anyone see this one. I think even when it's done I'll just keep it to myself." We followed her away from her artwork and down a few back halls. Jesse keyed a code into a pad and opened the door to a long room filled with unfinished projects. She moved to a wall where something leaned against it with a sheet over it. She gently pulled the sheet aside, and my mouth fell open. Demelza grabbed my arm, squeezing tightly.
    I was staring at a mirror, it had to be, except, except. "She's gotta be one, she has to be, there truly is no other way to explain it." It was a painting of me, but me in my mermaid form. It was as if Jesse had just snapped a human picture of me. My black and white tail, it was almost too much. "How?" Demelza asked. "It's beautiful." Jesse smiled broadly. I was stupefied. She put me on a bit of rock, like a rocky island fit just for me. My blue hair flowed behind me, the sunset casting my shadow forward. I looked, I looked, I looked exactly how a mermaid should. Terrifying, predatory, ruthless, a true orca. "Do you, do you, do you believe in mermaids?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Jesse played right along. "Of course, I believe in all kinds of things. The indigo are real, why not merpeople?"