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The Mystic sails along on clear and calm blue sea. Brandon, Treena, Lou, Jessa and Derek sit at the galley table. The guys drink beer, the girl's soda, all munch on wings.
Brandon asks, "So what exactly was Kyle's problem?"
Derek responds, "What else...a woman. He wanted to bring her, I didn't think it was a good idea. So, he stayed behind. Would you agree with that Brandon?"
Brandon munches on chips. "Totally. Did you get Sean's snacks?"
"Twizzler's, Doritos, Reece's Pieces and Little Debbies. He'll be in Heaven after all these months."
"Steak and beer...that's all I would want."
Treena smiles. "Steak and beer is all you would want? Don't fib my sweet, you think I don't know about the ding dongs hidden in the cabinet? The ones you sneak down and eat at two thirty in the morning."
"Whatever." Brandon takes a bite, pauses, "So how do you know about them?"
"If you washed your milk glass I would never suspect anything."
Derek smiles, "Busted buddy. But yes, I have plenty steak and beer."
Jessa comments, "You two make this sound like we're going on a picnic. You know Thanos will be in control of everyone there, right?"
Brandon grins, "Chill my little fish. All this food is for after we rescue everyone and get rid of shark face. Then we celebrate."
Jessa questions, "Do you really think you can defeat him that easily?"
"We beat pirate spirits, we can put down this blond shark face."
Jessa warns, "He is a very powerful merman and human as well."
Brandon stands, puffs his chest out. "He is powerful?" he moseys around the table, "I am powerful. I have dueled with the best and beat them. Lest you forget, I have also killed their captain. My blood flows in the savior of their race. Fish face has tried to kill me and I have survived. He is the one that should be nervous, not me...I will destroy him." he smiles, "after all, I am now a superior physical specimen. But my mind, my brain, will outwit him, my intellect will defeat him...if I haven't already rammed a sword through his gut."
Treena claps, "You are truly my hero."
Derek states, "You are truly full of crap. Besides, you stole my line."
Jessa sternly says, "Enough of your self-serving adoration Mr. Wonderful. We must all be ready to battle with a very powerful person."
Brandon holds his fist out. "I'm a bad man!"
Lou stands, drops his napkin on his plate. "Enjoy your fantasies but be ready to fight reality. I'm going to bed."
Brandon gets in the last word. "Yeah, we'll see who goes from stud to dud."
Now back on Atargatis Island, Brandon sits in a portable, ancient pirate jail in the dinner area. It has bars on the front, top and sides while the back is wooden.
Derek is in a jail next to him, Treena and Jessa sit at the large wooden dining table. Lou is absent, he has stayed on the Mystic to protect her.
Sean stands in front of Brandon. He pops Reece's Pieces into his mouth. "Man, I can't thank you enough for these. And the Twizzler's...you're the bomb man."
Brandon asks, "When are you going to get me out of here Sean?"
"No can do. You're his prisoner and if I help you, I'll be right in there next to you."
Brandon stands and grabs the bars. "How far back do we go Sean? Who rescued you from that siren witch? Who killed dead pirate spirits so we could all go home? Who Sean?"
"Yeah, that was you but it's a different scene now. Thanos is in control. If we don't do what he says, he'll toss us in the water and use us as shark bait. What good would I do you then?"
"About as much good as you do me now." Brandon fires back.
Arianna, Tina, Treena and Jessa sit at the table, alone.
Arianna says, "So he forced everyone but us to go to the island of the Sirens, Erato."
"What about the sirens, they allowed that?" asks Treena.
"The siren's abandoned the island after Nemeritias was killed. The island was empty."
"Why did he allow you two to stay?" asks Jessa.
"He knows me from the old world." replies Arianna. "Besides, he uses us to do the work."
"But Sean helps him...so why has he turned against all of us?" asks Treena.
"We know not the answer to this." Tina responds. "One minute, Sean is normal, the next he seems to be under some kind of spell. We both fear to tell him anything or do anything that would make him angry."
Arianna rubs Tina's shoulder. "Until we know more, we just wait. We shall wait until the time is right to move against him."
"And my baby?"
"He keeps Finley away from us." responds Arianna. "We think he teaches him things at his hut...deep in the woods, where we cannot approach him."
"But Finley is only six months old. What can he learn at this age?" asks Treena.
"Finley grows much faster than a normal child." adds Tina, "he has the mind of a five-year old.
"And how do you know this?" quizzes Treena.
Arianna responds, "Thanos has brought him to us three times to show Finley's progress. Thanos' arrogance is sickening. He thinks Finley grows because of him."
"But is that not true?" asks Treena.
"No. Finley grows because he is a special child. He sees things no one else sees, hears things no one else hears."
"How do you know this mother?"
"I'm not sure why, but...our thoughts are often one, what he thinks, I seem to hear. I communicate with him...he with me."
"Like...how? Give me an example." asks Jessa.
"Okay, let me think. Let's say...let's say he's in the water and sees a strange fish, he asks me what it is. The same on land, if he sees something he doesn't know, he asks until he understands. He asks me why he is with Thanos and not his mother." she pauses. "He asks about his mother and father...why they let him be with Thanos." she sighs, "He seems confused...about everything."
"And what do you tell him? I mean about me and Brandon?" asks Treena.
"I tell him I do not know, it will be revealed to him. I fear if I tell him what Thanos is doing, he will shut down, maybe even die. I do not want to scare him."
Treena's eyes well. "Ohhh, my poor baby."
Thanos sits at the dinner table, a cup of rum in front of him. Finley lies in a giant clam shell, cushioned by layers of dried seaweed and plants. Finley coos and gahs as he plays with a strand of pearls.
A giant fish cooks over the campfire, tended by a beautiful woman, Krista. At the table with Thanos sits Brandon, Treena, Jessa, Arianna, Tina, Sean and Derek. They passively watch Thanos.
Each has a place setting in front of them. It's difficult to tell if they are under a spell or locked in place. Brandon glances at Treena.
Thanos stands. "I want to thank all of you for being my guests tonight. I say that even though you have done nothing but try to kill me...but have failed. Our destiny, mine and Kreios', begins tonight. For tonight is the last night all of you shall walk upon this earth. For tonight, you will take your last breath."
Brandon snaps back, "Don't be too sure of that old man."
Thanos pops a scallop/sand dab into his mouth. "The sand dabs from here are better than those in Miami." he stares at one, pauses. "Think what you like but, I would advise you all to enjoy this last dinner together." he pauses, turns to Arianna, "Arianna, do I not speak the truth?"
Arianna looks down.
"Well...there you have your answer. Krista, serve the soup to our honored guests."
Krista fills a large pot with soup from a huge pot that hangs over a fire. She walks to the table and starts to dish the soup for Thanos.
"Please...serve our guests first."
Krista dishes soup to all.
Thanos stands. "Eat and enjoy. I'm going to check our meat." Thanos walks away as Treena turns to Brandon.
"Are you ready?"
"Treena...honey, I don't think I can do it."
"You must...or we will die along with all of mankind."
Brandon's eyes well, Treena squeezes his hand. As Thanos returns, Brandon slips a dagger from the back of his waist. The chain around his foot slips off. Brandon jumps onto the table, raises his dagger with both hands above Finley.
Brandon shouts out, "Forgive me my son."
"Noooo...stopppp!" Thanos cries out. He shoots his fingers toward Brandon. Brandon, unaffected, just smiles back.
Before anyone can act, Finley, in his shell, shoots off the table into the water. His shell skims across the water surface, then stops abruptly.
Jessa, confused, asks, "What sort of magic have you done sister?"
Arianna nods her head. "It is not I who performs this magic."
Jessa turns to Tina. "Tina?"
"Nor I." she answers.
Brandon muses, "Well then, who the hell..."