GENDER: Female
AGE: ??
ORIGIN: Danach
OCCUPATION/RANK: Candidate @ Healing Den Swim Clutch (They ALL are)
HAIR: Long, shining silver-white
EYES: Blue and clear
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A well-toned, slim body, streamlined and quick in the water and on land. It is tan, covered with a fine, soft fuzz. She has the tail of a puma and slightly webbed long fingers and toes. Two cat-like ears protrude from her hair. Despite her odd appearance, she has a unearthly loveliness.
CLOTHING: She hardly ever wears clothes.
JEWELRY: Sea-jewels.
FAMILY: The Ocean and all that lives beneath its waters..
SKILLS: A strong swimmer. She is also very territorial, and so a good fighter. She has a bit of magic in her and can spray strong bursts of water and light from her fingertips. She also has a nearly-sonic screech.
PERSONALITY: Jess can be a shy little creature, but once she begins to trust a person she becomes deeply attached, almost amorous. However, if something threatens her she can become a fiendish little demon.
Tim Bennett overlooked the tank from the balcony, which held the strange creature from the sea. Inside the 'mermaid' swam about frantically, white arms tangled in her long silver hair, pale blue eyes wide in fright.
She wasn't quite a mermaid, since she had no fish tail. Indeed, she had every quality of a lovely human lady; shapely long legs, white skin, pale blue eyes, and silver hair. There were a few things that put her completely apart from most human ladies, however. That was the fact that she had puma-like ears, tail, and fangs.
A voice cut through his thoughts.
"Dr. Bennett, your brother will see you now." Jim nodded and walked down the hall to his brother's office. He knocked on the door.
"Come in," called his brother Jim. Tim opened the door and strolled into the room.
"Sit down," said Jack Monroe, another scientist, gesturing to a small chair in front his desk. Tim sat. "Now. Tell me all about this 'mermaid' of yours."
"Well," began Tim, "It all started the day the boys and I decided to go out in the boat to study marine wildlife. We had been floating on the gentle sea for about an hour, seeing nothing more interesting than krill and a couple of seals, not to mention...seaweed." Jim chuckled, and Tim continued his story.
"All of a sudden, I saw a flash of silver under the water. The others all mistook it for a fish, and being the savvy fishermen they were-" Tim paused sarcastically, "they grabbed it. A shriek pierced the air, and they almost dropped it, but I grabbed hold and tugged the thing aboard. At first I took it for a mermaid...but then I thought it was a lady, simply stranded in the ocean. Then I took a closer look. She had animal ears! A tail! Fangs! I knew that she had to be examined. So I put her in the net, and we brought her back here. She doesn't seem to speak any English. Instead she talks in a series of whistles, clicks, and squeaks."
Monroe thought for a moment, and then smiled, eyes narrowed.
"Have you done any tests on her yet?" he asked casually. Tim blinked and stuttered, not prepared for that question.
"Well, of course not! She--she just came in from the ocean. We aren't going to scare her anymore than she already is." Monroe smirked a little, and then pressed a button.
"Ms. Mason?"
"Yes Mr. Monroe?"
"Please have the eel beast emptied into the sea creature's pool."
"Yes, right away, Mr. Monroe."
Tim and Jim stared at Monroe with a look of horror and rage.
"You can't do that to her! It might kill her!" Monroe shrugged.
"It will be in the name of science. We'll see what fighting techniques, or defense techniques she has, if any."
Tim stood up angrily and stalked out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Jim followed. They walked to the balcony and stared in apprehension at the pool of cold salt water below. The creature was floating listlessly on the water's surface, crying to itself. Suddenly a small hatch opened and the eel beast was shoved into the pool. The creature looked up, fear in her eyes, at the strange newcomer. Then she let out a shriek, and dove underwater, swimming swiftly to her little cave. She didn't make it in time. The eel beast was upon her, slashing open her white skin until blood filled the pool and stained her hair crimson. The creature thrashed helplessly, clawing and biting at the eel beast, to little avail. Somehow she managed to escape, with a jet of water that seemed to explode from her fingertips. For a moment she was held, suspended, an inch in the air, then splashed down, swimming frantically, with all her might, to the one place of safety. Every so often she'd blast a powerful water beam at the eel beast, but it only held it off for so long. She finally reached her cave, and dived inside, shivering uncontrollably. The eel beast darted its long neck into her home, hissing and snapping at her. She shrieked and clawed at its face, sending it back to the open water. Finally Tim couldn't stand it any more. He leapt off the balcony, Jim's shout ringing in his ears, into the salt-water pool. The eel beast turned, hearing the splash his body made. Tim rose from the water and yelled at the eel beast.
"Come and get me!" The eel beast complied, tail propelling it powerfully through the water. Tim made a fist and knocked the eel beast on the side of the head. The eel beast snarled and sank its teeth into his arm. Tim cried out in pain, and the creature looked out from her cave in alarm. She watched the strange human battle her enemy, the eel beast. She saw, horrified beyond belief, as Tim's arm was ripped off above the elbow. She sprang at the eel beast and together, human and creature, they killed it. Then the creature swirled away underwater, closing her eyes against the salt and the blood that filled her pool. Tim threw the eel beast across the enclosure, and with help from the other men, climbed out of the pool and was driven to the nearest hospital.
Jim meanwhile, was inside Tim's office, looking at a piece of paper. On it was written:
Note to self-
Put a friend in with the sea creature. She seems lonely. Fire Jack Monroe. He's untrustworthy and mean. I fear he will harm the creature.
Jim walked out on the balcony and looked down. The glass ceiling above the creature's pool showed a blazing sunset, rich colors of purple, red and orange mixing. Silver stars came out, followed by a bright half moon. Inside the drained pool were workers, cleaning out the blood and disposing of the dead eel beast. Then fresh, cold sea water was poured into the pool, and the crying creature once again drifted, nearly lifeless from loss of blood and lack of freedom, around her cage.
Jim smiled, watching Monroe walk out of the building and drive away, never to be seen again in the world of science (hopefully). Then he walked to the edge of the sea creature's pool and watched as another creature was slid gently into the pool. This one was a sort of turquoise color, with melted gold for eyes, pointed ears, webbed fingers and toes, scaly skin, and a mop of white hair or fur on its head. It was male. They hoped that it could be a friend for the first creature, and named him Cerul. Perhaps later they would mate, and produce a whole new line of sea creatures.
Cerul glanced at his new surroundings, and made an inquisitive sound. The first creature, curious, peered out of her cave at the newcomer. Then she gave a cry of challenge. Cerul answered the cry, and in the next moment they were in the throes of battle.
Jim cried out in alarm as the two marine beasts fought, for they fought in a way no mortal had ever done. Blasts of energy and light, water and wind were directed at both creatures from the other, and claws and teeth as well. Finally Jim snapped out of his mesmerized state. He yelled for the workers. He could tell the two creatures were weakening, for their blasts and beams grew miniscule and less harmful, and they looked fatigued enough to die. The workers took Cerul out and loaded him onto a truck headed for Sea World, California. Jim later heard, with regret, that Cerul lasted only a week in captivity, and then he was given a proper burial in his homeland, the sea.
After that, Jim pretty much let the creature rest. Presently, the other scientists came to him, telling him that either they performed some experiments on the creature, or they returned her to the sea, because just watching her every day wasn't telling them anything. Jim agreed to some tests, but only if they weren't harmful.
Later he wished he hadn't. The scientists took him up to a separate balcony above the pool, with a tunnel leading down to it. They shoved Jim into it, despite his protests.
"Bon voyage!" they called, laughing, as he plummeted down the dark, twisting tunnel into the creature's pool.
Jim splashed into the water, spluttering with anger and surprise, and shook a fist at the scientists above him. "Let me out!" he yelled, splashing around in the cold water.
"It's all in the name of science, son! No hard feelings!" shouted the scientists, and they walked away, laughing to themselves.
Jim splashed around some more, before he noticed what the creature was doing. She was looking straight at him, wide pale eyes curious, and making a chirping, purring noise. Jim stared at her, and she blushed. She dabbled her fingers in the water, and splashed a little of it at him. He laughed softly in bewilderment, and splashed back. The creature swam up to him, stopping about two feet away. She reached out her elegant arm with long, tapered white fingers and touched his nose lightly, giggling. She moved a little closer and breathed a word:
"Jeem."
Jim's eyes widened as he realized that the creature was saying his name. The creature's soft, cold hand caressed his face, then tiptoed down his throat, across his shoulders and to his chest. She swirled a little circle with her fingertips on his chest and stared at him, eyes glowing, cheeks burning. A thought came to Jim, suddenly. She was courting him!
He took her hand in his, and said, firmly, "Jim," pointing to his self. The creature nodded slowly, then pointed at her self and squeaked ear piercingly. Jim threw his hands to his ears, and the creature drew back, abashed by his reaction. Jim winced and shook his head.
"What's your English name? Can you speak English at all?" The creature blinked a little sadly, throwing up her hands in exasperation.
"But you can understand it." She nodded her head excitedly. Jim sighed.
"I suppose I could teach you-" The creature squealed and threw herself upon him, nudging up under his chin, purring, chirping. Jim gently pushed her away, and smiled.
Jim taught her to speak English day by day, learning something new about her each hour, while she listened in rapt attention to his every word. At the end of a month, she could speak one word at a time, but she couldn't form sentences.
Jim was sleeping on the bank of her enclosure, dreaming fitfully about the fateful day of the eel beast. He moaned in his sleep. Suddenly he was awakened by a voice.
"Jeem! You--wak--noo." He sat up, recognizing the creature's voice.
"You're talking!" he exclaimed joyously. The creature nodded and chirped.
"Sleep-thoughts-bad?" He nodded, rubbing the back of his head. The creature looked down at the sand, playing with her long puma tail. Jim turned her face toward his.
"Can you tell me your name?" The creature's eyes widened, and she nodded.
"Can you tell me your story?" A nod. The creature began, stuttering slightly.
"Me born in sea, of sea, out of sea. The sea gave me name...Ucaramoeifruteileraktjessl." Jim blinked.
"It sang song, lullaby, to me..'jess, jess of the sea..' Me live happily in sea, gathering food me need. When me need rest from swimming, sea found me soft sand to sleep; when me wounded, animals of sea showed me how to heal. Me grew up like this, until brother, Teem, and men caught me." Jess shivered and wrapped her long arms around her pale form, hugging herself for warmth and comfort. "All--to tell."
Jim nodded and Jess slid into the water, leaving barely a ripple, her smooth, even strokes cutting through the pool effortlessly. Jim took off his shirt and followed her in a bumbling splash, struggling for a moment to stay above the surface. Jess blinked, a transparent eyelid going over her eyes, shielding them from the salty water. She then dived beneath the surface. Jim glanced around frantically, seeing no trace of the glimmering sea creature, come from the crystalline depths of the sea. Then there was a splash, and a head popped up out of the water, smiling shyly at him.
"Jeem scared me gone?" Jess grinned impishly, and swam circles around Jim.
"Yes, I was scared, Jess. I don't want to lose you. You are important."
Jess's eyes widened, as if she was surprised at how quickly he had responded to her "courting."
"Me important--you?"
"Oh, no, that's not what I meant. What I meant was-" Jim stopped. Jess was almost all the way out of the water, bristling, hissing. Usually she looked almost human, but now she looked like an angry wildcat of the sea. Her icy blue eyes grew colder and narrowed.
"Me no...important? At all!" Jess shook her head, and slid back underwater, to her cave, large eyes expressing extreme sadness, glittering moistly.
"Jess! Come back! I didn't mean that! Oh, Jim. You've made a proper mess of this now," Jim thought to himself aloud.
Jess didn't come out of her cave for a full day. While she was gone, Jim lay, half asleep, waiting for her to emerge. When she finally did, she looked as though she had gotten more sleep than he had.
"Jess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You are very important to me."
Jess brightened and yawned, then hugged him, wrapping her body around him like a boa constrictor. Jim, instead of pushing her off quickly, embraced her for a few moments, feeling the thin, fragile wet creature against his chest and a sense of power that came with her trust. Jess let go first, glancing up at Jim with a mingled look of curiosity, fear, and strangely, adoration.
The moment passed, and Jess pushed away, swimming toward her cave. She clambered on top of it, and swung her legs, humming and grinning impishly.
"Jeem, Jeem, Jeem of the sea!" she sang happily. She was almost like a child, and watching her Jim felt more a sense of needing to protect her than...anything else that was budding inside of him. And certainly, this cage was no place for her. So late at night, Jim managed to crawl back up the tunnel, with Jess (who he warned to be extra quiet, and like a child, she obeyed him), and got his keys and things. They crept out to his car, and drove away, toward the coast.
Jim opened Jess's car door, and she slid out, wide-eyed. In front of them was a little beach house, sand, and ocean stretched as wide as the eye could see. Jess let out a little shriek of happiness, squeezing Jim so that his air was cut off.
He grinned. "So you like it?"
Jess gaped in wonder. "Me like...verra much!" she whispered, and ran into the sea. Jim watched her for a moment, and then retired into the house.
When Jess came out of the water, Jim was watching for her with a pair of faded denim jeans and a sweatshirt. He grinned sheepishly.
"It was all I could find," he said, almost apologetically. But Jess touched the clothes with awe.
"They are...perfect. I be like human now," she said, flashing him a sharp-fanged smile, that really should have been frightening but instead sent warm ripples of happiness through him.
"Good. Now come inside, I've made cocoa."
"What's that?"
Late at night, long after the two had fallen asleep, the man called Monroe drove up, parked some distance away, and walked silently down to the beach house, nothing but ill intent in his mind. He still held a grudge against Jim and his brother for firing him, and had devised a plan to steal Jess away to make a profit selling her for scientific study.
He crept up to the unlocked door and let himself in, shutting the door and locking it behind him. He was not going to let her get away, not this time.
In her sleep, Jess writhed fitfully, dreaming of the holding pool she had been in and Cerul, her nemesis. Suddenly, one of her cat-like ears twisted, catching the sound of *click* of the lock as it turned. She sat up, listening hard. Footsteps moved slowly through the house. She could smell the malice coming off the man. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and went to wake Jim.
"Jeem," she hissed frantically in his ear, "someone here!" She shook him until he woke with a muffled groan. "Shhh," Jess said, her eyes wide, her tail lashing. Jim sat up, his eyes heavy with sleep.
"What is it, Jess?" he said, yawning loudly. Slapping a hand over his mouth, Jess listened. The footsteps were coming closer.
"Someone here," she repeated under her breath, and dropped to her hands and knees, crawling stealthily across the floor. Jim got out of bed, feeling a bit uneasy. He walked in the direction Jess had gone. She had already circled behind the intruder, unbeknownst to him, and was trying to unlock the door without being detected. She almost made it.
Monroe whirled around, catching Jess in the act of turning the lock. She froze as Monroe came toward her.
"Hey!" Jim's voice rang loud and angry through the house, and Monroe turned just in time to receive a strong punch to the nose. He fell backward, and Jess ran out of the house.
Monroe got to his feet. He reached for the gun in his pocket, and ducked as Jim tried to hit him again. He knocked the butt of the gun against Jim's head, and Jim fell to the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Satisfied, Monroe pocketed the gun and ran out after Jess.
It wasn't raining, but threatening grey clouds covered the sky and an ominous rumble accompanied a biting wind. Monroe saw Jess running ahead and sped up, trying to trip her, make her fall onto the cold sand. At last, he grabbed her by the wrist and swung her around. Desperate, Jess screamed and clawed at his face, unable to generate the spurts of water from her fingers without actually being in contact with the water. Crying out, Monroe let her go and covered his eyes. She continued her run to the sea.
Inside the house, Jim came back to his senses, shaking his head groggily. Eegads, his head ached...but where was Jess? The fight coming back to him, he got to his feet and, though dizzily, ran after the two.
Monroe, cursing under his breath, resumed his chase. Jess was ankle deep into the water, crying out. The waves cut a softer path for her; on all other sides the tide was capped with white and dangerous. Monroe kept coming, wading in thigh-deep before being able to capture Jess, one hand wrapped deftly 'round her waist. She screeched, a high pitched sound that made him wince, and sprayed water in his eyes from her fingers. Monroe merely blinked and started walking back to the beach.
Behind him, a thunderous roar was gathering. Jess' eyes widened and she began to chant softly to herself. A huge wave rolled toward them at a frightening pace. Jim stopped dead in his tracks, still on the beach, yards away, gaping at the sight. Monroe turned around and yelled as the wave hit him, plastering him to the sand and dragging him back. Jess wriggled loose and chanted louder, diving into the ocean. Monroe's scream could be heard, minutes after he disappeared, forever.
But Jess was also gone. It appeared that the waves had swallowed her up, reclaiming the creature that had been theirs for decades.
Jim dropped to his knees, covering his face with his hands. For hours he knelt there, dissolved in grief. At daybreak he returned to the beach house and slept, memories of Jess playing across his mind, over and over.
When he awoke, he numbly gathered a few flowers--weeds, really--from around the outside of the house. Then he walked down to the beach.
At the ocean's edge, there seemed to be a large pile of driftwood or garbage deposited on the wet sand. Going closer, JIm's heart surged with a swell of joy. It was Jess, unconscious and a bit damp, but alive and alright. Tenderly, he picked her up, and carried her back to the house. The flowers he left to the sea.
Jess opened her eyes, coughing weakly. She managed to focus on Jim, and smiled.
"Oh, Jeem," she whispered, and he embraced her, their lips locking in a kiss that had been waiting there for months, and lingered there many moments after they parted.
The next day, while playing in the now quite calm ocean, Jess was startled by a sea-going dragon. It's rider smiled at her, and for reasons she couldn't guess, Jess climbed aboard. Jim also waded out to the dragon and got on. Tim was already present, smiling and as happy as if he still had two arms. They floated merrily away....