The hum echoed strong.

“Fading, so slow, black hole…

I feel it slipping away.”

It came from two different voices: one female, one male. They echoed together, like one.

“We’re all we’ve got.

If you’re lost, I’m diving in after you.”

But both voices were sorrowful, almost fearful. The hum echoed through the entire southern coast, seeming to be calling.

“Wherever you go, whatever you do, you know I’ll follow you down.

Wherever you go, if ever you lose your ground, I’ll follow you down.”

The sirenic melody faded suddenly, for a figure neared the shore. The beautiful voices grew quiet when eyes trailed the beach, calmly trying to find their origin. There was no one in sight, however.

Jason stood there, having heard all too well their voices, too beautiful to be human. Yet again, those creatures had not allowed themselves to be seen. They only seemed to be around when no one roamed. Or perhaps they were still there, watching below the now shining waters, the sun sinking into the horizon and sea.

The human let out a sigh, having tried to see those breathtaking beings again. He really could not let go of the fact that they had been there, he was certain his eyes had not failed him. After a while, he began to walk away; no matter how much he waited, he was not even graced with a glimpse. As soon as he set foot onto the road that led back to town, it started again.

“You’re lost, worn out, face down… Don’t know where you’re headed to.

Right here, right now, somehow… I’ll light the way up for you.”

Their voices only called when unseen, uncaring of being heard. Jason stood still, listening calmly and quietly. Soon, however, he walked away without looking back.

They only called for one.

——————-

 

His eyes stared without emotion, empty. Shamira whined and nudged him again, but he remained impassive. He kept staring through the window, sitting on his bed.

The curtains were rustling and cold flowed into his room, but he did not care. With the window open, he could see better the coastline. His room faced the south, tall on the second floor, allowing him to see faintly over the terrain of the cay. Still, he couldn’t discern anything on the horizon, no figures on the sand or water. He was only human.

Matthew finally looked down; Shamira moved away when he gently nudged her off his lap. His hazel eyes narrowed, feeling lightheaded. He brushed his legs, still finding them strange. His whole body felt bizarre, difficult to get used to. It truly had been an uncanny and sudden change, both times. It did not help that he had come to like the gentle rocking of the currents, now gone. It helped less… that he could not stop hearing Ethan growling downstairs.

He sighed, hearing him say something unpleasant through the speaker of the phone, again. His uncle had been arguing with the authorities ever since they found him, not needing to yell to impose himself. He was fast to take him out of that clinic too, even if Jason tried to reason he was still susceptible to falling ill, gone for so long in the sea. It was quickly determined that only his ankle needed to be taken care of, something that he could do at home, where he could rest better.

He couldn’t thank Ethan enough, for knowing he hated to be in that clinic. He clearly saw how disturbed he was in there, remembering how he had been after that accident. A few nosy people had tried to peer and ask what had happened as well, surprised to find he was alive after so long. They were quickly dealt with, glared down and intimidated by a furious silence.

Here he was now, locked in his room, alone with his thoughts. Ethan was eerily solemn and distant around him now, perhaps dealing with his own doubt and dread. Maybe he was keeping quiet because he believed he was in shock; he did not really know. One thing was certain: nothing was said about merfolk, something he was thankful for. His uncle had never believed in myth anyway, and he would not bother to try to explain. Not again.

He was somewhat calm… until another snarl echoed and made the entire house rumble, an angry whisper managing to be loud.

“Damn right he is not dead, you morons.” He heard that chain necklace rattle, and a loud chirp from a parrot. “I want that plaque gone, hear me? Or I’ll pull it off myself. And I want those documents burned. He has not died, he’s alive at home. …What? You want to know what happened? Fine, I’ll tell you what happened: I had to find him all by myself, because you incompetent idiots wouldn’t. Now get off your asses and do something useful. Stop counting all the bloody money you got from that sudden swarm of fish and fix this shit.”

Matthew winced and curled more in his bed, hearing Ethan hang up harshly. There was a thud, what he guessed to be a chair creaking under a sudden heavy weight. They both knew there would be more calls and paperwork. He hugged Shamira, feeling lost, guilty. He truly felt horrible for what he did to him. And it scared him that something else worried him more than that.

He peeked again through the window, hearing the house fall silent, the sun finally setting. He could hear the waves. His hazel eyes looked back and forth, a noose in his throat.

What are they doing now?

He did not know. He would not know, because he could not bring himself to speak of them. Leaving his home was something forbidden as well. But he couldn’t just wait, not when they could maybe believe he did not want to go back to them. Maybe they could even think he couldn’t, because he had not made it out alive.

Matthew took a raspy breath as Shamira licked his face in worry, feeling his doubt and conflicted emotions.

“W-what do I do, chum?”

The dog stared at him for a long minute, unable to talk and voice her thoughts. Only he could voice his own wishes. Only he could act and do something. He had to see them, but without hurting Ethan. There was no way he could tell him about them. He would not break his word, even if he knew he could perhaps promise too. Curiosity was dangerous, he knew it firsthand.

Shamira huffed, because Matthew suddenly got a hold of her snout, pulling and making her look up to his eyes. He asked nervously, whispering.

“I need your help, Shamira.” Her eyes narrowed, seeming to ask with her gaze. He took a breath and let it out, hopeful. “Would you be a good girl and go out with me for a walk? Just for a while, we will be back before you know it. What do you say?”

She seemed to glare at him, inquisitive. But he smiled, seeing her stand with a huff, one he knew to be of agreement. Her eyes glanced at the window, warily but firmly. And so, he pushed silently the blankets, inching closer to the edge of his bed.

Matthew took a deep breath, already feeling nervous. Leaving the clinic was not easy; walking was now something difficult for him, not only because of his ankle. Somehow, he missed the feel of water. Still, he forced himself to leave his bed. He could walk more or less, even if like a zombie out of a horror movie. Nonetheless, a hiss escaped him as he put a little weight on his right foot. Luckily, his desk was nearby, allowing him to balance and support himself.

Shamira watched while he leaned for the computer, thinking for a moment, planning. In a minute, music echoed out of the speakers, a playlist set.

He smiled a little, sighing. Some nights he would doze off without stopping his music, Ethan knew. Its sound would make up for the lack of noise in his room, as he would not be there. There was another thing he needed to set up to avoid suspicion, in case his uncle entered his room. The music echoed as he limped to face his bed.

“You used to tell me not to dream away~”

Matthew huffed, grabbing some pillows from his closet and stuffing them below his blankets. He covered it all, to make it look like he was buried in his bed. Once done, he took some other clothes with which he could go out, trying to make as little noise as possible. The music muffled some of his dragged steps.

“Go chase the safety, not the rush~”

He scowled, one of his boots not feeling right against the bandages on his ankle. But he couldn’t care less about that now, not when he felt so torn and lost, unsure of how his life would turn up.

“You say this future is a world away~”

He stood up with a huff, careful of putting more weight on his good foot. He then inched closer to the door and looked down at Shamira, both of them silent. His hazel eyes rose slowly, to glance one last time over his shoulder. The window was now closed, yet he still could see the dark coast on the horizon. It was far, always a long walk away. Now it seemed even more distant and unreachable. And if he did reach it, he would only be able to lay on the sand, unable to near the waves again.

“I think you worry way too much~”

What was done, he did not regret. And so, he looked away, finally turning the knob of his room. He left it silently, a dog following close behind. Neither of them made a sound as they inched towards the stairs, passing by a small bathroom. Both peeked from above, seeing a big shadow sitting near a counter in the small kitchen. Strong breathing echoed, hinting contained anger.  The music was now muffled, the door behind them closed.

“Just like before… my spirit coming up~”

Matthew had to avert his gaze, hating to see the trouble he brought. But he was still determined, for he would come back. He was just leaving for a while; in the morning he would be here, like if he had not left at all. No matter what, he needed to see them.

“What do you talk for? You’ll never make us stop~”

He leaned against a wall without going down the stairs, having no clue how to reach the main door without alerting Ethan. He could stay awake for hours at night, and if he saw him, he would not hear the end of it. Maybe he would not be able to leave, because he could not bring himself to face him.

A small gasp escaped him when a parrot hopped into view in the kitchen, spotting them both lurking in the second floor. He was grateful to see that Kalani only stared, not alerting Ethan with a chirp. While he had a moment of slight inner panic, Shamira moved into action.

“Beyond the shore… We’ll take it to the top~”

Shamira huffed so low that it was unheard, but that sound was understood by Kalani. Both animals seemed to exchange leans of head, eyes meeting. Their tails swayed, like if it was a way of communication. The parrot suddenly began to hop with a nice speed, making way towards Ethan’s leg. Matthew blinked in surprise, hearing a loud chirp, flapping, and a surprised yelp, all followed by a peck against something.

“Kalani!”

Matthew shrunk against the wall, because he heard rustling, a chair being pushed off, and Ethan standing. The old sailor dashed forward, hand almost catching the parrot, which had snatched in his beak his phone. Shamira let out a pleased huff, seeing Kalani flap into the adjacent living room, chased by his very annoyed owner.

“Come back here, Kalani! I will need that in a minute; I’m not done with it! It’s not a can of bait! What the hell is up with you animals?”

Matthew stared baffled at the now empty kitchen and entrance. He could hear a parrot jumping around, chirping, invoking annoyed tired growls. Ethan was now trying to figure out how to snatch Kalani behind the couch, knowing he would just flap away if he dared move it. Meanwhile, Shamira padded back to the stairs, having moved fast as well. She inched closer and nudged him, letting him notice the keys in her mouth. His eyes glinted, his heart beating fast.

“No fear no more. No fear no more~”

Matthew smiled and took the keys, only delaying to mouth a thank you. Ethan was too busy moving a couch to hear a door opening and closing.

The moon rose tall as a figure began to walk towards the coast, just wishing to leave his fears behind.

———————-

 

Footsteps echoed through the empty streets, slow but firm.

Matthew panted, fastening slightly his moves, his eyes glinting with determination. He smiled angrily, able to see now the end of town and the familiar patch of trees, which announced the beginning of a smaller path. At last, he had managed to reach the real beginning of his venture. It was a dirt road that no one took, for it coursed through the forests, leading to the southern coast.

It was not easy to walk while limping, he felt exhausted and dizzy. But he would not stop. He needed to know if they were ok, he needed to see if they were there. The season had passed. He knew that it was time for them to leave, they needed to go back into the sea, he could remember their words. They could be gone. Or they could be there. He did not know, and he needed to. The uncertainty was unbearable. Alon told him the shark was gone, and the parasite left Iara, but he was still uneasy. He had too many questions, and they could be suffering the same painful wonder as him.

He had ventured into the path, the tall trees around it casting huge shadows over everything. The only light came from the moon above. Such darkness would have scared him, but he had worse fears. In such a focused state of mind, he did not notice how Shamira’s ears perked up, hearing something he did not. Matthew only managed to advance a little more through the forest, leaning onto tree trunks to push himself ahead. He soon felt panic, because a figure suddenly emerged from a turn in front of him. His eyes widened, seeing somebody else, even when nobody ever roamed here. Both halted sharply, the path small enough for them to stand face to face.

Jason frowned, seeing Matthew stumble backwards in his surprise. He would have fallen to the ground, if not for Shamira quickly stepping behind his legs.

“Jay?”

“Matthew?”

Jason was calmer, even if taken aback too. He quickly noticed how Matthew tried to compose himself, even if he showed clear signs of nervousness.

“W-what a-are you doing here?”

Matthew demanded in reflex, inching slightly away, sweating. Something that made the other lean his head in wonder, question analytically.

“I could ask you the same, don’t you think?” Matthew snarled, seeing Jason shrug, stating facts plainly. “Roaming here, in the middle of the night… With your ankle like this, when I made clear that you shouldn’t move.”

“I-“

“You are going to the beach.”

Matthew scowled, cursing mentally, understanding that Jason knew of his intentions. And so, he raised his head, brushing off the matter angrily.

“You were the one that said Shamira needed to be walked.”

“Not in the night. I am also the one that told you not to move that ankle.”

“What I do does not have to concern you.“

“It does, more than you think. Your health does concern me, Matthew.”

“I will be fine, thank you very much.” Those thanks were let out slowly with a glare, while Matthew tried to walk around Jason, who did not stop him. “I don’t need you to tell me-“

“You don’t need to go to the beach tonight.”

Matthew looked back, having tried to walk away, only for Jason to call him out again. His hazel eyes narrowed, slightly annoyed. He was unable to voice his reasons, he could only try to excuse his actions.

“Shamira was anxious, I have to-“

“A beautiful humming has been echoing near the shore.”

Matthew blinked in surprise, because those words implied a lot. Jason was not facing him; he had his arms crossed behind him, looking over his shoulder. The brunet found himself listening when words were let out with pure conviction.

“There is someone there, calling, very patiently. It has been resonating ever since you came back, all the time you stayed in the clinic, and the two days you have stayed home.”

Matthew suddenly looked away, growing anxious. His only hand tensed, his expression fearful.

“No one ever goes to that beach, only me; maybe you. You might have heard an old radio forgotten on the sand by-“

“Matthew, drop it already.” He was taken aback, because Jason never dropped his formal tonality like he just did. “I know you won’t admit what roams. Before you disappeared, you stopped talking about what you saw in that stormy night. And now, you are refuting stubbornly what happened. I know why, so don’t take me for an idiot, please. It takes sight to believe, and I think we both agree on that.”

Matthew stood silent for a minute, to then sigh defeated.

“Think whatever you want, but I’m not open for a debate about our beliefs, Jay.”

“Very well…” Jason’s eyes narrowed, suddenly firm. “I hope you are willing to discuss your careless actions instead.”

“I’m not-“

“Does Ethan know you are out here?”

Matthew expected Jason to admonish him and grab his phone to give a call, which would be troublesome, even if it ended behind a couch. He thought he would do that, but he was only waiting patiently while he fidgeted, not showing any anger or judgment. So he ended up confessing under his unreadable stare.

“Of course he does not. You know well he wouldn’t let me. Look, I just need to get to that beach, I must-“

“You really want to get to that beach, I know. But do you think it is wise to walk for more than an hour, with your ankle like this? Will they feel relief if you hurt yourself in your anxiousness?” Their gazes met, both pondering carefully, a dog sitting calmly between them. “I have heard the humming, the calls. They are there, waiting. They are not leaving any time soon. I don’t know what happened while you were away, what kind of bond you share, but I saw the worry and care in their eyes. They were desperate to bring you to safety; the most genuine of reliefs crossed their expressions when you left the waters. They really seem to want you to be alright. And now, I ask…”

Matthew closed his eyes shut, the next question reasonable, something that Iara and Alon could very well end up worrying for.

“Is it worth it to struggle through this long uneven path? I don’t know them as you might do, so I sincerely ask you: is it urgent for you to reach that place?”

Jason frowned, seeing the young man look down at his feet, his discomfort obvious even if he tried to hide it. His ankle hurt like hell. There was doubt in his hazel eyes, but as well a slow realization. He knew now for certain they were there, mostly fine.

I on the other hand…

“I’m just worried about them.”

Jason approached and offered, not surprised to see that Matthew could not meet his gaze.

“All worry about you. You are going to make your injury worse out there. I suggest going back, to rest. Just for a while longer. Ethan will lose his cool if he knows you are here. I won’t say a word if you go back now.” Matthew blinked, because Jason outstretched a hand, caringly. “Maybe I could propose a nice stroll along the beach; there are benefits in walking barefoot on the sand. It would certainly help ease an anxious mind. Healthy mind, healthy body. Ethan can’t say no to that.”

Matthew took a minute to ponder, arguing with himself, his mind always blaring. Soon, his shoulders slumped in surrender. He smiled sadly as he nodded, taking Jason’s hand with a tired whisper.

“I think I will speak with him myself, Jay.”

“As you wish…” Jason shrugged, as if nothing. “I’ll be around, in case you need a second opinion against a stubborn old sailor.”

Shamira stood, because Jason turned to face the town once more, holding onto Matthew’s arm. He asked, meeting those reluctant hazel eyes.

“Now, can I be of help? The trees and streetlights may not offer reliable support.”

“…Ok.”

The dog followed calmly while Jason led Matthew back to the streets, away from the long and jagged path that headed to the coast. There were a lot of places where he could have tripped, pitch black.

Matthew did not protest at any moment, not even if it meant he would not see them tonight. Some of his worries had been lifted away. Jason seemed to understand why he refused to speak up. And now he knew Alon and Iara were there, waiting. It was true that they would not like to see him like this.

He would see them, soon. He would make sure of it, safely.

———————————

 

A door opened slowly. He peeked fearfully into his home, dreading seeing a figure waiting angrily at the doorstep, glaring down at him.

There was no one standing there. And so, Matthew opened the door a little more, letting himself and Shamira sneak in.  Both moved carefully, neither knowing where Ethan was, or if a parrot was caught.

Matthew stepped near the kitchen. He froze instantly when a sound rumbled, startling them both. However, it was not a surprised yell, nor an inquisitive call. He slowly looked sideways into the living room. His eyes narrowed softly, seeing Ethan there, snoring loudly. He was outstretched on the couch, seeming to have given up in his chase, tired.

The brunet walked slowly into the room, staring down with a sad smile at his uncle. He felt sorry, seeing a parrot sleep victoriously on his broad shoulder, a phone still hidden somewhere behind the couch. Even if Ethan was fast asleep, the tiredness was obvious on his face. Matthew shook his head, stepping away, only to come back with something in his hands. A grumble echoed when something was laid down over the couch, carefully.

Matthew approached the stairs, placing his hand on the light switch, only halting to look back. Shamira’s tail swayed, seeing Kalani curl on the blanket over Ethan, both their snores growing louder.

“Good night, Ethan.”

He turned the light off.

———————

 

Below the moon, two figures swam slowly. The ripples that brushed the shore came from their movements and echoes.

Her azure eyes closed, her mouth sinking, the moon too high to keep on singing softly. She stopped moving in circles, giving up on glancing at the beach, not having seen the one she wanted to see. There had been a human, but not Matthew. She floated there, tired, heartbroken. But she smiled, because she felt two strong arms wrapping slowly around her from behind, a tail caressing gently hers. His voice echoed gain, to her, softly.

“He was really worn down… Just wait, he will come, given time. He always does.”

She nodded slowly, grasping him back, leaning herself against him. Her voice was faint and sad.

“Yes, he will. Even if I-“

Alon silenced her, holding her tighter, his fingers brushing her lips gently.

“We have already talked about this. Mourning our actions won’t make things better. We can only pull each other up and keep going.”

His words made her remember what they told him once. She shook her head, frowning with an anxious whisper.

“I won’t go anywhere.”

Alon looked into her eyes, understanding her tiredness.

“I know.” He sighed, leaning onto her, hugging her close. “I won’t either. I’m never leaving you two again.”

They should have gone into the sea a long time ago. Their kind had surely left those warm coasts already, traversing the seas once more. Something deep inside called her, begging her to follow her instincts. And he was sure his family was wondering where he was. But they couldn’t leave.

They did not want to venture into the ocean. They would stay by the shore until they saw him.

Nothing would make them part.