The afternoon sped by with incredible rapidity and his search for the missing pistol had come up empty. It was probably time to just give up and resign himself to the fact that some kid had found it, and was probably going to accidentally kill his baby sister while they ate their breakfast. The only hope he had was to pray that his luck did not turn into anyone else’s bad luck.
He slumped down and sat on one of the flat rocks, letting his feet dangle over the softly spraying surf below. Though he didn’t want to, he kept thinking about what happened last night. At the risk of going insane, he wanted to see the girl in the water again. Simultaneously, he thought that if he’d found that gun, tonight would finally be the night.
Clearly, he was losing his mind anyway, there was no reason to stick around and go crazy. It would be a step too far to suffer the indignity of ending up in a psych hospital jacked full of Geodon and Seroquel.
Seeing mermaids was the last straw. He just wanted to fall into the water and drown himself. If he thought it would work he’d do it in a second. But he was a good swimmer and he wasn’t convinced he’d be able to let himself drown. The instinct to live would probably kick in and save him.
He realized he hadn’t eaten all day when his stomach started growling. He was so hungry he began to feel sick, and when he stood up, a dizzy spell hit him. Quickly he sat back down so he didn’t tumble into the water.
Just as he caught his breath, she said, “Careful, you don’t want to fall.”
He looked down when he heard her voice, and there she was again, the blonde girl with her elbows leaning on the wooden pylon below the rocks and her bottom half somewhere below the black waters.
He had no words. He was afraid to speak anything for fear she might go away…or maybe that she wouldn’t.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
It was clear she was not a regular girl in a mermaid costume. He didn’t know how he knew that, but it was obvious. Softly, he made a word. “You.”
“Yes, me.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Ariel.”
“Ariel?” He laughed. “Seriously?”
“Why is that odd?”
“The mermaid from the cartoon?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Jake laughed and raised his arms in a V. “What the hell is this? Thank you. I’m going insane. Am I on some sort of hidden camera show?”
Ariel moved a little to his left. “I don’t know what you mean with any of this.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you who I am.”
Jake looked at her in the moonlight. She was beautiful, just stunning. His imagination was excellent. “Okay, I’ll play along. Why not? I’m already insane. I mean, clearly.” He raised his arms again and yelled, “Clearly insane!”
“Are you insane?”
“You tell me.” He gestured to the sea.
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t know you well enough.”
Jake snickered awkwardly. “Of course not, you’re a figment of my own imagination. Why would you know me?”
“Do you not think I’m real?”
“Of course you’re not real. I’m insane. I’m talking to a mermaid and I’m insane!” He yelled louder, “I’m talking to a mermaid and I’m insane.”
“Who are you yelling to? There’s no one around.”
“I don’t know. Maybe God! Maybe Poseidon!” He smacked his hands into his thighs. “How could you be real?” Jake moved down a few rocks to get closer.
Ariel moved away almost instinctively. “I’m as real as you are.”
Jake moved down another couple of rocks. “Maybe I’m not real. Maybe I’m already dead. Maybe I didn’t drop the gun last night, maybe I pulled the trigger.”
She moved away again. “Do you want to be dead?”
“I’ve been trying to get there.”
“I know. I’ve been watching you.”
Jake stopped in his tracks and locked in on her eyes. They were the bluest pair of eyes he’d ever seen. Even in this low light of the moon, the crystal blue was stunning. They were not that different from the blue tone of his but they were lighter and had more depth. “You’ve been watching me? Why?”
“You were a curious one to watch. You’re not like the others. I’ve watched you cry many nights. I heard you singing a sad song.” She looked away, then met his eyes more directly. “I saw you with the gun to your head.”
He leaned back. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me before?”
She shrugged. “Because last night was the first time you were actually going to do it.”
“Really? How did you know?”
She pushed away from the rocks and began to tread water. “I had a feeling.”
“Do you have, like, psychic powers or something?”
Ariel chuckled. “No, silly, I don’t think so.” She became more serious. “I can tell when someone else is in pain.”
Jake stepped slowly down another few rocks. She kept her distance and he didn’t want to spook her. “Why is this happening to me?”
“Why is what happening?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sitting on the rocks talking to a mermaid. No, it’s not strange at all. This happens to me all the time.”
She moved back and kicked some water up at him. “There’s no need for the sarcasm.”
Jake flinched from the water as it fell short of hitting him. “I think this is my hallucination, so the sarcasm is warranted.”
“What will it take to convince you I’m real?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ask me anything.”
He thought for a second. “Can anyone else see you?”
“They can, but I prefer they don’t.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
Jake looked around. There were a few people way down on the beach to his right fishing with some lights on their caps, but other than that no one was close enough to see him in the growing darkness. “I can imagine all people might not be so nice.”
She smiled uncomfortably. “I’m a spectacle.”
He looked at her. “Can I ask you questions?”
She shrugged. “I just said you can ask me anything you want.”
“Where do you live?”
Ariel swam in a circle. “I have a home.”
“Do you live alone?”
“No.”
“Who do you live with?”
“Father.”
“How old are you?”
“Old enough.”
“Are there others like you?”
She shook her head. “I’m the only one.”
“Wait, I’m confused. If you’re the only one, how were you born?”
Ariel floated on her back away from the shore. “I have to go now.”
Jake stood up. “Wait, don’t go yet.”
“I’m sorry, it’s time to go.”
“Will I see you again?”
“Come tomorrow, at sundown.” She sank under the surface and disappeared with a bloop.