Wounded

Chapter III

Jack pulled a chair up to the side of his bathtub. Kora was still distraught and appeared to be in a mild state of shock. He began to slowly stroke her hair.

"Help me understand," he said softly. "I thought he was your beloved? Shouldn't he be protecting you instead of causing you harm?"

Kora closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"As Merfolk, we protect the whole before we protect the individual. It's how and why we've survived for millennia. All creatures on earth behave this way... except you toplanders."

Jack considered her words for a moment. It made sense from a nature perspective.

"I've been captured. My people know it, so now it's up to me to end my life – and if I don't, it will be ended for me."

"By the one that professes undying love for you?" Jack asked with a scowl.

Kora nodded.

"Yes, it will fall on R'eef's fins to do his duty to the mermaid species and end me as one of his many beloved."

Jack blinked several times as he attempted to process that last statement.

"Hold on... who or what is R'eef, and what do you mean 'one of his many beloved'?"

"R'eef is my beloved," Kora replied. "The merfolk are mostly made up of maidens. Mermen are very few. Each will gather a group of mermaids for himself and call them his beloved. Most colonies of merfolk will only have a dozen or so mermen. I have brought shame on my beloved and my sister community by being captured and not ending my life. The trident is meant to provide me with the tool to do so. If I refuse, R'eef will end me himself. It is for the good of all merfolk."

Kora covered her face and began to softly weep again.

"I should have ended my life the moment I discovered I was trapped in your shelter. Like a coward, I tried to escape instead. I had hoped to return to my collective before I was discovered as missing."

Jack continued to softly stroke Kora's hair and listen.

Kora held up her wrist which was adorned with a simple bracelet of shells and smooth, colorful stones.

"This bracelet identifies me as a member of R'eef's beloved. When he destroys me, it will be given to another. You should have plunged your weapon into my chest when you found me, Jack. You should have allowed me to dry-out and die on your floor. Now the only option left for me is to have a trident plunged into my flesh and perish – either by my own hand, or my beloved's!"

Kora went back to crying again.

Jack leaned back and looked at the roof.

"If it's such a sin and a risk to expose yourself to humans, why did you reveal yourself to me?" he asked.

Kora looked down and away as she fought to control her emotions.

"I watched you for many moon cycles. I could feel your anguish. It called to me. It revealed you as a weak member of your society. No friends. No family. Just you... alone on this little island. If you went missing, it seemed as though it would not cause any alarm among your people. I identified you as an ideal sacrifice to offer to my beloved to incur his favor."

Jack's eyes opened wide. He stood and turned away from the mermaid. He wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. Her honest and accurate assessment had struck a nerve that he didn't know he was protecting.

"So I'm just the weakest member of the herd to you?" he shouted. "The sick, lame member of toplander society that no one would miss if he disappeared?"

Kora nodded her head but couldn't bring herself to look in his direction.