Mermaids

Chapter 2

The news of the attack on the students spread like wildfire throughout the world, and stunned horror quickly followed.

Curled up on a quilt covered sofa, Leena and Sam watched the television as a news reporter announced the emergency convening of an international council to discuss their next move against a threat had supposedly disappeared centuries ago.

"Meanwhile, panicked populations have fled the shorelines, heading inland. While there have been no other reports of mermaid attacks, people are not taking chances."

"What bugs me," said Sam quietly, "is that they have to decide what to do or not."

"Well," Leena hedged, "they don't want to make unnecessary moves."

"Unnecessary, my arse!" Sam jabbed a finger at the television which was showing footage of government representatives gathering. "The only option we have is to kill those monsters! These guys are just trying to drag their feet. Whose side are they on, anyway?"

"It could be worse."

Sam frowned and then sighed. "I suppose. Like, they still refused to believe us. God, that was awful."

In a show of standard human denial, it had taken a week for the world's governments to believe their story. Many investigations and interrogations had occurred until they finally drew the same conclusion as what had really happened. Leena could understand why they did it-no one wanted to launch a global panic without justifiable evidence-but they could have worked it a little faster. She felt a brief pang of sadness as she remembered the mass funeral the remaining students had attended after the first week. Six students and Mr. Brown had been killed in the attack. They had never managed to recover any bodies but instead held a more memorial-type service for them in the local parish.

"So," said Sam, suddenly grabbing the remote and flipping the channel until it landed on what appeared to be a comedy film, "where will you be going tomorrow?"

Because of the attack, Mowray Public had been too frazzled to continue. A temporary holiday had been called for and all the students found themselves with two months of free time.

"To my parents' house."

Sam started at that. "Isn't that next to the sea?"

"Well, kind of-"

"Are you mad?" Sam half-yelled, "We just got attacked by mermaids and you want to go back to the sea?"

"You know perfectly well that I don't have a choice," Leena said firmly.

"Yes, but-!"

"Oh, relax." Leena stretched her body out, sighing as she felt bones pop. "I didn't say I was going back in the water, did I? And besides, the cove there is a lot more protected than what we have here." She smiled cheekily at Sam. "Are you coming?"

"Of course," Sam huffed. "Your Ma invited me to come again last time so I can't refuse. Plus my own folks have already gone further mainland." She shuddered. "I can't stand the snow."

Leena laughed.

The next day they clambered onto one of the long-distance trains and set off on their way. Calbrook Cove was Leena's home, a small town with unremarkable features save a flourishing local garden and the cove itself. The town's fairly obscure location made it one of the few places to have only one or two mermaid attacks in its history. The last one had been years before the official last attack two centuries ago.

Leena's mother, Fern, met them at the train station. She greeted both girls with a wide smile and a tight hug, clinging on a little longer than usual. They took a rented car to the edge of the town and then walked the fifteen minutes it took to get to the home cottage by the seaside. Leena breathed in deeply as they walked, absorbing the familiar smell of salty sea air and freshly cut grass. She smiled widely when the cottage came into view, a quaint building with old vines growing up one side and a large oak tree shadowing the other.

The peeling turquoise door opened as they approached and her father Nicholas stepped out, a duffel bag slung on one shoulder. He started in surprise upon seeing them, then broke out into a smile and caught Leena as she ran and threw her arms around him.

"How are you, little swimmer?" His dark eyes twinkled down at her.

"Fine, Dad." Leena smiled and then tugged at his bag. "Where are you going?"

"Ah." His smile turned rueful. "I'm afraid you came at a bad time. I just got a call from the war office. My entire platoon is being called in, along with others."

Leena groaned in disappointment even as Fern stepped forward, worried. "Now? Is everything alright? Are you-?"

Nicholas cut her off by drawing her to him and kissing her quickly. "It's just a routine check, love. Nothing to worry about."

They waved him off, giving a last round of hugs and kisses, and with a friendly ruffle of Sam's hair-"Are you ever going to grow it out, Sammy-boy?"-Nicholas went off.

"Come on," said Fern, drawing both girls inside. "Get your things unpacked and meet me in the kitchen. There's a blueberry cheesecake waiting for you."

Hours later they had settled down in the small living room, munching on a light supper of vegetable stew as they watched the television. Most of the channels had been replaced by live feeds and newscasts as armies started out for battle against their newly reappeared foe. Several high ranking officers made statements to an overly excited news crowd, but were too vague.

"It's a normal thing," Fern explained to the girls. "They wouldn't want any important information to be leaked out."

"Which is pretty silly," scoffed Sam, "seeing as mermaids can't even speak the same language, let alone understand us."

Fern only shrugged.

Leena watched the live documentaries with a growing sense of disappointment. She found it odd, feeling such a thing after being a victim of mermaid attack herself; she blamed it on her heritage. Her grandmother came from a race of people who were known to be peace-lovers. Believing in war was simply against her nature.

Self-defence was another thing entirely.

Leena settled down that night in her bed, lightly covered by gossamer light sheets. On the other side of the double bed, Sam snored lightly. She had piled a couple of heavy duty blankets on top of herself earlier, unable to cope with the thin sheets only. The cottage was still in the dim moonlight. The sea breeze drifted gently into the room through open windows. That and the gentle shushing of distant waves eventually lured Leena to a deep peaceful sleep.