seriously. Why is it that you think they are so dangerous to humans?”
“We,” he emphasized the word for my sake, “are dangerous to humans because the main part of our diet consists of eating animal flesh.” He paused to take a look at my face. I composed it well enough to hide my fear, but not well enough for me to stop the blood drain from my face. His voice was nothing but harsh whispers as he spat out the words, hating himself for saying every word of it. “A delicacy of ours happens to be human flesh. More humans die from our attacks than sharks. Human doctors can’t even tell the difference between our poison and bacteria. The attacks are similar in style, of course, but we are much more deadly to our prey than sharks ever could be. “
My ice cream trembled slightly in my hands with the effort not to get up and run. “Why is that?”
“Well, Hollywood did get a couple of things right.” He smiled grimly to himself. “Humans are attracted to us on a much deeper level than you ever could be to your own kind. We fascinate you, draw you in, you actually want to be with us. It makes things so easy.” He paused afraid he’d said too much. I took another bite of my ice cream, making a show that I was waiting for him to continue.
“It’s the eyes combined with our voices. It’s a deadly combination. Our voices can force you to hear and believe things that aren’t there. Our eyes captivate your attention, so that you will follow us on whatever path we may choose. I suppose the closest comparison I can give you are the Sirens in the Odyssey .” He swirled what was left of his ice cream with his spoon. His hypnotic eyes never left the table. He wouldn’t look at my face.
I felt dizzy as I gripped the table harshly, forcing my mind to stay awake in the turmoil. Instead of the warm feeling of relief I expected, I had hundreds more questions to ask, I felt cold, even distant from Ty, but not enough to leave him, never enough to leave him. There were things about his life I had to know, secrets that must be untangled from the confusing history he’d woven.
My breath came in slow, drawn out flusters. I tried to control it so I wouldn’t hyperventilate. “So, does this mean that you’ve killed people? That you acted like… like she did, to try and end my life?” His movement was much too quick and fluid-like as he unlatched my hand from the table, stroking it softly with both hands, it further displayed his inhuman qualities.
Horror struck, he tried in vain to break my blank stare with his eyes. I looked through them. I didn’t want to know what horrible power they held. “No! Amy I’ve never even tasted human flesh, please listen to me. I’m only part Merman, remember? I am no cannibal, I can assure you that!” I couldn’t doubt the sincere look on his face. I wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. “I only eat small fish, or other game, no worse than humans. Please, Amy, I would never hurt you, or anyone. Never.”
I nodded slowly, taking everything in. Ty continued to stroke my hand. He wanted to break down the wall I had so recently flung up. Helplessness burned in his gorgeous eyes, cascading down his perfect face. Eventually I found my voice.
“How do you… know that thin—Mina? Was she… Did she turn you into this?” I imagined Mina, cornering a defenseless Ty, completely oblivious to her dark charm. Her hypnotic eyes drawing him closer, and closer, until he was just close enough to kill. Instinctively I flinched away from that image.
Some of the helplessness left his eyes, if I was competent enough to ask questions, then I was obviously aware of what I was doing. And I hadn’t run from him, at least not yet.
“No, of course not. Mina would never hurt me , because I share instincts with her, I was born this way. My father was a merman, my mother was a human. Mina, is our—the Mermanese word, for grandmother.”
“WHAT?! That monste—that beautiful young creature is your
“We,” he emphasized the word for my sake, “are dangerous to humans because the main part of our diet consists of eating animal flesh.” He paused to take a look at my face. I composed it well enough to hide my fear, but not well enough for me to stop the blood drain from my face. His voice was nothing but harsh whispers as he spat out the words, hating himself for saying every word of it. “A delicacy of ours happens to be human flesh. More humans die from our attacks than sharks. Human doctors can’t even tell the difference between our poison and bacteria. The attacks are similar in style, of course, but we are much more deadly to our prey than sharks ever could be. “
My ice cream trembled slightly in my hands with the effort not to get up and run. “Why is that?”
“Well, Hollywood did get a couple of things right.” He smiled grimly to himself. “Humans are attracted to us on a much deeper level than you ever could be to your own kind. We fascinate you, draw you in, you actually want to be with us. It makes things so easy.” He paused afraid he’d said too much. I took another bite of my ice cream, making a show that I was waiting for him to continue.
“It’s the eyes combined with our voices. It’s a deadly combination. Our voices can force you to hear and believe things that aren’t there. Our eyes captivate your attention, so that you will follow us on whatever path we may choose. I suppose the closest comparison I can give you are the Sirens in the Odyssey .” He swirled what was left of his ice cream with his spoon. His hypnotic eyes never left the table. He wouldn’t look at my face.
I felt dizzy as I gripped the table harshly, forcing my mind to stay awake in the turmoil. Instead of the warm feeling of relief I expected, I had hundreds more questions to ask, I felt cold, even distant from Ty, but not enough to leave him, never enough to leave him. There were things about his life I had to know, secrets that must be untangled from the confusing history he’d woven.
My breath came in slow, drawn out flusters. I tried to control it so I wouldn’t hyperventilate. “So, does this mean that you’ve killed people? That you acted like… like she did, to try and end my life?” His movement was much too quick and fluid-like as he unlatched my hand from the table, stroking it softly with both hands, it further displayed his inhuman qualities.
Horror struck, he tried in vain to break my blank stare with his eyes. I looked through them. I didn’t want to know what horrible power they held. “No! Amy I’ve never even tasted human flesh, please listen to me. I’m only part Merman, remember? I am no cannibal, I can assure you that!” I couldn’t doubt the sincere look on his face. I wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. “I only eat small fish, or other game, no worse than humans. Please, Amy, I would never hurt you, or anyone. Never.”
I nodded slowly, taking everything in. Ty continued to stroke my hand. He wanted to break down the wall I had so recently flung up. Helplessness burned in his gorgeous eyes, cascading down his perfect face. Eventually I found my voice.
“How do you… know that thin—Mina? Was she… Did she turn you into this?” I imagined Mina, cornering a defenseless Ty, completely oblivious to her dark charm. Her hypnotic eyes drawing him closer, and closer, until he was just close enough to kill. Instinctively I flinched away from that image.
Some of the helplessness left his eyes, if I was competent enough to ask questions, then I was obviously aware of what I was doing. And I hadn’t run from him, at least not yet.
“No, of course not. Mina would never hurt me , because I share instincts with her, I was born this way. My father was a merman, my mother was a human. Mina, is our—the Mermanese word, for grandmother.”
“WHAT?! That monste—that beautiful young creature is your
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