Mermaids

Chapter 3

Leena was helping her mother prepare breakfast in their pale blue kitchen the next morning when Sam yelled to them from the living room.

"Hey, guys, listen to this! Quick!"

After exchanging a raised eyebrow, Leena went, followed by Fern. Sam was perched at the edge of the worn but plump sofa, eyes fixed on the screen. Leena and Fern stood by and watched what had captured her attention. A pretty red haired woman in a suit stood at the entrance of a bay, microphone in hand. She was talking to the person beside her above the slight rustle of wind the recording equipment was unable to stop picking up.

"...and according to your senior officers, you will be testing this weapon today?"

A young soldier in full attire, dark blue with white edging, grinned at the reporter, his youthful looks out of sorts with his career. "That's right."

"Did he say weapon?" Fern interrupted, but was hushed by both younger women.

Enchanted, the reporter pressed on, "And do you believe that this trial will garner success in your goals?"

"I don't want to put out too much hope," said the soldier, and even with the grainy image Leena could see a strange light in his eyes as he continued. "But I believe it will. Nothing can stop mankind from doling out well-deserved justice."

"There you have it: An enthusiastic approach from one of our brave defenders. Back to you, Tom."

"Thanks, Sarah. The weapon testing is scheduled for some time in the morning—"

Sam muted the television. "What do you think?"

"I don't like the sound of it," Leena declared. Forget the fact that they had been talking about a weapon—whatever it may be—there was something about that soldier she just didn't like.

Fern sat on the arm of the nearest chair, frowning. "What sort of weapon could they mean? Did they say, Sam?"

"Don't know. I missed the first half of the interview."

"Hm." Fern did not look happy. "Knowing those army-folk it's bound to be something very dangerous. And if it is targeting the mermaids, and it undoubtedly it will be for them, who knows what will happen to the marine life too?" Her frowned deepened. "But I'm more worried about where they're going to do it. That bay looked familiar. Leena?"

"Looked like Whitebush to me." And only a few miles away, which worried her.

Sam bit her lip. "That's a bad thing, isn't it?"

"Well, it definitely isn't good," said Fern, solemn. They fell into a momentary lapse of silence born mostly out of worry over the unknown.

"Grandma is going to be really annoyed," Leena mused, breaking it eventually.

At least it seemed to snap her mother out of the somewhat melancholic train of thoughts that had apparently descended on her, enough to make her visibly flinch. "God, that's the last thing we need. She's already unbearable when in a tizzy. This'll make her go straight up the wall." Visibly shaking a repressed memory off, she stood with a smile of determined cheer. "Breakfast, girls. You'll need your strength for helping me in my grocery shopping later."

Unspoken was the agreement that they could worry about this new development later.

*

They had just finished making their way through a classic bacon, eggs and toast breakfast and were clearing away the dishes when Leena's ears began to ache with a faint ringing sensation. She paused, halfway through drying a white, scalloped-edged plate. A glance at her mother, who had suddenly stopped washing up and looked confused, a half wince in her eyes, showed Leena that she had heard it too.