The Turning Tides

CHAPTER Ten

WATCHED



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I let myself into the studio with a bag of groceries tucked under each arm. Ethan had installed a heavy duty lock on the door, and nothing looked disturbed, but I swept the place for bugs anyway. Everything seemed fine, but I kept my gun and Taser laid out on the table within easy reach.

I looked at them with satisfaction, knowing I was ready for anything.

I tidied up, stocking the fridge and straightening the pillows on the couch. I made myself a snack and put some music on, turning my attention to the stacks of canvases that lined one wall. Thinking about the majesty of the whales feeding, I decided to try and capture the feeling of being in the sea among them, squeezing paint out of tubes and grabbing a handful of brushes.

Once I started painting I fell into an old familiar rhythm; the hours flew by like minutes, and I jumped when my phone rang. It was Ethan, telling me that his mother wanted to go out to a restaurant. We made plans for him to pick me up at the coffee shop downstairs, so I washed up, changed out of my paint-spattered clothes and pinned my hair back neatly. With a last look around, I locked the studio up tight, and reluctantly headed downstairs.

“Hey Marina!” Bill smiled up from the counter. “Long time no see!” He pointed to a few empty spaces on the walls, “I could use some more paintings.”

I returned his smile, “Hey Bill. I’ve been out of town.” He didn’t pry, and I was glad not to go into detail.

I slid onto a barstool and talked to him while he worked, bolstered by his cheerful attitude. He was thrilled by Megan’s musical success, and delighted that he’d played a part in giving her the first chance to perform for an audience.

“I knew she was gonna make it big the minute I heard her,” he said proudly.

I sipped my coffee and told him about some of the places she’d been touring. He asked me if I’d been surfing lately, talking about the buzz he was hearing about some great swell that was headed our way. I didn’t need to get the news from him; I could feel the pressure building up within me all day long. I was already starting to flirt with the idea of going out to meet with Lorelei. There simply had to be a way to do it safely.

Bill glanced up towards the door and did a double take. I turned to find Ethan and his mother had walked in, and I could see why. Ruby was squeezed into a dress that left very little to the imagination. Short, tight, and shiny, it was wildly out of place in the brightly lit coffee shop. I could see Ethan look around nervously, finally smiling with relief when he saw me waiting there.

He gestured for me to follow, so I said goodbye to Bill and got up to follow them out into the street. Ethan opened his truck door for us and I slid into the middle, waiting while Ruby climbed in, tottering awkwardly on a pair of five inch platform heels.

“Where are we going?” I asked Ethan.

“Mom wants steak,” he said, “Is that okay with you?”

So it was “Mom” now, I thought.

“Anywhere’s fine with me,” I said.

Ruby chatted on animatedly throughout the meal. She continued being overly friendly, and complimented me to the point of embarrassment, raving about my dress, my shoes and my jewelry. Ethan watched on happily, taking everything at face value, seeing what he wanted to see. It occurred to me how little Ethan knew about women.

“You look like a girl that really knows how to shop! I bet you can show me all the best salons in town. I need to go get my nails done!” she held up her hand, examining a chip on one of her red claws with consternation.

She described her past few years working as a real-estate agent in Las Vegas, and complained that the market was slow.

“So I thought, now that I’m between clients, what better time to visit Santa Cruz? I’m so glad I worked up the courage!”

She went on and on about how proud she was of Ethan, praising him for working so hard and being the first person in her family to go to college. She said she was glad that he was going to do more with his life than just, “chase a bunch of fish around all day”.

“I always knew he was a smart boy, but look how handsome he grew up to be!” she said with a giggle.

I had to agree with that. Ethan looked uncomfortable, but I could see him hang on every word she said.

“This must have cost a mint!” she reached out and grabbed my purse, inspecting the designer label. I snatched it back immediately, thinking of the gun inside.

She raised her eyebrows, asking me, “Geez, how much is it worth?”

“I don’t know, it was a gift,” I said awkwardly, adding, “My aunt likes to shop for me.”

I’d never fully appreciated how much people coveted designer clothes until I moved to Aptos. I’d always liked the things Evie lavished on me, but the way people reacted to them made them seem like more trouble than they were worth. Society truly did judge a book by its cover, making all kinds of assumptions about you based upon the things you had.

“Oh,” she said with a knowing glance at Ethan, “Marina comes from a rich family. She must be used to being spoiled rotten.”

I was taken aback by her rude assessment, and my eyes flashed to Ethan.

He shook his head, “No Mom, Marina grew up traveling all over the world with her dad. Her Aunt Evie is the rich one– and Marina’s not anything at all like her.” He reached over and took my hand.

Now I was offended by the way he spoke about Evie, and I sat doing a slow burn. I knew I couldn’t blame Ethan for resenting Evie; she’d been unfair to him, and tried to come between us. It pained me that they’d gotten off to a rocky start, and I hoped that one day they’d be able to see the good in each other. Aside from my father, Evie was the greatest humanitarian I’d ever known.

I pulled my hand back and looked down, “Most people would love to be like Evie.”

“Don’t mind me, honey,” Ruby said sweetly. “It’s only that some of us have to work for everything we get. I just hope you don’t spend Ethan out of house and home.” She winked at me and patted my shoulder with false affection.

I was struck dumb with outrage, about to tell her off, but when I looked up at Ethan and saw the anxiety on his face I softened. I took a deep breath and let it go. He wanted so desperately for us to get along, the least I could do was ignore her insults. I thought about how eager I’d been for my father to like him. All I had to do was get through the next few days and everything would be back to normal.

Whatever that was.

Ruby ordered the most expensive item on the menu and ate with exaggerated daintiness, treating the waiter with haughty distain. She daubed at her eyes when she talked about how much she missed her “little boy” all these years, and I returned her gaze skeptically. It was all I could do to keep from telling her the truth… That I knew the things she had done.

Ethan left the table for a few moments and Ruby leaned towards me, her demeanor completely different, “You two kids are shacking up… aren’t you?”

“What?” I asked.

“Did I bust up your little love nest?”

I looked at her in shock, not sure I was hearing her right.

“Does your fancy aunt know what you’re up to?”

I was freshly annoyed, “My aunt is none of your business.”

She looked at me with strangely glittering eyes, “I found a couple of drawers of your things in his room. At least I guess they’re yours… I mean, who else would have such expensive stuff!”

I looked at her in outrage, and was about to tell her off for snooping when Ethan slid back into his seat, “Are you two having a good time?” he asked hopefully.

“The best!” his mother gushed, “Marina is a great girl!”

Ethan looked at me with proud shining eyes, “I know.”

I pushed my temper down and remained quiet throughout the rest of the meal, letting my thoughts wander out to sea. I wondered what my sisters were doing, and I found myself slipping away, wishing I was with them. The smell of saltwater filled my nostrils, and I could hear whales singing. I ached for the wordless communication, the mindless euphoria, the physical exhaustion. I knew I would go out to see them tonight; it was inevitable.

“Is that okay with you?” Ethan asked.

“Huh?” I looked up, realizing that I’d drifted off.

Ethan’s eyes clouded with concern. He nudged me gently, “Marina?”

I forced myself back, faking a smile, “Yes?”

He twined his fingers in mine and held onto my hand tightly.

“Can you take my mom out shopping on Sunday?” He looked at me, his eyes pleading, “Long can’t cover for me at the market.”

Ruby jumped in, “I think I’ll simply die if I have to spend an entire day alone in that apartment.” She treated us to an exaggerated shudder.

“Well?” asked Ethan, squeezing my hand again, “Can you?”

“Sure,” I answered, “No problem.”

I realized I was going to have to do a little more than simply wait her out.

After dinner, Ethan pulled up next to the Rover, getting out and walking me to the car.

“Thanks for coming… And thanks for giving her a chance.” He kissed me on the cheek and pulled me close, “I love you,” he whispered in my ear.

Ethan was worried about planning the next day, “I took tomorrow off, but I have no idea what to do with her. Please come over… We could all go for a hike or something.”

I thought about Ruby’s choice of footwear and smiled ruefully at him, “I don’t think she’s the hiking type.”

I agreed to come by for a visit the next afternoon, and I watched them drive away with a sigh. I remembered that I needed to re-schedule my Sunday training session with Paul and pulled out my phone to make the call. I was frustrated, thinking I’d much rather shoot guns than shop with Ruby.

“Suit yourself,” he said sternly. “But you’re going to fall behind... And I can’t guarantee you a weapon anytime soon…”

“Yes Paul, I know.” I realized that he didn’t know I had a gun already, and I sighed convincingly, “Sorry, but I can’t afford to miss any more school. I’m afraid it’s going to have to wait until next weekend.”

“Your call, soldier,” he said.

“See you next week… soldier,” I replied, making him laugh.

That’s interesting, I thought; Yuri hadn’t mentioned slipping me a pistol. He must have known that Paul was making me wait. Yuri obviously wanted to please me, and it was evidence that he might still be fixated on me. I knew I should probably tell Paul, but I wasn’t going to risk having him take the gun back.

I craned my neck to look up at the moon through my windshield. If I surfed now, I could still get a few hours of sleep before I went to see Ethan tomorrow. I pulled out and drove along the coast, finally stopping at a popular party beach.

Tonight, something told me I should hide in plain sight.

I parked at the end of a long line of cars, changing in the darkness and slipping out into the shadows. The night breeze caressed my face, and I looked up to see a mist of fog moving in to obscure the stars and veil the moon. I locked the Rover up securely, engaging the alarm system.

I was careful to skirt the trail, pausing to lurk in the bushes while a couple of guys hauled a cooler down the narrow path in the dark. Giggling girls followed them, stopping at the sand to slip off their shoes. They lagged behind the boys, comparing notes about the ones they liked and speculating about who was making out with who.

Listening to their gossip made me feel like a complete outsider. I could only imagine being so lighthearted and carefree. I felt ancient and burdened; the ball and chain I’d been dragging around behind me kept getting bigger and bigger. There was one sure way to get some relief, and I was so close I could taste it in the air.

Once I got out onto the sand I could see a couple of bonfires in the distance, and hear the sounds of music and raucous laughter mingling with the crashing of the nighttime surf. I ducked into the water, letting the darkness drown me. Every last trace of melancholy slipped away as I paddled out into the black water, set free by the relief of sweet surrender.

The rise and fall of the sea rocked me with an ancient rhythm that soothed and heightened my senses simultaneously; I could actually feel Lorelei arrive before I heard her in my mind. I started with surprise– this must be how they sense each other from great distance. I stared at her in wonder when her beautiful head broke the surface.

The invisible filaments linking me to my sisters were strengthening.

“They sound happy,” Lorelei observed, looking towards the partiers on the sand.

“Or drunk,” I laughed, getting a puzzled look in return. “Oh… Nevermind.”

She watched the fires burn on the beach with fascination for a few moments, before grabbing my board to tow me a few miles down the coast where some big waves were raging. I recognized the point in the darkness, looking up to the the bluff where I’d first learned the truth about Evie, and down to the rocky beach where I’d nearly died at the hands of Joe. I wondered if Lorelei was capable of harboring the same feelings about the place that I did, and a flood of negative memories threatened to spoil my mood.

The ghosts of the past disappeared into thin air when I saw the size of the surf. My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard. These waves would be scary in broad daylight, but by the hazy, filtered moonlight, they were absolutely terrifying.

I wanted to surf them unlike I’d ever wanted to do anything before.

“Let’s go for it,” I said, fear sitting like a stone in my stomach. I wasn’t even sure if I’d spoken aloud.

Lorelei grinned at me, her teeth flashing white in the dim light, the phosphorescent glow of her skin unbearably beautiful. The first wave she dropped me onto rivaled the monster waves in Hawaii, and the old familiar rush came upon me, washing away all traces of fear. When I was flying on the black sea, twirling and tumbling like a waterfall, everything seemed easy. I let out a whoop of sheer joy, scribbling my name on the water with lines of seafoam.

I honestly meant to leave early, but I ended up spending most of the night following the glowing underwater trail that Lorelei blazed like an aquatic pied piper. The hours blew by like minutes, and before I knew it, I needed to stop and rest more frequently. It was during one of these lulls in the action that I felt it. It started out as a tingling sensation as my hair stood on end, tickling like a handful of ants crawling across my scalp. I focused on it and the feeling localized, until I knew precisely what direction it was coming from.

I looked up to the bluff, and I could just barely make out the silhouette of a man’s head and shoulders; he was lying prone to peek over the edge of the cliff. I was being watched, and I’d felt it as surely as if he’d tapped me on the shoulder. I was too fascinated to be afraid, taking a moment to savor the new sensation. I watched as the head lowered slowly, peeking back up to find me still looking; finally ducking down and coming back up several yards away.

Lorelei paused, watching me, “What is it?” she asked, following my gaze upwards.

The head popped up again, and seeing that I was tracking him, he disappeared for good.

“We need to go,” I told Lorelei calmly.

She towed me several miles back up the coast, dropping me off where we met.

“Marina?” the dawn reflected in her turquoise eyes, “What happened?”

I took her hands in mine and fought back tears, “I… I’m going to have to stop coming to see you for a while. You must promise me to be extra careful–”

She looked sad, “But, Marina–”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“But why? I know the rules.”

“I want you to dive deep when you see a boat.”

“Why don’t you come and swim with us like Adria did?”

I paused for a second, groping for the words. I’d like nothing better than to shrug off all my worldly troubles and choose freedom– if only for a little while. I feared the pain of transformation, but even more than that, I doubted my ability to come back.

What I knew for sure was that by trying to have it both ways I was putting them in jeopardy. Every time I came out to see my sisters, I risked leading my enemies straight to them, but I couldn’t seem to stop.

I looked back towards the beach to see that the fires were out; the party was over. I shook my head sadly, “The bad people are following me, because they still want to catch my sisters.”

Lorelei followed my gaze, and I think she understood. “What are you going to do?” she asked solemnly.

“I’m going to try and get them first.”





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