UNDER THE PIER

CHAPTER 20

I made it to the rocks in record time. By the time I made it there, my body was warm and sweating. I barely noticed how hard I was breathing due to adrenaline.
I snuck my way between the cracks of the rocks. I felt my way through the fimilar pattern I normally went through.
Above me, the sea gulls gawked and screamed. They flapped their wings and seemed to cry right into my ears. Their wings flapped towards me and some even lunged at me, threatening to fight. I showed them away and carefully made my way through the rock maze. My bare feet hitting broken egg shells and small bird bones.
The smell was revolting more than ever now and I felt myself feeling queasy from it.
I pressed on, already paranoid of the mad man behind me. During my run here, I constantly looked back thinking my father was behind me and chasing after me.
I knew however he would never be able to keep up with me due to the simple fact that he was a bigger man and I hadn't seen him run a day in my whole life.
Once I emerged from the rocks, I fell to my knees in the smooth sand. I looked up at the sand and then under the pier.
It was dark and I could barely see anything. This I was used to.
Fear continued to cripple me as I remembered this scene from fighting Mr. Hendricks. Mr. Hendricks had indeed proved to be a dangerous foe and a not so bad fighter. However my father had a gun. Guns compared to fish hooks were much more dangerous.
I quickly staggered up to my feet and made my way to the shore.
There was no time for one last thought or look around like the first time. I needed to find Zithan. Now.
As I passed by one of the pillars, a large fat mass came from behind it. A large bloody knuckles hand clasped onto my forearm and yanked me sideways. My running steps to the shore were cut off and I stumbled halfway to the ground.
The strength of my father allowed my torso to not fall into the sand. My knees hit the coarse sand and I found myself on my knees, looking up at him.
My father stood above me with angry eyes, holding my right forearm with one hand and his gun in the other. His gun was not aimed at me but at the ground.
I felt baffled and confused as to how my father got here so fast and then I remembered he had to have taken his truck here. 
"Let me go!" I screamed.
"Did you seriously not think I would know where you would go? Where you run off every day to?" he said loudly.
I kicked and screamed. My father lifted me to my feet and dragged me to the pier stairwell.
"Fuck the morning, we're leaving right now!" he said angrily. "And if you try to escape from me again, I will fucking shoot you!" he said. He tossed me upwards onto the stairs.
I fell forward upon the first and second step. My arms catching myself on the second and my knees falling through the missing half of the first step.
"No!" I yelled and then looked the ocean water. It's small gentle waves coming in. So near me and yet never had it felt so far away. "Zithan!" I screamed for him.
"Shut up!" my father yelled. He locked me in my ribs. "Start getting up the stairs!"
His boot jammed into my side so hard that I had cried out. Tears of fear more than pain swelled in my eyes.
I looked back to the ocean shore.
"Zithan!!!!" I called out
"Who the fuck are you calling to?" my father asked angrily.
I said nothing. I looked back at him and saw he was still ground level. He pulled out his revolver and aimed it at me once again.
"Get up and walk up the stairs. Now!" he yelled.
I had no other choice. There was no way I was getting to the water now...
If I ran now, he would shot me. And If I submitted, I would live but I would be taken away. And Zithan would be left wondering why I never showed up.
I slowly stood up and began my ascension up the stairs defeated and out of ideas.
Dean was gone and Zithan was out of reach.
Please.... I can't be with my father.... I would rather die.
My father placed a foot on the bottom stepped. Due to his weight, the step crackled and tilted. He wobbled and yelled out in surprise. I saw the opportunity.
I quickly took two steps down and pushed him as hard as i could. He fell down to the sand, yelling in surprise as he did so.
However, he pulled his trigger right as it was aimed at me. I heard a loud shot and an sharp pain in my right shoulder.
I yelled and clutched it. The pain seared through me and made me tremble. I looked at my hand after a moment and saw blood gushing out of my shoulder.
I realized with horror that I had been shot.
Meanwhile, my father crashed onto his back, knocking the wind out his lungs. The sand fell around him and the gun fell from his hands.
Despite the pain of the gunshot wound, I turned away and scrambled up the stairs.
My father still blocked the path to the ocean and I knew I wouldn't make it with him so close. He would most assuredly shoot me in the back before I could reach the water.
I may not be able to to get to the water yet but there were plenty of places where I knew I could hide on this pier.
"Cadence, get back here now!" my father bellowed sitting up. Another gunshot ranged out and I heard the small half gate get hit by the bullet. I had been a mere few inches away from it....
I jumped over the half gate and ran past the management office. I looked wildly around and saw the pier was dark and empty. The only things that were lit up were the street lights along the railings of the pier.
I continued to dashed down the pier, thinking of where I could hide.
The food stands? No, they were all locked up. The carousel? no, it was too exposed and you couldn't exactly hid behind one of the seahorses. I then remembered the game stands. They were an open area stands with no way to lock up the front. The only things they could lock up were the prizes. I could hide behind the game stand counters and wait for my father to leave.
It wasn't ideal but right now it was all I had. Still clutching my shoulder, I made my way to the water gun stand. The water gun holsters sat disconnected and empty. Their guns locked up along with their prizes. I quickly jumped over the counter and crouched down in a corner.
I looked at my shoulder again.
I got shot. Even though he didn't mean to shoot me... I can't believe it.
Blood was still coming out. I felt the back of my shoulder wet as well. I felt the other side and flinched in pain.
Feeling around it more, I had suspicion to believe that the bullet went completely through my shoulder.
That's good right? I thought.
It didn't exactly sound all promising to me at the moment however. I had no way to stop the back of my shoulder bleeding much less the bleeding itself.
"Cadence!!!!" my father bellowed.
I huddled myself in a tighter ball and tried to make myself invisible and small as I could.
I held my breath as I heard my father's big steps get closer and closer. Then they stopped.
My heart beated so fast I thought for sure I could hear it.
Perhaps my father did.
I suddenly felt my hair being grabbed by the roots and I was pulled upwards on my feet.
I yelled and screamed, and clawed at my father's wrist.
He smiled evilly at me as he dragged me from out behind the counter.
"You really are stupid." he said. He aimed his gun at me as he held me up to face him.
"LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS!"
My father turned around and had a flashlight shined into his face. He blinked and looked away, blinded by it for a moment.
I seized the opportunity and swung my fist as hard as I could under his jaw.
I felt his jaw bounce into to his upper teeth and he howled in pain. He let go of my hair and I fell to the ground.
"CADENCE!"
I ignored whomever called my name and scrambled to the back of the pier.
"You little bit-
Another gunshot rang out. It was also immediately followed by another.
However, I only felt one.
I felt a terrible wave of pain insert itself to my back and completely through my stomach.
I dropped on all fours and slowly began clutching  my stomach.
A shockwave of horror and surprise filled me.
I had seen enough movies and TV shows to know this was a killing shot. Stuff through the back and stomach didn't usually end well.
"Cadence!"
It was.... Dean?
I looked over my shoulder. I couldn't see him due to his bright flashlight but I knew it was him. Dean was here. Somehow, he came.
My father was clutching his shoulder due to a gunshot wound.
I looked at it confused and realized Dean had fired at my father. Dean's gun was aimed at my father still.
Dean dropped his flashlight and grabbed my father. The two of them began to have a match of strength and grappling. Dean found the uot the hard way, though he tried with all his might and heart, he was no match for my father's size.
My father slammed poor Dean to the ground.
The flashlight swiveled away from them and landed at an angle to where it shone on Dean's face.
Dean looked at me, his face grimacing and struggling.
"Run! Go!" He said.
I looked away and slowly stood to my feet. I looked down at my stomach. My shirt had blood. I was bleeding through my stomach.
I felt horrid. I felt pain with every step I took. I looked ahead of me.
As I passed the pubic tables, I began to feel dizzy and sleepy. 
"Cadence, run!" Dean yelled to me.
I slowly made my way to the farest railing of the pier.
Once there, I clutched the railings with all my might. I felt dizzy. It was hard to breathe now. I felt my legs getting wobbly and weak.
"Stop!"
"Hands behind your back! Now!"
"Where's Cadence?!?!"
"Who?"
"Where is Cadence?! She got shot!"
"Stop resisting!"
"I want him in cuffs and in a car now!"
I looked out to the ocean.
I couldn't get under the pier to get to the ocean.... but perhaps .. before I die... I could be where I wanted.
I closed my eyes as Dean called my name.
I turned slowly around.
"Cadence wait! Stop! I'm here now!" He said.
Dean was standing several yards away, his eyebrow busted open and blood tricking down his face.
His face was of shock and concern. He seemed horrified looking the blood on my body.
We spared each other looks of concern for one another. Looking at him, I felt this really was the last I would ever see of him.
"I was saved by the siren of the pier. I didn't tell you because I felt as thought you would think I'm crazy as Hendricks." I quickly said.
"What?" Dean asked. Then he took a step forward towards me. "Come on, we talk about that later. Let's... Let's get you help."
"I am going to be with the siren Dean." I said to him, my mind no longer with me. I smiled at the words. "Zithan was the one who I was talking to before. He saved me more than once. He killed Hendricks and he.... Loves me."
"Cadence..... please.... come with me. Lets you to a hospital." Dean said,  slowly approaching me and begging me. He held out his hands. Tears swelling in his eyes as if his worst fear had been realized.
"I'm in love with Zithan, Dean." I said gripping my arm over the top railing. I placed my feet on the bottom bar of the pier railing. "I'm sorry Dean... I didn't want us to end like this."
"Cadence...." Officer Dean said coming closer to me.
"Thank you for all you have done for me." I said. With this, I lunged myself backwards. I used whatever was left of my energy into tossing myself backwards over of the railing. My body did a somersault, going head over heels as I fell to the ocean below me.
I heard Dean screaming my name as I fell. I closed my eyes embracing this plunge. My back sending a final wave of pain as I crashed into the salt water.
I didn't try to swim up. I didn't try to swim at all. The waves greeted me with seemingly open arms and took me under almost immediately. Once I went under, I let myself sink deeper and deeper.
I opened my eyes slightly and watched the moonlight and Dean's flashlight shine down on me. The mix of screams, seagulls and ocean crashing seemed to disappear all at once.
Saltwater flooded my ears, making them sore. Yet a feeling I didn't care about anymore.
Compared to the first time I had done this, I felt more ready and at peace. I stead of crying with fear, I was crying in happiness.
"Zithan." I said underwater as best as I could.
Saltwater rushed into my lungs, colliding with the air reserve I had in me.
Meanwhile, the blood from my bullet wounds continue to fill the ocean around me. I felt dizzy and fatigued more than the pain of drowning.
I looked up at the moonlight water surface once more before closing them.
Even if Zithan wasn't here... even if it was too late....
Just know... I tried.... I love you.... so much Zithan.
I suddenly felt him all around me. Long strong arms wrapped around my body and quickly cradled me.
Cadence.
I opened my eyes and saw his yellow eyes looking down at me. He looked sorrowful, as if pained to see what was happening to me.
He looked at my shorts, and with a swift cut of his long nails, they were ripped in half. He took them off with a easy grab of his hand and down they sank. My underwear and soon my sweater met the same fate.
Soon I was floating in the water naked and exposed.
Zithan.
He said nothing and cradled me in his arms. I feltyself unable to move as the saltwater continued to pour into my lungs. The burning feeling I had was all I mostly could feel but I didn't bother thrashing around in pain and protest.
My bullet wounds had numbed most of my body and I left as though my right shoulder couldn't be moved anymore.
Am I already dead?
As I closed my eyes, I saw him lean forward those my face. I felt his lips press against mine. His hands going up to my neck and holding it.
My body floated freely and aimlessly in the water.
After several seconds, Zithan pulled away from me and let me go.
As the darkness of death swirled around me, I was jolted awake when my legs suddenly were slammed together and they suddenly felt glued together. 
The water that burned in my lungs suddenly turned into cooling water and somehow I found the will to breath again.
I opened my eyes and took a breath. I gasped in pain as my legs began to hurt. The pain were deeper and deeper into my legs and I looked down. 
The sight I saw made me cry out in fear and a new surge of pain made me cry out more so.
My feet were spread out in a painful way as well as my toes. I saw with horror that the skin on legs were turning into bright orange scales.
As the scales developed I realized they had different shades of orange to them. They continue to grow all along my legs and reaching up to my waist. Small scales turned into a black and white leaving my transforming tail have different colored scales. my knees suddenly cracked and felt like they were being saw down. I could feel a terrible grinding feeling against him. I wiggled my legs trying to stop the pain as if as well trying to swim away from the terrible thing that was doing this to my knees.
The pain didn't stop and I close my eyes and screamed. I felt Zithans arms wrap around me holding me still as well as comforting me. I gripped onto his arms and kept my eyes closed.
My toes seem to be ripped out of their sockets and stretched out to a painful and impossible lengths. The calves in my legs went numb with pain to where I literally could not feel them anymore.
What seemed like minutes was only an agonizing minute and a half.
When I begged and screamed for relief, Zithan only kept a hold of me and held me tighter sometimes. I cried and begged for the pain to stop.
Then suddenly I fell a wave of coolness and relief. The feeling swept through my whole lower body.
The pain disappeared completely as if I had never had it to begin with.
Zithan slowly let go of me. So slowly I didn't even notice at first.
My heart was beating so fast that it took me a few seconds to open up my eyes. When I looked down, I saw that both of my legs had transformed into a beautiful koi fish like tail. orange scales let up all the way to my waist. splotches of black and white covering parts of my tail. small light weighted fins sitting on the sides of where my thighs would be. They were seeing through and thin but they were beautiful and majestic. My main tail, which now waved proudly at the bottom of my feet was long and wide. A beautiful orange ombre covered it as well.
Looking at my waist, my orange scales made a v shape around my belly button and went to my middle part of my waist. The scales slowly turned to hard rubber from there to my hips.
Looking at my hands, my hands were now slightly webbed. Not pruning but smooth and orange scales and hard rubber freckles around my forearms and hands.
I then remembered my stomach and realized the bullet wound was gone. I felt my right shoulder and realized it too was gone.
I looked around and saw Zithan. He smiled brightly at me and held out his arms to me. I swam to him and embraced him.
I felt a huge wave of relief. There was no going back now. I was now a siren!
All the drama and events that occurred while I was a human meant nothing more to me anymore. All the pain and abuse I endured no longer mattered and I no longer felt I suffered from it. None of it would haunt me or would cause me pain ever again.
Me and Zithan kissed each other. No words were spoken to one another as we both knew what we wanted to say.
I made myself promise here and now that I would live for myself and love life to the fullest. My new life with Zithan.
After several seconds of kissing, we stopped. I looked at him with a loving look and then looked up at the ocean surface.
"Are you ready to go?" Zithan asked. "The fishing net never went back up and sharks are coming in the pier territory. It won't be safe here soon."
I looked back up at the surface.
Dean was still shining his flashlight within the ocean surface. The beam of light was traveling every way on the surface, frantically looking for me.
I looked back at Zithan and squeezed his hands.
"Let me give him one ounce of peace." I said to him. "Then we can leave."
"Of course." he said, nodding and understanding. "I'll come with you."
We slowly swam together to the top of the water. Once my head emerged from the water, Dean quickly cast his light on me.
"Cadence! Thank God I--
He suddenly stopped what he was saying as Zithan had emerged next to me. With my night vision now activated, I saw Dean's face clearly. He was stunned and held a horrified face as if he had seen a ghost. Terrified and yet confused looks filled his face. I could see the questions feeling his mind. Deane looked back at me, unknowing of what to say.
I found myself not really knowing of what to say to him either. I then looked down at myself. Perhaps it's just better to show him.
I went back down into the water, taking Zithan's hand. He followed me down. As I submerged back into the water, my tail sprung out of the water and slap the surface. I knew that Dean was seen it.
There is nothing more for me to say to him. I have spoken my peace and I hope that after all this he would be at peace with me knowing that I was alive and safe.
As more flashlights shined onto the surface of the water, me and Zithan swam deeper into the ocean.
Little Buddy suddenly emerged and swim quickly by my side. He nuzzled my arm and continued ahead of us. I smiled knowingly happily that he was coming with us too.
We swam all the way to the bottom of the ocean, meeting the small overturned rowboat.
Once at the lowered fishing net, we glanced back at the pier pillars, the seagrass and the rowboat once more.
Me and Zithan then smiled at each other before slowly turning into the open ocean ahead of us.

THE END