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Chapter Text

Thick fog blanketed the waters of the Massachusetts Bay. The cool morning air echoed with the screeching of seabirds nesting over the secluded cliffs of Calf Island and the occasional blaring of fishing boat horns. Sea-green eyes surveyed their surroundings, before slipping back into the cold murky waters below.

Roger dug out a few more clams hidden beneath the fine white sands of the seafloor, throwing the captured bivalves into a crudely-made sack crafted from woven kelp. It was quite a successful morning haul; numerous scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, and a few stray crabs. With such an abundance of food, he wouldn’t need to go out again to hunt for the rest of the day. He tossed the last one into the kelp-sack and closed it as best as he could, preparing his harvest for the haul back to his mate. Roger’s mate was always good with cracking open his favourite treats. Unlike his own hands which were bare of protective scales, save only for his left hand, his mate’s arms were covered with steel blue scales that ran from clawed fingertips up to the elbows.

-

Johannes was resting inside a small cove, occasionally flicking his blue tail or holding onto a boulder to steady himself against the rolling waves coming in from outside. His home was layered with rocks and colorful sea-glass smoothed by years of seawater pounding and wearing the rocks down, and large jagged boulders that shielded him from the raging waters of the ocean outside and water vessels driven by humans. Alone and half-blind, he wouldn’t dare leave the safety of the cove. So instead busied himself by picking up fish bones, crustacean and clam shells scattered on the floor and stacking them away into a neat pile.

The sun was at its peak in the sky when Johannes heard the familiar clicks and whistles of his mate swimming in, carrying his kelp-sack. Even with his poor eyesight, he could recognize Roger’s unmistakable dark maroon tail marked with two bold white stripes running down to his tail fluke from a distance. He quickly guessed the kelp sack held clams, just by how the contents clacked against each other when moved. Johannes swam over and greeted his mate, playfully nipping on Roger’s shoulder before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hello! How was it? Great job!” he expressed in cheerful tone, communicating to his mate in their mermaidian language of whistles, clicks, humming and movement.

“Very good haul this morning” Roger responded, proudly showing off his catch as he opened the mouth of his kelp-sack wider for Johannes to see.

They were a strange mated pair, even by mermaid standards. During the mating season, numerous pods of mermaids would migrate from cold waters to warmer waters, such as the seas of Australia. Roger was considered an oddity of their kind, displaying no interest in selecting a female partner nor partaking in any mermaidian mating rituals. A few females had tried enticing him to be their mate. However, Roger would ignore their advances and take the opportunity to hunt instead. He would go about catching the nearby prey darting out of their homes, spooked by the large masses of mermaids frolicking with each other in their romantic pursuits. The startled marine wildlife made easy marks for him.

Johannes on the other hand, was different from Roger, and he had wished for a mate of his own. The females never chose him as their partner. They have either sensed his handicap, or chose the bigger males over him. With his poor eyesight, Johannes had trouble both with hunting and foraging for his own meal, which contributed to his small size and leaner frame. A mermaid living in the wild such as him wouldn’t have survived this long, had he not have a pod to help him obtain his food. Johannes was also an agreeable individual, which worked in his favor of joining into new pods or acquiring sustenance from other mermaids.

It was one late July when Johannes chanced upon the lone Roger looking for his meal hiding under silt. Mating season was ending, and yet an impressive-looking male such as Roger not having a mate like him? It stirred up quite the interest in him, and Johannes decided to leave his pod and befriend the solitary male. Mermaids have often traveled in groups, and survival in the wilderness of the ocean is always better with an ally. Roger would acquire most of the food for the two of them, while Johannes manipulated their meal in a way to make it easier for them to eat. The pinching claws, sharp spikes and rock-hard shells of their prey never stood a chance against the unique pair of scale-clad hands Johannes possessed.

Over many years, the pair had developed a strong bond between each other. The two mermaids have survived through the many obstacles the sea had presented such as harsh currents that almost swept them away, maelstroms, icy-cold waters of the north and south, and boiling-hot waters caused by submerged underwater volcanoes. And there was also the danger from predators, ranging from the vicious hunger of large seals and sharks to the unpredictable humans themselves. Roger still carried a scar on his left cheek and ear when a cecaelian had attacked him. They’ve also gone through times of plenty, living on the bounty of what the ocean has provided for its inhabitants. And through many years of being together, they have seen the beautiful dancing lights of the cold waters of the north, the lush colorful reefs of the pacific, human weddings and celebrations by the beach, and the billions of twinkling stars above them, painted over the night sky. Their relationship had evolved from simple companionship, to permanent mateship.

Humans have often argued whether mermaids are an evolved species of dolphin or shark, or that mermaids and humans had a common ancestor dating back millions of years ago. They have, however, considered mermaids as an animal with a human-like upper torso and a lower body of a fish. Wild mermaids have attacked humans before when they have strayed too close to them or have invaded their territories. Roger stayed true to this trait, being wary of humans swimming near him, and sees them nothing more as dangerous land creatures capable of swimming and manipulating metallic behemoths. Johannes did not share his mate’s displeasure against humans. On the contrary, the finless, two-tailed walking mermaids were fascinating to him. His blind state was no hindrance to his curiosity. He would often hide under piers or linger in shores near human settlements, observing how the land creatures would go about in their everyday lives at a safe distance.

In his juvenile years, Johannes had once dragged a small child who had strayed too far from her own family down into the depths of the ocean. In his playfulness, he would have drowned her had he not noticed that the young creature was panicking, thrashing about and clawing for the surface. Johannes then assumed that these creatures could breathe underwater like him, and in the discovery of the child’s distress, he immediately pushed the child back towards the surface and left her gasping for air on the shore where he first found her.

-

Noon. Another new day.

Roger decided to take Johannes along with him in hunting down some schools of migrating salmon, which were abundant at this time of the year and would be out at sea gorging on small fishes. It was best to take his mate along and dine at where they were, as there was always the danger of sharks following him into their hidden cove once they caught on the scent of his catch’s blood.

Agile, young salmon that had journeyed from a nearby river tested Roger’s speed and dexterity, as they kept slipping right out of his hands. With Roger busy chasing after the speedy salmons, Johannes made use of his time instead on acquiring slower-moving prey such as lobsters and clams.

A swift blow on the crustacean’s head from his scalpel-sharp claws was all it took to euthanize the lobster. A good, large-sized beauty at that, it would make a perfect meal for brunch. As Johannes grabbed his prize, a silhouette of an encroaching boat suddenly loomed over him. It moved silently above the water, save for the voices of humans boarded on it. Perhaps it was a “Watcher” boat? He had met multiple Watcher boats before. From years of experience, he knew that these slow, silent-moving boats carried friendly humans that would come in from the mainland and watched them, specifically in the seasons when different pods of mermaids had recently migrated in from the cold waters. “Fisher” boats on the other hand were louder, much more destructive and dangerous to their kind. These human vessels threw ensnaring nets out to sea, and would sometimes run over any creature unfortunate enough to get in their way. But a Watcher boat in this season? Pods of mermaids would have already traveled back to their territories, carrying their young with them or accompanied by their new mates.With his curiosity getting the better of him, Johannes wedged his lobster in a piece of rock coral to prevent any opportunistic thief stealing their meal, and swam towards the surface.

With his head emerging above water, he could see the blurred figures of the humans on the boat walking onboard. A large stocky human, a short stout human and lean skinny human were all arguing with each other in their alien language. By the tone of their voices, they sounded very frustrated. The largest man in the group was shouting at his two smaller companions.

Johannes decided that it would be best that he’d leave these unpleasant folks be, and as he was diving back down into the water, a large net was thrown right on top of him. The weight of the net dragged him down towards the sea bed, trapping him against the floor of rocks and sand. Immediately he started to panic, clawing and chewing at the thick ropes that held him down. A sound of a water splash from above, and the skinny human from the boat swam towards him and started to do some work on the net. When the human had finally finished managing the net, he tugged on a large piece of rope and Johannes found himself being hauled up towards the surface and into the boat.

-

Another salmon had escaped yet again from his hands. Roger was starting to get miffed at the elusive young fish, and decided to pursue another kind of prey instead. Maybe his mate had better luck than him with some crustaceans. Swimming back to where he had left Johannes, he immediately noticed a dead lobster sticking out from some rock coral. Upon closer inspection, the lobster appeared to be forcefully wedged into it. He also noticed the sand floor and stones surrounding the rock coral disturbed. Roger tried to figure out what had caused all this. Plucking the dead lobster from the rock coral, he traced his fingers all over its shell, seeing a deep groove running down its head. It was recognizably his mate’s handiwork.

-

The skinny man gasped for air as soon as he surfaced from the water and climbed back on deck. He sat down, removing the fins off his feet as the larger man pulled the struggling mermaid out of the water and dragged it away.

“Whew, count on Virgil to spot a ‘maid. Lucky for us that there’s one of them out here!” the skinny man huffed as he yanked the other fin off his feet.

“That’s because you fools wouldn’t shut up even for one minute to notice one of ‘em bobbing up to the surface!”

The largest man in the crew was busy handling the mermaid, whom had started to wail while thrashing inside the net in an effort to free itself. He used his knee to immobilize the tail fluke and, with his bare hands, grabbed the mermaid by the nape of its neck and pinned him down against the hard, metal floor.

“Fred! Get your fat ass over here and tie him up would you? We don’t want coast guards hearing all the noise it’s making!” he hollered, which sent the stout man running to grab the restraints and binding the creature’s arms and mouth.

“Ross! Head back to mainland.” the large man ordered.

“Right boss.” their helmsman obediently replied, turning the engine back on and started steering the boat towards their destination.

Johannes’ distressed cries pierced through the waters, echoing off the rocks and corals strewn throughout the seabed. It was shortly followed by the deafening roar of what could only be a boat’s engine, motors pulsating and its propellers whirring away. Alarmed, Roger began looking around to pinpoint where the noise was coming from and saw a deep blue-colored boat speeding away from the area. Immediately he began his pursuit after the vehicle.

Chapter Text

Cold, flat, slippery floors. The unmistakable  stench of fish blood in the air. Rubber boots squeaked against the ceramic tiles, and voices resonated throughout the dimly-lit, hollow chamber. Blindfolded and arms bound together, Johannes couldn’t tell where he was. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage.

Out of nowhere cold water was splashed on him, making him shriek.

       “So what are we gonna do with ‘im boss? Are we gonna sell ‘im as a breeder?” a jittery, male voice spoke.

       “Nah, too skinny  for breeding. All he’d produce are runts,” boomed another voice, whom probably belonged from the large man.

Johannes began to wail again and slapped his tail against the floor a few times.

       “SHUT IT!” the large man’s voice thundered throughout the dingy little room, immediately making him cease his distressed cries.

       “Put the gag back on him would ya, Fred! Why the hell did you take that off?!”

       “R-r-r-right boss… Sorry.”

Stout hands grabbed him by the face, sharp fingers squeezing his mouth open. Something smooth and bitter was forced between his teeth and he was released, as if his captor feared a bite.

       “What about definning him?” Another human’s voice reverberated in the room. “ Wild ‘maid fins fetch a high price in the chinese market!”

Strong hands immediately fell upon his back and yanked on his dorsal fin as if they were trying to rip it from his spine. He cried through the mouth-gag, beads of tears streaming from his eyes.

       “They won’t pay for this. The fins’ too dark. You know how the chinks like it, they only want bright colors.”

       “I know ‘maids are rare at this time of the year boss, but it’s just too bad that this one’s got some really ugly colors.”

Johannes felt the blindfold being pulled down from his face, and immediately his eyes met the piercing gaze of the large man. Terrifying, and cruel; he was not another living creature to this human, but something to be tormented and used. Johannes whimpered.

       “True. But he’s got some pretty blue eyes on him.” His crooked mouth twisted into a menacing grin. “Call Bea, tell her she has her mermaid.”

-

Sheer winds and heavy rains poured over the Boston Harbor, and every boat on that day had docked themselves for safety from the storm. Roger laid flat against a small island of a boulder, exhausted and cold as the icy raindrops pelted his skin like  bullets.

He had forgone feeding and sleep, searching restlessly for days along the coast, diligently following any and every boat  to seek for signs of his lost mate. Diving into the ocean’s depths would provide safety and shelter, but he ignored his instincts for self-preservation, clinging to the shred of hope Johannes would be out there, somewhere on the surface, calling out for him. Now between the storm and the violent waves, Roger had beached himself on this small perch.

Even as the waves pounded against his flattened form, trying to rip him from the craggy rock, he endured. Most of his energy was spent, but his spirit was unyielding. Johannes was out there, somewhere.

And he will find him.

-

Beatrice was overjoyed when she had gotten the call that her long-awaited mermaid had finally arrived. The elusive animals were hard to come by, and the news had made her happier than a little birthday girl getting her very own pony. In fact, she wouldn’t stop badgering her old friend to rush the mermaid over as soon as they can.

With a loud honk of a car, her shuffling strides alternated with gleeful skips in every couple of steps as she made her way to open the back gates of her home. She wrestled the heavy locks and chains on her gate before swinging the iron bars wide open, letting the pick-up truck through and into her backyard. A few of her animals, all of which were caged and fettered, began to screech and squawk at the large vehicle rumbling in.

       “One mermaid, just like I promised to ya Bea” the large man spoke gruffly, alighting from the pick-up truck and slamming the door shut, which elicited a few more shrieks from the animals.

He pulled off the tarpaulin canvas revealing a large plastic container beneath. Releasing the ropes off the lid, he popped it off to expose a trembling Johannes inside. He was gagged and restrained, arms bound around his tail to prevent him from making any sort noise. His eyes were widened as the two faces stared down upon him, focus switching between them.

       “Awww Cassy, he’s beautiful.” the old woman crooned. Beatrice couldn’t help but immediately reach in and begin petting her new animal.

       “Watch it Bea! I haven’t trimmed him yet!” Casmir barked, trying to yank the old woman’s arm away.

       “Oh hush Cassy he’s all bound up. You worry too much!” Bea tutted, slapping Casmir’s wrist away.

       “This ain’t no pet Bea. It’s still a wild animal and it can bite or claw at you at any time”.

The large man grumbled a few words while stroking his wrist before grabbing a pair of garden pruners from his truck. He freed the mermaid’s arms from the tail and began snipping away at the scalpel-sharp claws. Johannes was beyond terrified to fight against Casmir, for the man was almost three times his size and his scent heavily insinuated of danger.

       “I wish you could’ve gotten me a pretty female mermaid though. He’s kind of dull in color and his fins are way too short, not like those pretty pink and green mermaids I see on the t.v.” Clip! clip! clip! clip!

       “What, this one’s not good enough for ya? Those are the fancy mermaids yer talkin’ about Bea. Only millionaires who got cash to burn could afford one” clip clip!

       “Could you get me one of those then?” Clip clip! clip!

       “For fuck’s sake Bea it’s already hard to…!!!” clip.

Johannes suddenly slapped his tail hard against the side of the truck, causing the whole vehicle to jolt and creak. One of his fingers began to ooze out bright red blood. “Agh look what ya made me do!”. The mermaid continued to twist and roll against Casmir’s grip, and in his impatience he slapped the rowdy creature and shook him violently.

Not wishing to meet any more blows from the man, he obediently tucked his head between his arms.

       “Cassy! Tsk you’re too rough, don’t ruin my mermaid before he even gets the chance to join my zoo” Bea complained, grabbing the crook of Casmir’s arm.

       “Tsk, sorry” he simply replied, pinching the tip of the bleeding finger.

The woman’s lair was crammed with grotesquely-shaped animals, hooting and scrambling in their cages and tanks. Johannes, in all his life, had never seen such land creatures before. Flat faces with piercing eyes. Long thin tails that reminded him of eels and sea snakes. Thin, knobby legs tipped with large, smooth black shells. Narwhal-like horns curled and twisted like an octopus’ tentacle. Claws and teeth sharper than a crab’s and more menacing than a shark’s. There seemed to be many more in there as he had figured it out from the sounds going on around him. Birds were a familiar sight for him, as they have often hovered over and greeted him with caws and screeches, but never before birds such as these with large curved bills and frightening long talons.

Johannes was placed in a large tank that barely had enough room for him to turn his long body around, where the walls were seemingly made of the clearest unbreakable ice, and the waters tasted of bland rainwater. The woman placed a lid right over his prison and scuffled back to her home, sealing his fate.

He fell in dismay and sank at the bottom of the tank, aching for Roger’s presence.

Chapter Text

Beatrice was proudly showing off her brand-new addition to the zoo, and the visitors were as equally excited over the mermaid. Johannes huddled himself in a small corner of his display area, back pressed against the wall and his tail shielding his small framed body from the view. He was peeking through his translucent tail fluke, observing the strange new world around him.

Beatrice’s home was located a few miles away from the Boston sea, remotely hidden and far away from the city, yet close to a few surrounding towns. The “zoo” was a collection of multiple cages and tanks of varying sizes and shapes, held together with cement, high-strength acrylic walls and steel bars. They were all adorned with gaudy decor and sceneries printed on tarpaulin canvases, to add atmosphere to each of her animals’ enclosures.

Johannes’ enclosure was merely a patch of land with a wading pool, surrounded by steel bars and an interweaving netting made of the most durable ropes no creature can chew through. The pool itself was quite shallow, hastily dug up and cemented just in time for his arrival. It barely provided enough water to even cover his whole body, and the water itself was rather bland and tasteless like rainwater. To add the appeal of a seashore, Beatrice had thrown in seashells, dried up starfishes and chunks of dead coral all over the place. It reminded him of unfortunate creatures tragically washed up on shore and left to be baked under the sun. For the final touches of a seaside theme, some nautical paraphernalia of wooden anchors and alike were hung, along with a large tarpaulin canvas depicting a tropical paradise hanging on one side of the enclosure.

The people were enthusiastic about the sea creature, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at him, grabbing their cameras or bouncing on their heels. The locals had only seen mermaids from television sets and media. It was quite a rare and expensive commodity to get a hold of. Beatrice’s zoo offered services, such as taking pictures with the animal in the enclosure, feeding them or touching them, with an extra fee of course.

Sniff sniff sniff. So many new and unknown smells. So many strange and frightening sounds. Towering beings and skewed blurry faces crowded over him and overwhelmed the already bewildered Johannes. There were a multitude of hands reaching for him, petting his head and grabbing his fins, tugging and grabbing at his tail. Some nudged and urged him to move and pose for the camera. It was all too much, the tall creatures were attacking him from all directions! And nowhere to go and hide in. He started to growl and chitter, and clicked his teeth menacingly at the humans, attempting to make it known that he did not want to be treated as such any longer. Yet, it seemed that the tailless beings did not heed his warnings as they were drowned out from noises of excitement. To his surprise, out of nowhere a child had snuck up on him from behind and sat on him, to which he retaliated by striking out and knocking the infant over with a tail-slap.

The child was clearly distraught and screamed, catching the crowd off-guard from their merriment. It made such awful noises, bawling horrendously that Johannes took the chance to retreat into the wading pool. Beatrice immediately went to console the parents and apologize the guests, saying that the animal didn’t mean to harm the child and was simply “playing rough”. Deciding to prevent anymore scandal from happening, she decided to redirect all of her guests away from the scene and yanked the covers down from the walls of the mermaid’s enclosure. Beatrice wasn’t pleased at Johannes’ behaviour.

That evening she expressed her wrath by swatting the mermaid a few times on his rump and side. She screamed and scorned at the mermaid, disciplining him with a wooden stick and yelling harsh words that held no meaning to him. Only pure, chilling anger. Her rage was almost as equally chilling as the large man from before. The ordeal seemed to be over, but Beatrice was not over with her punishment. She dragged the mermaid away to his tank hidden behind the house and left him there without food. For two days he was starved, and by the time Beatrice finally forgave him, he begged for the mercy of the vicious old female and ate ravenously from her hands.

Johannes had learned that in order to survive and avoid Beatrice’s wrath, is that he must never raise a claw and fight back at the humans. He was out of his element and in the humans’ domain. Here, he was powerless and at the mercy of the sun and of his captor. Food can only be found from the hands of humans. Fighting against them would mean the wooden stick striking against his skin later that evening. Pleasing them would provide him a meal. More humans in his enclosure would mean more green leaves and shiny flat stones for Beatrice, and these objects greatly pleased her. He would find more food thrown to him or better quality fish whenever she’s pleased and would hum or sing while walking past his tank.

-

From desperation to downright obsession, Roger was visibly ragged and thinner. It had been a month since his mate was taken away, yet he pursued his quest of seeking Johannes from every ship, every boat, and every vehicle in the Boston Bay. It had gone to the point that unwary boats would be attacked by the mermaid jumping in the deck of the ship and knocking the crewmen off their feet, sometimes falling out to sea. When Roger couldn’t find what he was searching for, he would immediately leap out and disappear into the depths of the ocean. Where did these tailless monsters take Johannes?

He didn’t believe that his mate was dead. He can’t possibly be. The thought had sometimes occured through his mind and horrified him. Mermaids that were taken away by humans will never come back. Stories from those that had survived the slaughter of their pods, from the old to the newborns. All of them were hauled away and shredded with steel claws sharper than any mermaid’s. What greedy creatures! How vast and empty are the stomachs of these accursed creatures, to be needed to be filled by whole families of mermaids?

No, he has to be alive. He can’t be dead!

Roger went on to terrorize the docks of the Boston Harbor. He was strong enough to knock several people over all at once, yet agile enough to escape from attempts of capturing him or breaking their defenses. He was a frightful sight for the humans, sharp teeth bared and dorsal fin shivering. The commotion Roger made had started to get the attention from the residents of Boston Harbor, deeming him dangerous and a menace to fishermen and civilians alike that they had employed nets and guns to bring down the rogue mermaid.

-

For all the people could’ve known, the zoo mermaid was considered tame and harmless. Beatrice made sure of that. Most of the visitors had treated Johannes poorly. For fun, some would grab his tail and pose as if they’ve caught a dangerous animal, or handled him so roughly to the point that some of his scales would come off of him. The deep blue scales were very pretty, as hard and translucent as scallop shells, but as flexible as the human nail. These were eagerly collected by the visitors to take home as trinkets. Johannes considered the rowdy human offsprings as the worst. Often times, the parents would tell the children to sit on him to pose for the camera and the weight they beared down on him was rather uncomfortable. He’d endure all of these painful moments, as for displeasing Beatrice would mean he’d either be beaten with a stick, or left to starve for days.

There were rare occasions, of the kinder species of humans who would gently pet and caress him. The young ones would shyly approach him; offering him morsels and snacks. Adults brushing and grooming him, scratching under his chin or stroking down his neck. He was quite surprised from the gentle touches amongst a barrage of hooked fingers and menacing hands, staring at these beings with disbelief.

When the day was finally over, Beatrice would lead him back to his small tank behind her house. The tank water was bland and foul. Beatrice rarely cleaned his tank, where scraps of rotting fish and nests of algae floated around him. He couldn’t breath under all that fetid water and had to spend his time head above water and resting against the corners of the tank. Even in such foul conditions, this was the only place where he could find solace and peace.

Mermaids are said to be taxonomically different from humans. An evolutionary difference of one creature choosing opportunities land could possibly offer while the other stayed in the blessings of the sea. Even though mermaids are significantly different from humans, they express their grief and sadness in the same way. Johannes was no exception, and he pressed his palms and his forehead on the acrylic walls of his tank.

Tears began to trickle down his cheeks. His throat started to ebb and quiver. His lips trembled, before finally he couldn’t hold his grief and began to wail out in misery. Streams of tears flowed as he pitifully sobbed in isolation. He grieved for the loss of his freedom, of his mate, of his happiness. He continued to wail, gripping on the walls with hands marred with disease. His cries were long, forlorn and sorrowful. They carried through the cold night’s air, haunting those who could have heard it, but was drowned out by the sounds of cars and lively commotion of the nearby town. A stern shout from Beatrice from the back of the house finally stopped his cries.

Somewhere out there, Roger can be heard crying out as well

-

Months slowly dragged on by. Johannes was miserable, and lonely. Lonelier than he had ever felt in his life, than the times where he was chased away from the safety of the pod, forced to wander through the infinite vastness of the ocean blind and alone. His health had deteriorated severely as well. His appearance was terrible. Scales were missing from his piscine-like body, his ribs visible on his sides, and his skin had a bluish tinge. Pain shot through his body in every single movement he makes. He couldn’t breathe properly as well. He didn’t have an appetite. He was often found motionless, save for his effort to keep his head out of the dirty tank water. No matter how threatening Beatrice was with the stick or how loud she barks the mermaid to get out of his tank to go to his display enclosure, he wouldn’t budge. Nobody would want to see a sick despondent mermaid.

The old woman did everything she could. She changed the waters to clean salted water. She pried his mouth open and shoved in pills and tablets. She enticed him to eat with tastier morsels. None worked, and Johannes continued to lay motionless in his tank.

Beatrice had to find someone to treat her mermaid. Fast.

Chapter Text

     “How are you doing today?” hummed an old gentleman adorning a gray lab coat and a cyan medical mask. A face surfaced from the waters of the tank and chirped in response, rubbing itself fondly on the man’s open hand covered with a blue-colored latex glove. “That’s right, in three more days you’ll be back with your pod, so be a good mermaid, hmm?”

Tap. Tap. Tap. Taptap. “Aye for God’s sake Doe stop.”

Tap. Tap. Tap. “Mwehehehe.”

The old gentleman finally turned his attention towards the two other men with him in the room. One of them, officer Tavish Degroot, was a dark-skinned man with a neat and trim haircut along with an extended goatee and donned a navy blue police uniform. The other, named Jane Doe, was a caucasian with a clean-cut military hairstyle, wearing a collared shirt with an embroidered logo and khaki shorts.

Jane Doe continued to tap on the tank which contained a very perplexed mermaid, much to officer Tavish’s embarrassment. Tavish elbowed his friend to make him stop. “So Doc, what’d ye need us for? It’s probably serious with ya needing me here.”

The doctor furrowed his grayish-white eyebrows, a glint of worry across his eyes. “I know... that you are well aware that I had a criminal record, officer Tavish. Of processing mermaids for slaughter, before I retired from that work and was hired here. I thought that aside from me, my friends had retired from that industry as well but yesterday…”

Tap tap tap tap.

Now Tavish finally had enough. “JANE WUT DID I TE…”

But in his surprise, it was now the mermaid tapping back to Jane. The old doctor smiled in amusement before continuing the conversation between him and the officer.

     “Yesterday, my old team mate Beatrice had finally gotten herself a mermaid. From what she had told me through the phone, it’s doing very poorly. For now I have told her to give it some nutrition and maybe an antibiotic but…”

     “So in short, ya want us to go get it?”

     “To be frank, yes. And as soon as possible, because it will not survive under her care.”

Tap-tap TAP taptap tippy-tap TAPTAPTAP TAP tap tap TAP tap . The man and the mermaid were now endlessly tapping on the walls of the tank, trying to see which of them would win the tapping war.

-

     “I TRAVELLED HUNDREDS OF MILES FOR YOU TO FINALLY GET WHAT YOU WANT, AND YOU TELL ME YOUR ‘MAID IS DEAD?!” Casmir hollered. His face was red as a tomato, and the vessels on his neck pulsated from tension. A flutter of wings from frightened birds resounded through the surrounding forest as they took off. All of Beatrice’s animals fell silent.

     “HUSH CASSY, I said he’s sick, NOT dead!”

Beatrice watched her disgruntled team mate pacing angrily beside her mermaid’s tank, leaving footprints behind as he trampled the dirt beneath his feet.

     “IT MIGHT AS DAMN WELL BE DEAD! All that fucking trouble to get you this fish!”

     “Calm down, you old coot, I’m j’st asking you if you can make him better again.”

     “Hnghhh… I only know how to hunt and sell ‘em.”

Casmir stopped in his tracks and glanced at the mermaid in its tank. Johannes was still floating motionless in his tank, more dead than alive. He sighed bruskly through his nose, attempting to calm himself from all the mess he’s seeing. He reached in, yanked the creature out by the arm and tail and with one swift motion, he dropped the mermaid abruptly on a nearby table Beatrice had placed beforehand.

Johannes peered through half-lidded eyes at the familiar, imposing figure before him. He remembers him terribly well. The monster was much worse in fury and brute strength compared to the elderly female. His instinct steered him to shield himself from the large human, arms and tail shivering in an effort to do so. Casmir, ignoring his pitiful attempt, simply pinned him down by the neck. Those familiar calloused fingers that bore no claws went around his neck once again. Terrible, terrible memories of this man flooded in his mind, filling him with so much dread that he was paralyzed on the table. His arms were restrained above his head, and the rest of his body was tied down with thick ropes. He felt so vulnerable having his front exposed and unprotected from his oppressor.

Casmir proceeded to prod and palpate the arms of the mermaid, abdomen and tail. They were considerably thin, with bones protruding through what should be muscle and fat in place. Its skin was unsightly as well, a hue of sickly gray and blue instead of a healthy pink. He studied his own hands, noticing that a few slimy scuffed blue scales that had clung to his skin. Beatrice wasn’t exactly an animal person, or even an anything-that’s-alive person. She was better at dispatching and slaughtering beasts than nurturing for even a simple potted plant.

     “Hmph, it’s pretty skinny and by the looks of it, it’s gunna kick the bucket sometime soon,” Casmir concluded, while he flicked the scales off from his hands.

Beatrice was disappointed to hear his prognosis. An idea went up in the old woman’s mind, and she smoothly made her way around Casmir, petting his hair and stroking his back. “Well Cassy, what if you got me a prettier mermaid, and I’ll give you the wolf cub in the square cage that you’ve been eyeing?” her words seemed to have sparked an interest in him as he raised an eyebrow.

     “I… suppose. It’s a breeding season ‘bout now so there’s plenty of ‘maids to catch,” he mumbled, removing the remaining scales off his hands.

He whirled around, pointing and shaking his finger at Beatrice.

     “BUT THIS TIME, YOU make sure you won’t let it go like this one, you hear me? I ain’t gonna catch another one for you if you let the next one die!” he admonished.

     “Cross my beating goody heart,” the old woman purred, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Casmir grumbled, rubbing the spitty kiss mark off his cheek and gave out long sigh. Only Beatrice could push him around like this. Of all of the people on his team, he was fond of her the most. She matched his same sense of brutality and bloodthirst, and in a way, she was exceptionally skilled in her speciality. If anyone else other than Beatrice committed the same nuisances to him, he would’ve strangled them on the spot.

Casmir took a quick glance at the mermaid once again, who was now gasping from being placed in such an awkward belly-up position, before he went to his rusty pick-up truck. He hauled out a large khaki-colored canvas bag from a hidden storage compartment. From it, he produced a small club, an assortment of knives and a whetstone.

     “Figures we might as well make something out of him, and you could use some of it to feed yer creatures.”

His calloused fingers skimmed above the rows of knives that were of varying sizes and shapes, before picking out a medium-sized knife with a tapering curved edge and a pointed tip. This one was perfect for the job. The knife was designed for cutting up large fishes such as swordfish, young tuna, or an undersized adult mermaid. Equipped with a flexible blade that could bend without breaking, it could glide between meat and bone with relative ease. He sharpened it against the whetstone. 5 strokes, back and forth it went. Click-click-click . Once satisfied, he tested it on a piece of paper and it sliced the material easily into two neat sheets.

Beatrice watched Casmir’s movements and was equally pleased of the knife’s sharpness. Her eyes then wandered towards a familiar blunt object amongst the tools laid out. She was absolutely delighted, taking the club from the selection of knives and letting it roll in her hands, feeling its weight. “Oh Cassy how I’ve missed this club!” she gleefully spoke, reminiscing of her days back with the hunting team. It was a rather special weapon to her, as she was the one who often put it to use. From every dent and notch on it, Beatrice could recall precisely the animal that had met its gruesome end.

Casmir was already on the mermaid, one hand angling Johannes’ head to expose his neck and the other positioning the blade parallel to the side of its neck.

     “It ain’t gonna put up a fight, we don’t need the club. Too bad though, our old doc might’ve been able to put him right back to shape but he’s working in some fancy zoo now.”

A chill went down Johannes’ spine as he felt the sharp, cold object on his neck. He knew too well what these familiar instruments could do, seeing the human fish hunters use it to carve and break apart water folk like him into pieces. He whimpered, panicked. In an effort to try and save himself, he struggled under the firm grip that was held on to his jaw.

     “Ol’ Sci? I called him a week ago, and all he said was…”

     “You WHAT?!” Casmir choked, almost dropping the knife in his hand.

     “BEA, HE MIGHT’VE ALREADY CALLED THE FUCKING COPS ON YA Y’OLD FOOL.”

     “Well my mermaid’s dying! What’d else could’ve been done?”

The old man relinquished his hold on the mermaid. “ Alright ! Alright... Change of plans” Casmir muttered, seemingly agitated. He did the math in his head. Within a week this woman had babbled to his old colleague, who had left their team and had since sided against them and their business, there was a likely chance the cops were on their way to take Bea back to prison. He might as well leave now with the mermaid and dispose it somewhere else to avoid leaving any evidence.

Casmir opened his canvas bag and hastily tossed its contents back in. He then retrieved something else from inside, a gag and some ropes of his own. He turned back to face the mermaid and fumbled with the restraints. Finally freeing it from table, he proceeded to pry the mermaid’s mouth open for the gag and bound its hands together with the ropes. He then hauled the miserable creature off towards the back of his vehicle.

Inside the box of his pick-up truck was a couple of heavy duty industrial hooks, chains, a blue toolbox and a very large box made of sturdy styrofoam. The box will have to do, he mused to himself. Casmir chucked a couple of handfuls of ice from it, leaving some of it just in case the hot weather kills the mermaid prematurely. Having no oxygen could lead to that as well, so he punched in a couple of air holes with a knife. He finally placed Johannes inside and closed the lid, sealing it with mounds of tape. Casmir was in such a great hurry to get himself and the mermaid out of there, that he didn’t bother to secure the box down with chains. He threw the canvas bag in his pick-up, hopped aboard, slammed the door shut with a bang and looked back to the old woman.

     “If I kill it now, he’ll just start to smell on-road and someone might find out. I’ll bring you a new one when I can. For now, get rid of all its stuff ‘n cover up the tracks you hear me?”.

     “Ugh, fine then. I just put up that new fake coconut tree too! Well, you be careful out there then, Cassy.”

Beatrice coyly wiggled her fingers at Casmir and watched him drive off her property, leaving a cloud of dust.

-

Miles of numerous tall, lush, evergreen and deciduous trees lined by the long winding asphalted road. An occasional house or two would be found interspersed amongst the woods. From a distance, a single SUV police cruiser careened through it, making sharp turns at an alarming speed.

     “BLOODY HELL JANE, WATCH THE ROAD!” Tavish screeched as his companion drove haphazardly.

He grasped on to his seat with one hand, and a road map on his other hand. The paper crumpled in his grip from the sheer terror he faced. The two men were in the middle of Shutesbury, or as Doe enthusiastically shouted, “in the middle of the great boondocks of America.”

     “I KNOW EVERY ROAD AMERICA HAS EVER HAD, EVEN ROADS THAT SHOULDN’T BE HERE, I WILL TAKE IT!”

     “Ya bleeding idiot! WE’RE SUPPOSED to be in THIS part of Massachusetts, and ya took the wrong turn at the intersection 4 hours ago!”

Tavish regretted letting Jane Doe charm his way into taking the wheel. It was the man’s oddly natural charisma and sheer dumb luck that got him into situations that turned to his favor. Aside from “Jane”, people have also given him the nickname “Soldier”, much to Doe’s delight as he had always wanted to be one. He was in fact, not an actual soldier serving the military. One reason why he had been fondly called so is that he often sported a clean-cut military hairstyle, and a loud barking voice reminiscent of sergeants and generals from movies and tv-shows. No one could ever say “no” to soldier. God have mercy on humanity, that if he ever was a car salesman, there would be no cars left for sale. Why did the army reject him? No one knows. No one dared to ask. Tavish however, did consider asking Jane to join the police force, with some proper training first.

How he wished Jane had had proper driving lessons as well.

Tavish’ face was turning green and was close to passing out on his seat. He would have lost his consciousness already if not for the grave realization that Doe was driving his vehicle. The terrible situation he was in was what kept him wide awake and alert.  “I’m gettin’ car sick ‘cuz of you, slow down for God’s sake!”. He gulped down the breakfast that was coming up from his stomach and looked at the map again.

     “Jane, you’ve never even BEEN in this area! How do you even know we’re going to the right place? Lad, let me take the wheel!”

     “I just got a good feelin’ about where we’re going! In fact I can go there with my eyes closed!”

     “Jane. No. Just… JANE! JANE THERE’S A-!”

It all happened so fast. There was the sound of a blaring horn, the screeching of rubber against road, and metal grating and crunching. Tavish laid on his seat dazed, but slowly he came back to reality. It took him a few moments to register what had occured. Deciding to work on releasing himself from his seatbelt, he jiggled with the lock of his seat belt when all of the sudden, the passenger door creaked opened beside him. His gaze met Jane’s ever lively face.

     “Now THIS is a sturdy vehicle! Not like that guy’s shabby non-american pick-up truck!” he bellowed, making Tavish’ ears ring.

Tavish finally snapped into full alert, and felt for the bruises on his arm and on his belly from where the seat belt had held him down in place. He assessed the situation before him. A blue rusty pick-up truck, with its grill dangling in the air and steam dissipating from the hood.

     “Jane… That’s a chevrolet.”

     “Hah! Flimsy french cars!”

     “Jane, chevrolet’s american.”

     “A french american?”

     “Oh for the love of...” Tavish groaned, and out of the blue a raccoon darted out from a nearby shrub. Without a second thought, his partner immediately ran after the critter. “Jane? JANE?! Come back here! Augh, forget it” lamented the man.

He freed himself from his seat and stood out of his car, studying the wreckages before him. Thankfully, both vehicles were off the asphalt road and away from the danger of colliding with another vehicle. His SUV was damaged in the front. It doesn’t seem too severe and may be still able to run, Tavish thought. They have missed an oak tree by a few feet too, but the other vehicle wasn’t as lucky as them. The unfortunate pick-up truck was embedded to the side of a large spruce tree. First things first , he should check if the driver of the other vehicle was alright.

     “SON OF A BITCH!” the driver inside the blue pick-up truck roared.

The door on the driver side’s pick-up flung open, and out of it an enormous exasperated man with graying hair emerged forth, furiously cursing. He was of a frightful size, about 2 heads taller than him. Though he appeared to be decades older, he was particularly muscular in built and seemed likely could easily lift a cow . For a moment, the man seemed bewildered at the officer in uniform. His face was aghast. He grimaced, and immediately charged towards him. Before Tavish could react, the man swung at him. With years of training and dealing with hostiles, he managed to dodge the punch as it missed its mark. “SIR! CALM YOURSELF!” Tavish blurted out, staggering backwards.

Tavish’s words fell on deaf ears as the man was in a blind rage and continued to pursue him, swinging one punch after another. Tavish sternly warned him again, reaching for his breast pocket.

     “Sir! If ya don’t calm down I will use force!”

Before the man could pull off another punch, Tavish plucked the mace out of his breast pocket and released its contents, directly to their face. It succeeded, stopping the person in his course as he started to gag and cough. Tavish ran straight to him, using his elbow to ram onto man’s chest, and tackled him to the ground in an effort to subdue the frenzied man. Though blinded from the mace attack, the man seized him and the two men wrestled on the ground.

He was ferociously powerful. It felt as if an enraged bear was upon him and soon, he overpowered Tavish. The officer could only hang on him for dear life. Snarling like a mad beast, the man then proceeded to pound his burly fists on Tavish’s ribs, knocking the wind clear out of him. He felt fingers hooking onto his uniform, while another hand crushed his arm. He was losing the fight.

Tavish felt the man wrenching his arm, prying it off when out of nowhere, a family of raccoons swarmed over the both of them. With this unexpected predicament, both men released their holds against each other to try removing the critters off them.

     “GET OFF OF ME!” the large man yelled, yanking the animals off him by the tail.

Tavish heard another yell, “AAAGH!!!” followed by Jane coming out of nowhere to punch the man squarely on the temple. An audible whack where knuckle meet skull, and the man went down with a thundering thud. He was out cold.

     “JANE! JANE YA SAVED ME NECK YA DID!” Tavish cheered, relieved that his companion was back and in the nick of time too. Jane on the other hand, looked very angry.

     “Jane relax, I’ve dealt worse bef-”

     “WHERE IS IT?!”

     “I’m sorry?”

     “THAT ONE RACCOON ON THAT HIPPIE’S FACE THAT GOT IN THE WAY!”

     “... I don’t understand you, Doe.”

     “IT STOLE MY LAST BAR OF MRE!”

Tavish stood silently by his friend. He patted Jane on the shoulder and sighed. “Aye… Well done, I suppose.”

-

His eyes flew open as he felt the world around him shake. A familiar voice vibrated through the air, followed by sounds of heated shouting and struggling. Johannes could smell a lot of fresh air. He noticed it coming from a crevice in a wall where the light shone through. His head throbbed, joints screamed in pain, muscles that quivered from lack of nourishment. His body begged for rest, for comfort, but he was so close to freedom! This was a chance of escape!

Johannes tried to tear through the hole with his dull claws, scratching bits and pieces of white foam out. He found this method inefficient, crippled from his claws being clipped off for months. He made another attempt by trying to smash on the lid above him. He stretched, angling himself upwards, using his head and spine to push through the material. He dug his claws on the walls beside him for leverage. Crrrreaaak! He could hear the box giving away. Just a little more! He pushed and shoved with what little strength he had left, like a chick breaking free from its shell.

     Break! Please let me go!

He finally felt the lid give way and the box bursted open. The harsh sunlight poured in, and he landed on the hot metal flooring. Agh! How it burned his skin! He screamed and lunged himself all over the sides of the pick-up’s box. Clack clack click clack! His claws frantically scratching for freedom and he managed to hurl himself off and out of the pick-up truck, landing on the ground beneath.

The burns on his body stung, but he was finally free! His instinct told him that the next thing he needed to do was to get back to water. Exerting himself with great effort, he dragged himself towards the shadows of the woods. Trembling, one hand after another, inch by inch. Agony, sheer agony with every movement. Scales stolen by the rocks beneath him.

The very essence of a wild animal strongly resonated inside him, with generations of his species throwing themselves to the riptides of the ocean for a millenia, but his body could take it no more, and it betrayed him.

He tried to move once again, but no matter what he commanded his body to do, it refused. His body would only shiver in response.

He was weak, tired. Burnt, bruised, starving, and especially thirsty. This was his limit.

He was a fish out of water and he was about to die as one.

-

     “Aye… Doe, thank God you managed to knock him out. I’m gonna take this all down for now, and radio the lads for a report. You better say goodbye to your raccoon friends alright? And uh, we’ll get ya a new candy bar.”

Tavish was quite out of breath from dragging the unconscious large man into the containment box of his SUV. He was pretty bruised up as well from the earlier scuffle. He wondered if he fractured a rib, as he felt a little twinge of pain on his chest every time he takes a breath.

What went on with that man’s head? A case of extreme road rage? Or was it something else. Did they react to him in uniform, hence the assault? He dwelled on his thoughts, pulling out a notebook from his pocket to jot down some notes. Tavish went on to check on the felon’s vehicle, writing down the license plate number. He took his radio phone call in his department but then, he noticed his companion looking at something a few feet away from the car, obviously distressed.

     “Oh noooo this is horrible, the most abominable thing that had happened in the history of mankind! I’m…!” he cried out, holding his mouth and gagging his vomit down.

     “What Jane, what is it?! Speak to me!” Tavish anxiously exclaimed.

     “They have sawed a man in half and sewn together human and fish to create a freak show!” he finally sputtered out, grieving over the creature’s fate.

Tavish couldn’t believe his ears and smacked his hand against his face in disbelief.

     “Jane, that’s a mermaid.”

     “ Oh ... It is?”

     “Jane you… you… you literally work in a place full o’ mermaids, lad.”

Johannes could see shadows aside from the trees above him approaching, before two figures towered before him. He began to hiss weakly at them. Another footstep towards him. He bared his fangs and clicked his teeth, while intermittently caterwauling pained cries in a final effort to warn the beings to stay away and just leave him be.

A trail of glittering scales lined a path to where the mermaid laid. What a sorry sight, Tavish thought to himself. Maybe the luck would have it, that this is the very mermaid the doctor spoke of, but it looked much much worse than what he had imagined. Beneath the dirt and foliage, the poor creature’s skin was a sickly tinge of blue. Its ghastly crooked emaciated body shivered by the roadside. The fins were tattered and rotting as well, matching the fallen leaves surrounding him.

     “Jane, can I borrow ye shirt?” Tavish solicited, gesturing for his garment as to which Jane handed it over without question. He watched both the officer and the mermaid with great interest. Tavish crouched down as close to the ground as he can, with the shirt in his hands. The mermaid continued to clatter his teeth together but then, the officer began to click his tongue and softly whistled a tune.

“I’m a friend, I don’t hurt, I’m a friend,” was what an astounded Johannes had clearly heard from the human, in his own tongue! What trickery is this? He was though, exhausted beyond measure and his body was in so much pain. There was only so little of what’s left in him that was keeping him alive, and he yielded to what fate had brought him to.

Slowly, Tavish placed the shirt over the mermaid’s eyes. There was complete silence, save for Johannes’ raspy dry breaths. The officer cautiously scooted closer to the mermaid, kneeling beside him and stroking his bony arm. Johannes shuddered for a moment, startled from the contact, but continued to lay motionless on the ground. “That’s a good ‘maid. Aye Doe! Help me out here” Tavish shouted, gesturing his partner to come over as he secured the shirt loosely to Johannes’ head which acted as a makeshift blindfold. He and Jane then carefully lifted the mermaid together and carried it towards the car, whistling the particular tune along the way.

     “Now that’s some mermaid whispering! How did you learn to talk to it?” Jane cheerfully exclaimed, continuing to dutifully carry the tail part of the mermaid.

     “Well, when I was a wee lad, I used to live near Loch Awe and there were a lot of lochmaids there. I learned a bit of their language the more I spent my time with them.”

     “You NEED to teach me the language of the mermaids Tav!”

Tavish looked at his partner, raising an eyebrow while carefully placing Johannes down at the back of the vehicle.

     “Oh? I thought ya hate learning foreign languages?”

     “MERMAIDS ARE AMERICAN AND MERMAID LANGUAGE IS JUST WATER AMERICAN LANGUAGE.”

The officer shook his head, though amused at the string of words his partner had just blurted out and he broke out a smile.

     “Okay well, one of these days I’ll teach ya, but first things first. Jane you’re gonna stay here and keep an eye on him while I’m driving. Make sure he doesn’t die on us, yeah? I’m sure you got some training on what to do with mermaids.”

     Jane immediately clicked his heels together and saluted. “Keep them as moist as grandma’s apple pie, stay away from their teeth and cover your ears when they sing.”

     “Correct. Erm, except the last one. They’re not sirens that can really hypnotize ya.”

     “TAV YOU NEVER WANT TO HEAR A MERMAID SINGING, THEY WILL TAKE YOUR VERY SOUL BY CLAWING IT OUT OF YOUR THROAT.”

Jane climbed in, careful to not disturb the mermaid, and Tavish covered the rest of its body with some sheets of fabric. He retrieved a bottle of water from one of the cupholders on his vehicle and doused the mermaid with it, drenching the cloth completely with water. He handed the half-full bottle to Jane, before shutting the hatch of his car. Tavish tuned in again to his radio phone to report everything that had happened and to send in someone to retrieve the blue pick-up truck.

One final check over everything. The man was still cuffed inside the containment box and safely restrained, but still unconscious. Jane was pinching the fabric covering the mermaid, making sure it was still moist. Tavish hopped into the driver seat and sped away.

It was going to be a long journey back to the doctor, and he hoped the mermaid would make it.

Mission accomplished.

Somewhere along the road Johannes shifted his body in his sleep, and started to sing softly in his dreams. Jane’s let out a blood-curdling scream, causing Tavish to barely miss a road sign.

Chapter Text

It had become inevitable, that for each time he passes out would the world drastically change either for the better or worse. He took in a deep breath, feeling a little hopeful that it won't be the latter this time. Ever since the two humans rescued him from Casmir, Johannes had no clue how much time had passed. 

As he adjusted to his new surroundings, the hazy memories of how he ended up here were slowly coming back. 

A painful prick on his tail. Rubber-gloved fingers that raked themselves across his body. Murmurs and panicked voices erupting forth from the tail-less mermaids, like waves crashing on the shore. Even while barely holding onto consciousness, all those new sights, sensations and sounds had left him quite frightened. He couldn't discern the rest of his memories, as if dreams and reality were tightly interwoven together.

He licked the insides of his mouth, tasting how bitter and sticky it was. 

Johannes then decided on towards investigating the confines of his new home. He moved his head high and low, taking a couple of sniffs here and there. Everything around him was too uniform in color and appearance, hence, he would have to make up from his poor eyesight with the sense of smell and touch. Running both his hands over the surrounding opalescent walls, which were unnaturally smooth and flat, he could get a rough idea on how narrow this place actually was. It may even be smaller and shallower than Beatrice's seclusion tank! Though perhaps not as roomy, conditions-wise it was quite pleasant. A stark contrast to the old one. The water tasted fresh and clean, it didn't chill him, it didn't make his gills burn, and the padded floor beneath his worn body was soft and comfortable to lie on. Way above him was open air, and further outside, was a roof. At this point, he made a guess that he was housed within a human building. 

Perhaps! He could try and make an escape, as no restraints were holding him down this time. 

By the tip of his frayed tail, Johannes made an effort to stretch himself out as much as he could. He pushed himself up against the walls, scrambling to get a grip with those dulled-out claws, until he managed to go for the ledge. To his great surprise, his scaly hands merely bounced off the glass door. Damn the humans' never-melting ice! He found himself slipping down and falling flat on his chest. Though stunned, the mermaid was unharmed from the endeavor. How fortunate the floor-padding had cushioning his fall.  Seeing no other way out, Johannes could only let out a frustrated whine. Months of mistreatment have left him in such a deplorable state, that it was just not enough to break out of this solid tank.

A little soon afterwards, he could hear the sounds of shoed-feet squeaking towards him. He lifted his head as a face appeared above, looking down on him. 

     “Oh! Feller's finally awake! Carl, Carl wait wait, Carl hand me one of those.”

The glass roof slid open, and from it descended a thickly-gloved hand, object in its grip. Johannes could barely identify what it was, but it was unmistakably tube-shaped… Is it a mouth gag? Visions of his recent trauma made him let out a terrified squeak. He hurried to the furthest point of this small enclosure, and squeezed himself against the corner.

     No! No no no not again!

He had enough of those wretched things being forced between his jaws.

Enraged by the object, Johannes' posture shifted to an aggressive-defensive stance. Dorsal fins flared, shoulders hunched, and those sharp teeth in plain view. He snarled and clicked his teeth as the hand slowly approached. Again, how noncompliant humans were towards his warnings! He could see the red in his eyes, and in his fury, he made a rather clumsy lunge towards the hand. Those pointed teeth managed to clamp tightly around one end of the tube, and he would not let go to prove his point.

For a moment the hand jolted in response to the mermaid's sudden wrath, but patiently it stayed in place, while Johannes continued to grind through the plastic shaft.  I will destroy object! You will not gag me again! He growled between his teeth.  While lost in the onslaught of his attack, something came out of the tube.  Surprised, the mermaid released his hold, coughing and sputtering at the sudden intrusion of viscous foreign matter. Huffing, and with a mixture of drool and mash oozing down from his lips, he stood still.

What did they just fill his mouth with?? It tasted… Delicious! Very delicious! Unmistakable fatty fish, sweet clam meat, savory seaweed, and many other good things mixed in. 

     “I gotta admit, 'thought you weren't gonna make it! Wild ones sure put up a fight huh?” The hand's owner gleefully spoke.

     “You want more? C'mere and have some more.” The hand beckoned.  

Though having second thoughts with the offer, Johannes' stomach growled ferociously as he gazed back on the feeding tube. Who could pass off such a treat? His whole body was practically begging for nourishment. Scooting back towards it, he placed his mouth back on the tube again and finished off the remaining meal.

     “Now that's some good appetite you've got!”

-

This new life doesn't seem any different as the one he spent with Beatrice. He was still confined to such a small amount of space. Although, the treatment he received here was different. He was fed, groomed, and well-cared for. The humans-clothed-in-green would tend to his needs, and in their whimsical language they would softly converse with him, albeit he understood nothing.

It may be a rather dull life, but he welcomed this necessary peace as he recovers. No more pushy humans throwing themselves on him. No more tugging and rough handling, no more freezing nights, and no more punishments from horrendous Beatrice.

Well, it was not exactly what he'd consider as a paradise. Johannes didn't like the needles the humans pricked him with. The sudden jab of pain would often elicit a yelp out of him, though the procedure itself was brief. Aside from the needles, there was the unusual long tube stubbornly embedded on his tail. It was rather uncomfortable, and he could never yank it off. The object was firmly secured by a thick layer of sticky gauze, which not even his claws could get into. This translucent tube was connected all the way towards a box-like object just on the outside of his home. He would see his visitors playing with it, causing it to softly beep and click in a peculiar melody of its own. Different attempts towards the nuisance tube's removal proved ineffective, and so it stayed. Much to his displeasure. 

And in here, there was another something else that was shared from his former situation. Loneliness. No matter how warmly these humans have treated him, it just didn't feel the same as being with his own kind. His view was limited to only the great hole above him, and it can get unnervingly quiet. Although, there were some times his mind seemed to betray him. He could've sworn to hear haunting sounds of whimpers and cries each night. 

In his lonesome, Johannes would reminisce often about the brightly-colored days with his mate again. Memories warming him from the inside, of days in adventure and close calls. Of quiet moments where they would lay close to each other, while the rains drizzled over their tired bodies. Of being free, where he would fearlessly speed through the ocean, as his mate being right next to him, serving as his eyes.  Was Roger still out there? Is he doing well? Does he miss him, as much as he misses him? And will they ever meet again? He tried to stifle down some of his tears, wiping it off with his arm, and tucked himself off to sleep.

-

A familiar scent, along with a familiar voice.

     “I'm just here to get some pictures for our little mermaid case. Is the doc around?"

Johannes opened his eyes and shifted his head towards the window above.

     "Agh... I've been trying to get this guy behind bars for a long time, but… Well, he’s got the friends to get himself out every time. By the way, how’s he doing?”

     “Oh, well he’s just right over here.”

With the footsteps coming closer, Johannes propped himself up to get a better look.

     “Hi there laddie!" Officer Tavish smiled. "You’re looking a better shade of pink now than when we last saw you!”

Johannes went on to greet him with soft chuffs and happy whimpers. His tail wagged in such a frenzy that it churned the waters inside his enclosure. Splashing a little bit of it on the officer's face. Though the time they've spent together was brief, he was nonetheless thrilled to see Tavish looking down on him.

     Hello friend! I am happy to see you!

Tavish reached out to let the mermaid rub its cheek on him. And in turn, he couldn't help but gush over how cute it was acting around him, petting its head while cooing softly. "Steady now boy-o! Steady! Haha!" He chuckled. In the end he had to stop playing around, as the exhausted mermaid flopped down on its side from overexcitement.

He produced a camera out of his bag, proceeding to the job he came here to do. Popping the lens cover off and making sure the flash was off, he began taking a few photos of his rescue. It would've been easier if it stayed still for a moment, but this was a much more pleasant sight than the sorry state it used to be in. He could only sigh as he took one blurred photo after another. "Ya silly mermaid! Can't ya keep yer tail from waggin' for one moment? Look at ya, ya wee scamp. Why are ye smiling? Cheeky thing!"

In response to the officer's troubled voice, the clinician made an attempt to hold the mermaid still.

     "Aye there's no need, I got what I need. Those Mann brothers may squabble with each other like cats an' dogs, but they've definitely got the right to brag this place as one of the best in the world. He's become a beauty in mere days."

The clinician beamed a modest smile and a nod.

     "Thank you sir. It's a shame Mr. Doe doesn't want to see how he's doing." 

Tavish smiled as he rolled his eyes.

     "Oh, well ya see… He's actually afraid o' these because of their singing. 'I'd rather be trapped in a facility full of impostor robots!' he said."

     "He is? But Mr. Doe has been working with us for a-"

     "Long time, yes. It was actually with him that I had my first case in Casco bay. A whole pod captured in the dead of the night. Seemed to be his first rescue case too, as the man just happily rammed our boat through the poacher's. From that day on I didn't let him anywhere near a steering wheel." 

The clinician hid her amusement behind her clipboard.

Walking out from the surgery room, the old doctor Carsci finally managed to join them. He was dressed in a forest-green surgery gown, almost similar to his co-workers', with his salt-and-pepper hair in a mess from wearing a surgical cap. He was in the middle of pulling off his signature cyan-colored gloves, which were stained with dried blood and fluids. The doctor haphazardly tossed them into a nearby waste bin, before putting on a fresh new pair. It was a rare sight to see the doctor without them.

     "And I would not have such a rowdy, unpredictable individual in my medical ward!" He grumbled while adjusting his glasses. 

     "Ah, g'afternoon doc. Did I come in a bad time?"

     "No, not at all!" The doctor spoke while fidgeting with his new gloves. "I just finished the last operation for the day. Well, Mr. Doe may work well with people and rescues, but my patients will die of fright if left alone with him! It's good however, that he still believes in that siren tale I told him on his first day here, eh?" 

Now it was Tavish's turn to laugh.

     "Jane's a fine partner to work with. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, or the most professional, but he's got the spirit and a big heart in him. Even when he's afraid o' mermaids now, he does his best to help them." He turned towards the mermaid and smiled.  "Just like this one. Now then doc, I need some help identifying the boxes we found on his pick-up…"

     "Ah yes, yes. So, aside from this one. Did my old friend acquire any new ones recently?"

     "Well, none that I have investigated so far. I've had my hands full juggling this case, and the 'Beach mermaid attack' one..."

Johannes listened, intrigued with the humans' conversations for a moment, before they disappeared from his range of hearing. His world then returned to the still and quiet once again. 

-

In the middle of the night, Johannes stirred from his slumber. He woke up to the sound of the door above him sliding open. It was rather odd. He had been fed already an hour ago, and they've emptied the dirty water out for the night. Maybe the humans forgot to give him some of that funky, syrupy stuff? Or perhaps, a last-minute check-up. Looking up, he saw a glimpse of shadowy tentacles crawling over the glass door. And from the mass, a pair of luminous eyes stared back at him.

Those were definitely not the ones he was expecting.

He had seen those eyes before, belonging in the deepest parts of the ocean. A hideous creature who had attacked Roger, and left a permanent scar on his left cheek and ear lobe. Tales from worried mothers to their young, about a monstrous cannibalistic mermaid. Cursed by the angered gods of the ocean, with eight writhing tails instead of one. There was no mistaking it. It was indeed, a cecaelia grinning before him.

Alarmed, Johannes threw an outburst, snarling and baring his teeth in the hopes of scaring the intruder away. Even in this feeble condition, if he had to fight, so be it. By his teeth and claws. The mermaid however, did not expect for it to speak in a language he could understand.

    "Well hello there fishstick. What brought you to this gloomy place?" the cecaelia hummed, rubbing its chin idly.

Johannes was shocked at how polite this dangerous creature seemed. For a few moments, he figured it wouldn't hurt to politely answer back.

     "I've been greatly weakened. The humans took me in."

     "Yeah. I haven't heard that one before. From you and everyone who's in here!"

     "...Everyone?"

The cecaelia gestured his head outwards.

     "What, didn't you hear all the moans and cries going on around you? All the miserable sea creatures end up in this place. You're merely just one amongst the many. And, judging from how ghastly you look… I will take a guess. Got the worms? No? You've been bought as a pet but your human forgot about you? You were sold to the circus? You went swimming in the rainbow waters?"

At this point, most of the words coming from the many-tailed one's mouth made no sense to him. "Sold?? What do you mean, 'as a pet'? What is a circ-" 

The sound of a door being unlocked caused the cecaelia to jump, painting a fearful expression all over his face. With none of his consent nor permission whatsoever, the eight-tailed individual threw himself inside and closed the door. "Sorry fish-butt, need to hide in here for a moment."

Does he dare make a commotion about the intruder? He could hear blood pounding in his ears as the creature pressed itself against him. The sensations were so alien and bizzare. Its upper body was as rigid and muscular as his own. However, its lower half loosely draped over him like a swarm of maroon moray eels. And this smell. Those ruby fans quivering in the dim lighting released a distinct smell of breath, ocean mist and fresh meat. He would've appreciated how exotic this tentacled mermaid-killer was, if it weren't for his instincts screaming to swim away. Though, it would seem that the cecaelia was just as afraid, with its fibrillating heartbeats almost matching his. 

Fwop. Wheeze. Ka-fwop. Wheeze. Ka-fwop. Wheeze… The heavy rubber boots squeaked as the tail-less lumbered through the aisles.

Fwop. Fwop. Fwo- They stopped exactly next to his little home, looming ominously over them. Wheeeeze… Wheeeze...

Johannes could see the cecaelia's colors change to a hypnotic pattern of pale reds and dark maroon. 

He caught a glimpse of the human's face. If it ever had one. It was wearing what seemed to be an old-fashioned sun-bleached diving suit, complete with a large spherical rusty helmet. Johannes couldn't see anything through that single round window on its helmet, and he was too afraid to look any further. It titled its metal-clad head to the side. Eerily staring at them for a solid few seconds, before deciding to move on. 

After the cecaelia decided the suited-human was gone for sure, Johannes felt it relax against him, breathing a sigh of relief. He was able to catch his breath as well, as the tentacled nuisance squeezed itself out of there. It was unnerving to have been so close to a creature infamously spoken through horror stories.

     "Hrghk, everyone here smells just like you. Luckily I could hold my breath in here without gagging!" 

This time Johannes had enough, and boldly spoke back against the cecaelia's rather rude remark. "And I'm lucky you didn't try to eat me!"

A glint of mischief shimmered in their hazel eyes. "I can, and perhaps I will. But, you've been such a gracious host. Therefore, I won't." 

Johannes merely grunted at how shamelessly it played around with its words.

     "So… Who were they?"

     "Yeah that monstrosity who was looking for me. Their name, last time I read through the employee files, is 'Phyre Rodriguez'. Or the 'Phy-Ro', as they nicked' him."

     "Names? Reading? You know their language?" The mermaid gaped in awe. 

     "A little bit. Learned it when they were playing their little puzzle games with me. Anyway, that fellow got a nasty knack of finding me and chucking me back into solitary confinement. How in Poseidon's gazing eyes do they do it? Other humans never could, but that freak could seek me out like a shark with a bucket of blood. I don't like them, and I don't know what that hard-shelled dome hides inside. I'm starting to doubt they're even a tail-less."

So even mermaid-killers can be afraid of something. 

     "Why do they insist on keeping you here?"

     "Well, I've been trying to escape from this boring place, but the humans wanted me for their manipulative little project. My apologies two-legs, but all the potential mates you've brought me are far beyond my tastes." The cecaelia scoffed as it rolled its eyes.

     "So, are you sick as well?" Johannes tilted his head as he tucked his arms beneath him.

     "Me? Sick? No, I was caught by a fishing boat, and sold to a place of slaughter and misery. A place humans call... A 'seafood restaurant'." As if reliving a bad memory, the cecealia shuddered as his tentacles flashed in mesmerizing patterns of red and brown. It was rather intriguing to observe how many-tails expressed themselves. "Then they came for me and… Oh. Did you mean why am I here, in the hall of the sick and wounded? Well, I'm actually visiting a friend. Big guy, maybe three times your size. Got run over by a boat. It was good fortune the spinning fins of death completely missed his head, or else he'd be swimming in paradise reef. Poor guy though, his tail's completely messed up."

The tragic story from its friend was all too familiar. A path of clean cut, ladder-patterned scars along the backs of survivors were the marks often left by these deadly human machines. 

     "I just saw you come in a few days ago, and I figured checking you out. And, here we are!"

Johannes uttered a whimper.

     "So why are they keeping me here? I want to get out… I want to go back to the sea."

The cecealia reassuringly patted on his back.

     "Relax. Humans may be the most mysterious, destructive, and cruel creatures out there... But the ones in here mean no harm. Once you're back to your old self, then they'll decide where you'll go. If you're lucky, they'll send you back to the sea."

     "And if I'm not?" A sense of worry welled up in his gut

     "Well, you'll just live the rest of your life here. It's not so bad. The food never runs out, plenty of mates to choose from, and no predators to get eaten by! Well, except for me of course." 

Johannes couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, as the cecaelia wiggled its eyebrows at him. 

     "Except you." He replied in amusement.

     "Well then, I'll be taking my leave. I can hear my friend crying." It spoke as it began withdrawing its tentacles. Making audible sounds with each sucker popping off the glass.

     "But when will they release me?"

The cecaelia merely shrugged his shoulders in a way a human would. "It'll all depend on you."

Somehow, he felt a little down about the possibility he'll never be able to leave. But there was always still hope.  "Wait, many-tails!" Johannes lifted himself up against the ledge. "What do I call you?"

     "Renard." He smiled, with rows of sharp teeth peeking out of his mouth. And just as discreetly as he entered, did he disappear within the darkened aisleways of the room.