I Have No Excuse

A Cleaner Chapter Part 2

"Ya know I hope ya appreciate what I'm doing. Ya have no idea how much I hate being wet and after ya pulled me into the ocean the other night I'm a little irritated with You as well. I have some fresh sushi this time. It's not as cheap so ya had better eat this. I don't want to be wasting my money."

I stared into the inky water for any sign of movement as I tossed in one of the pieces. This was twenty bucks worth I had and if it stuck its nose up at this I was going to be pissed.

"I know you're there. I'm not going to hurt ya. I can barely swim and the worst thing I could do from here is litter."

Still nothing. Well I could wait. I was not going to let this fish get one over me.

"That one's tuna ya brat. It's good. I've had it."

The water was still. Maybe it had left the area after this morning? Or maybe it just didn't like tuna?

"Fine. This one's salmon, but I didn't nor will I ever have much of this because it's so expensive it's a rip off. It's not even that good." I tossed another piece into the water. It floated along the surface next to the other in silence. "I have a younger sister. I can wait all night to get my way."

I watched the water, lounging on my stomach lazily. Maybe I should call Blaster? Na. He was mer crazy. He'd scare it away. Maybe when it wasn't so wary and injured. Blaster would go out on fishing trips with his stepfather all the time. He wanted to be a marine biologist. He thought the mysteries of the sea were amazing while I didn't care to guess what was hiding below the surface. Who knew what horrors were waiting down there? I was torn out of my thoughts by one of the pieces disappearing.

"Finally."

And of course it took the bloody salmon. Spoiled brat.

"I hope ya know that if ya don't eat all of this I'm not going to feed ya anymore and I'll let the fishermen try and shoo ya away. And the way they'll do it I have no doubt that it'll involve some painful traps. They don't like it when things mess with their catches." I spoke to the mer under the water. Though I couldn't see it the water churned giving me a decent idea of where it was before it settled again. From what I could tell it was right under where I was throwing the fish. "Come on. Eat the tuna or I'm not giving ya anymore."

Nothing. So I pulled out the other piece of salmon and dipped it into the water before pulling it back out.

"See? Ya want it ya need to eat everything else."

For some reason I got the impression that I was being judged.

"Tuna is cheap and has a lot of protein from what I know so quit pouting and eat it."

I sent the water an unamused stare, trying to send my message since I couldn't tell if it could understand what I was saying. I doubted it, but that never stopped me from talking before. Then I smiled as the tuna vanished.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" I tossed another piece into the water. "But you're not getting the salmon until you eat everything else. I'm not even sure what that one is, but it's apparently popular."

Nothing happened until the piece stilled in the water and I got the glimpse of black claws. The process was slow and continued on until I was out of sashimi. I watched the water.

"Well I have nothing more to give ya. This box here is for tomorrow. I'll be back in the morning to feed ya."

The water churned as it moved under the black water.

"Don't steal from the traps anymore. If ya do than sure you're gonna get hurt, but it makes Blaster's stepdad unhappy and if he's unhappy he doesn't bring Blaster on his fishing trips and if he doesn't bring Blaster then Blasters unhappy. If Blasters unhappy it's your fault and I won't feed ya anymore. Got it?"