03 The Fate Of The Muse - Marina's Tales (22 page)

“
What are you doing here?
” one of them
asked.

“
I’m going wave riding,
” I explained,
looking around for other surfers, “
What are your names?
”

They introduced themselves as Noelani and
Leilani, and I watched in fascination as they touched my surfboard
tentatively, giggling with excitement, cocoa skin shimmering in the
bright sunshine. They splashed and twirled all around me like
ripples of bright tumbling water. It was as if their excitement was
simply too much to bear, and they had to dance. I wished that Ethan
were here to see this, I thought.

The roar of the Jet Ski announced Kimo’s
return, and they were gone.

“Ladies first?” Kimo grinned like a madman,
dropping Matt off next to me and circling around for me to grab the
tow rope. I nodded, still a little dazed by my encounter with the
Hawaiian mermaids. We moved out into position, waiting until a
promising swell built up beneath us. Kimo signaled for me to get
ready and we took off in rapid pursuit of the giant bump of water
that seemed to rise and rise without end.

I focused, my chest trembling with the power
of the force I could feel moving beneath me. It rose to engulf me,
and I could feel the energy like a breeze blowing straight through
my body. Kimo crested the massive wave just as it began to take
shape, and sped down the face of it. I dropped the tow line and
started to surf for my life.

I could feel it rise up behind me like a
monster chasing me down, and I dared not look back. It was awesome,
a mountain of liquid power, leaving no room for error. I bobbled
for a split second, getting my balance on the unfamiliar board as I
went hurtling onto the steep incline. I accelerated down the face
of the wave, hanging weightless, listening to the song it sang and
humming with euphoria. The wave curled before me, unfolding exactly
as it had appeared in my dream.

Teal, cerulean and turquoise, there weren’t
enough words to describe the incredible blue tube that engulfed me.
I moved through it in a trancelike state, completely calm in a way
I hadn’t been for a long time. I caressed the wall of water with my
fingertips and laughed, overcome with the sensation that everything
was going to be fine, that there was nothing to fear.

The tube narrowed, but I only needed to
crouch slightly to shoot through the end and finish on my feet. I
sank down in the water slowly, perfectly content.

Then I looked up at the mountain of water
forming again, setting itself up to crush me under a thousand tons
of heavy blue death. Evie’s words about mortality rang in my ears.
I started to paddle frantically away, but there was no possible way
I could outrun it.

And suddenly Kimo was right there, his strong
arm reaching out for mine, hauling me away and over the wave to the
calmer waters beyond. When we finally stopped, my whole body was
buzzing with adrenaline, more alive than ever.

“Whoop!” Kimo let out a cry, “Huui! Dat was
da kine surfin!”

I laughed with glee, unable to wipe the smile
from my face, “That was incredible! You weren’t kidding about this
place!”

He shook his head in wonder, addressing Matt
as he paddled up to us, “See dat?” he asked, “Wahdid I tellya?”

Matt smiled and tossed his head, “Great
surfing!” he exclaimed, “Take me now.”

Kimo spun around us in a circle, spewing a
cloud of noxious exhaust fumes. I couldn’t help thinking how much
better it was being towed by a mermaid as I waved at the air,
choking and coughing. Matt grabbed the rope with determination,
looking back to see if I was watching. The minute they left I
scanned the water for Noelani and Leilani. As soon as the noisy
machine was a good distance away their shining heads broke the
surface once more.

“
So, do you know Lorelei?
” I asked,
keeping one eye on the guys as they started out onto another
humongous swell.

“
We know all of our sisters, and now we
know that it’s true
.
You will help us. You are the
one.
”

“
The one?”

“
Yes. We know you brought Nerissa
back.
”

I wondered if I should tell them about the
awful truth about mermaid reproduction.

“
Uhm… Some of them are never coming back…
Like my mother
…”

“
Mother?
”

I squeezed my eyes shut, “
Adria
.”

They studied me like I was a specimen under a
microscope, “
You look like
Adria
.”

“
Yeah
,” I said wistfully, “
What was
she like?
”

They were as difficult to keep on topic as
Lorelei was. Distant and chaotic, all I could hear was a confusing
jumble of the two babbling thoughts that bounced around in their
minds. Then they began touching my board, and I could see myself
from their perspective, clear and strong. I felt completely
relaxed, suspended underwater in the wave, looking up at the fins
of my board slicing through a brilliant blue light. I should go
underwater and just start breathing, I thought.

I startled violently, recoiling from the
idea. I pushed their thoughts out of my mind as hard as I could,
and both their heads snapped towards me with hurt in their eyes. I
felt as if I’d mentally slapped them.

“
I’m sorry,
” I said, “
But I live on
land!
” I looked back to shore and was shocked to see Kimo dash
wildly out of a wave without Matt. I sat up as tall as I could,
riveted by the drama taking place between me and the shore.

Matt had obviously wiped out, and was no
doubt getting tumbled underwater by the rolling wall of whitewater
that had engulfed him. Either he’d failed to surface, or Kimo had
failed to retrieve him, and I watched the spot, cringing when
another wave pounded down. There was no escaping the full wrath of
the ocean from the zone; I made a mental calculation of the time
that had elapsed. If he hadn’t caught at least one breath he could
easily drown, for few people could survive being held under a third
wave in surf this size.

“
What’s wrong?
” Noelani asked. I held
my breath as another wave broke, and Kimo raced back in,
frantically looking in the water. Still no Matt, and I knew he was
pinned under the weight of tons of water. I had to do
something.

“
Sisters!
” I was frantic, “
Can you
take me out to find the wave rider? He’s under the water… He needs
to breathe air… Please help me!”

Time seemed to fly by as they stared at me
with identical blank faces. I squeezed my eyes shut and thought of
Lorelei, projecting the image of her towing me out to surf the big
waves at the point. Their eyes lit with understanding, and I seized
on it, “
Please take me to find him! We must go now!
”

They each grabbed a side of my board, and
pulled me to the crest of the next massive swell. I dropped down to
surf it, scanning the water below. This wave was easily sixty feet,
and from my high perch I could see Kimo far below me, circling on
the jet ski. There was no sign of Matt anywhere. I flew down the
face of the wave, flanked by the two mermaids just beneath the
surface. Kimo looked up to see me coming, shock registering on his
face even from a distance.

When I reached the base of the wave I let go
of my board, took a deep breath and dove. I swam down as far as I
could, feeling the mass of water flow over top of me. Then the
twins appeared beside me, gesturing to a dark form I could barely
make out on the ocean’s floor.

My lungs burned for air, and I kicked for the
surface, rising just in time to see Kimo wheel around, his back
turned to me. He was so intent on his search he failed to notice
the tremendous wave cresting over his shoulder, poised to swallow
him.

“Kimo!” I called out a warning, but it was
too late. The last thing I saw before I dove again was a giant wall
of white crash down upon him, tearing him from the jet ski. Once I
got deep enough to escape the surge, the twins appeared to me
again, towing Matt’s limp body behind them.

“
Take us to the shore!
” I thought, and
one of them grabbed my hand. With just a few powerful thrusts of
their tails we surfaced in the shallows. I took hold of Matt as
best I could and kicked towards the beach, getting my footing on
the rocks, relieved to see Shayla and Gabe rush towards us.

Shayla waded out, her eyes wide with shock,
“Are you okay? Kimo just got stuffed!”

I handed Matt to Gabe, panting with exertion.
I turned to see the jet ski bobbing riderless in the white water,
rolling into the rocky shore. A group of people milled about on the
beach uncertainly, watching everything unfold. I looked again to
see Kimo’s head break the surface just as a wall of white foam
engulfed him.

I knew he was getting ragdolled, tossed
mercilessly in the churning water. I took a deep breath and went
back out to get him.

“Marina… NO!” I could hear Shayla’s horrified
shriek just before I dove under.

The surge of the water tried to push me back
into the rocky shore, but as I struggled in the surf I could feel
the mermaids by my side again, just under the surface. “
We need
to get the other one!”
I pleaded, slicing through the white
water with a mermaid pulling on each arm. I doubted they were
visible to anyone on shore; even when we surfaced their white hair
was like camouflage in the churning water. We got out into the
zone, and they took me right up to where Kimo was choking and
coughing, trying to tread water.

I don’t know if he even saw me approach when
I took his arm, looking up at yet another wall of water threatening
us, “Dive!”

We went under, the mermaids pulling me while
I kept a firm grip on Kimo’s upper arm, locking my elbow around it.
I could feel the water rush by us as mermaids powered us towards
the shore, and when we broke the surface in the shallow water, I
looked around to see they’d disappeared.

Kimo’s dark eyes were in absolute shock when
they met mine. Was it possible he’d seen them? I was afraid to even
look at him as we found our footing. I helped him stagger out of
the water, dazed and coughing hoarsely. Gabe rushed out to take his
sagging weight off my shoulders.

Matt was sprawled out on the beach, Shayla
kneeling by his side. When I came towards her she jumped to her
feet and ran to embrace me, sobbing with relief, “Oh God! I thought
you were gonna drown!”

“I’m fine,” I heaved a breath, “Matt?”

“He’s out cold, but I think I got him
breathing,” she rushed back to his side. I could hear the distant
thump of a helicopter approaching and looked up to see it descend
and land on the cliffs above. I went over to where Gabe had Kimo
sitting down, his head between his knees. It was strange to see him
like that, so weak and rattled.

He looked up at me, and in a hoarse and
broken voice managed to choke out, “How?”

“Are you okay?” I knelt down to pat him
sympathetically. Gabe looked at me like I was from another
planet.

A rescue team climbed down with a stretcher,
strapping Matt onto a body board and carrying him back to the
waiting copter. A couple of Kimo’s friends arrived on the spot,
taking him under the arms to half walk, half drag him up the
path.

The rest of us followed behind, watching as
they loaded Matt onto the copter, an oxygen mask strapped onto his
face. Kimo climbed in after him, his haunted eyes meeting mine just
as they lifted off, leaving us all standing in stunned silence.

A small group of surfers and spectators
milled around the cars, speaking in hushed tones about the
accident. Shayla was going on and on about what a strong swimmer I
had to be to help both of the guys out, and I could see heads
turning in our direction, watching us curiously.

Gabe looked down at me, shaking his head in
wonder, “Cmon lifeguard, I’ll take you and Shayla back to your
hotel.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

TABLOID

I’d forgotten how miserable an experience
flying commercial could be. The food was virtually inedible, and
spending endless hours squeezed between two small-talking strangers
was draining. I fastened my seatbelt to prepare for landing,
thankful that the long ordeal was finally coming to an end. Never
in a million years could I imagine Evie tolerating it, and I gained
a greater understanding of what she meant when she said that money
could smooth away life’s little “difficulties”.

But no, I thought, I still rejected her plans
for me; as trite as it sounded, money could never buy any real
happiness. If Ethan were here by my side, instead of the annoying
sunburned car salesman, I’d be blissfully happy. I’d cheerfully
endure any mode of transportation to be next to him–even an Indian
train. I closed my eyes, imagining the last time we kissed through
the fence, and I missed him terribly.

I had plenty of time to think about the
surfing mishap on the long flight, and I’d come to a frightening
conclusion. Kimo was no fool when it came to surfing. He couldn’t
have possibly thought that Matt was competent enough to surf in
those conditions. There was only one obvious answer. I must have
done it again.

Somehow, I had unwittingly enhanced the very
characteristics that made Kimo such a great athlete– his boldness,
his risk taking, and his utter lack of fear. Gabe knew that taking
us out in those extreme conditions was a bad idea, and if it hadn’t
have been for the help from the beautiful twin mermaids, it would
have ended even more tragically than it did. My peculiar talent
nearly got Kimo killed, and I crossed my fingers that Matt was
going to be alright.

Kimo had behaved irrationally, and I
remembered the manic gleam in his eye just before we set out. I
should have known– should have realized that I was driving him to
foolhardy recklessness. I had behaved selfishly, failing to
recognize the dangerous combination of Kimo’s fanaticism and Matt’s
egotism.