The Siren of the Titanic

Chapter 30: Sweet Chocolate

I had a good nap. I could still feel the movement of the truck through the water but it wasn't all that bad. Eventually, the truck stopped and I heard the door open with a squeak and then shut with a slam. I could hear Ethan walk up to the back and knock once on the wood which I replied with a single knock of my own, letting him know that I was alright.

I listened as he shuffled around, a distinct scent of oil seeping through the cracks. His scent and footsteps disappeared a few minutes later but returned accompanied by the sound of crinkling. He climbed back into the cab, turned on the truck, drove a few minutes before stopping again. He once again turned off the truck and jumped out, before climbing onto the truck bed. He opened the lid so I could stick my head out a bit.

"Don't worry no one will see us from here." He reached into the crinkling bag and pulled out a large bar in a wrapper. "You said you can eat human food right? I thought I would spoil you a bit. Hope you like chocolate." He smiled as he unwrapped the chocolate bar, just enough so the top could peak out but not any further. I took it delicately in my finned hands before taking a small bite. I could only moan as the sweet treat melted in my mouth. I always loved chocolate as a child, but only ever ate it on rare occasions, and it had been several years since I last tasted it. Ethan only giggled as he saw my eyes flutter in satisfaction.

"I have a few other things here if you want. Let's see," He rustled through the bag as I nibbled on my chocolate. He pulled out another smaller crinkling bag with a picture of a potato on it, a bottle of brown liquid with a red cap and a familiar name, and a clear small crinkle bag with colorful worms covered in, what looked like sugar, inside. I had finished my chocolate by the time he had pulled them all out. He handed me the bag of potato chips and the bottle.

Where the chocolate was sweet, the chips were salty and the soda was more bubbly then I remembered. They were really good. Ethan laughed and asked if I liked them, my reply was another crunch from a chip and a happy purr-like sound. After I was done with the crunchy chips he passed me the bag of worms. I raised my eyebrows at them, as they were, not something I was used to. He only laughed as he opened the bag, pulled out one and bit it in half, mumbling 'gummy worms', as he chewed. I reached into the bag and pulled out a worm and bit into it. My face scrunched as I quickly realized that the crystal-like covering was not sweet sugar, but something very sour. Ethan rolled on his back cackling at my reaction, I couldn't help but laugh with him.

I finished the sour but sweet worms with some of the soda still left, so I closed the cap and let it float in the water at my side. With a thumbs up from me, Ethan closed up the lid and began driving once more. I was content to sitting there sipping on my soda, but I didn't sit there doing anything. I realized fairly quickly at the start of our journey that I did not, in fact, like to sit in the darkness. I had been practicing, making my body glow like Talon had when we were in Dean's Blue Hole. After I had figured it out I challenged myself to only let my tattoos glow in a soft light blue light, to not give off to much and blind myself. Now I sat there making little shapes out of ice. Crystal ice snowflakes, roses, and even blades littered the bottom of the tank.

After ice sculpture after ice sculpture, we finally came to a stop. I grew excited until I heard a female voice.

"So you're finally home, huh Ethan?" The truck door opened and shut.

"Hey Nat, wait what do you mean finally I came home early, with good news. News you will like." He paused and I could only imagine what face my granddaughter gave him. "James Barton has been arrested for poaching, and tax fraud." I heard clapping, probably from Natalie. "I also have a surprise in the back, but," he accentuated, probably stopped her from coming to the back of the truck. "I need you to go inside and grab that picture of gramps. No, don't ask why just go get it." After a huff, she left presumably to go retrieve the item.

Ethan chuckled before climbing up on the truck bed. "OK gotta question. Can you survive in freshwater or only saltwater?" He didn't open it yet, meaning we were probably in a public area.

"I don't know. Do you need me to move the tank again?" I said jokingly.

"No, but I might need you to change back into a shark, just so I can carry you. We have a saltwater pool in the back but it's artificial, so I need you to tell me if you can be alright in it ok." I agreed that I would change back into a shark and that once I was in the pool, I would tell him if I was ok. Once I changed in a plume of bubbles, I flicked my tail, letting him know I was good, and he quickly opened the box. He rolled up his sleeves and gently reached into the water, flinching slightly from the cold. I tried not to move as he grabbed me and pulled me out of the water.

He quickly jumped off of the truck and jogged to the back of the large two-story home, where the large stone pool was located. He kneeled at the edge and gently reached down and placed my long slithery body into the water. It took me a minute to get used to the artificial saltwater but I did get used to it and swam slowly around the pool.

A young redheaded girl, most likely Natalie, soon exited the house and came up to Ethan, she almost squealed with joy at the sight of me. "Oh my god! A black spotted shark. Ethan, I love you!" She ruffled his hair and he only smirked down at me.

"Actually he's not a shark, he only looks like one at the moment. Frost if you will." He turned to me and once again I erupted in a curtain of bubbles. When they dissipated I looked up at the two with a smirk. Natalie's brown eyes were wide, her jaw dropped which she quickly covered with her hand as she started holding back a giggle.

"Oh my god! Are you serious?" She looked at me blinking, bewilderment still keeping her in a state of giddy shock.

"Take a look at the picture, Nat." Ethan softly ordered, and so she did. She lifted the picture so that she could look at both me and the picture. By this time I had swum up to the edge of the pool, crossing my arms on the edge and my chin resting on them. Her eyes flicked back and forth between me and the picture. Her eyes flashed when she finally made the connection.

"Grandfather? No way, but how?" I only smiled.