Lea-rough drafts

Part 16

Malina called in sick for the next few days and her friend graciously offered a
spare room and the couch for their accommodations. The week passed without any other
dangerous incidents. They decided to visit all the tourist areas where they would be
surrounded by people and hopefully safer in numbers.
Old Towne San Diego has the best restaurants. They visit the Zoo and the
Missions. Disneyland is thrilling. Lea isn't sure she'll ever be able to return to life
without roller coasters and electronic rides. She mentally plans out a theme park in her
community complete with rides and a skateboard park. Thankfully, Vai felt good enough
to enjoy it too. They avoided the larger roller coaster parks so he wouldn't be left out.
The tour of the Hindu Temple was Lea's favorite. All the intricate painting and
carving. The peaceful feeling as the guide explained each area more than made up for
the extreme heat from the desert wind. So many different cultures, peoples, religions,
food, and languages. California has some of everything. Terrans are so much more than
Lea could have imagined.
Friday night arrives and they decide on a pizza and movie night. They choose an
old film about a small alien trying to find his way home. Popcorn is the biggest hit while
Lea ponders extraterrestrials. Her people tell tales of visitors from other planets, but they
are like the stories of life on land, make believe. Nobody thinks they are real, but now
she knows Terrans are in fact real. Could aliens also be? So many possibilities! She falls
asleep dreaming of life on other planets and what weird foods do they put on their
pizzas?
Saturday dawns brightly and today they are joining the other Mer for the swim
off. Families offer to take everyone out in their boats. They sail far out past the channel
islands to deep water. They can swim with their fins and fully enjoy all their old Mer
customs. Games and music, eating and swimming. It's a complete celebration of their
heritage.
The water is still warm in the fall and Lea's skin tingles all over wanting to jump
in long before they have arrived. She can't risk being seen or injured by passing freight
and pleasure boats. Somehow she controls herself for the few hours it takes to get past
all the Terrans on the water.
Finally! She is the first in the water once they arrive. She takes a deep breath and
dives deep. Ten minutes later Malina comes looking for her. The other Mer began to
worry about her.
"Even though we are Mer, most of us can't hold our breath very long. A lot of the
children barely can at all." Rebeka tries to explain.
Titoki is one of the best and he can barely make it nine or ten minutes. Lea smiles
and once again can't think of anything to say to him. He is so cute! Why am I so dumb!
"At least you can see some of the fish below," Lea tried to make the other kids
feel better about their skills. "With practice, you can do better."
"The truth is most of the older adults have less time to practice. It takes so long to
get out here and they work so many hours to afford houses and cars and things." Titoki
pitched in some new information.
"That's so sad. I don't know what I would do if I didn't get to swim everyday," Lea
told them.
"Everyday?" Iwi questioned. "You are so lucky. I wish I could visit your
community. If only the rules weren't so strict. It's totally not fair."
"It would be so fun to have you there. You could meet my friends and my family,
see my school and the community." Finally thinking of something to say to Titoki, "I
could show you our polo stadium with stands on both sides above and below the water."
She smiles after accomplishing a complete sentence to him. Almost a real
conversation. As they talk the teenagers drift farther from the rest of the group. They are
within earshot of yelling, but almost beyond sight in the bobbing waves.
Fish, dolphins, sharks, and other sea life are common to Mer. Lea didn't worry
about anything except maybe jellyfish stings. Almost nothing in the ocean actually
wants to eat humans.
"We don't taste good." Lea assures the others as a large shark coasts far beneath
them. Dolphins breach in the distance. Lea knows sharks and dolphins do not coexist." A
determined dolphin can kill a shark, but a determined shark can eat a dolphin. They
agree to be enemies and avoid each other unless desperate."
A nudge to her foot stops Lea's impromptu marine biology class. The shark
rubbed its nose against her. Sharks sense of smell is very strong and very accurate. It
dives, and circles again.
"This is strange behavior," Lea told the group. "Just tread water and keep your
legs straight. Let it get a whiff of us and it should go away. Don't panic or move
suddenly. Nothing it might think is a fish or snack."
The shark swam a circle around them then bumped Titoki's foot and Vai's. Both
boys tried not to react. One more circle and it disappeared deep beneath them.
"Whew, that was scary," Iwi says as soon as it is gone.
"I hope it doesn't come back!" Rebeka adds.
"We should be fine," Vai assures them and he throws the polo pooro to Titoki who
throws it across the group to Lea. She caught it easily and tossed it to Iwi who missed it
by the tip of her fingers, but picks it up and continues the game. They have odd numbers
so they can't really start a match, but throw the ball around and practice defensive
strategies and shooting between made up goals.
At lunch time they meet back up with the boats and enjoy peanut butter for Lea's
first time. It sticks to the roof of her mouth and in her teeth, but tastes delicious. She
washes it down with a bottle of a traditional Mer soda.
"I have a special conference once a year in Hawaiiki. I load up on all the snacks
and treats everyone misses from their Mer lives," the Reverend explains the treasure
trove of Mer candies, foods, and drinks.
If he has permission to visit, maybe others can too.
As if reading her thoughts, he tells her, "I am an ambassador from the Terran Mer
to the Council. I am charged with guarding our secret and ensuring the well being of the
families living here. If the Council needs anything from land I can facilitate it. We
discuss which technology would be helpful or harmful for our peoples to share. We
discuss the health of our natural resources and the political or military actions around the
globe. Most Mer and Terran Mer will never see the other side of our culture. It's sad and
hard to understand, but it's for the safety of both our worlds."
"Does everyone on the Council agree?" she asks him.
"Recently, President Karika has mentioned uniting all Mer. He feels we deserve a
place in commerce, decisions about our planet, and political might. He thinks Mer
should adopt much of Terran life. The rest of us feel Terran life offers certain benefits,
but far too many negative consequences. Disease, crime, wastefulness among other
things. We do not stand in the way of any natural Mer progress, but we don't want to
borrow trouble from our neighbors."
"Hmmm. That's a lot to think about. It doesn't sound fair, but it does sound like
less trouble." The teens lose interest in politics and motion to each other a desire to leave
the group again.
"Lea. I want to hear more about your home. It sounds fascinating, since I won't
ever get to go there." Rebeka chimes.
"Yeah," respond the others and they swim away from the adults and small
children. Rebeka surfaces first, then Iwi, Titoki, Lea and Vai. Lea is surprised at how
well Vai swims. She has to remind herself he is ocean Mer and as familiar with the water
as she is.
They play several other games and Lea shares so many stories. She describes her
school and house. Each of the shops and shopkeepers in full detail. She relates their
special feasts and community events. Everyone is laughing hard over a story about their
traditional dance of the flood when Lea turns to Vai.
"Do your people still have all the..." she revolves 360 degrees and he is no where
to be seen. "Hey, where did he go?"
"He just went under a minute or so ago. It was kind of abrupt, but I figured he
must know all about what you were telling us and he was bored," Titoki remarked.
They wait a minute or two for him to surface, but he doesn't. He could probably
swim for twenty minutes or so like Lea can, so she doesn't understand why she's feeling
uncomfortable with his absence.
"I'm going to go look for him," she says taking a deep breath and tailing up into a
dive.
The others quickly debate before deciding to help look too.
Lea isn't sure which direction to take before deciding to look at a nearby sandbar
reef. Deep below her off to the south the ocean bottom is raised a little. The bedrock
reaches out of the silty sand creating a myriad number of holes for fish and sea creatures
to call home. The closer she gets the clearer she can see. Laying on the top of one rock
protrusion is Vai. He appears unconscious. Please let him just be unconscious. She
convinces herself it's true. She picks up speed and reaches him in record time. His fin is
gone and one leg is bleeding quite a bit. Scraping against the coral and rock tore the
skin, but no other scratches or blood.
She looks for head injuries or evidence of neck and back problems. Then he gulps
in a lung full of water and she can see he is drowning. Air is more important.
She grabs him around his chest under his arms and kicks with all her strength.
She's a fast and strong swimmer but the surface looms far away. Sunlight and oxygen
seem to mock her efforts to get him above the water. Feet away from her goal she is
knocked sideways. Vai is torn out of her arms.
The shark from earlier, the one circling them rammed her back. Vai floats
helplessly. She swims toward him, but the shark has made another round. Not sure what
she is facing she shoves Vai upward hoping the motion will be enough to propel him to
the top. She darts away drawing the shark toward her instead of him.
She knows she's not as fast as this underwater predator and watches Vai bob in the
air, but his lungs are filled with water. He can't take in any air until they are cleared. She
sprints off toward him pushing him up in the air by his chest hoping the force will expel
some water and he can breath. The shark hits against her legs. An errant tooth slices
through her fin and across her thigh.
She hears Vai cough and he vomits beside her. Oh, thank heaven. He takes a deep
breath, then another. He's pulled under again! Lea sees a man, the man who stalked
them, holding onto Vai's ankle, dragging him deeper. She needs air, but risks only a
quick intake before plunging after them.
Vai is awake, but barely struggling. The entire last week has taken a physical toll.
He's been unconscious three times, bruised, battered, and now drowned. She hits the
man full force and he releases the boy. He grabs for her instead, but they are both hit
broadside by the shark.
She's got blood on her fin, hers and Vai's. The shark probably tastes it and
although humans are not prime menu items sometimes any snack will do. She swims
toward Vai as he struggles to the surface expecting to fight against the man or the shark
or just Vai's sheer exhaustion.
She is totally unprepared for the deep booming voice behind her once she reached
the surface, "I see I chose well. You have a fight and a tenacity in you I wouldn't have
expected given the weak responses from your mother and lack of a real father in your
life."
She whirls to face President Karika, strangely calm and self assured in the midst
of all the attacks they experienced.
"President. Thank goodness you can help us," she takes a deep breath and releases
some tension completely ignoring the insult in her desperation.
"Goodness has nothing to do with it, young princess," his condescending tone
makes her sick to her stomach. "I am here to rescue you if you chose, but this boy here
is not coming with us."
"What? Why would you save me, but not him?" she begins to panic.
"Did your parents not tell you of my offer? I want you to forge a future. You are a
valuable asset. This," he motions to Vai, "is not,"
"Forge a future? Valuable asset?"
Growing impatient, he continues, "I offered your mother a merger between her
community and my kingdom, between yourself and my son."
"Merger? You mean like married?" President nodded. "I'm 14, what are you
talking about? I can't get married!"
"All in good time. You will be taught, trained, given every privilege and every
opportunity. You will have lands to control and power to govern those who need your
guidance. Tens of thousands who need your help, your ability to rule. My nephew will
instead be prepared and together you will become the highest officers in all of Mer." He
painted a picture of benevolence, but she suspected there was more dominance.
"And what does this have to do with hurting Vai?"
"Vai refused to accept his responsibilities. In the end, Vai ran away. There are
consequences for our choices and this is his." The cruel indifference startles her.
She looks at Vai for the first time since surfacing. He is subdued, almost undone.
He does not look at President Karika and barely meets Lea's gaze when she stares at
him.
"Is Vai your nephew?" she asks putting two and two together. Vai's head sinks
further.
A quite voice beside her answers, "No, I am not his nephew. My cousin is a born
leader and happily accepts his role in creating a complete Mer Union. I do not measure
up. I never have."
"A nephew I could forgive for weakness and cowardice. Vai will not survive today
because..."
Vai interrupts, "I am his son and betrayal is not to be forgiven." He's repeating a
line he's heard time and again.
"Yes, you see, he has lied to you all week. He has used you to cover him and keep
him safe. He is a coward hiding behind a girl, her cousin, and an old woman. He has
betrayed you as well and does not deserve your sympathy or your protection."
What he says is true and Lea feels the pain of it for a moment. How could he? We
could have died as well! She thinks of Lorelei and Malina and if something had
happened to them it would have been his fault. Anger rears suddenly, but extinguishes
just as fast.
"This is still your fault, not his. What kind of a father stalks down his own son and
tries to kill him? He deserves all the help we can give him and more."
Vai just looks at her with pity, "No!" he tells her, but she has chosen and sealed
her fate with his.
"So be it. I'm sorry for your choice. Your family will ultimately pay the price for
your unwillingness to do what is right."
She hadn't considered her family and didn't have time to worry about them now.
Another bump against her fin alerted her to the return of the great shark.
"He has been trained to attack one person and one person only. He smells Vai's
blood on you and you will suffer the same."
"Sharks are not pets. You can't train them like a clown fish," she can't believe he's
serious.
A swift movement from behind reminds her the other man is still there. A flash of
metal cuts against Vai's arm releasing a new stream to attract the predator. Lea wraps her
hands around his wound hoping some miracle will staunch the bleeding. In one motion
she pulls off her fin, wraps it tightly around the arm, and uses the rest to wipe off and
soak up the flowing blood.
"You're wasting your time trying to save him. He will die despite your efforts and
now, you will die too."
"Fine!" she blurts loudly, "I'll go with you, but I demand you also save Vai.
Imprison him, punish him, think of something else besides murder and I'll go with you
to be your leader and servant."
"You think you can change your mind now you face your true predicament? I see
your true colors and you are just as much a soft heart as your mother. You do not have
the constitution to do what ultimate leadership demands."
"How can I prove to you my willingness to follow you now?" She swims toward
the father, not even glancing behind her.
"Kill the boy."
She reaches him and meets his eyes. She prays her face stays emotionless, her
shock and horror hidden behind a wall of hatred and disgust. He will only see the steel of
my attitude, not the fear in my bones.
"I will." Vai gasps, but his father just smiles. "How is the shark trained?"
"This whistle signals the attack. The shark will smell the blood and attack only
him." He holds up a small metal tube and she reaches for it. He pulls it up out of her
reach and laughs. "Do you really think I am stupid enough to hand this over to you?"
He points to the other man, "He has a second whistle. Take his and prove your
allegiance. Remember I have this one. You also have his blood on you and all it takes is
a second signal to prompt a second attack."
"He won't attack a second time without a second signal?"
"You will be safe as long as you do as you should."
Lea swims over to the man holding the whistle and takes it from him. She faces
Vai and looking him straight in the eye blows the whistle. A fin appears above the water
a way off. Like a horror movie it slowly approaches. Vai can almost hear the repeating
tones from the old Terran films about Jaws. Under different circumstances he would
laugh. Today it simply brings him calm to face what he has known was coming. He
hoped to escape, but he's almost relieved to not fear anymore. No more running, no
more hiding, no more pain.
Lea can see the long smooth shape forming closer and closer. She pushes Vai
toward it, but at the same time pulls loose the fabric wrapped around his arm. Under it,
tied tight enough to cut off circulation is the bandanna she held against his head days
ago. It feels like years have passed. The fin is coated in his blood and she keeps it
beneath the surface away from President's gaze. He is focused almost delightedly at his
shark and his son. She holds out the whistle like an offering, her mission complete.
The shark is feet from Vai when she shakes loose the fin and the water around her
and his father turns red. She forces the fin into the back of his shirt and hopes this works.
The shark swerves toward them as the panicked man struggles to remove the fin from
his clothes and himself from the pool of blood. It is too late and his own weapon attacks
him.
Lea knows she's too close. She knows she's going to fall victim. She screams
hoping her voice will carry far enough for the others to hear her and rescue Vai. The first
bite grabs her shoulder, but the shark's tail shoves her free of the second. With a
backwards one armed stroke she clears the center of the feeding frenzy. It is disgusting
and she doesn't want to look, but also can't look away. Blood, his fathers blood, bubbles
through the chaos. They are father and son, I wonder if the President's blood was just
similar enough the shark didn't care. Or was it simply so well trained it didn't think, just
attacked. Vai reaches her and turns her away when the true horror of the disassembly
surfaced.
"The boats are headed this way, just hang on, safety is coming." Vai keeps his
arms around her as she vomits into the sea. The scene replaying in her mind sends her
stomach upwards over and over.
The boats arrive and once aboard Lea and Vai look for the other man, but he is
gone. At that moment they couldn't care less. They are both alive and safe. Free from the
threats and dangers of the past few days or in Vai's case, lifetime.
Everyone wonders what happened, but gratefully wait to ask more than "are you
OK?" They both need stitches and the Reverend, Malina, Lorelei, and two teens borrow
the smallest boat to head back to the marina and to the closest urgent care.
With a wave the Reverend tells everyone, "We'll keep you updated as soon as we
know the details."