Siren from the Sea

The mermaid was thrown out of her watery bower by the tsunami and ended up high and dry on the beach. Good God, what a nightmare for her. But the mob she drew was engrossed by her beauty and seeming fragility. They didn't know she had the strength of the sea at her beckoning.

When she awoke from her dazed dreaming she was sore afraid. There she was set ashore by the tide with nothing but her tail and her magic to sustain and protect her. She opened her sea-green eyes and gazed at the vista before her with trepidation and courage. Then she was caught in a net thrown over her by a fast-thinking beach comber who happened by just at the right moment. For him. And now everything was a tangle. What am I going to do? she thought despairingly.

Should I cry for my mother, the tide to come and wash us all back into the sea? But no. These are innocents. They don't deserve to be swept away just because of their natural curiosity.

Do they mean to hurt me? Nay, they're just curious. But I've got to get out of this net so can bring forth my power. She was trembling now with not fear but restraint

"Give me two minutes and a conch shell," She thought, and I'll settle the matter. Those up close to her must have seen something in her eyes and started to back off.

"Lookit her eyes one boy whispered to his mate. She's got somptin up her sleeve. Pretty as she is I ain't staying around long enough for her to get er senses back and start getting angry. I seen enough – and more of the mermaid. Let's bugger out.

"Chicken" his friend replied. Of the two of them he was the comer. He'd had the idea of staying long enough to get some tangles of her hair or maybe even some scales from her legs.

"We ain't got nuffin' from er as yet, Dubin. Gor. She ain't even barely opened her eyes."

"Yer she did. Din you look into them? She ain't from this world and we gotta either 'elp er back into the sea or at least do no 'arm. Don't you see?"

"Yer daft. Fallin' for a mermaid," the other by retorted in disgust. "Gowan 'ome then. But I'll get sompin' worth sellin at a fair high price by tormorror. You'll see. And you'll be out of luck.

"I don't want what I think you're planning to sell." He wrapped his tattered cloak round him to cut the steady slapping misty rain and left a long lingering look at the mer-lady as he headed back to his own boat. She even seemed to smile and lean his way as he walked off the peer - but that was bleeding fancy. Nothin you could take 'ome to the bank. Help me she seemed to whisper as he slid past the area where she was netted.

"How?' The question was flung from his throat unwanted and unexpected. He stopped up short and got a good, solid look into the merlady's eyes. He knew he was lost. He'd to whatever it took to get her back to the sea.

"You'll find a way," the mermaid assured him more through what she said with her eyes than what she spoke through her lips. "Just get the net off me. Then I'll be alright. I need my hands free.

All this was said in a manner quite foreign to Dubbins's word. Gor, She's speaking in my mind. How can she do that? He wondered fiercely as he looked about trying to find a way to kick loose the net without getting himself kicked clean into the drink by his erstwhile buddies. Then he noticed that the two far edges of the net were slipping over the side of the pier. He looked around. No one else was looking his way. If he could just bring order to them and pull them up just so. Lay them next to the lady's hand she could slither out from under the net and with my help she'd be back in the sea in no time flat.

He didn't stop to think what his mates would do to him after he threw the lady back in. He didn't really care.

His heart was pounding so loud and he swore it was thumping in syncronicy with that of the mer-lass. He scrambled down the slippery stairs away and pulled his jacked color up against the cold. Then he nabbed the errant edges of the net and with his back to the crowd at the pier he started fixing and arranging the edges of the net so it wouldn't cover her ladyship when he tossed it back on the deck. He carried it round so's her tail was now uncovered by the net. Then he dropped the whole she-bang next to the lady like he was trying to make her life tougher.

Her eyes whirled in gratitude. He could see she was just about ready to gather her strength and take things into her own hands.

But then he saw black Billy what run the place heading over with what looked like at tranq gun.

No He shouted mentally as loudly as he could. The mermaid caught his thought and damned if she didn't pull out a bit of Poisiden's power and FLASH, Billy was sent across the pier and into the drink. Then all hell began to break loose. Those that really wanted a piece of the mermaid were scalded badly with her internal energy. Those that were mere hangers on went home with headaches and very little to remember about what happened out there on the pier. But the few who helped. Like Duban, reaped vast rewards which they were not to know of, at least for a while. All of them went home, thought with the voice of the bravest sea siren in their ears. Several of them with a musical bent tried to capture the song but fell far short. All of them ached deeply within their souls to see the mer-creature just one more time.