Weeks passed, and the boy began to see the mermaid more and more. Every day he went out onto the water, he would at least be able to share a look with her before she dove back down to the sub-aquatic realm where she made her home. The boy longed to see this home, and each day his hope that he would increased, for each day she would come just a little bit closer to his boat, lift her head up out of the water just a little higher, pull her smile just a little bit wider. Sometimes she would even leap out of the water, twisting in the air like a corkscrew as if she were making a show of her body. The boy would always savor that sight, her slim form glistening in the sunlight, long seaweed-like yellow-green hair cascading like tassels in the wind behind her. Eventually it occurred to him that she might be hungry, and he took to offering her a small portion of his lunch each day. Breaking off a piece of bread, he would throw it above her and eagerly watch her splash out of the water with a powerful swing of her tail to reach it. She was somewhat of a showoff, and he liked that about her.509Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVjflMdGK8
Whenever he could not or did not take the boat out, he still thought of nothing but her. He found himself fantasizing about her, about running his hands through her smooth hair, across her shining skin. He imagined them making a life together, far away from this dreary, boring town. A distant life deep within the ocean, where the two of them could laugh and play and love together…
Along with his ever-growing joy, the mood of the village itself had begun to grow jovial once again. It seemed that the boy had remained the only one of his people who had seen the mermaid, and the headman was preparing to make an announcement that there was no more need to be on guard. The people began to relax, taking down their charms, eschewing their prayers and incantations, and leaving their spears at home. Laughter filled the streets again, and the sun seemed brighter somehow, now that the dark cloud that had lingered over the town for so long had begun to dissipate. The boy felt special, like the mermaid had chosen him somehow, from all of the hundreds of other people in the village, she had specially selected him. But why, and for what? He looked forward to finding those answers.
After some days had passed, he found himself once more out on the water, waiting restlessly for her to appear, as he always did. In his hand, he held a piece of meat- ham, which he had come to learn was her favorite. The first time he had offered it to her, her eyes had widened at the taste, and she had ravenously devoured it before looking up at him pleadingly with wide eyes. How could he have let that face go hungry? He had given her his entire lunch and still she had wanted more. When she realized he had no more, her face had twisted into a pout and she had vanished. Since then, he had always been sure to bring a little bit extra for her. He smiled at the memory. His brother had merely assumed that the extra work had finally begun taking its toll on the younger’s stamina, and was happy to provide additional food. Still, nobody suspected a thing. As far as anybody else knew, there was nothing that wasn’t normal going on.
Some time passed, and the boy frowned. She should have arrived by now. On all of the days that he had gone out since their first meeting, she had been there. Never had she left him alone, staring out on the water forlornly. He recalled those days before he truly knew her, when he would desperately seek even the smallest sign of her presence. Could he bear returning to those days?
No. He shook his head, clearing his mind. A single day without her did not mean she had left for good. She probably had something else she needed to do, just as he did sometimes. He did not show up every day, why should he expect her to do so? She would be there the next day. She would be there the next day. She would…
He thought this over and over to himself as he reluctantly returned to work.
But she was not there the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. As the villagers rejoiced at the headman’s official declaration that they were safe from the mermaid and there was no more need to worry, the boy’s worry increased in turn. Where had she gone? As always, his thoughts were only of her, but now they were not happy ones. He feared for her- had she been taken by a monster of the deep? In years past there had been sightings of monstrous beasts far out to sea, massive creatures with an abundance of teeth and tentacles that lurked deep below the waves. How could she have defended herself against things such as those? Or perhaps a hunter had come after all! Perhaps he had set out onto the waves with his rune-carved spear, clad in enchanted armor that would protect him from evil glamour, and…
The boy did not want to think these thoughts. But no matter how hard he tried to push them to the back of his mind, they remained, hanging over him like a taut bowstring ready to loose an arrow into his heart. His brother was swift to notice that something was wrong, noticing that the younger’s enthusiasm had gone just as quickly as it had appeared. On a few occasions, he approached him, with caring words inquiring about his brother’s condition. Each time, he was waved off. He became concerned, but did recognize that the younger was of a somewhat difficult age. This would presumably pass soon, as he grew into his maturity and his role as an adult. Still, he made an effort to put a little more care into how he treated his brother. It would not have felt right for him to just do nothing.
But his condition did not change for the better. Days went by and during none of them did he see the mermaid again. He felt her absence like he had felt nothing before. It was in his chest, heavy and cold, like he had lost a part of himself and replaced it with a cruel block of steel. Steel that grew denser and denser as more days passed, and still she did not appear. He continued to worry about her fate, about all of the grisly fates he imagined her experiencing, and this worry sapped his energy. His movements began to slow, his eyelids began to seem like they were made of lead. Worrying made him tired, and his work suffered for it. Fewer fish were pulled in, and he now rarely went out on the boat. This of course did not escape his brother’s notice, but what could be done? All he could do was watch as their funds began to dwindle and hope that this phase would soon be over.
And in a way, it would be.
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