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So for chapter 10 I decided to write from Tristen's point of view. Let me know in the comments if I should continue going back and forth, writing from Meredith and Tristen's point of view. I like this since I can get in the head of Tristen and learn about him as well.
Enjoy reading chapter trisTEN. Get it? Tristen and ten... ahh I'll just leave.
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Tristen
Bubbles trailed from my sigh as I watched the human workers bustling around, cleaning our tank â the mer dome. I stiffen. A dark fay walked in the mer dome. Glamoured as an older indian man with a boney statueâstrolled in with an energy that defy his age appearance. Immortality can do that. I read his name tag. Mr. Grey. I scoffed. How original.
My jaw tensed as he slowly walked around the dome with his hands behind his back. He watched the mers and raised a finger, tapping the air. I growled. That bastard was counting the mers.
The dark fay stopped before merwoman, Moa who was pregnant with a merbaby. Very pregnant. She was separated from her shi-amare, the father of the baby, stolen by the humans. Moa wearily watches the dark fay who studied her. Mr. Grey waved a young human worker over and said something to him. The human man nodded in what seem to be in agreement. I tensed. They walked away from Moa and she sighed in relief. Her dark gaze met mine. I jerked my head to the back. Hide. She nodded at my command and quickly swam to the back, behind the wall of corals.
Today was thursday, cleaning day. I wondered if Meredith still try to come today. Is she outside right now? I recoiled from the memory of her recoiling from my touch from our last visit. If she even comes back.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I stood rigidly. "She'll come back."
I turned to my guardian. "I hope so, Gale." My gut twisted from the memory of Meredith's face, etched in terror. I never want to see that again.
"You didn't know she was afraid of the water." Gale consoled. "Plus, I know she'll come back."
"Why are you so sure?"
"I have something of hers. She will come back for it."
"What is it?"
"Oh..." Gale grinned. "Just her sketchpad."
"Gale." I warned.
He threw his hands up. "I'm not doing anything untowards to the sketchpad. It's safe." Gale smirked. "Do you want to take a peek? See what she has drawn?"
Curiosity almost made me say yes, but respect backed me down. "No. I won't disrespect her privacy." I glowered at Gale. "And neither should you."
Gale groaned. "Thalassa. You are so boring."
I rolled my eyes and gazed at the humans. I shook my head. "I should've noticed sooner, that she was afraid of the water." I ran a hand down my face in frustration and then paused with realization. "That's why she never sat near the opening, near the water." I groaned. "I'm so dense."
Gale swam closer to me. He looked around us to see if anyone was eavesdropping before he stated in bafflement. "You really care about her."
I paused, thinking. After six visits, Meredith managed to keep me wondering about her. "Yeah." More sure of my answer, I nodded. "I do." Without thinking, I swam to our meeting spot. This is where I was when I first saw her. "She's different, not what I thought humans to be." Her unruly curls caught my attention. I have never seen anything like it from the sea. When her eyes met mine, I felt a jolt of recognition. Hey, I know you. Although I am no closer to finding out if I have met her before than I was when I met her. "Or maybe it's just her."
The human workers of the aquarium paused before us, staring at Gale and I. I stilled my lips and averted their gaze. I turned to swim to the other side of the wall of coral, the only place of privacy from the prying eyes of humans.
I raised my chin as I cut through the water. Mers paused in their trek to let me pass, their heads bowed respectively as I swam past them. I nodded back and kept my head high.
I reached a little coral alcove. The holes of the coral above allow the sunlight from the glass above to light my own little cave. My only privacy from humans and mers. I entered and sighed in relief and tension seeped out from my shoulders, my only peace of solitude.
My skin prickled from the disturbance in the water as Gale followed. So close.
"My prince."
I nearly growled in frustration. There's that damn word. Prince.
I tensed. "What is it?"
Gale furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why haven't you told Meredith about her immunity or even about the dark fay?"
I gestured around. "And that all the mers are depending on her to go home?" I shook my head. "I'm not doing that to her." My jaw clenched, haunted by the memory of her face when the water doused her. My gut twisted, especially when she recoiled from me. "She just found out about us and we entrusted her with our secrets."
"And you were right. She is trustworthy." Gale grumbled. He had been against me on speaking to her, revealing to Meredith about us.
I looked away, ashamed. "I still don't agree about giving her your necklace under pretense as a gift." I twisted my lips. "I don't want to use her."
"You know we had to." Gale neared me. "My shi-amare, my Bodhi is out there. I can feel her. She's trying to rescue us." Gale grinned. "And I don't expect less from her." "Meredith... for some reason... she is immune from the dark fay. I don't know what that means but I do know this." Gale grasped my shoulder. "She is our only chance of getting out of this hell hole."
I shook off his hand. "I know." I flicked my tail to a wall with my hands behind my back. "It still doesn't mean I'm okay with it." Tally lines marked the wall, the days we have been here. 428 days. On the other side of the cave are tallied with the number of mers that are trapped in this aquarium. Finally, the last section of the cave is also tallied. Mers that have left the aquarium.
But they didn't return to the sea.
"She is a good person. She would help us without hesitation."
"She is a good person." I agreed. "She is kind, compassionate and intelligent."
"We need to tell her, my prince." Gale urged and I clenched my fists. "Moa is about to give birth at any moment and our oldest merman Jakob wants to be with his family since his end is nearâ"
I swiveled to face him and yelled. "I know!" I took a breath and said sternly. "I know." I neared Gale with my head held high. "I am your prince, son of King Neptune and Queen Amphitrite, your crowned prince, future king of the seven sea. You, Gale Blackwater, are my guardian, swore to protect and serve me." I reminded him. "We are doing it my way." I turned away, facing the wall with the death counts, dismissing Gale.
"My prince." Gale bid goodbye and left.
I growled in frustration and my fist jerked forward, punching the wall.
Everyday was another day that I failed my people.
I was failing them before I even ascended the throne as king of the seven seas. I ran both hands through my hair.
Pathetic.
I could almost hear my advisors disapproval. I could see the disappointment in my father's eyes. I growled and punched the walls once more. I didn't stop till blue seeped from my knuckles, bleeding. Just as suddenly as my rage came in, it left just as quick. Exhausted and stressed, I dropped lifelessly.
Why did it have to be her? Why did Meredith have immunity? Meredith with her wild, unruly hair and warm, hazel eyes. Vibrant, yet compassionate. Intelligent, yet empathic.
She is my shi-amâ
No.
I shook my head of that unwanted hope. Don't you dare go there and wonder.
It was just a waiting heartache to happen. She couldn't even be mine. I chuckled darkly. Oh, just how cruel the old gods can be. Dangling in front of me, something unreachable. I am mer and she is human. As if that wasn't enough, I am the future king of the seas and she is afraid of the seas.
I knew I couldn't ask her of this. I couldn't give her that responsibility, knowing that all these mers were depending on her. I couldn't take off the burden from my shoulders to her. It wasn't fair. I told Gale she can help, but it would be her choice. I wouldn't dare force her nor persuade her if she said no.
Another part of me, a part that I deny its existence is the realizationâif she does help us and manages to free us, I would return to the sea and she would return to her home on land. And I would never see her again.
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I love how these came out! I got the photos from my fave instamodels, photoshopped them black and white, then finally, used illustrator for the name/font design.
Designed by me (Added filter with photoshop and typography with Illustrator)
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