She wept as she pulled herself up on the rock. If a wave crashed into her, she would not care. The thought of being alone again overwelmed her. The tears fell onto her shirt, and mixed with the spray of the ocean. She was almost willing the ocean to swallow her whole. ------- Youth looked from the deeps of the ocean. He hated to see her cry. He had seen her there before, but it had been awhile. Maybe years....Didn't she know the rocks were dangerous?? Lovers died out of foolishness on those rocks. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Could he risk it, he wondered? He came close to the surface, and then felt a tug at his tail. "No!" yelled Meriot, an older Merman. Youth sighed, and slid further into the ocean. He watched as Meriot swam away with a warning look. He turned his attention back to the girl, and saw that she was kneeling and staring into the water. Could she see him, he wondered? ------ Rachel stared at the waves.. contemplating the jump. Could she just jump and not take any air in??Could she actually kill herself? Death was better than being alone, she thought.. A wave crashed onto the rock, and soaked her even more than she was before. Her eyes adjusted more to the darkness that was starting to surround her, and she could see even deeper into the phospherous water.. She longed to become part of the shimmering.... She caught movement in the water, a large object was swimming almost before her. Maybe it was a shark she thought. Maybe death wouldn't come slowly to her after all. ------ Youth watched as the young lady plunged into the water. She slid slowly past him, with her eyes wide open. If she had any air in her lungs before, it was gone with a single silent scream.
	Rachel lay silent on the cold shore. Punishing herself had not worked. She couldn't remember what happened after she fell into the water. At first she was letting the water rush over her, and then she felt the breeze of the night surround her. Slowly her surrounds came into focus. "You're finally awake!" a voice said. Rachel blinked and stayed silent. "I thought we had lost you! What were you thinking going out on those rocks!!" Josephine, her sister, asked. Rachel closed her eyes again and sighed. "Selfish you are! Don't you think we hurt to?? We all lost him...." Josephine said, and started to cry. "SHUT UP!" Rachel yelled and covered her ears. She didn't want to hear anymore. She tried to get up to run, but her legs were weak. Josephine watched as Rachel struggled. If only they could just go back to how things were in the beginning. So simple it was. No money in the world could relieve them of this sadness. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't fight." Josephine said, and wiped her tears away. "I don't want to go back." Rachel said, as she looked back at the mansion. "I can't bare to go back!" "Don't then. Pack up and move, and take me with you!" Josephine said, as she pulled her full skirt away from the crab that grabbed at her. Rachel covered her eyes, as if to rid her of the sight of the mansion. "Father would have us killed. You are a child, I....I....a servant." "NO!!" Josephine yelled. "He left because of me...father said." Rachel said, and then started to cry again. It was Josephine's turn to hold her ears. She was 14, two years Rachel's junior. "How can you say those things?? You are not a servant....Father...he's just an evil man!!!" ------- Youth watched the two young girls on shore from a lonely rock a few yards away. He knew of their father...yes, he knew of him well. ----- Rachel found her legs strong enough to stand on. She stood as if to leave her sister sitting on the sand. "Aren't you freezing?" Josephine asked, as she noticed her sister was only in her underclothes. "If father saw you...." "He would whip me." Rachel said, as she hugged her shoulders. She was freezing, the water was warmer than she was. She walked towards the water, purposely keeping her back to the mansion. "Where are you going???" Josephine yelled, and hurried after her sister. "Nowhere it seems." Rachel replied, looking out into the ocean. ---------- Youth turned away from the young girls, and swam far out of sight.. He couldn't take the sadness anymore, and yet Rachel would stay on his mind for years to come.
	Rachel stood looking at her Fathers portrait. It was faded, just like her Father. He was dying. A small smile crept over her face, and then left as quick as it had came. She hated him, but she had not wished death upon him. She thought back through the years since Josephine left. She hadn't left of her own free will. Father had married her off at the young age of 15. The wedding was short, and they had both cried through the whole event. He had married her off to a man of wealth, and 20 years her senior. A child was born 8 months after. The little girl died mysteriously only a few days later. Father said it was for the best.   "Rachel!!" Said a man's voice from behind her. She jumped at the scraping sound the cane made as he crossed the floor. "Rachel!" The man said again with more power in his voice than before. He may be dying, but he was still in control. "Sir?" She said and turned to him. "I can't digest what you made for me tonight. Start over, we will have company." He said, and stared at her with his cold blue eyes. "Yes sir." Rachel said, as she turned away from him again. "How dare you turn.." He said, and stopped to cough, flim hitting Rachel's dress in cobweb like strands. "Sorry, sir...thought you were through." Rachel said with a grimace. "Off you go then..and fix something fit for a King." He said, and gasped for air. Rachel sighed, and left the room. She could feel his eyes bore through her. His death would set her free, she thought. ------------ Josephine took Miles', hand as she stepped off the stagecoach. She looked out to sea, as if searching for a ship that could sail her away. She had been married to this man for 3 years now, and love was never an option.   "Josephine!" Rachel yelled happily, and then covered her mouth and giggled. Her sister was six months pregnant and had the shape of a wheel. It had been ages since she had seen her sister. When Josephine had lost the baby, she was not allowed to visit. "Rachel! Tend to the kitchen!" Her father said, from behind her. With square shoulders, she faced him and smiled. ----------------------- Darkness had settled in, dinner eaten, lives threatened. Another day in the Gonzalez household. Sleep had taken hold of most the bodies of the mansion. Rachel lay awake restless. She struggled to put on her robe in the dark, and decided to walk on the beach. She hadn't done that in years..Not since that one day when she was young, she thought as she touched the light scare on her cheek where her father had slashed her with a whip. The night was beautiful. The stars where so bright in the moonlight sky. The breeze caressed her hair, as she sat on the same rock as long ago. The sea wasn't so rough this night. ------- Youth slid behind a rock a few yards away. He had wondered when he would see her again. He could see her from a distance, as she did her daily chores, but this was different. She was a few years older now. He wondered if she was happier? He opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it. --------- Rachel felt as if she were being watched. She turned and looked back at the mansion. All the lights were off. Knowing the old man, he would be sitting there in the dark drooling at the mouth for her return. He would ask questions, and then mark her happiness with a cane...or a whip. "Hello?" Rachel said outloud, wondering if anyone was truly watching. "If anyone is there, speak!!" She sighed as no one answered. She turned her back to the house again, and sat on the rock to stare out to sea. ----- "Youth." Seth whispered, as he swam up to Youth. "Shhhhh." Youth said as he put a hand over Seth's mouth. He pointed to Rachel, as she turned her face towards them. "Do you think she heard me?" Seth whispered through a gap in Youth's hand. ----------- "Hello!!?" Rachel called out. "Is there someone out there?" She yelled over to the rock, just feet away from her. "NO!" Yelled Seth. Rachel scrambled to her feet, as a man swam over to her. "Who are you? What are you doing here!! This is private property!" Rachel said, stammering. "Sorry we were just watching you. Don't be afraid." Seth replied, as he swam all the way up to the rock she had been sitting on. "You didn't answer my questions!!" Rachel said, as she stared at the man with fear in her eyes. "Don't be afraid, we mean you no harm!" Youth said, as he too swam out of the darkness of the other rock. Rachel sucked in air, like she sucked in water that day when she slid into the water. She felt faint, as his face came into view. She remembered.... he had saved her that day.
	"You're not very modest." Rachel said, as she watched the man climb onto shore, and sit next to her. "Modest?" Seth asked, as he watched Youth and the young lady. Youth's fins had turned into two strong human legs. Rachel took off her robe and offered it to the naked man that sat before her. He took it and placed it on her lap. "NO, put it there." Rachel said, and pointed to his lap. "OH!" Youth said, and quickly put the rob over his lap. "What was that??" Seth asked, with his eyes wide in shock. Rachel started to laugh, and then covered her mouth. "Don't cover your mouth, you have a beautiful mouth." Youth said, as he pulled Rachel's hand away from her mouth. "Who are you?" Rachel asked, as she took her hand away from his. "What...what are you?" "So many questions. Meriot would not be happy." Seth said, swishing his tail in the water. ------ "Rachel? Are you out there?" Josephine said, as she walked along the rocky shore. She could hear talking, and yet she was sure Rachel was alone. "There you are...who is that you are with?" Josephine asked, as she sighted the man next to her. "Um...." Rachel said, almost ceasing to think clearly. "Youth...Youth is the name." Youth said, as he stood. The robe falling to the ground. "Why are you naked?" Josephine asked, looking back and forth between Rachel and Youth. "She saved me from a sure death." Youth said, as he took the robe Rachel was holding out to him. "The sharped tooth ate your clothes." Seth whispered. "Who is there?" Josephine asked, searching the water with her tired eyes. "Only the wind." Youth replied. " A shark ate my clothes, came close to eating me. She saved me." Youth said as he helped Rachel onto her feet. "The least we can do is bring him in and warm him up. Surely he is cold, having been in the water for so long." Rachel said. "I don't know Rachel.. what would Father say?" Josephine replied. "We can dress him up. He came in the night for a place to stay. He's a man of wealth. He'd know no better. He's a Chesapeak, from California. Just tell him that, he would believe you Josephine." Rachel pleaded. Appearantly Josephine had not seen him come from the water, or she would have known what was now her secret. Josphine thought for a moment, and sighed. "Come on then.. Take him up the back entrance." Josephine said, as she turned to make her way back to the dark house. --------- Seth watched as they walked away. Meriot was definately going to be angry. A Merman in "Mans" land. He dove underwater, he was going to have to avoid Meriot until Youth returned.