I Have No Excuse

Just Another Piece Part 3

I had started to notice that I was arriving before my mer friend to the cove at night. I would just watch the fish swirl around the center rock with the current as it rose and fell so it wasn't too much of a problem, but then one quiet night when the water as nearly still I heard it. Out across the sea. Somewhere below the water were long and sad calls. I paused on my walk to the the cove to listen. The whistles and howls pierced the quiet night, accompanied only by the soft sound of the water hitting the shore. I frowned. Maybe I should get Blaster. I can't bring him to the cove, but surely the pier would do. Can't crush the mers trust now. If it wanted Blaster to know it would lead him to the cove like it led me. For now though I'd head to the cove.

I waited for my fish friend to arrive. The wait was getting longer and longer it seemed. As expected its arrival made the trapped fish that rode the current panic when one of their own was snatched. The mer always managed to get one or two. It was quiet I'd give it that. It seemed to understand it couldn't blend in with anything and made up for that with being quiet and still, prowling around corners and striking quick. It was amusing to watch and after they panicked and fled it would rest on the edge of the rock ledge and look at me expectantly.

"You've really been making me wait lately. Just what are ya doing out there?"

I just got a slow blink in reply.

"Well nevermind then. I just wanted to tell you that tomorrow night I'm gonna bring a friend with me to the pier. It's his stepfather's traps that ya were raiding before. He'll love ya. I know he won't do anything to harm ya so ya have nothing to worry about. I just wanted to tell ya even if ya can't understand. That way I won't feel guilty and if ya want to bring him to your home ya can do it of your own will. That and ya don't have to show yourself if ya don't feel like it."

I waited a second as it just watched me. Just like always.

"Sometimes I think ya don't care about me and just want my food. You're like a cat that way if that's the case."

I sighed and pulled the box from my bag. Setting it aside I opened the box.

"So what do you feel like starting with tonight? I- hey hey hey! How many times do I have to tell you not to snoop around in my bag?! I mean the homework I do actually do doesn't need to be chewed up. I mean I doubt that the teach will give me slack if I tell them a mer ate my homework? Now give me that." I glared at the mer as I pulled my bag behind me and it huffed and sunk a little further into the water. "Now."

I held my hand out for the m&m packet. I had gone and zipped everything I had in plastic and some tightly sealed bags awhile back once it started getting curious. I suppose I could have just dumped my bag out at home, but I only had the one bag and then I'd have to put it all back in at like nine or ten every night and that was just too much work.

"Give it."

It was just watching me as it pulled it closer.

"I need that. Don't growl at me. Keep growling and I'm not feeding you."

I crossed my arms across my chest and it cast a few glances to my stolen candy. Then it started turning it over. I lunged for it and it moved swift in ducking under the water and away from my ledge.

"Ya don't need candy. As far as I know it'll kill ya."

It growled before going back to examining the now wet packet. The colors from the unprotected candy were leaking from the bag.

"If ya get sick it's not my fault." I called as the candy fell into the shallow pool when the bag ripped.

The colors swirled in the water and slowly began to vanish as the mer picked at the wasted candy curiously. Well I suppose this was better than the last time when it swiped my math textbook and I had to jump into the water to get it back. Trading some salmon for a textbook had gone over better than expected.