(An old story that found its way back to me!)
The sun glared through the windshield, spreading its dry heat throughout the car. Matthew flipped the visor down roughly, agitated at his predicament. He’s on his way back home to his parents in Fresno at the ripe age of 22 because he couldn’t hack it as a singer in Vegas.
He squeezed the steering wheel tighter.
To say his parents didn’t understand him would be an understatement. Sure, they thought he had a beautiful voice and encouraged him to sing in the church choir, but the moment he made it a career choice, he saw the horrified look on their faces and the disappointment that was broadcasted through their eyes. Now, he’s going home to do the walk of shame to his childhood bedroom, with the words “we told you so” following him in torment.
Matthew stared out at the barren land through the glass. Death Valley indeed. The sun cast it’s fiery rays onto the dead browns blanketing the earth. The road ahead gleamed with an oily blur that seemed too bright for the spot. That’s not really what caught his eye, however. Farther in the distance, about three miles up the road was a black figure, so contrasted to the area around it. As he got closer, he saw the figure was a woman, waving her arms frantically, as if in distress. The moment he stopped beside her, she collapsed.
Matthew jumped out of the car and ran over to her. Kneeling down beside her, he noticed her skin was extremely dry and flaking off, her lips parched and bleeding. Her dark red curly hair was tangled in massive knots and covered with sand and dirt. Matthew felt her wrist for a pulse. It was light, as was her breathing. He lifted her up and gently put her in the passenger seat before rummaging through the back seat for the water. He got in the car and uncapped the bottle, gently pouring it into her mouth.
“Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Oh God. Hey, come on. Wake up!” The woman choked up some of the water and opened her heavy lidded eyes. Matthew’s breath caught at the sight of the deep sea-blue color of them.
“Help,” she croaked out of her parched, raw throat.
“Here, drink.” He poured more into her mouth. She gulped greedily.
“Please,” she said and lifted a shaky hand to his. Electricity soared through his body. A chill went down the length of his spine. It was almost painful. Matthew stared into her deep blue eyes and felt a familiarity he couldn’t quite place.
“I need to go to the beach,” she said.
He was surprised at the request. “That’s 200 miles out of my way! Besides, you look like you need a hospital, not a beach.”
The woman stared at him for a long time, imploring him with her eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere if she didn’t tell him why she wanted a beach instead of a hospital. After several long, intense moments, she seemed to admit defeat internally. “I’m a…” but she stopped, trying hard to swallow past the dryness in her throat. She took a few more gulps of water.
Matthew watched her struggle to get the water down her throat. He knew he should start driving and take her to a hospital no matter what she said, but there was something so definite, so sure about her request that he just had to hear her reason. It was like her next words would make the whole world make sense.
“I’m a mermaid,” she said in a quiet whisper.
Or not.
Matthew looked at her evenly, expecting her to start laughing or pull a gun on him. She didn’t, and he was left gaping at a woman who believes herself to be a mythical creature.
“If you take me to the beach, I can prove it, but I will die if you don’t.” Matthew, as skeptical as he was, couldn’t help but be curious. Finally, he rolled his eyes and agreed to take her to the beach out of mere curiosity. He stared at the road in front of him for a long moment before starting.
What the hell am I doing? He looked over at the flaking, dying woman beside him, then stepped on the gas.
“You could’ve just asked me to take you to the beach. What’s your name, anyway?”
“Morvena,” she said, “and I really appreciate this. You’re saving my life.”
Matthew shook his head in disbelief. How long would she continue on with this ridiculous story?
At the sound of her coughing, Matthew floored the gas up to 100 mph.
“Why are you out of the water? Aren’t your legs supposed to be, you know, fins?” he asked casually.
Morvena smiled at the question. “Some of us can shift into human form. I was curious and wandered too far. I came out in a land called Texas, but as soon as I got here, I began to dry out rapidly. There is nowhere to rejuvenate.” Matthew softened at the story she was spinning. He, too, grew curious of the world and wandered far from home, only to dry out and have to go back.
“I’ll get you to the beach, Morvena, for whatever your reason. We’ll be there in a couple of hours. Drink. There’s more water in the cooler.”
They sat in companionable silence for long minutes at a time. Matthew felt more relaxed than he had in several years, despite her ridiculous claim at being a mermaid. She made him feel comfortable by just being there.
As they got closer to the beach, however, Morvena sat up and became more alert, more fearsome than previously. She seemed to have a more dominant presence, almost aggressive, like the sea air itself was enough to heal her.
“Just about there,” he said nervously.
“I know. I really can’t express how grateful I am, Matthew.” Something was bugging him about the way she said that, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He felt a twinge of regret and more than a little fear.
He parked in one of the public lots and sat quietly.
“Come, Matthew, so you can see me off.” she said as she got out of the car. He took a deep breath and followed suit. Morvena was completely changed. Her hair was soft and shiny, no longer dirty and knotted. Her skin was glowing with radiant beauty. He stared at her in awe. The twinge of regret he felt earlier had gone, but something still felt wrong.
They walked to the edge of the shore together, Morvena appearing to glide over the sand. The waves violently beat the shore. Matthew could’ve sworn he saw a few people-like figures rise above the waves every now and then and look at him.
“I’m very sorry, Matthew. You’ve been so kind,” Morvena said in a sad, quiet tone. Suddenly, Matthew realized what had felt so wrong before. He never told her his name.
He spun to face her. “How did you…” but stopped short because at that moment, the wind picked up into a savage roar, spinning the water into a cyclone. He fell to his knees to stay in place, afraid the water and wind would swallow him whole. A face, an evil and angry face, appeared in the water.
“Father!” Morvena yelled. “I have brought him!” Matthew gaped at the terrible face before him, who stared down with empty gray watery eyes that bore into him.
“Your elopement with your cousin has disgraced this family, Morvena. I banished you from every sea on Earth…”
“But you said…”
“I know what I said!” he bellowed angrily. It filled the air like thunder. “I told you to bring me the one who looks like your mate in three weeks’ time so you could take him as a husband instead. I never expected you to find him.” Matthew couldn’t quite understand what was happening. He stared at the watery form in front of him. Morvena yelped in delight and jumped into the sea.
Suddenly, there was a great flash of light. Excruciating pain coursed through his whole body. Matthew felt like he was on fire. He screamed in agony. A whooshing, humming sound filled his ears, and a far off beeping noise seemed to be coming right at him. Just as the sound got close to him, his eyes flew open, and he stared up at the black eyes of a man wearing a white coat who looked a lot like the face he’d seen just moments before.
“It’s all right, Mr. Morrison. The electric shock procedure went well. Your wife is here, too.” The man pointed to the end of the bed where a middle-aged red-haired beauty stood with powerful bearing and a knowing smile. Matthew stared at her in confusion for just a few moments before reality hit.
He closed his eyes.
The hallucinations are back.
The sun glared through the windshield, spreading its dry heat throughout the car. Matthew flipped the visor down roughly, agitated at his predicament. He’s on his way back home to his parents in Fresno at the ripe age of 22 because he couldn’t hack it as a singer in Vegas.
He squeezed the steering wheel tighter.
To say his parents didn’t understand him would be an understatement. Sure, they thought he had a beautiful voice and encouraged him to sing in the church choir, but the moment he made it a career choice, he saw the horrified look on their faces and the disappointment that was broadcasted through their eyes. Now, he’s going home to do the walk of shame to his childhood bedroom, with the words “we told you so” following him in torment.
Matthew stared out at the barren land through the glass. Death Valley indeed. The sun cast it’s fiery rays onto the dead browns blanketing the earth. The road ahead gleamed with an oily blur that seemed too bright for the spot. That’s not really what caught his eye, however. Farther in the distance, about three miles up the road was a black figure, so contrasted to the area around it. As he got closer, he saw the figure was a woman, waving her arms frantically, as if in distress. The moment he stopped beside her, she collapsed.
Matthew jumped out of the car and ran over to her. Kneeling down beside her, he noticed her skin was extremely dry and flaking off, her lips parched and bleeding. Her dark red curly hair was tangled in massive knots and covered with sand and dirt. Matthew felt her wrist for a pulse. It was light, as was her breathing. He lifted her up and gently put her in the passenger seat before rummaging through the back seat for the water. He got in the car and uncapped the bottle, gently pouring it into her mouth.
“Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Oh God. Hey, come on. Wake up!” The woman choked up some of the water and opened her heavy lidded eyes. Matthew’s breath caught at the sight of the deep sea-blue color of them.
“Help,” she croaked out of her parched, raw throat.
“Here, drink.” He poured more into her mouth. She gulped greedily.
“Please,” she said and lifted a shaky hand to his. Electricity soared through his body. A chill went down the length of his spine. It was almost painful. Matthew stared into her deep blue eyes and felt a familiarity he couldn’t quite place.
“I need to go to the beach,” she said.
He was surprised at the request. “That’s 200 miles out of my way! Besides, you look like you need a hospital, not a beach.”
The woman stared at him for a long time, imploring him with her eyes. He wasn’t going anywhere if she didn’t tell him why she wanted a beach instead of a hospital. After several long, intense moments, she seemed to admit defeat internally. “I’m a…” but she stopped, trying hard to swallow past the dryness in her throat. She took a few more gulps of water.
Matthew watched her struggle to get the water down her throat. He knew he should start driving and take her to a hospital no matter what she said, but there was something so definite, so sure about her request that he just had to hear her reason. It was like her next words would make the whole world make sense.
“I’m a mermaid,” she said in a quiet whisper.
Or not.
Matthew looked at her evenly, expecting her to start laughing or pull a gun on him. She didn’t, and he was left gaping at a woman who believes herself to be a mythical creature.
“If you take me to the beach, I can prove it, but I will die if you don’t.” Matthew, as skeptical as he was, couldn’t help but be curious. Finally, he rolled his eyes and agreed to take her to the beach out of mere curiosity. He stared at the road in front of him for a long moment before starting.
What the hell am I doing? He looked over at the flaking, dying woman beside him, then stepped on the gas.
“You could’ve just asked me to take you to the beach. What’s your name, anyway?”
“Morvena,” she said, “and I really appreciate this. You’re saving my life.”
Matthew shook his head in disbelief. How long would she continue on with this ridiculous story?
At the sound of her coughing, Matthew floored the gas up to 100 mph.
“Why are you out of the water? Aren’t your legs supposed to be, you know, fins?” he asked casually.
Morvena smiled at the question. “Some of us can shift into human form. I was curious and wandered too far. I came out in a land called Texas, but as soon as I got here, I began to dry out rapidly. There is nowhere to rejuvenate.” Matthew softened at the story she was spinning. He, too, grew curious of the world and wandered far from home, only to dry out and have to go back.
“I’ll get you to the beach, Morvena, for whatever your reason. We’ll be there in a couple of hours. Drink. There’s more water in the cooler.”
They sat in companionable silence for long minutes at a time. Matthew felt more relaxed than he had in several years, despite her ridiculous claim at being a mermaid. She made him feel comfortable by just being there.
As they got closer to the beach, however, Morvena sat up and became more alert, more fearsome than previously. She seemed to have a more dominant presence, almost aggressive, like the sea air itself was enough to heal her.
“Just about there,” he said nervously.
“I know. I really can’t express how grateful I am, Matthew.” Something was bugging him about the way she said that, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He felt a twinge of regret and more than a little fear.
He parked in one of the public lots and sat quietly.
“Come, Matthew, so you can see me off.” she said as she got out of the car. He took a deep breath and followed suit. Morvena was completely changed. Her hair was soft and shiny, no longer dirty and knotted. Her skin was glowing with radiant beauty. He stared at her in awe. The twinge of regret he felt earlier had gone, but something still felt wrong.
They walked to the edge of the shore together, Morvena appearing to glide over the sand. The waves violently beat the shore. Matthew could’ve sworn he saw a few people-like figures rise above the waves every now and then and look at him.
“I’m very sorry, Matthew. You’ve been so kind,” Morvena said in a sad, quiet tone. Suddenly, Matthew realized what had felt so wrong before. He never told her his name.
He spun to face her. “How did you…” but stopped short because at that moment, the wind picked up into a savage roar, spinning the water into a cyclone. He fell to his knees to stay in place, afraid the water and wind would swallow him whole. A face, an evil and angry face, appeared in the water.
“Father!” Morvena yelled. “I have brought him!” Matthew gaped at the terrible face before him, who stared down with empty gray watery eyes that bore into him.
“Your elopement with your cousin has disgraced this family, Morvena. I banished you from every sea on Earth…”
“But you said…”
“I know what I said!” he bellowed angrily. It filled the air like thunder. “I told you to bring me the one who looks like your mate in three weeks’ time so you could take him as a husband instead. I never expected you to find him.” Matthew couldn’t quite understand what was happening. He stared at the watery form in front of him. Morvena yelped in delight and jumped into the sea.
Suddenly, there was a great flash of light. Excruciating pain coursed through his whole body. Matthew felt like he was on fire. He screamed in agony. A whooshing, humming sound filled his ears, and a far off beeping noise seemed to be coming right at him. Just as the sound got close to him, his eyes flew open, and he stared up at the black eyes of a man wearing a white coat who looked a lot like the face he’d seen just moments before.
“It’s all right, Mr. Morrison. The electric shock procedure went well. Your wife is here, too.” The man pointed to the end of the bed where a middle-aged red-haired beauty stood with powerful bearing and a knowing smile. Matthew stared at her in confusion for just a few moments before reality hit.
He closed his eyes.
The hallucinations are back.