"Um, yeah. A book..."
"Honey, I figured that. Ya are in a library." She chuckled, looking me up and down.
"Do you see that man over there? Tariq." She gestured towards a guy who was sitting at e table, reading some piece of literature. I nodded, waiting to find out what she'd tell me. "See I married him. I swear the things husbands say to get out of dinner parties and chores. Trust me, if I've lived with him, there's no way I could hear anything crazier."
"Mermaids." I whispered, glancing down at my feet. "Sea creatures."
"Why, you aren't going to find anything by looking in the skills section. Wanna learn how to fish? This section. Parenting? This section. Cooking, piano, foreign languages, technology? This section. Not history or mermaids or sea creatures or oceanic facts."
"Where would I look for oceanic creatures?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't create a large fuss about my choice of reading materials.
"Not here, not in the library." She shook her head, holding onto her stomach. She caught me looking and smiled, saying, "We're reading parenting books. I'm determined to raise this child right, you know? Chandell, my step-daughter, is the only type of experience I've ever had. Plus, with Rubisel and Tariq thinking... well, let me just tell you that this town's got more secrets and scandals then any other one I've ever lived in.
"It does?" I asked. The brochure bragged about lovely resorts, scenic cliffs overlooking the ocean, and white sandy beaches. Not scandal and secrets.
"Yep. That's why the library don't got any of that mermaid stuff. People want to keep this town looking pretty for tourists. You wan the real spiel? The bar across the street had old geezers who've got all the rumors and dirt."
"I'll try there tonight." I said, hoping I would be able to get a lead. I wanted to find out what was going on as soon as possible.
"Good luck." She said, turning towards another shelf of books.
"Thank you and congratulations on the baby."
"Oh honey, you don't know the full story." With that, I placed my book down on the table and turned to the exit. I walked quickly, trying to avoid running in a library. I wasn't wanting any elderly ladies to shake their canes at me while stamping the books and frowning at children who returned books late. I arrived outside the bar quickly and glanced up at the sign. I'd never been a bar before, if you excluded my Vegas casino trip.
"Um, hi?" I said, once I opened the bar's door and the bell rang, alerting the bartender that a customer was here.
"Hey, honey. You okay?" The blonde lady wearing sunglasses asked me, as she wiped off the bar.
"I'm fine." I said, taking a seat on the rickety bar stools. "Why?"
"It's Tuesday night at seven. Not even the drunks are here on Tuesday night. Monday to get the stress of the beginning of the week gone, Wednesday and Thursday cause the week's so long, Friday cause they're happy that the weekends here and they have nothing better to do, Saturday and Sunday same as Friday. Never Tuesday."
"I heard this was a good place to catch up on gossip."
"Gossip? That's the beauty salon's purpose."
"Rumors, then. I need to know something."
"Okay, I suppose I can fill you in, depending on what it is. I've overheard lots of things about Isla Paradiso while filling people up with booze and bar food."
"Mermaids. Strange sea creatures. Do you know anything about that?"
"Well..." She said, glancing around the empty building. Lucky for me, the place was as dead as the flies on the library's window sill. "Years ago, and I mean a century probably- wait. I'm working here. You going to order a drink or not?"
"I'm under aged."
"The age is eighteen, but it isn't really enforced unless you're wearing a school uniform or it's obvious you're a kid."
"But in Washington-"
"You're on the Isla Paradiso now; welcome to the Virgin Islands, drink up."
"Fine. What do you suggest?"
"Cherry Casanova."
"Sounds a little fruity."
"Casanova yes or no?"
"Sure." I shrugged, figuring that I might as well just go with it. I hadn't ordered a drink before, just took the shots I was given. I watched her pick up the shaker and the vodka and some cherries, among other products I couldn't describe because I wasn't fluent in the language that was mixology and bar tending.
"Here ya go." I took the glass and glanced down at its fluorescent pink color and stirring straw.
"Can I get one without the pink heart thing?"
"Nope. If you wanted it to be a specially made drink, should of said so at the beginning."
"It's my first drink."
"It won't be if you keep chatting." I took one glance at the drink, then decide to suck it up. I took a sip, not sure what to expect. The vodka and overpowering cherry taste washed down my throat. It wasn't a warming, burning sensation, more of a gentle, thick syrupy taste.
"It's good, thanks. Now what about the sea creatures?"
"Seven sixty seven please."
"Huh?"
"The cost of your drink."
"Just tell me the story."
"Okay, since the customer's always right. I've overheard several things. A century or two ago, there was a group of sailors and their wives who everyone thought were crazy. The sailors had gone out to the ocean and claimed they saw a sea witch who cursed the boats that came too close to her cove."
"Was she a mermaid?"
"Nah, sea witch. Anyways, the sailors told the island people their stories and no one believed them. They thought they were the ones who were witches or warlocks; something of the magical variety. Everyone was afraid of the magic, so they trapped everyone on a row boat and sent them off. They ran into the Kraken, who sank their boat. Apparently, they swam to an island and, o
n the brink of starvation, were saved by the witch. She took pity on them and gave them some kelp. Little did they know, the kelp was cursed. The ate it and turned into mermaids, forced to live in the sea forever. I think maybe they killed the witch, in hopes of becoming human again, but to no avail. One of the families took over and began ruling the mermaids. Ever since, there's been so many rumors, I don't know what to believe."
"So mermaids are real?" This was stunning; I wasn't crazy. The mermaid with the shining blue and violet tail and fins could be swimming in the ocean's depths, waiting. All I had to do was find her.
"Maybe, but even if they're real, it could be a merman. Rumors don't mean you saw one and son, you just had some pretty strong alcohol; I wouldn't advise doing anything rash."
"I have to find her." I said, staring into the mirror across from the bar, my empty glass tipped over on the counter next to me. There was a chance mermaids were real and I needed that chance, that hope. I was going to try and find her.
NOTE: The first chapter of Tracked is out, if you would like to read it please go HERE. It's rated PG-13-ish (Basically, mild language, you know. Nothing worse than what you read here.) Thanks. ☺
"It does?" I asked. The brochure bragged about lovely resorts, scenic cliffs overlooking the ocean, and white sandy beaches. Not scandal and secrets.
"Yep. That's why the library don't got any of that mermaid stuff. People want to keep this town looking pretty for tourists. You wan the real spiel? The bar across the street had old geezers who've got all the rumors and dirt."
"I'll try there tonight." I said, hoping I would be able to get a lead. I wanted to find out what was going on as soon as possible.
"Thank you and congratulations on the baby."
"Oh honey, you don't know the full story." With that, I placed my book down on the table and turned to the exit. I walked quickly, trying to avoid running in a library. I wasn't wanting any elderly ladies to shake their canes at me while stamping the books and frowning at children who returned books late. I arrived outside the bar quickly and glanced up at the sign. I'd never been a bar before, if you excluded my Vegas casino trip.
"Hey, honey. You okay?" The blonde lady wearing sunglasses asked me, as she wiped off the bar.
"I'm fine." I said, taking a seat on the rickety bar stools. "Why?"
"It's Tuesday night at seven. Not even the drunks are here on Tuesday night. Monday to get the stress of the beginning of the week gone, Wednesday and Thursday cause the week's so long, Friday cause they're happy that the weekends here and they have nothing better to do, Saturday and Sunday same as Friday. Never Tuesday."
"I heard this was a good place to catch up on gossip."
"Gossip? That's the beauty salon's purpose."
"Rumors, then. I need to know something."
"Okay, I suppose I can fill you in, depending on what it is. I've overheard lots of things about Isla Paradiso while filling people up with booze and bar food."
"Mermaids. Strange sea creatures. Do you know anything about that?"
"I'm under aged."
"The age is eighteen, but it isn't really enforced unless you're wearing a school uniform or it's obvious you're a kid."
"But in Washington-"
"You're on the Isla Paradiso now; welcome to the Virgin Islands, drink up."
"Fine. What do you suggest?"
"Cherry Casanova."
"Sounds a little fruity."
"Casanova yes or no?"
"Sure." I shrugged, figuring that I might as well just go with it. I hadn't ordered a drink before, just took the shots I was given. I watched her pick up the shaker and the vodka and some cherries, among other products I couldn't describe because I wasn't fluent in the language that was mixology and bar tending.
"Can I get one without the pink heart thing?"
"Nope. If you wanted it to be a specially made drink, should of said so at the beginning."
"It's my first drink."
"It won't be if you keep chatting." I took one glance at the drink, then decide to suck it up. I took a sip, not sure what to expect. The vodka and overpowering cherry taste washed down my throat. It wasn't a warming, burning sensation, more of a gentle, thick syrupy taste.
"Seven sixty seven please."
"Huh?"
"The cost of your drink."
"Just tell me the story."
"Okay, since the customer's always right. I've overheard several things. A century or two ago, there was a group of sailors and their wives who everyone thought were crazy. The sailors had gone out to the ocean and claimed they saw a sea witch who cursed the boats that came too close to her cove."
"Nah, sea witch. Anyways, the sailors told the island people their stories and no one believed them. They thought they were the ones who were witches or warlocks; something of the magical variety. Everyone was afraid of the magic, so they trapped everyone on a row boat and sent them off. They ran into the Kraken, who sank their boat. Apparently, they swam to an island and, o
n the brink of starvation, were saved by the witch. She took pity on them and gave them some kelp. Little did they know, the kelp was cursed. The ate it and turned into mermaids, forced to live in the sea forever. I think maybe they killed the witch, in hopes of becoming human again, but to no avail. One of the families took over and began ruling the mermaids. Ever since, there's been so many rumors, I don't know what to believe."
"So mermaids are real?" This was stunning; I wasn't crazy. The mermaid with the shining blue and violet tail and fins could be swimming in the ocean's depths, waiting. All I had to do was find her.
"Maybe, but even if they're real, it could be a merman. Rumors don't mean you saw one and son, you just had some pretty strong alcohol; I wouldn't advise doing anything rash."
NOTE: The first chapter of Tracked is out, if you would like to read it please go HERE. It's rated PG-13-ish (Basically, mild language, you know. Nothing worse than what you read here.) Thanks. ☺
He found someone who would tell him a little about the mermaid at least, that's good. Man, bars are expensive... LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt is and she knows a little more than what he could find just Googling it, which will help him in the long run. :) They are expensive, especially in Isla Paradiso or other small towns that have got a monopoly.
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