The Fool By The Seaside | mclennon

12

Chapter 12: Nightmares

John was swimming through an unknown passage made of polished stone. He was wearing his belt and necklace, hair pinned up prettily. The air around him was relaxed, though he could not tell where he was going or whence he came. Something was guiding him, an unknown presence telling him to go further down the tunnels.

"John! John!" Came a strict voice from one of the passage ways.

John frowned, "Mimi? Mimi, where are you?"

She only called back his name again.

He followed her voice, eager to see her for reasons he couldn't tell. "Mimi, where are you?"

"John, please!" Came her voice. It was no longer strict, more tense and pained.

John's heart stopped. He'd never heard his aunt like that. He kept swimming, chasing her cries. Finally, he saw her.

She was in a cell, surrounded by uniformed merrow bearing the crest of Atlantis.

"Where is the siren?" One demanded.

The mermaid shook her head, "I don't know- ARGH!" She let out a scream as another scale was ripped from her tail.

John tried to move towards her, to get her out. But there was an invisible wall between them keeping him still. "MIMI!" He yelled, tried to reach for her.

"John!" She cried upwards, "John, help me!"

"Where is the siren?" The merrow asked again.

"I'm here!" John shouted, "Leave her alone!"

But he wasn't heard. The siren banged against the invisible wall as his auntin was tortured, her fine scales being carelessly ripped out. There was blood all over her, gold decorating her skin.

John cried out as she did, knowing her pain was his doing. He was shaking with guilt and anger, screaming obscenities at the soldiers. He froze as Mimi's gaze turned to him, agonized eyes staring him down. "Mimi..." He whispered.

"John," She gasped out, "Why didn't you help me?" And a spear was driven right through her tail.

John woke up choking on a scream. He was sweating, his hair plastered to his forehead. The little hairs on his legs were standing up, making him uncomfortable. What was that? That, that nightmare....was it real? John sat up slowly and looked out the window, wishing Paul was there to hold him. He hugged his legs close to his chest. Mimi had told him to run, and John had been a coward to listen. He had abandoned her, the merrow who raised him, who protected him.

He only hoped it had just been a nightmare and nothing else.

John and Ringo were in the backyard again, facing each other. George was sitting on the grass, staring up at them anxiously.

"You have to concentrate, John." Ringo said. "Just think about what you want him to do."

John scoffed, "You make it sound so easy."

Ringo smiled, "It will be. Plenty of sirens do this." This being controlling humans without actually talking or having to sing. Usually, this was done by lone hunters, wanting a man to come to them without alerting all the other sailors.

George grinned, "You can do it, lad."

John sighed and turned his gaze to him, "Alright, then." He stared intensely at the human. He wanted George to lay down. It wasn't a huge request, but apparently that was too much.