The Lost Boy

Chapter 13

"You need only whistle," Nevermore advised as he slunk back into the shadows of the forest. 

"What're you doin'?" Rooster asked from where he stood ankle deep in silky soft sand. Tink had led them to a lovely cove, with a large and wide and impossibly-deep lake complete with a cascading waterfall where river water leaped joyfully off the mountainside and down into the crystal blue water in excited droplets. The lake was surrounded by dark sand that bled into the jungle on either side, and a wide river lead the water away from the mountain and out towards the sea. There were a few large rocks protruding from the water in the shallower areas of the lake, glistening with moisture that sparkled silver. 

The lake was calm and quiet, sparkling as it reflected the perfect white moonlight. Rooster wondered what this water would look like in the wicked light of the Never Moon, if it would look half as lovely. 

"Like this?" Slightly asked, placing Tic Toc on the ground before he stuck one finger in either side of his mouth and he blew, emitting a shrill, sharp whistle that sounded like the cry of a dying bird. 

"Slightly!" Rooster moaned, rubbing his ears, and Slightly's own ears glowed pink in embarrassment. 

Tink winced, but soft laughter echoed from the trees, and Rooster heard a faint sound coming from within the depths of the lake. 

"What'd you do, Slight?" Rooster asked, leaning over the water curiously. 

"I wouldn't do that," Tink said, flying to Rooster's side in an attempt to push him back. 

"Why?" Slightly asked. 

"They...like to splash," Tink said. 

"They?" Rooster echoed, as shapes began to move about in the dark water. 

"The Tailfins," Tink confirmed, fluttering away, just as a shape shattered the surface of the lake and leaped into the air, performing an incredible back flip before diving back into the water. 

"Whoa!" Rooster and Slightly exclaimed, stumbling back, while Tink rolled her eyes. 

Heads broke the surface, water flew, splashes echoed against the trees as shadows began to zigzag around the lake. The moonlight, combined with Tink's golden glow, illuminated the water and shone on the faces of just under a dozen female, humanoid creatures. 

One grew especially close and, not seeming to notice the two boys or the fairy, it pulled itself up and out of the water and onto the closest rock, offering the three a complete view of the creature. 

Its upper half was humanoid, resembling a female. It had long, wet dark gray hair, silver skin, and its torso was wrapped in seaweed and ripped fishing nets and covered in barnacles. Its arms were thin but muscular, and nearly transparent skin spanned the gaps between its fingers. Its nose was nonexistent, with only two slits where a nose should have been, and its eyes were large and black. 

Its lower half, however, was long, lithe, and a tail. It reminded Rooster of a dolphin, with a flat fluke that effectively flung water far when it slapped the surface of the lake. As it played with its hair, creating a part down the center of its head, it leaned forward and revealed a hole in the top of its head that opened with a little gasp before it closed again, then the creature lifted its head and Rooster heard what sounded like a sigh, followed by a series of sniffing sounds. 

Uh oh. 

The dolphin-girl-thing was smelling the air, and Rooster had no doubt that it could smell them. It turned its head as these thoughts passed through Rooster's mind and its big black eyes found the three. With a sharp click, the creature flew from the rock and disappeared into the water, and the other heads followed in suit.