The Invasion

12 | Aquatic Creatures

It—no—he is unlike anything I've ever seen.

I recognize what he is immediately—a merfolk. His hair is a ravishing coal black and pulled together into a long braid. He has bright aquamarine eyes. He wears a tight, scale-like black suit that accentuates the thick band of muscles in his arms, abdomen and legs.

His skin is a deep shade of olive, looking almost golden. If it isn't for the black, intricate markings running along his neck and arms, he might easily pass off as a very tall human. A strikingly fearsome one, at that.

He seems just as startled to see me. Confusion crosses his features. Unlike the other creatures, he seems to have complete control of his mind. His high dexterity and strength tells me he's not someone that I want to cross paths with.

But that's not the end.

Judging from his expression, he knows what I am.

We study one another. He steps closer to have a better look at me, but I turn and run. As much as he's a gorgeous-looking aquatic hunk, Mom is my top priority on hand.

And whoever this male is, he belongs to them—the creatures that are often mentioned in old folk tales. For years, his kind is what Mom has warned me to stay away from.

Fear crawls across my skin. I don't escape far before he grabs my wrist and pulls me back to meet his blazing gaze. His hand is warm on my skin. Though his lips don't move to speak a word, his eyes convey the question that he is dying to ask.

Who are you?

The arm that he's clutching onto, unfortunately, is my injured one. Pain lances through my shoulder, forcing a pitiful whimper out of me. At my pained expression, the merman releases me and I scurry away from him quickly.

From my vantage point, I can see more shadows lurking in the rain's veil. They're wasting no time closing in on us.

Time to go, Delia.

I don't look back—I run. My soaked sneakers squeak and slap against the gravel as I stumble through the rain blindly. When I throw a quick glance over my shoulder, the merman is nowhere in sight. Strange, is he not coming for me? It makes me doubt myself for a second, wondering if everything that has transpired earlier is a figment of my imagination.

Amidst the chaos and questions swirling in my mind, the fact that the creatures could easily locate me means I'm in a very vulnerable position now. I need to get out of here fast.

Let's not forget about Mom's disappearance. Including Clara and Mia.

But this storm is raging like never before. I barrel my way through the rain blindly and end up stumbling upon the Old Orchard Beach Historical Museum, which now sits lonely. Abandoned. The country's flag pole that would usually hang high and dignified, has collapsed pitifully. The glass windows are busted. Cracks and holes fill the walls. I don't see any humans so far, at least not the alive ones.

Between the broken windows and the craters through the wall, I choose the latter option. I dive for the biggest one I see, but watch out for my wounded shoulder. Climbing in, I topple onto the ground. A whimper escapes my throat from the searing pain shooting through my shoulders. My bloodied fingers claw across the ground, barely grazing against the sole of a black boot—

Oh shit.

It's a dead body. An older man who wears a dark blue uniform and a cap that screams 'SECURITY'.

I stifle my cry and look away, silently muttering a quick prayer. Poor guard. I don't know how long he has been lying there, but the tips of his fingers are slowly turning black and there's a rotting stench in the air. Thank god he's lying face down, because my stomach is churning in nausea and I'm about to throw up.