Back on the mainland, Jonas' mother said "that's impossible! She only died this morning." Yet as soon as the words left her mouth, doubt seeped into the lines of her face. "Holy smokes."
"Yeah, you're telling me! Mom, she's freaking me out. She's definitely not like the others." This was true. Even though the ghost of his late Aunt Tily looked similar to others, like a walking and talking zombie, she hadn't asked a single question. All his other visitors immediately nagged him about the relatives they left behind.
"What does she want, Jonas? Ask her why she's here?" His dad pushed.
"But Dad, you said to never engage."
"This is different, Jonas, like you said, she's different. And, she's your great aunt!"
"I'm not asking her anything until you tell me what's going on. What am I next for? Who was on the phone?" Jonas was reaching his breaking point. If someone didn't explain what was going on and why his Aunt was here, hanging out, looking like her eyes might pop out of their sockets at any moment, he was going to rage. "Just tell me, Mom." he pleaded instead, gripping the back of the closest chair, agony pulsating in his fists as he squeezed tighter and tighter.
"Come sit, Jonas, you two, honey." Jonas walked around to the other side of the table, avoiding his own chair next to his aunt's ghost. His dad looked at his son cautiously but said nothing, taking a step towards the closer chair where Aunt Tily waited patiently.
"No! Dad, don't sit on her."
His dad's eyes widened as he caught himself in an upright position, half sitting on his Aunt Tily. He slowly moved around the backside of the chair and chose the seat Jonas was so reluctant to take, right next to the living ghost, who looked very real to Jonas, not like a ghost at all. None of them ever did.
"Oh come now, why is everyone acting so strange?" Aunt Tily asked.
"They can't hear you. Only I can, and I don't think we're the strange ones in the room," returned Jonas.
"Well, I haven't got all night, I'll be gone soon enough."
"Gone where?"
"Where we all go. It's not important. I'm here to talk to you, Jonas. But before I do, I'll let your parents explain something they should have long ago."
"Something they should have told me long ago?" Jonas repeated, giving his parents the stink eye. "What's she talking about mom?" Jonas ran his fingers through his black hair a couple times before folding his hands quietly on the table and giving his father the best toothless sarcastic smile he ever performed.
"Jonas, we only kept it from you because it sounds crazy! We didn't really think it mattered why you saw the ghosts, or how. We just wanted to protect you, you understand?" His mother was getting emotional. She seemed almost panicked.
His dad continued for her in a calmer voice. "Jonas, a really long time ago, one of our ancestors was cursed with the Sight by a mermaid. Now, in every generation, a descendant of that ancestor is given the Sight, this generation it just happened to be you."
His father stared at him for what seemed a few moments until Jonas spoke up. "You lost me at mermaid, Dad. What?"
"Mermaid, yes, yes, I know, but it's apparently true. Jonas," his dad put on his most serious face and used his most serious tone, "we didn't believe it at first either, but the more we heard from you and the things you would tell us you saw when you were younger, the more we couldn't deny it. I mean, do you deny you see the dead?"
"No, of course not, but a mermaid? A human fish? A magical human fairy fish? This is why I see dead people!?" Jonas started laughing, shocking his parents, and he didn't hold back. It wasn't that he thought it was funny, it was more of a half-mad laugh because his reality broke and was replaced by insanity.
"Oh, it's true I'm afraid," said a solemn Aunt Tily, which made Jonas stop his hysterics. He'd forgotten for a moment she was there. "Tell them to tell you the rest," she pushed.
"The rest? There's more? Oh god, this is going to be good." Jonas just shook his head and kicked the table leg softly but repeatedly with his shoe. "What? Am I going to turn into a fish too?"
"No Jonas, you won't turn into a fish." His dad promised. "But, according to our family's calculations, anytime now, in the next month or weeks or days, they'll find you. Somehow, somewhere, they will find you. And when that happens, IF that happens, they will pull you into the ocean and you'll never be seen again."
"Who will find?"
"One of them. A mermaid, I guess." His father didn't seem quite certain.
Jonas stood quietly to take in what he had just heard. He looked to Aunt Tily, she nodded and finally spoke, "It's true Jonas, one found me. And before I knew it I was on a plane to Hawaii. I didn't even know it was happening until it was too late."
"We'll hide you, Jonas. They won't ever find you. We'll keep you safe somewhere away from the outside world." His mother assured him.
That didn't sound very reassuring to Jonas. "You mean like in a prison? No way! This is bull crap. No, I don't believe it."
"Jonas," his Aunt Tily said, "There is a way out. It's why I am here; to tell you there may be a way to finally stop all of this. We can't hide any longer, don't let them take you away, you have to go to Lizard's Point."
"Lizard's Point? Is that like, a place?"
"What's she saying Jonas?" his mother worried.
"You'll need to bring someone with you, someone very important, someone that you'll have to count on to help you the rest of your way. I don't have much time left." His Aunt said strenuously.
Jonas felt his Aunt's urgency and was beginning to realize that this wasn't some big elaborate joke. His life up to this moment hadn't really made much sense, but as crazy as it seemed, things were starting to become clearer. He almost didn't feel like such a freak. "What? What is it? What do I need?"
"You'll need a witch, Jonas, a strong one."