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People Others Humans

“I wanna go home,” I whispered to Crowjack “I feel sick”

And I did I ducked under the whitecaps for a ht

“What are you talking about? We just got here! I’m not even buzzed yet”

I rolled ht”

I was only teasing But you can’t tease anybody rites plays about their father Crowjack hauled off and punched me in the eye Punched! Not slapped Closed-fist Like hethat in Well, fuck that for nothing Bye, bye, Crowjack I wasn’t in love with him anymore, anyway He cried almost every time we had sex And I was a far better sw

iot well away from that cliché little scene A couple more and I could hardly see hi his arht? I h as hell with bruises But back then, I didn’t take that action fro up again, feelingmy speed I was pretty haot too close to the island One of those people-shado odda after one down bubble, but I was too shocked and drunk toood beard and thick hair the color of the sun He grabbedme to shore

“It’s okay!” the onna be fine!”

“What? Stop! Hold on!” I coughed and spluttered The way he was draggingwind up my nose

“Good thing I saw you! I thought you were driftwood for ame “Or a seal But better safe than sorry! You almost drowned!”

“This is ridiculous,” I snarled, and squirrip in one quick duck-and-twist “I don’t need your help! Do I look like I need your help?”

I don’t believe John Heron really saw me before that moment He was in Burly Savior Noble Guardian of Life irl in the water But he sure saw reen crystal scales and blue switchblade-fins and really alills and bruised cheekbone and half-shaved-off red hair But I saw hireen eyes and the kindest way of holding hislike a damn fool Those muscles didn’t hurt, either, even if they were a weird brownish color He was handsome as hell, and most importantly, he didn’t look like anyone I’d ever met in my life He looked new We treaded water in total silence for, well, god kno long Finally, he said:

“Are you a mermaid?”

“That’s racist,” I snapped My head was starting to spin Crowjack was right The air was a up there

He backpedaled immediately “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it; I don’tWhat happened to your eye?”