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“No!” Gavin pointed his finger sternly, like someone who was telling a dog to stop peeing on the carpet— not someone trying to keep from becoming fish food. “Don’t even think about it!”
“He’s already thinking about it,” Connor supplied from the adjacent tank.
“Not helpful, Connor.”
The mer in tank nine snarled as he circled Gavin in the shallow area of the tank, displaying his rows of sharp teeth. “NO!” Gavin repeated, keeping his spear pointed steadily between himself and the merman. “You may NOT eat me!”
Gavin loathed the spears. The three-tined razor-sharp tips could kill someone, mer or human, in a flash. They were a threat display he hated to employ. Right now though, the one he was holding was the only thing keeping him from being ripped limb from limb.
“I told you this was a terrible idea,” Connor said, watching the two circle one another with an almost bored expression.
Gavin was definitely not supposed to be in tank nine. Not in any of the tanks, actually— But especially not tank nine. Gavin had big plans though. He called over his shoulder to Connor, “Youre talking a lot of shit for someone who agreed this plan might work!”
“I told you it might work , not that it was a good idea. They aren’t the same thing.”
Connor was a “normal” mer, well, of a normal variety, anyway. Social, ate mostly plants and fruit, communicated well, occasionally a dick. Tank nine on the other hand, was something the research center had only seen a couple of times: a carnivore. He’d been shot when he’d attacked the member of a rescue team searching for a lost child in the deep swamps about an hour from the facility. He’d been too aggressive to allow anyone to treat the injury, so the best the facility could do was treat the water and sneak antibiotics into the fish he ate and thankfully, the injury had mostly healed.
Most mers that came to the research center were injured or had gotten themselves into any number of predicaments. Connor, for instance, had been caught in a fishing net and suffered lacerations that needed minor surgery. He was due to be released in another month.
Connor and Nine were the only two mers there at the time, which was common. It wasn’t like mer were a super common species to encounter.
A number of laws protected them and their habitats, and, akin to dolphins, most people regarded them warmly as highly intelligent, friendly marine wildlife. They were not humans however, and did not have human rights. So when it came to carnivorous mers… it was a sensitive topic.
Initially, everyone assumed that Nine here had killed the missing little girl. Two other children had also gone missing in the area over the last few years, as well as several dogs. Fortunately, this child was found nearby, unharmed, the following day. She was too young to convey what had happened to her. Nine had undeniably badly injured the search team member however, and people local to where he was captured still blamed Nine for the other disappearances.
He couldn’t be released if he presented a threat to humans, and his options were looking increasingly limited. When Gavin overheard talk of how the merman in tank nine may have to be euthanized, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
In the months Nine had been there, he’d not communicated at all, not even to Connor, who’d been attempting both human and mer language since day one. They weren’t sure if he couldn’t speak, or just refused to. He spent most of his time sulking in the darkest corner of his tank, or putting on a defensive, aggressive display toward anyone who came too close.
As the primary caretaker of the mers and other marine mammals, Gavin got snarled at the most.
Presently, the human had a feed bucket full of their freshest fish slung over his shoulder, hope that he could show the mer that he wasn’t there to hurt him, and the spear to keep himself alive for long enough to do so.
Gavin held one of the fish out as a peace offering, waving it back and forth. “Come on, big guy,” he invited, “come have a snack.” He tossed the fish forward and it bounced off the chest of the mer, splatting down against the water. Nine snarled again with renewed vigor, snapping at the end of the spear.
The plan was going great so far.
Connor’s tail swished gracefully through the clear waters of his tank. “You know if he kills you it’ll be tomorrow before anyone even knows it.”
Gavin cut his eyes at Connor but didn’t say anything. The research center was closed for the evening, and Gavin was the only human there.
And he was definitely not supposed to be in tank nine.
“He’s not going to be able to eat you all at one go, either. He’ll probably stash some parts under that rock, snack on you for a couple of days.”
“This is really not helping.”
“It’s going to smell so bad.”
“Connor, seriously…”
“Did you leave a note?”
“Didn’t feel the need,” Gavin grumbled, “I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to tell them all about it.”
“That’s true.” Connor crossed his arms on the edge of the tank, resting his chin on his forearm. “Thanks for feeding me before accepting death.”
Gavin shook his head, ignoring his peanut gallery. He was determined and patient and slowly, eventually, Nine stopped trying to actively attack him. He bared his teeth every time Gavin moved, and the human knew better than to attempt to get any closer. Achieving a calmer state of mind was the first step, it was all Gavin was hoping for. He rewarded Nine by carefully removing the feed bucket, and leaving the entire jackpot of fish in the tank as he slowly inched toward the ladder and climbed backwards out of the tank.
He stuck his tongue out as he passed tank eight, earning an eye roll from its prissy occupant. “Congratulations on not being eaten yet ,” Connor stated, “see you tomorrow.”
The next morning, Gavin dropped off Connor’s fruit and veggie assortment. “Any luck getting him to say anything yet?”
“Nope. He was agitated for a good while after you left but he ate all of the fish and retreated to his corner. Same as always.”
“Ok. Thanks, Con.” Gavin headed to tank nine, where he was greeted with the usual furious, snarling display of aggression, clawed fingers slashing out at him. “You know,” Gavin said to the mer from just outside of reach, “this whole ‘biting the hand that feeds you’ shit isn’t cool.” He locked eyes with the angry merman who snapped at him when he took a half-step closer. “Fine,” Gavin shrugged. “Have it your way.” He walked away without giving Nine a single fish.
On the following morning, nothing had changed. Nine met him with a display of pointed teeth. “I’m trying to help you, you know that? I don’t think you’re unable to communicate at all, I think you’re just being a dick.” He walked away with the mer’s breakfast in his hand.
Gavin didn’t get far before an empty plastic bucket beamed him in the back of his head— the bucket he’d left there full of fish the night before last. “Fuck! God, you mother…” he scowled at Nine, who scowled right back. “That shit right there?” Gavin pointed a finger at the merman, “That proves you know how this works. You’re not as dumb as you’d like us to believe.” He clutched the bucket full of fish in his hand, showing it off. “I’ll see you tonight, Nine, and maybe by then you’ll have changed your tune.”
Connor, clearly, did not approve. “You can’t just not feed him, that’s cruel.”
There was no denying how guilty Gavin felt. He loved taking care of the mer and seeing them thrive. It’s why he’d stayed in this job so long even when he could be making more money in a bunch of different jobs. He kept his voice down so Nine couldn’t hear him. “I’ve gotta do something different, Connor. I’ve been playing it slow and gentle for months. He’s running out of options.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re not gonna release him, Connor. They can’t.”
Connor’s brow furrowed. “Well what else would they do with him?” Gavin didn’t want to say it. His silence said enough, and Connor got the message. “That’s absurd, how can they even consider that??”
“He’s a threat,” Gavin admitted, hating how it felt on his tongue. “He badly injured a human in the wild and he’s been nothing but aggressive here. There’s a panel of people that make these decisions and if all he shows is a desire to fucking eat people , what call do you think they’re going to make?”
Connor looked deeply troubled. His eyes drifted back and forth between Gavin and Nine, who was peeking angrily over the edge of his tank, ready to lash out at anyone who came near. Connor swam off abruptly, whining a high-pitched clicking noise to himself that Gavin had been working there long enough to identify as intense stress.
After everyone else had left that afternoon, Gavin once again donned his swim trunks, a bucket of fish, and grabbed a spear. Narrowed eyes watch him approach from tank Nine. The mer rushed forward with a snarl, halting halfway across the shallow area, as Gavin drew closer.
Gavin stopped, silently threatening to walk right back out of the tank area. “Come on, dude, work with me here,” he pleaded quietly. He took a step forward and Nine puffed his chest out. The merman didn’t come closer though, and he didn’t bare his teeth. “Good, good job,” Gavin praised softly, “that’s it, that’s better.” Gavin reached the top edge of the tank and the mer lifted his lip with a quiver, but he didn’t rush forward aggressively, and he didn’t lash out. There was anger in his eyes but there was restraint in his actions. “It’s ok,” Gavin soothed, dipping down into the warm waters, “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
Connor watched it all intently, whining occasionally. He was all out of shit talk now that he knew the stakes at hand.
The tip of the spear glistened between Gavin and Nine, held out just far enough to protect the human from Nines’ reach if the mer had a change of heart.
“I know you’re hungry,” Gavin kept his voice low and calm. “We need to come to an understanding though, you and me. I don’t want to threaten you, I don’t want to control your food. You can’t attack me though, ok? I know you don’t understand the whole picture here but I’m trying to protect you. I jus’ need you to meet me in the middle.” He slowly pulled a fish from the bucket, and the mer’s eyes followed his movement. Gavin tossed the fish forward and in a flash, Nine caught the fish midair. In three violent bites, it was gone. “See?” Gavin said, ignoring the unease in his stomach at how quickly Nine’s teeth had ripped through bone. “Easy.”
He tossed another fish and another. Gavin talked, droning on about nothing in particular just to let the mer hear his voice and know it wasn’t a threat, until his bucket was empty. By the end of it, Nine was more gently catching and consuming them, looking forward to the next rather than edging on attack mode.
“All right, Nine.” Gavin moved backwards slowly and unlike his previous time in the tank, the mer did not charge forward. “That was perfect, you did great. I’ll see you in the morning, ok? I’ll bring you something special.”
*****
Nines’ reaction the next morning was how Gavin knew the mer understood everything he said. Normally, Nine completely ignored anyone walking around at a distance from him. He’d never cared what Gavin was doing until Gavin approached his space.
This morning, Gavin fed the dolphins and the sea lions, then the turtles and the otters. Blue eyes watched him move from station to station, keeping tabs of his whereabouts. Gavin pretended not to notice.
“Morning, guys,” Gavin greeted when he entered the mer area. He had his normal bucket of veggies for Connor, and fish for Nine. He also had a paper baggie dangling from his hand, which Nine watched with keen interest. Connor also eyed the bag, graciously taking his bucket when Gavin set it on the ledge of his tank. Gavin asked, “You didn’t think I’d leave you out, did you?”
Connor perked up, curious. “I knew asking would be rude.”
“I brought you each something I figured you’d never had before.” He withdrew a medium Tupperware first. “Connor, this is an inland fruit that probably never ends up in your habitat. The mer raised his brows, and he took the container of fruit with great care. “They’re called grapes.”
Connor plucked one of the orbs from the stem and gently bit into it. An adorable smile crossed his face and he eagerly popped the rest of it into his mouth, followed immediately by three more. “These are incredible! Tart and sweet and the texture is amazing!” He ate another small handful eagerly. “Thank you!”
“Sure thing,” Gavin laughed. It was always like watching a kid experience something wondrous for the first time, introducing the mers to things they’d never seen.
Nine watched from the center of his tank, tail swishing with impatience. “All right, now Nine, I know you’re gonna be skeptical but you’re gonna have to trust me on this one.” Gavin pulled out a ziplock bag, it’s contents wrapped in paper towels. Holding up one thin, crisp piece of meat, he provided, “This is bacon, and it's arguably the best thing man has ever created.”
Obviously with other humans working around the center, Gavin couldn’t enter Nine’s tank. He approached the edge, cautiously stepping within striking distance of the mer, and held a piece of the bacon out in his hand. No spear, no protection. Nine could kill him in a literal blink, and they both knew it.
“Made fresh this morning,” Gavin said, wiggling it at the end of his fingers. Nine sniffed the air and drifted forward, eyeing the human and the food with distrust. He gave a quick flash of his teeth in warning.
“It’s ok,” Gavin stayed calm, “come on. I have more if you like it.”
Quick as lightning, Nine shot forward and snatched the food from Gavin’s hand, retreating just as fast back to the center of the tank. He sniffed the bacon, and took a tentative nibble. His eyes went wide. He looked up at Gavin and took another bite, and then another— small bites, like he was savoring the experience. “There’s more, I promise,” Gavin laughed.
When Nine finished the piece, he swam cautiously closer. It was the very first time he’d ever approached Gavin without aggression.
The human extended another piece of the food and even though there was distrust and uncertainty in Nine’s piercing blue eyes, he continued forward slowly until he could pluck the bacon gently from Gavin’s fingers. He stayed close while he ate it. Gavin let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and grinned ear to ear. He fed the mer the other three slices of bacon he’d brought, and then Nine’s breakfast ration of fish too, all by hand.
He opted not to bring a treat every day, not wanting it to become a necessary part of the dynamic. The slow building of trust continued, even with just the fish.
Three days later, Gavin made sure to bring something special again though, and after everyone had left and he’d introduced Connor to strawberries, he took a few deep breaths and climbed into tank nine. He stood in the waist-high shallows, armed only with a baggie of grilled steak tips. No spear, no way to defend himself. “Please don’t kill me,” he said as Nine approached him slowly.
Cupping a piece of the steak in his palm, he held it out in front of him. Nine shot forward, ignoring the steak and coming face-to-face with Gavin. Connor chattered and clicked nervously from the next tank.
The human didn’t move. “I’m not a threat to you,” Gavin whispered. “I’m trying to save you. And I think you understand everything I’m saying and doing.” Nine searched his face, and slowly slipped backward away from him. He swam back and forth a few feet away, like he was making a heavy decision.
The water rippled as Nine unexpectedly dropped below the surface. Gavin gulped, and froze. Carnivorous mers typically hunted prey from beneath. Nine circled his legs, passing within millimeters but not touching him. The mer was studying him up close, smelling him. He paused at a recent cut on Gavin’s leg, and a shiver traveled the human’s entire body when Nine’s tongue flicked out, tasting the mark. The merman lingered there, and all Gavin could do was say a silent prayer that he’d drown before he bled to death.
Nine stared up through the water, watching Gavin’s expression closely. He rose slowly, breaching the surface of the water with only his head and shoulders, a foot or so off to Gavin’s right side.
The human laughed nervously, “Like what you see?”
“You’re an idiot,” Nine stated flatly.
Gavin wasn’t even surprised to hear the mer speak… He’d never doubted that he could. “Well yeah, but that’s kind of a rude thing to open with.”
“You come in here, unarmed, with a creature who can eviscerate you with a single claw.” He held up one such claw to reference the claim.
“I had to do something drastic,” Gavin shrugged. “I figured it was the only way you’d trust me.”
The mer’s tail skimmed along the surface behind him. “I still don’t trust you. You’ve proven only that you’re an idiot, not that you’re trustworthy.”
This wasn’t going how Gavin had hoped. “Guess I gotta start somewhere,” he laughed again. The mer didn’t look amused. Huffing, Gavin said, “Look dude, I can call my dad if I want a blow to my self-esteem. I’m trying to help you.”
“Mmm….” Nine cut his eyes to Connor, who was watching all of this in wide-eyed silence, and said, “yes, I hear from the guppy that your kind intends to kill me.”
“It’s an option,” Gavin nodded sadly, “if they can’t trust you.”
The mer narrowed his eyes with disgust. “You human and your skewed sense of trust … “
“You tried to kill a guy.”
“ Iiiii… ” the mer drew the word out, placing his hand against his own chest, “protected a human child. And I was thanked for it with a bullet and an isolation tank… And now, apparently, the promise of death. And it’s you who believes that I’m the one not to be trusted?”
“The guy you attacked was a member of a rescue team searching for the lost kid.”
“Rescue team member?” The mer laughed. “That man is the one who brought the child to the swamps to begin with. I stole her from him and protected her. He’d have killed her if he found her first, as he did two previous children.”
“Woah, wait…” Gavin shook his head in confusion. “You’re saying the guy you attacked was the one who’d kidnapped that kid in the first place?”
“Indeed. You human’s haven’t figured this out yet? He’s killed two children in those swamps.”
“How do you know? The locals have accused you of killing those kids. And some dogs too, apparently.”
“Preposterous. I’d never dream of killing a child. I came across their bodies in the swamp, and his scent covered them. The night before I was shot, I heard a young child crying in a place where there should be no children, so I went to investigate. I recognized the man’s smell immediately and knew his intentions. When he walked away for a moment, I took the child and hid her away.”
“Can you prove that?”
The mer thought for a moment. “I can tell you where the other bodies are hidden. And the path this man took to carry the child into the swamp. I’ve smelled him on a shoe stuck in the mud, and a trinket or two he’s dropped in that area. I could tell you where those are. We remember these things… smells we come across.”
“Holy fuck,” Gavin whispered. “I’ve gotta get my phone. We have to call the cops!” Nine withdrew several feet away, sinking up to his nose in the water. Gavin realized the idea of bringing more humans here to question the mer was probably not a welcome one. He swallowed the last of his fears and swam forward, toward the mer. “Hey, hey,” he whispered again, “no ones going to hurt you.”
“You expect humans to come here, humans with guns who believe I’m a murderer and expect me to trust them? Absolutely not.”
“That’s fine,” Gavin shook his head. “You don’t have to trust them. I’ll be right here, I’ll stay the whole time, right in the tank with you if you’d like. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Nine stared at him for several seconds. “Fine,” he eventually agreed. “If they attempt to hurt me though I won’t hesitate to kill them. Or throw you in front of myself like a shield.”
“Uh… I.. deal. I guess?”
Gavin retrieved his phone, and called his manager, the facility’s head researcher, as well as the police. He waited in the tank with Nine, feeding him the steak tips he’d brought. “They’re good…” Nine decided. “Not as good as the bacon, though.”
“I can bring you more bacon.” Gavin popped a couple of the steak bits into his own mouth. It was getting late… coming up on his dinner time too. “Hey,” he asked out of nowhere, “what about the dogs?”
“Pardon me?”
“People said dogs had gone missing in that area too.”
Nine shrugged. “People should keep their pets on a leash.” Gavin abruptly lost his appetite.
Half an hour later, there were a bunch of anxious people surrounding the tank of a very anxious merman. Nine got through the questioning though, and gave the police everything they should need to connect the man with the murders. “I’m proud of you,” Gavin praised after they’d all left. “Thank you for working with them.”
“Thank me with bacon,” Nine requested.
A week later, the police had recovered enough evidence to prove the guilt of the guy Nine had attacked. Nine was thanked for his efforts to solve the crimes and put a serial killer away, and plans were immediately made to release the merman back to where he’d come from.
Gavin tried not to show how emotional he was as he rode in the back of the facility’s truck, ensuring Nine and Connor were safe during transport. The mers had formed a friendship with one another, albeit a very snarky one, once Nine had been willing to communicate. They’d decided to be released into the same area.
When the truck arrived to the edge of the crystal clear spring waters and the slide had been set up, Gavin smiled at both of the mermen. “I’m going to miss you guys.”
Connor chirped happily, eyeing the beautiful waters. “We’ll miss you too, Gavin, thank you for everything.” The human leaned down and gave Connor a hug before the mer slid down into the water, immediately rolling and tumbling with glee.
Nine waited inside of the truck, he and Gavin both laughing at Connor’s show of happiness. “Thank you,”
Gavin said quietly. “For trusting me. And, you know, for not eating me.”
In a move Gavin never expected, Nine reached up and embraced him in a tight hug. “Thank you,” the mer replied, “for proving that some humans are worthy of being trusted.” He withdrew from the hug, pausing still before departing the truck. “I’ll agree not to eat any more dogs, if you’ll agree to keep bringing me bacon.”
“Ooh!” Connor shouted from the edge of the water, “and strawberries for me, please!”
“Deal,” Gavin agreed, laughing, “bacon and strawberries. How will I find you though?”
“Just come often,” Nine said. “We’ll know when you’re here.” And with that, he slid down the ramp and joined Connor in the spring. Their scales glistened in the afternoon sun as they looped and dove, rocketing their way upstream into the cover of the cypress trees.
Gavin made good on his promise and visited them often. Somehow, they always found him right away.