Amour

Chapter 4

Tienna woke up feeling lethargic and melancholic. Her emotions were still array from the night before and she hadn\'t been able to sleep as much as she would have preferred to. Her body did not allow her this, instead torturing her with the reality where nothing appeared, as it seemed. It was strange how reality seemed a lot more unrealistic then the world in which her dreams existed. She got up despite her tiredness, pottering about the house, cleaning things that were already clean and cooking things that would never get eaten. It was all in a vain attempt to occupy her mind, it was a weekend after all and she didn\'t have the luxury of work to occupy her mind. Stretching her aching frame she looked at the time, it was 4pm in the afternoon. She looked around the house for something to desperately occupy her mind, it was times like these where she wished that she had taken up a hobby to occupy her mind with.

Sighing deeply she stretched her back, enjoying the temporary relief from pain as her vertebrae cracked andped.ped. She looked for her car keys, she knew what she had to do. It had been niggling at the back of her mind for the past 4 hours; she had to see Aria. Have I finally lost my mind? She pondered as she drove her little hatchback down to the ocean.

She walked hurriedly down the path as she had done on many previous occasions. Her bikini top chaffing her shoulders as she walked. She didn\'t care though, ignoring the minor irritation as her feet finally touched the warm sand of the beach. The beach was sparse, families were beginning to pack up as the cold off shore winds began to kick in, Tienna looked to the sky. It was overcast as a faint rumble pealed across the sky. The onset of the storm was upon them. People began to leave more hurriedly as they heard the familiar grumble of an angry sky; Tienna ignored them as she hurried along the beach, the cliff getting closer with each step.

The first droplets of rain began to fall, lightly at first but quickly turning torrential as Tienna\'s clothes became saturated as she battled through the wall of rain. She could hardly see the cliff through the thick wall of rain as she walked closer to the shoreline, afraid that she might miss the cliff, and with that any hope of answers.

Rounding the c fac face she stripped off her t-shirt and pants; despite them being wet she didn\'t feel the need to attempt to swim with them, flashbacks from nights prior heeding her from repeating that almost fatal mistake. Tienna took a deep breath, her whole body was shaking, a mixture of fear, trepidation and coldness. Running headfirst into a wave she dived underneath it, the arctic coldness of the water numbing her body as the coldness penetrated her soul. Tienna tried to move her arms but they felt lethargic, as if they weighed a ton as wave after wave pounded her body mercilessly. Her mind began to feel drugged as a great cloud swept across her, blinding her vision.

I sat there motionless frigid and unable to move as I watched John descend the stairs. Watching him walk out of the safety of the well-lit room into my world of unspoken nightmares. I could hear my heart beat ceaselessly against my ears, its hollow rhythm filling my mind and drowning out any other sounds. I want to sit down but I feel so afraid, my lungs struggle to draw in sufficient oxygen as I feel myself asphyxiate, choking on my own secretions due to the lack of oxygen travelling through my body. I hear the creaking of the floorboards down below, I know not whether it is my husband or one of my unspoken nightmares out to get me. I can see it now, as my nightmare visualises itself in front of me; it\'s black serpentine tonslitslithering in and out as it tastes the air, tasting my fear, and with that my vulnerability as it moves with ease across the room, I feel a tightening deep within my chest. I want to scream for help but nothing escapes my throat as I feel a great darkness befall upon me. I must stay conscious, for John...

Tienna flailed her limbs wildly in the water as the fog that had possessed her mind lifted. Strength ran down her arms giving her strength as she pushed upwards, against the waves, against the relentless ocean currents, to break the surface her mouth already open as air filled her lungs once again. Sweet oxygen, the giver of life. She lay on the surface gasping for some time until her body had readjusted to the adequate oxygen levels. Tienna looked at her hands, they were still shaking from her panic episode she had just experienced. Controlling her breathing she looked resolutely towards the cave, barely visible against the unyielding ocean swells. Steadying herself she swam towards the cave, her slim body cutting through the water with ease. As she neared the cave she could feel her heart begin to pound louder and louder within her head until it eventually drowned out the sound of the waves crashing against the shore as well as the hailing rain. Her world consisted of nothing except for the sound of her ragged breathing and her pounding heart. She neared the cave entrance and swam in, it was cold, dark and dirty. She sat upon the rock and looked around. It was completely empty. Tears began to well up in her eyes as self-pity overwhelmed her as she sobbed loudly. The tears running down her cheek to drop into the water, the resounding plop of her tears against the waters surface drowned out by a thousand other dripping leaks from the cave roof.

\"What\'s the matter Tienna? Why are you so sad?\" a voice said from behind her.

Tienna whirled around, there was Aria, smiling and looking as beautiful as the first day she had laid eyes upon her.

\"I-I t-t-thought you had left me.\" Tienna said.

Aria swam around to Tienna, consoling her with a hug as she stroked Tienna\'s long hair.

\"I\'ll never leave you.\" Aria replied.

The two stayed embraced for some time until Tienna was the first to break the embrace.

-\"How did you know I was here?\"

\"Your tears.\"

-\"What do you mean my tears?\"

\"Mermaids have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell. Just as sharks can smell blood, we can smell human emotion.\"

-\"So you smelt me?\"

\"Uh huh, you have a spirit trail, every human being does. I can track you whenever I want, I\'m quite attuned to you Tienna, I know when you are around as soon as you step into the ocean.\"

Tienna nodded her head in awe as she stared at the mythical creature in front of her.

-\"I have to tell you something Aria, I don\'t know why I have to tell you but I feel that I must.\"

\"Is it about what pains you?\"

Tienna nodded her head solemnly. Aria waited quietly, her green eyes looking up at Tienna with sympathy as Tienna struggled to find the words. Her eyes glazed over as she began.

...I come back to reality when I hear the sound of a gunshot echo throughout the hallways of the house. My nightmare diminishing before my eyes as I regain my breath once again, the darkness that had befallen upon me til this moment in time suddenly lifted like a fog before my eyes. The house was silent. I wait, 10 seconds. Which quickly turns into twenty. I begin to fear as to what happened as my mind reels with the possibilities. I slowly and deliberately walk to the bedroom door, my hands are shaking so much, as my heart races. I open the bedroom door as it creaks open, the light from out bedroom spilling down the staircase, the silhouette of my body distorting the light as I slowly descend the stairs. Thud. Thud. Each step I take sounds amplified as I try and descend quieter only to be assaulted with the noises of my footsteps against the wood. The harder I try to be quiet, the louder the sound becomes amplified. I eventually reach the bottom of the staircase, my knuckles white and shaking from clenching the wooden railing for support. Silver light filters through the gaps of uncovered window pane, spreading its light upon the darkness. I slowly make my way through the foyer, it is empty as my footsteps echo throughout the house. I am preparing myself for the worst now as I enter the kitchen. The glass door is smashed and swinging open as shards of glass scatter hazardously across the floor. I make my way carefully across the shards of glass, but accidentally step on a piece, the sound of my foot crushing the piece filling my body with pain as I feel the glass cut through my skin with ease. Blood begins to drip onto the floor as I continue on my path, ignoring the pain as I leave a bloodied trail in my wake. A breeze sweeps through the kitchen that freezes my soul as I make my way outside, half limping, half-walking. My teeth gritted in pain as I walk outside. The moons casts its silver light everywhere, turning everything chrome and silver. I walk out upon this new and eerie landscape, desperate to find clues. I look down on the ground and see drops of blood, black in this eerie landscape, similar to mine, leading away behind a bush. I don\'t want to look, but my body ignores my pleas, forcing my legs to hobble towards the bush, following the trail of blood. There, lying on the ground is a body. I hear my heart racing inside my head as I lean forward to roll the body over, so that I can identify who it may be. Oh dear god. Please don\'t be John. The body is heavy but eventually rolls after much attention, the face is unmistakable. It is John. Silver lifeless eyes gazed out to the stars above as silver blood tainted his silver lips. I hear a woman scream, a long shrill pained scream as I collapse upon my knees. It takes me a few minutes to realise that the person screaming is me as I stop, collapsing upon his chest. Sobbing heavily as his silvered blood stains my clothes. I can\'t let go of him though. I am frozen to the spot. I feel his silver blood seep through my silver clothes, tainting my forever broken soul.

Tienna finished her story and looked up. Her eyes are filled with tears, but this time it is out of relief. She had finally told somebody her story; she was finally able to share her burdensome pain. Aria looked up at Tienna; her emerald green eyes were filled with tears as they began to trail down her face. Tienna fiercely embraced Aria as they both wept silently. Tears of relief, she finally felt free of her burden and was able to move on with her life. Tienna broke her embrace as she looked deep into Aria\'s eyes. They were the deepest colour of jade, as they looked back at her, twinkling dimly in the dark light of the cave. Aria\'ps pps parted as she looked back at Tienna, they were so close as Tienna could feel Aria exhalations. Impulsively Tienna leaned forward, her lips finding Aria\'s. Aria\'s lips opened as they gave in to each other, the cave silent now except for the sounds of their lips in unison with each other. Tienna felt Aria\'s mouth flower open as her tongue softly probed Tienna\'s lips. Tienna sucked upon Aria\'s tongue as she enjoyed her taste, so natural yet sweet. Aria groaned, as their kisses became more urgent, the passion overwhelming them as she kissed with more force. Aria broke their embrace suddenly as a look of fear swept across her eyes. Her hand covered her lips as if shocked at what she had just done.

\"I-I\'m sorry I d-don\'t know what overcame me. I g-got to go now. S-sorry.\"

With one swish of her silver tail Aria disappeared underneath the waves. Leaving Tienna alone and confused.

-\"I-I think I\'m in love with you.\" Tienna whispered out to the silent lapping waves as she buried her face in her arms and wept.