The Fate of the Muse

chapter FIFTEEN

JAWS





The next morning we met Kimo in the lobby, following him out to a big black van that was parked in front of our hotel. The tinted glass windows made it seem a little sinister, and Shayla peered in suspiciously, her face registering shock when she saw that Matt was sitting in the passenger seat.

“He’s coming too!” she gasped, gripping my arm with wide, excited eyes. After we’d gotten back to our room Shayla had spent most of the evening running down every last movie Matt had appeared in. That explained why everyone was so mystified as to why I didn’t know him, for apparently he’d been a celebrity for quite some time. I just yawned, used to being out of the loop.

“Honeys,” Kimo opened the side door with a sweeping gesture. I could see a selection of boards and towels packed in the back and returned his smile. I sure hoped he wasn’t exaggerating about the surf.

We drove down the winding little roadway and Matt turned around to flash a movie star grin at me, “Kimo says you can surf the big ones better than any chick he’s ever seen.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that so I just shrugged. He turned his attention to Shayla, and was rewarded with doe-eyed adoration. I was a little surprised to see the normally wary Shayla look so smitten, but I’d seen the signs often enough. I had grown up watching Evie bowl people over with her charm, after all.

“How’s your Aunt Evie?” Kimo asked as if on cue, pulling the van off the highway onto a lonely dirt road.

“She’s fine,” I replied, remembering how quickly Evie had wrapped Kimo around her little finger. I was afraid I had that effect on him too, only I wasn’t doing it on purpose.

Shayla launched into a detailed account of how Evie had flown us to Paris in her new jet and knew all the fashion designers. I could feel Matt watching me like Kimo always did, suddenly much more impressed. I turned away to look out the window, thinking that this little field trip might not have been such a good idea.

We drove through vast fields of pineapple and sugarcane, slowly maneuvering around the potholes, and finally coming up to a sinister looking stretch of road. The sides were lined with burned out, torn apart old cars, and it felt like some kind of warning.

“Locals don’ like nobody on dis lan,” Kimo said, “Cept me and my brahs.”

We continued on through the post-apocalyptic landscape until we reached the end of the line, finding several cars at the edge of the cliff, a few spectators looking down with cameras and binoculars. We parked, and the roar of pounding surf greeted my ears, sending my heart beating a little faster.

Kimo turned to me, “Les go!”

We climbed out of the van and Gabe came trotting up, “It’s going off!” he told Kimo, “Kaiko has a ski ready for you.” He looked at me and Shayla, “Kimo… It’s too big for them.”

Kimo tossed his head dismissively and we all walked over to the edge of the cliff to look down. It was hard to judge the scale of the wave, until a tiny speck that turned out to be a jet ski appeared on its flank. Rising up like a mountain of water, curling elegantly down, the wave must have been at least forty feet tall. I was so excited I could barely breathe.

“Whoa!” gasped Shayla, “I’m not goin’ out on that!”

Matt puffed up a little, flashing Shayla another charming smile, “I can handle it.” Gabe gave Kimo a warning glance, but he was already off, rushing back to the van to unload the boards. He called me over to show me a board and explain why it was different; narrower and shorter than usual, with straps to slip my feet into. He told me how he would take me out past the break, towing me in to drop me down onto the face of the wave, circling around to pick me up before the next big one came crashing down on my head.

It was exactly how I surfed with Lorelei.

Kimo leaned in close to me, “Are you finally done wit your high school boyfriend?” he asked playfully.

“No, not at all,” I cast him a sour look.

“What, are you gonna get married or sumpin’?” he said mockingly.

I held his gaze, “As a matter of fact, we are.”

He started to laugh at my joke, but stopped when he saw the look in my eye, “He’s one lucky dude,” he said quietly.

“I’m the lucky one.”

He looked down, shaking his head sadly, and then up at me with the mischievous twinkle back in his eye, “Leas’ I can surf wit you!”

“Yeah. Now let’s go!” I said urgently. I couldn’t wait, and I didn’t need any coaching; I knew the routine, for Lorelei always helped me catch waves that were simply too big and too fast moving for any human being to paddle out onto. Only we did it in the dark.

Kimo’s gleaming eyes smiled into mine, and I could see the same fire in them. For a split second I wondered if he wasn’t being overly reckless, but I was past the point of caring.

We all hiked down to the shoreline, where Kimo introduced us to a group of local guys that waited with the machines down at the rocky shore. They started excitedly telling Kimo about the unexpectedly good conditions, describing some horrific wipeouts. The air crackled with excitement and energy.

Shayla came close, nudging me with her elbow, “Check that out… Marina, those waves could really mess you up.”

I was poised to jump in, shifting impatiently from foot to foot as Gabe pulled Kimo aside.

“He doesn’t think you and Matt should go,” Shayla whispered in my ear, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I snapped impatiently. Shayla looked at me oddly, but I was in no mood to placate her. I felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t get out into those waves. We watched couple of guys help a visibly shaken surfer out of the water, white faced and gasping for breath. Shayla looked at me in alarm, but nothing was going to dissuade me from my fanatic mission.

Kimo strode up, “Look at you, all fired up!”

Since Gabe was out of commission, and I’d never driven a jet ski, Kimo decided to take turns towing me and Matt, letting Matt drive for him. He attached a rope to the back of the ski and handed it to me, telling me to hold on. I flung myself into the water, holding on with one hand, adjusting to the jerky ride behind the loud, smelly engine. He towed me through the turbulent white water until we reached the swells of the outer reef. There were only a couple of other people resting in the water when Kimo dropped me off, telling me to wait. I sat up on the board and watched him power away, shivering with anticipation.

“Why is she so happy?” a voice in my head whispered. I spun around, but there was no-one nearby. The other tow team took off to chase after a huge swell, leaving me alone.

“She wants to ride the waves,” came the reply in the same voice.

This was no figment of my imagination. I squeezed my eyes shut to focus and said aloud, “Sisters? Are you here?”

Now the voices were loud and clear, “She can talk! She is the one!”

“Who are you?” I cried, “Where are you?”

All at once two identical mermaid heads rose from the deep blue water, startling me. They were like mirror images of each other, and I realized that they must be twins. Their skin was warm golden brown, glowing like honey with light shining through it. They had the most unusual silvery white hair, so shimmering and mirror like it reflected the blue sky and water surrounding us. They looked at me in wonder, their bright, inquisitive eyes a pale shade of lavender.

I was momentarily stunned, and then returned their smiles, charmed by two of the most amazing looking creatures I’d ever laid eyes on. They were exquisite, reminding me of exotic tropical flowers. It was like stumbling upon a type of orchid you’d never seen before, but found to be so amazing in form and coloration that you were surprised it truly existed. They were bizarre and otherworldly, but almost unbearably beautiful to look at.

“Marina!”

“H-How do you know my name?” I sputtered.

“We know you from the council.”

They seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see them. I’d put the memories of that underwater council behind me. It was terrible; my forced transformation– the first awful time when I didn’t quite grasp what was happening to me. I tried to recall seeing them there, but the blurry memory of that terrible day was as vague as the details of a bad dream.

“What are you doing here?” one of them asked.

“I’m going wave riding,” I explained, looking around for other surfers, “What are your names?”

They introduced themselves as Noelani and Leilani, and I watched in fascination as they touched my surfboard tentatively, giggling with excitement, cocoa skin shimmering in the bright sunshine. They splashed and twirled all around me like ripples of bright tumbling water. It was as if their excitement was simply too much to bear, and they had to dance. I wished that Ethan were here to see this, I thought.

The roar of the Jet Ski announced Kimo’s return, and they were gone.

“Ladies first?” Kimo grinned like a madman, dropping Matt off next to me and circling around for me to grab the tow rope. I nodded, still a little dazed by my encounter with the Hawaiian mermaids. We moved out into position, waiting until a promising swell built up beneath us. Kimo signaled for me to get ready and we took off in rapid pursuit of the giant bump of water that seemed to rise and rise without end.

I focused, my chest trembling with the power of the force I could feel moving beneath me. It rose to engulf me, and I could feel the energy like a breeze blowing straight through my body. Kimo crested the massive wave just as it began to take shape, and sped down the face of it. I dropped the tow line and started to surf for my life.

I could feel it rise up behind me like a monster chasing me down, and I dared not look back. It was awesome, a mountain of liquid power, leaving no room for error. I bobbled for a split second, getting my balance on the unfamiliar board as I went hurtling onto the steep incline. I accelerated down the face of the wave, hanging weightless, listening to the song it sang and humming with euphoria. The wave curled before me, unfolding exactly as it had appeared in my dream.

Teal, cerulean and turquoise, there weren’t enough words to describe the incredible blue tube that engulfed me. I moved through it in a trancelike state, completely calm in a way I hadn’t been for a long time. I caressed the wall of water with my fingertips and laughed, overcome with the sensation that everything was going to be fine, that there was nothing to fear.

The tube narrowed, but I only needed to crouch slightly to shoot through the end and finish on my feet. I sank down in the water slowly, perfectly content.

Then I looked up at the mountain of water forming again, setting itself up to crush me under a thousand tons of heavy blue death. Evie’s words about mortality rang in my ears. I started to paddle frantically away, but there was no possible way I could outrun it.

And suddenly Kimo was right there, his strong arm reaching out for mine, hauling me away and over the wave to the calmer waters beyond. When we finally stopped, my whole body was buzzing with adrenaline, more alive than ever.

“Whoop!” Kimo let out a cry, “Huui! Dat was da kine surfin!”

I laughed with glee, unable to wipe the smile from my face, “That was incredible! You weren’t kidding about this place!”

He shook his head in wonder, addressing Matt as he paddled up to us, “See dat?” he asked, “Wahdid I tellya?”

Matt smiled and tossed his head, “Great surfing!” he exclaimed, “Take me now.”

Kimo spun around us in a circle, spewing a cloud of noxious exhaust fumes. I couldn’t help thinking how much better it was being towed by a mermaid as I waved at the air, choking and coughing. Matt grabbed the rope with determination, looking back to see if I was watching. The minute they left I scanned the water for Noelani and Leilani. As soon as the noisy machine was a good distance away their shining heads broke the surface once more.

“So, do you know Lorelei?” I asked, keeping one eye on the guys as they started out onto another humongous swell.

“We know all of our sisters, and now we know that it’s true. You will help us. You are the one.”

“The one?”

“Yes. We know you brought Nerissa back.”

I wondered if I should tell them about the awful truth about mermaid reproduction.

“Uhm… Some of them are never coming back… Like my mother…”

“Mother?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, “Adria.”

They studied me like I was a specimen under a microscope, “You look like Adria.”

“Yeah,” I said wistfully, “What was she like?”

They were as difficult to keep on topic as Lorelei was. Distant and chaotic, all I could hear was a confusing jumble of the two babbling thoughts that bounced around in their minds. Then they began touching my board, and I could see myself from their perspective, clear and strong. I felt completely relaxed, suspended underwater in the wave, looking up at the fins of my board slicing through a brilliant blue light. I should go underwater and just start breathing, I thought.

I startled violently, recoiling from the idea. I pushed their thoughts out of my mind as hard as I could, and both their heads snapped towards me with hurt in their eyes. I felt as if I’d mentally slapped them.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “But I live on land!” I looked back to shore and was shocked to see Kimo dash wildly out of a wave without Matt. I sat up as tall as I could, riveted by the drama taking place between me and the shore.

Matt had obviously wiped out, and was no doubt getting tumbled underwater by the rolling wall of whitewater that had engulfed him. Either he’d failed to surface, or Kimo had failed to retrieve him, and I watched the spot, cringing when another wave pounded down. There was no escaping the full wrath of the ocean from the zone; I made a mental calculation of the time that had elapsed. If he hadn’t caught at least one breath he could easily drown, for few people could survive being held under a third wave in surf this size.

“What’s wrong?” Noelani asked. I held my breath as another wave broke, and Kimo raced back in, frantically looking in the water. Still no Matt, and I knew he was pinned under the weight of tons of water. I had to do something.

“Sisters!” I was frantic, “Can you take me out to find the wave rider? He’s under the water… He needs to breathe air… Please help me!”

Time seemed to fly by as they stared at me with identical blank faces. I squeezed my eyes shut and thought of Lorelei, projecting the image of her towing me out to surf the big waves at the point. Their eyes lit with understanding, and I seized on it, “Please take me to find him! We must go now!”

They each grabbed a side of my board, and pulled me to the crest of the next massive swell. I dropped down to surf it, scanning the water below. This wave was easily sixty feet, and from my high perch I could see Kimo far below me, circling on the jet ski. There was no sign of Matt anywhere. I flew down the face of the wave, flanked by the two mermaids just beneath the surface. Kimo looked up to see me coming, shock registering on his face even from a distance.

When I reached the base of the wave I let go of my board, took a deep breath and dove. I swam down as far as I could, feeling the mass of water flow over top of me. Then the twins appeared beside me, gesturing to a dark form I could barely make out on the ocean’s floor.

My lungs burned for air, and I kicked for the surface, rising just in time to see Kimo wheel around, his back turned to me. He was so intent on his search he failed to notice the tremendous wave cresting over his shoulder, poised to swallow him.

“Kimo!” I called out a warning, but it was too late. The last thing I saw before I dove again was a giant wall of white crash down upon him, tearing him from the jet ski. Once I got deep enough to escape the surge, the twins appeared to me again, towing Matt’s limp body behind them.

“Take us to the shore!” I thought, and one of them grabbed my hand. With just a few powerful thrusts of their tails we surfaced in the shallows. I took hold of Matt as best I could and kicked towards the beach, getting my footing on the rocks, relieved to see Shayla and Gabe rush towards us.

Shayla waded out, her eyes wide with shock, “Are you okay? Kimo just got stuffed!”

I handed Matt to Gabe, panting with exertion. I turned to see the jet ski bobbing riderless in the white water, rolling into the rocky shore. A group of people milled about on the beach uncertainly, watching everything unfold. I looked again to see Kimo’s head break the surface just as a wall of white foam engulfed him.

I knew he was getting ragdolled, tossed mercilessly in the churning water. I took a deep breath and went back out to get him.

“Marina… NO!” I could hear Shayla’s horrified shriek just before I dove under.

The surge of the water tried to push me back into the rocky shore, but as I struggled in the surf I could feel the mermaids by my side again, just under the surface. “We need to get the other one!” I pleaded, slicing through the white water with a mermaid pulling on each arm. I doubted they were visible to anyone on shore; even when we surfaced their white hair was like camouflage in the churning water. We got out into the zone, and they took me right up to where Kimo was choking and coughing, trying to tread water.

I don’t know if he even saw me approach when I took his arm, looking up at yet another wall of water threatening us, “Dive!”

We went under, the mermaids pulling me while I kept a firm grip on Kimo’s upper arm, locking my elbow around it. I could feel the water rush by us as mermaids powered us towards the shore, and when we broke the surface in the shallow water, I looked around to see they’d disappeared.

Kimo’s dark eyes were in absolute shock when they met mine. Was it possible he’d seen them? I was afraid to even look at him as we found our footing. I helped him stagger out of the water, dazed and coughing hoarsely. Gabe rushed out to take his sagging weight off my shoulders.

Matt was sprawled out on the beach, Shayla kneeling by his side. When I came towards her she jumped to her feet and ran to embrace me, sobbing with relief, “Oh God! I thought you were gonna drown!”

“I’m fine,” I heaved a breath, “Matt?”

“He’s out cold, but I think I got him breathing,” she rushed back to his side. I could hear the distant thump of a helicopter approaching and looked up to see it descend and land on the cliffs above. I went over to where Gabe had Kimo sitting down, his head between his knees. It was strange to see him like that, so weak and rattled.

He looked up at me, and in a hoarse and broken voice managed to choke out, “How?”

“Are you okay?” I knelt down to pat him sympathetically. Gabe looked at me like I was from another planet.

A rescue team climbed down with a stretcher, strapping Matt onto a body board and carrying him back to the waiting copter. A couple of Kimo’s friends arrived on the spot, taking him under the arms to half walk, half drag him up the path.

The rest of us followed behind, watching as they loaded Matt onto the copter, an oxygen mask strapped onto his face. Kimo climbed in after him, his haunted eyes meeting mine just as they lifted off, leaving us all standing in stunned silence.

A small group of surfers and spectators milled around the cars, speaking in hushed tones about the accident. Shayla was going on and on about what a strong swimmer I had to be to help both of the guys out, and I could see heads turning in our direction, watching us curiously.

Gabe looked down at me, shaking his head in wonder, “Cmon lifeguard, I’ll take you and Shayla back to your hotel.”