On Land

Chapter 3: What have I done?

Alas POV:

I should have just kept swimming, now he likes me and he'll get hurt because of it! I'm the worst. I stop and look around and just sat on a rock and laid there, The worst! horrible! curse to us all! He'll get us taken and put in a tank and studied! The voices from fellow members float in my head. They're all right, and somehow I've seduced a guy...but I couldn't stop the feeling when he touched me...but the one thing that he said kept playing in my head the troublemaker like me. I sigh and sit up letting my human feet take over as I sit there looking around. As I look around I notice a familiar figure. I swim towards it.

I heard a soft click as the figure turns slowly. I swim closer, he flicks the damp hair from his eyes as the soft click is pointed the other way. I look at him worried, Ethan sighs. I swim up near him, he clicks his tongue as he looks at a screen. He looks around swiftly, I look at him then the screen. Photos of coral, birds, and fish were taken. I sigh softly I wanna ask him what he meant, 'troublemaker like me'. He shivers slightly and ducks underwater. I look at him and stay still, he dives deeper then stops. I sigh and swim to a piece of coral and stopping, I look at it. It's colored fading... it's sick...I see Ethan move back up and chuckle. I look at the coral ignoring him as I swim to the other side, looking to make sure it doesn't die. He sighs "damn, guess even mother can't find it...I can't" sadness in his voice. I look at him swimming to him "whatcha mean?" he flinched and squeaked "Alas! Don't do that to people" I look at him tilting my head "you dodged my question."

He licked his lips and looked down at the camera "Just something someone wanted to see..." I swim around him "what?" he looks at me "A neon coral" I smile "does it matter color?" he nods "A teal and black coral" I smile brighter "come I know the hidden place of that exact coral" he nods and dives under. I swim down stopping, I swam to him touching his head so he can breathe underwater, so he can go deeper into the water. "There that should help you breathe so we can go where we need to go" he nods and looks at me quizzically "Why are you doing this?"

"What do you mean..." I freeze and stop, he tilts his head "Why are you helping me?" I look at him "why not, maybe you won't tell if I'm nice to you" I swim down towards a small entrance, he follows me with a hum. I swim in showing a hidden coral reef, a little light shined down on it making it sparkle a little "here" I turn back to see him wide-eyed. He looks around, smiling, I move away so he doesn't get me in the photo. He takes photos and laughs I place my hand on the coral as I made it glow brighter, a hidden light shined as I touched it. He stops taking pictures and swims closer to me. He places his hands on the side of my neck, smiling, I look at him my heart racing, "Ethan no! Stop! You'll be cursed too!" my eyes widen as I cover my mouth moving away.

He shrugs and looks away "I already am...besides....you can't punish the already punished," I frown "I have seduced you, I'm sorry..." he looks at me "What are you talking about? Look, I always do that when I thank someone, besides....I'm more of a monster than a human..." he whispers the last part as he goes swimming out. I look at him then start to swim after him. He pops his head from the water, coughing "I'm sorry mom..." I frown and stop what have I done...he looks up at the sky "But at least I found them for you, yeah?" he gives a sad chortle then looks down. I float in the water frozen in thought, my eyes widen when I see a diver. I swim up to Ethan's boat moving into it trying to change into my human form quickly.

Ethan looks at me, shocked, and climbs up in with me "The hell are you doing?" I look at him panicked and scared "I'm sorry diver with a camera, I'm sorry" I finally change and stand "I'll leave...I didn't mean to just need a place to go for a second" he sighs and grabs my wrist "Don't go, sorry," I look at him eyes widen then look at his hand, he lets go and grunts "Sorry." I close my eyes please don't hate me, Ethan. I come closer to him kissing him softly, he inhaled sharply, I move away, Ethan looks at me wide-eyed.

I look at him again, he pulls me on top of him, kissing me back. I place my hands on his chest and whispers very softly "please don't hate me" he looks at me, shocked "I don't," I lay my head on his chest, he runs a hand through my hair and sighs softly "I gotta go soon" I close my eyes what are we now? What am I to him? I lift my head moving off him "then I'll leave..." he grunts and tips my head up, kissing me again softly. I break it looking at him "Ethan...What am I to you?" he frowns and looks up at the sky "What do you want to be?" I look at him "I don't know, I don't know if I can be more than a friend because of my abilities, I don't want to hurt you" he shrugs "I just met you...and...I dunno know...." I nod "then I don't know...friends maybe the only possibility. But I don't want that" he frowns "Let me think about it, yeah?" I nod "you said you needed to go, I must too." I wave and jump into the water swimming away going home.