Captive Scales

8

Wilbur woke up with his cheek pressed against Tommy's head. The golden curls fluttered slightly in the boys steady breathing. A cold breeze blew against Wilbur's cheek from the broken window, bringing the sound of seagulls and smell of ocean.

"Wil?" Phil glanced behind him, "you awake?"

Wilbur nodded and sat up the best he could without waking Tommy.

"Good, we're almost to the cove." Phil smiled, "I'll need your help to get Techno out. Are they still sleeping?"

Wilbur looked behind him at the mer. He was sprawled out on the bottom of the pool, hair and fins everywhere. His mouth was hanging open, bubbles rising with every breath. Wilbur then looked to Tommy, who was sleeping soundly on his shoulder.

Wilbur smiled and hummed out a yeah.

Phil gave him a soft smile, "okay. Let them sleep a bit longer."

Wilbur looked out the broken window. The coastline was floating past them, waves breaking on the rocky shore just over the roads edge. A few seals lounged on the rocks, barking to each other. Seagulls flew overhead. One had a crab in its beak. And far into the distance, almost to the horizon, Wilbur thought he saw a whale spout.

Tommy mumbled something in his sleep, curling up closer to Wilbur. The boy then yawned. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"Where are we?" Tommy muttered, blinking his eyes.

Phil laughed lightly, "we're almost to the beach where we're going to get Techno home."

Tommy woke up slightly, "the beach? Can we get ice cream!?"

"How about after we get Techno to safety." Phil told him.

"Techno!" Tommy gasped, sitting up in his seat and turning around, "oh, he's still sleeping..."

"He'll wake up eventually." Phil smiled softly.

"But then he has to go home." Tommy frowned, "and then we might never see him again."

"I'm sure he'll come visit us Toms." Phil reassured his youngest, "we'll just have to go to the beach more often to see him."

Tommy smiled at that, "yeah! And then we can have ice cream all the time!"

Wilbur let out a small laugh, which only made the eight year olds smile widen.

"Wilbur! Wilbur! Do you think the ice cream place will have a new flavor!?" Tommy shook his brothers arm.

Wilbur nodded, "they always do."

Tommy's eyes went wide. His smile grew ten times as bright as he threw himself at his brother. Wilbur smiled and hugged him back.

Phil smiled at his son's. The car slowed, turning down a short street, then onto sand. They bumped along the fresh washed sand and shells. Soon a cliff face came into view, hiding a cove with the most gorgeous view of the sky.

"Alright boys." Phil said, glancing behind him to see all three were awake now, "we're here."

The mer sat up, staring at the ocean with a happy trill. His fins fluttered in excitement.

"Come on mate, let's get Techno to the cove." Phil said, getting our of the car.

Wilbur and Tommy followed. However, the blonde eight year old quickly ran off twords the ocean, searching for seashells and rocks.

Phil sighed and shook his head with a small smile. He motioned Wilbur over, opening the back of the car. Techno swam over. His tail was waving through the water and his eyes were bright.

The two humans pulled the pool out of the car with some struggle. They tried carrying him to the entrance of the cove, but eventually just decided on dragging him across the sand.

The entrance to the cove was plain stone, almost hidden in the cliffs of the coastline. But once inside, the walls sparkled with iridescent stone. A small pool, bluer than the sky itself, sat peacefully in the center. Soft sand lead up to the rocky edge of the pool.

Wilbur and Phil tipped the Techno into the pool. The mer swam around the pool, darting out the small tunnel that lead out to the sea. Phil sighed, starting to turn. Then the mer drifted back in, his head just above the surface.

"D-dad..."

The humans turned to see Tommy with a gun pressed to the side of his head.

"Tommy!" Wilbur yelled, taking a step forward.

"Don't move!" The man behind Tommy yelled, "hand over the mer."

"Let my son go." Phil told him.

"Now until we have the mer!" The man yelled.

Techno hissed at the human. He rose up on a pillar of water, glaring down at him. Tendrils of water crept twords the human, the ends sharping into ice hard tips.

"Don't touch my family." Techno growled.

The tendrils shot through the humans neck. Tommy screamed, running into Phil's arms. The humans body crumpled.

"Tommy!" Wilbur hugged his brother, "Tom's are you okay!?

Tommy nodded, though he was hiccuping and sobbing. Phil hushed him, holding his son's tightly.

He looked up at the mer, "thank you Techno."

"I won't let anyone hurt my family." Techno said, sinking into the water.

"How are you able to talk?" Phil asked.

"Moonstone." Techno gestured to the walls, "holds moonlight, which we draw our power from."

"Ah." Phil nodded, "so I guess this is where we'll part for now."

Techno nodded.

"But we-we'll see you again, right?" Tommy asked.

Techno gave him a small smile, "oh Tommy... These past few days have been the best of my life."

Wilbur didn't meet Techno's eyes as he spoke, "you're not coming back, are you?"

Techno shook his head, reaching out to hug his family, "I'll always be in your memories, and you will be in mine."

Tommy let out a small sob, throwing his arms around the mer, "don't go! Please Techno!"

"I'm sorry Tommy." Techno whispered, "I have to go."

The mer let go of the boy. He slipped into the water, swimming through the tunnel. His red tail disappeared and the waters surface stilled.

Tommy let out a wail, falling into Phil. The father just held him until the sun rose high in the sky. He held him until Tommy fell asleep.

Phil sighed, picking up the boy, "come on, let's go home."

Wilbur nodded. The three walked out on the beach, heading back to the car. Wilbur looked out at the water. And maybe it was a trick of the light, maybe just a seal. But Wilbur thought for just a moment that he saw two mermaids out on the water. One with deep purple scales, almost black. The other was red, with tinges of gold.

And then they were gone.

Wilbur turned back to his family. He climbed in the car and curled up next to his brother. The day started catching up with him. Slowly, Wilbur fell into a deep sleep, lulled away by the sound of the sea and a quiet, drifting melody.