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DAY 7
Back on Erato Island, Chiron dives from a forty foot high cliff into the water. She plays and enjoys the underwater fish and scenery. She raises her head just above the water line, gazes across to Atargatis Island. She smiles, dives under and swims toward the other island. Two sharks follow her, she motions them back, they retreat.
She nears the island and surfaces. Treena sits on a rock as they exchange stares.
Finally, Chiron speaks. "I am Chiron, daughter of Nemeritias, Queen of Erato Island."
"I know who you are. Why have you come?"
"The men on your island, we hold their friend, Sean. He is in great danger."
Treena seems surprised. "Why do you care?"
"There is little time if they want their friend back."
"I ask again siren, why do you care?"
"I...I don’t know. He must get away, or he dies."
"You know there is only one way."
"I shall return, in one cycle."
Treena watches as she disappears under the water.
Nemeritias and Chiron sit at the dinner table. Plates of food sit in front of them, but both are distracted as they pick at the food.
Nemeritias finally speaks. "One more cycle and everything will be perfect. Are you ready Chiron?"
"Yes mother, I am."
Nemeritias pauses, sets her fork down. "Chiron, I sense anxiety, fear. What troubles you?"
"It’s Sean mother, I don’t want to see him die."
"He is only a human. Once you are with child, you will no longer feel confused. You will have new powers, new visions, and rule the island with me."
"I don’t want to rule over human's mother. I don't want to hold them captive and kill them like a common animal."
"I will excuse your weak mind. What do you want to do, battle against us...against me?"
Chiron shoots an icy stare. "That’s the point mother, I don’t want to battle, against anybody."
"So you would have the mermaids take us over, control us, and let them keep the men so we perish?"
"I want to live my own life, a life where...where I choose to do what I want. I don't want to follow ancient traditional rules laid out by the Gods thousands of moons ago...I want to decide what happens to me."
"Really? So now you want to be this modern, independent person? You want to run off and live your life like the humans do? Understand one thing Chiron, you are not a mermaid, you are not a human...you are a Siren." Nemeritias stands, angry. "This is the way it has always been and this is the way it shall stay." She shoots a wicked stare at Chiron. "You anger me. Leave!"
Sean and Chiron sit in his hut.
Sean probes. "You seem upset. What is it?"
"Mother senses my weakness."
Sean asks. "What are you referring to Chiron?"
"The fact that I am not anxious to kill humans and rule the island with her. The fact that I don't want to be here. The fact..."
Sean interrupts. "Weakness? Chiron, standing up to your mother shows your strength, shows you’re ready to change your life. Your mother would have you believe it’s a weakness. This is how she controls you, she plays a mind game with you."
"I know not of this ‘mind game’."
Sean smiles. "You are so pure, sooo...so innocent. You are my eight-year old."
"And you are so confusing. The time approaches, you must be ready."
"I’ve been ready since I got here. What’s your plan?"
"I am working on it, but know both of us will be in danger."
"You’re going to do this, for me? Put yourself in danger?"
"Listen robber of banks, I told you before, I have to get out of here."
Sean looks down. "That hurts Chiron."
"Can’t you understand? If I don’t get out of here now, I will never get out!"
"You’re a damn eight-year old with an attitude."
"And you are a human man who acts like an eight-year old!"
She rushes out as Sean slaps his inner right arm at the elbow, clenches and raises his fist defiantly. "Yeah, that's right, it hurts to know I'm right so...so get over it!"
DAY 8
Chiron swims playfully in the Cove of the Rocks. She takes a final glance around the cove and, with no one in sight, swims toward Atargatis Island.
Treena again waits on the rock.
"Are you ready?"
"I am."
"Follow me."
Brandon, Kyle, Derek, Arianna, Treena, Anna, Keela and Chiron sit at the dinner table.
Arianna asks. "You have put yourself at great risk Chiron. Why?"
Chiron responds. "I'm confused by it but I...I feel...I don’t belong there. I don’t want to rule over humans, see them put to death."
"Is Sean safe?" asks Derek.
Chiron answers, "For now, yes. But when my mother finds I’m gone, he will be in great danger."
Arianna holds out her open palms. "So, what is it you propose?"
"There is only one way. You must trade me for him."
"And Nemeritias, she will agree to this?"
"Without me she cannot continue her bloodline. With Sean gone, she must wait for another man. That will be the time I can leave the island."
Treena quietly asks, "Do you have feelings for Sean?"
"It matters not because...I am a siren, he is a human."
Treena glances at Brandon. "In our world, this is possible."
Chiron forces a grin. "I am not in your world."
"Let’s get back to Sean, how are we going to do this?" asks Derek.
Chiron responds, "In two cycles, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky..."
Later that day, Arianna writes a letter, in Greek, with inkwell and pen on old parchment type paper. She finishes, then rolls and ties it.
She glances over to where a pelican sits and stares at her, as if transmitting a message. The Pelican flies to the table and sits.
Arianna holds up the paper. "This is Pouch, he will deliver our message." Pouch opens his mouth, she drops it in and he flies away.
Kyle is impressed. "Now that is one well trained pelican."
Arianna responds, "We communicate with all living creatures, it’s a power passed down to us."
Kyle laments, "If I only had that power, I could..."
"You do have that power, but, you must feel it. Even more important, you must believe in it, feel the connection. The parrot, Jack," Arianna points. "send him your thoughts, tell him to come to you."
Kyle stares, concentrates, Jack stares back. "He’s not listening."
"You’re not concentrating. Close your eyes, see him, visualize him coming to you."
Arianna closes Kyle's eyes, then touches her fingers to his forehead. Softly, Arianna whispers, "Think, concentrate...see him come, watch him land in front of you. First you must see it, then, in your heart, you must feel it."
Kyle concentrates, trance like. Arianna removes her fingers.
Kyle pops his eyes open. Jack stands in front of him, he stares and squawks. Kyle is shocked as Jack climbs onto his arm.
Arianna smiles. "Kyle, meet Jack."
Jack squawks.
Kyle looks out to an imaginary audience. "Now introducing, Kyle the Great, Master of all living things...Master of the Universe!"
Arianna points to some trees. "He's hungry, take him to the fruit trees... Master of the Universe."
"Are you hungry Jack?" Jack squawks as Kyle stands. "Then let me take you to dine upon the organic, natural fruits of the world...well at least those on this island." A talking Kyle and a listening Jack amble away.
Derek purses his lips, rubs his forehead. "That was amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it. You gave him that power, I know it."
Arianna smiles. "Humans have great powers, mostly unknown to them. If you think it is not, it is not. But, if you think it is so, it is so." she pauses, glances at Treena and Chiron. "I would like to talk to Treena and Chiron, alone."
The others leave.
Arianna, nervous and filled with anxiety, looks down, clasps her hands together, raises her head back up, sighs. "A very long time ago, I was with child. Much to my surprise, I was given a gift of two baby girls. This had not happened with our kind in hundreds of moons."
"Mother, you never told me."
"Quiet Treena, I had reason. Word of this spread quickly, not only here, but over to the island of the Sirens. Because many felt I was favored by the Gods, there arose a great jealousy against me and with some, a great hatred. But I felt I was blessed by the Gods, I was ‘protected’, the Gods would watch over me." she again sighs, collects herself. "I became careless, I didn’t sense the evil near me...I didn’t feel my dreams."
Chiron, a bit edgy, asks, "You had warning
dreams?"
Arianna's eyes well. "In my weakness, I ignored
them. That is why, when the Sirens came," she struggles but composes herself. "They came in the dark of night and stole my baby. Her name was Tina."
Treena, even more on edge, responds, "I felt her mother, you should have told me."
"Why would I tell you when I know it would only bring you pain? I suffered for so many moons, I couldn’t forgive myself. I devoted myself to you Treena, you brought me back." Arianna pauses. "I gave up all hope of ever seeing Tina again."
"So why are you telling me now, with her here?" Treena demands.
Arianna continues. "My child was taken to Nemeritias. She was unable to conceive a child. Her jealousy was great."
Chiron, frantic, blurts out, "What are you saying?" she pauses. "I was born of Nemeritias!"
"Nemeritias stole my baby in the dark of night, mixed her blood with my child. She was raised a Siren."
Chiron, almost hysterical, shouts out, "It is not so!"
Arianna calmly responds. "Yes Chiron, you are the child she took from me. You are a mermaid, not a Siren. You know it is so."
Chiron’s eyes well, then tear. Her head drops. She mutters. "No, no, you lie to me!
"In your heart Chiron, you know it to be so. Your actions, your thoughts, they are not those of a Siren. What do you feel led you back here? Why has Treena watched you, known your heart, known your mind." Arianna pauses. "It is because you are one with her...one with me."
Chiron breaks down and weeps. "I have fought these feelings...for so long."
Arianna smiles. "You don’t have to fight them anymore."
Chiron, scared but hopeful, quietly asks, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"I am."
"So...so, I am a mermaid?"
"You are a mermaid."
Arianna grabs each of their hands, puts them together in the middle of the table and places her hand on top. "We are one again."