The Mermaid's Curse

Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Xavier - 1912

I close my eyes and sit back on the smooth-topped boulder by the ocean's edge. The rocks here at Point Joe are my favorite spot of Monterey's 17-mile drive; they're the perfect place to come when I'm feeling out of sorts. Every so often, a particularly vicious wave crashes against the rocks like a train wreck, splashing me from head to toe with salt spray. I don't worry about it, though. I have always felt a deep and passionate affinity toward the sea, and I don't mind the clammy feeling of my damp trousers or the way the tangy breeze whips pieces of hair across my forehead.

My favorite moments are ones like these, when I'm alone and listening to the symphony of nature. The ocean has all the elements of a great musical masterpiece: gentle, rolling melodies when the water is calm, and the jarring, cacophonous roar of the high tide on nights like tonight, embellished by the raucous caws of the sea gulls. I can see why Debussy, one of my favorite composers, wrote La Mer, an entire piece of music about it.

But now, there's another sound. Somewhere from the depths of the ocean comes a soft, sweet tune, like a siren's song.

I force my eyes open and shake my head back and forth. Of course, this is only my imagination. It has been a long day, and I've only just escaped the dinner party with my father, mother, and all their friends. The mysterious strains of the siren's song are most likely the fanciful product of the wine, whisky, and brandy that were flowing plentifully during our seven-course meal.

Yet, still, there is something odd tonight, something more than the pull of the full moon, more than the general holiday feeling that I've had ever since my family and I came to our summer house here in Monterey. I watch the water, with the waves glittering like living things under the white light of the moon, and the sea foam hissing over the rocks.

A particularly turbulent wave rumbles in; in its wake, I hear the song again and just barely discern a faint glimmer of aquamarine beneath the water's surface. The ethereal light grows and the melody amplifies, rising to a fantastic crescendo that sends shivers up my spine. Then, the surface of the water breaks and the head of a beautiful woman emerges in a halo of silver and blue light.

I blink hard, rubbing my bleary eyes with the back of my hand. I've lived twenty-one years without spectacles, but perhaps my vision is going. Or, more likely, it's the alcohol I consumed earlier, playing tricks on me.

But all my blinking, squinting, and eye rubbing do me no good. This really is a woman, with fine, high cheekbones and cornsilk hair that shines as brightly as the moon itself. Her white skin glistens with water droplets, and seems almost incandescent.

My mouth drops open in disbelief as she glances over at me. She continues her song completely uninhibited, gliding toward me so fluidly that I wonder how she could possibly be kicking her legs under the water. Perhaps she's not. She could be a mermaid.

Of course, I've heard tales of mermaids, luring sailors to their deaths with their lovely forms and dulcet songs. I've even heard that many sailors, practically delirious after months at sea, have mistaken manatees for mermaids, an error that I can't fathom. This magnificent female is certainly no sea cow.

She continues her song until she has reached my side. Then, with a soft grunt of exertion, she hoists herself up onto the rock beside me. She smells of salt and sand, and her waist-length hair feels like seaweed as it brushes my arm.

I open my mouth to speak, but no words emerge. She is a mermaid, wearing some kind of crude brassiere fashioned of a mosaic of colorful seashells. Her long tail glimmers gold, silver, and blue in the moonlight.

"Hello," she says, as calmly as if she were a friend of the family, coming over for a mid-afternoon luncheon and perhaps a round of golf. She smiles, her teeth as white and shiny as a strand of pearls.

"Hello," I croak, clearing my throat. Suddenly, my whole mouth has gone dry. The mermaid and I stare at each other for what seems like eternity, and her dazzling sea-colored eyes search my face.

"That song--your voice--it's so beautiful," I say at last.

The mermaid giggles. "Really? Thanks. Maybe that's my special talent. We all have one, you know, but I have no idea what mine is."

"I would say it's a special talent," I say, nodding. "Not often do I get chills from hearing someone sing. A voice like yours belongs in the finest opera houses. I can't believe that you've gone through life without knowing how incredible your voice is. You're how old?"

"I just turned eighteen. But all of us mermaids sing, so I didn't think my voice was anything special. I'm Oceania, by the way."

"Oceania," I repeat, smiling. "It suits you."

I stare at her, suddenly feeling an almost elemental pull to both the ocean and her, but a moment later I mentally scold myself for forgetting my manners. Quickly, I hold out my hand, hoping desperately to redeem myself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Oceania. I'm Xavier Rose, visiting for the summer from San Francisco."

A small wrinkle forms on the delicate skin between her eyebrows as she stares at my outstretched hand, but a moment later, she takes her cue and shakes it. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Xavier Rose. You are the first human I've ever met." Then, grinning at me, she says, "I have come from the sea to celebrate my birthday under the full moon. Perhaps you can show me around?"