What the Tide Brings

Chapter 7 - Liam - The Lighthouse

Liam was up at dawn, and, as he lay in bed, he began to wonder if the events of yesterday had actually happened. Maybe it had all been in his head.

He told himself that that had to be the case. It couldn't be more than a crazy dream. Because everyone knew that mermaids didn't exist. It was ludicrous to think that there could be one asleep in the next room. He stared at the wall shared with the room that would be hers. Without a sound, he threw off the covers, slipped out of bed, and crept across the floor. He pressed his ear against the wall to see if he could hear breathing. He didn't hear anything. He didn't know if that was because the walls were too thick or because she really wasn't there.

He took a deep breath. Thinking that she might not be real was making him incredibly anxious. He dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed running his shoes. He moved through the house as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake his mother. Or Kaelin - if she was actually there.

He put his shoes on outside and started down the beach. The sun was barely over the horizon and the sky was lit in a peculiar shade of pink. The early morning breeze coming off the water felt nice against his face.

He picked up his pace until he was jogging; he felt like he needed to be on the move.

He kept going until he reached the lighthouse. Inside, a spiral stairs wrapped around the walls, all the way to the top, nearly a hundred feet high. Something about the place always drew him back. Whether it was the memories he'd shared with Grandfather, or just the feeling of being on top of the world, he didn't know.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked.

Liam was so startled at the sound that he almost tripped over the steps. "Jeez! You almost gave me a heart attack."

He turned around to see an attractive redhead—dressed in denim short shorts, a crop top, and, oddly enough, yellow galoshes. When she crossed her arms, he noted the smear of grease on her forearm. "I doubt that."

"Do I know you?" Liam looked her up and down. He didn't think he'd ever met her before. He figured her to be somewhere around twenty-four, twenty-five maybe.

"Are you coming on to me, little boy?" She didn't even try to hide her amusement at the thought. "I'm not into cradle robbing, just so you know."

"It's not a line. I was just..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

She relaxed her defensive posture, dropping her arms to her sides. "I just moved here from Michigan. So, unless you're from the Wolverine State, it's unlikely."

"Why did you move?" he blurted the question without thinking. He back-peddled, afraid he'd been rude, adding, "If you don't mind my asking."

"I'm taking over the lighthouse for my uncle." She reached up to push a stray red curl out of her eyes. Some kind of gunk had built up around her fingernails and her fingertips were stained black. He noticed, for the first time, a rusty toolbox sat on the ground behind her. "He's old, and he can't handle the upkeep anymore."

"Mr. Gulch is your uncle." Liam was astonished. She was way too hot to be related to the crotchety old caretaker. And the old man had never mentioned having any sort of family.

"Great uncle, technically. My name is Molly." she said. "And you are?"

"Liam Bainbridge."

Molly reached out to shake his hand but pulled it back when she saw how dirty it was. She grimaced and produced an oily rag from her back pocket to wipe her hands. It did little to help. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Is there actually something I can do for you?" Molly asked. She sounded somewhat impatient, like she wanted to get back to her work.