As Ashton's muscles fall limp, the entire group of people start panicking. Luke clutches at the net's thick wires, everyone swimming around and trying to find a way to break through. The thick water feels colder, more sinister than it did before now that Ashton's light doesn't warm it. Luke's eyes grow red and bloodshot as he struggles to pull the nets out of the hooks at the sides, but the wire is too thick and too heavy for anybody to unhook.
The boat stops moving a couple yards farther, thankfully, and everyone surrounds the net worriedly. Calum shuts his eyes, floating away from the other's loud, panicked yells. He tries hard to think of what to do, what he can do to fix this. As everyone continues to bring chaos and the water sends chill bumps up Calum's bare arms, Calum grows more and more helpless.
Luke swims up to Calum. Calum can tell he's been crying by his flushed cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. "Calum, please do something, please."
Frankly, Calum doesn't know why it's up to him. He's the new one, the one that doesn't really know what he's doing half the time. Why do they look to him to fix whatever has gone wrong? He has half the knowledge than anyone else, he's just as panicked and clueless as them. He doesn't get why he's the one expected to clean up the mess.
All the while, Luke begs him with his big, worryful blue eyes. Calum avoids them as much as he can until he sees Luke's bottom lip start to tremble, and then he finally gives in.
"Fine! Fine, just-- let me think," says Calum abruptly, and Luke visibly relaxes. Calum watches the loud engine of the boat move the water in thick waves underneath the water's surface, the blurry outline of the boat above the water, the dull murmur of humans on board. It makes Calum sink a little lower under the water, not wanted them to see him or any of the other mermaids underneath. He can sort of feel the terror Ashton had against them, the unknown of what they would do if they found out about them. The unknown of human life.
Calum blinks a couple of times when he realizes it. Luke notices the different expression and sits up.
"What?" Luke grabs Calum's hand. "Calum, what is it?"
Calum turns to Luke. "I think I know what I can do to help." He lets go of Luke and quickly swims back towards the boat, the shouts of everyone around him growing louder. They stare at him as he passes, swimming past Ashton and the net and straight up towards the side of the boat. He drifts right underneath the surface of the water, looking up.
He knows Ashton would tell him to get back down and stay away from the human's wandering eyes, but Calum doesn't think there is anything else to be done. He grabs the small metal ladder that is nailed to the side of the boat and grips at it with his hands. He closes his eyes for a moment, gathering his strength, before pulling himself up out of the water.
He breathes in the air in deep lungfuls, using his somewhat scrawny arms to pull himself further out of the water. Calum struggles to pull himself up enough to where the air hits his hips, his arm strength not necessarily the best. He's just managed to get most of his body out of the water and into the air, feeling the scales fall away from his skin, when he sees one of the fisherman peer over the side of the boat, staring in bewilderment.
Calum coughs, raising his hand aimlessly up towards the direction of the fisherman. "Help, please!" Calum says in the best helpless voice he can manage. The fisherman blinks in confusion for a moment before quickly hurrying to the ladder and pulling him up. The man pulls Calum on deck and Calum coughs repeatedly. He stares at the teenage boy he just pulled off the water in shock, taking in the boy's soaked clothes and dripping wet hair, blinking repeatedly.
"What happened to ya, son?" says the fisherman in a thick Australian accent, helping Calum stand as Calum pretends to be weak, leaning against his shoulder. He takes him to get warm, leading him into a room separated by thin wooden walls, sitting him on a chair and grabbing a couple of blankets and towels to wrap around Calum's shoulders. Calum shivers, which he doesn't need to fake considering the air is cold against his wet skin, and Calum realizes how odd it feels to be human. How not necessarily natural it feels anymore.
YOU ARE READING
Under the Sea ⇔ Cashton ✓
Fanfiction[MERMAID AU] When Calum turns 17, he is diagnosed as terminally ill by a group of doctors who can't seem to explain why he is feeling so sick. However, Calum's symptoms go away when he goes diving in the ocean, finding he has not a disease, but a ta...
