The next day Clarrissa was excited to see if Aaron comes today again. She got ready and dressed up in her favourite blue maxidress, she brushed her long hair and painted her eyelashes, which made her even more alluring. She smiled at herself in the mirror. He called her beautiful, so she should not disappoint him. Will banged on the bathroom door. "Clarrissa are you ready? "She opened the door and went out. Will looked at his beautiful sister."Are you going to party or what? We are in the middle of the ocean."Will smiled. Then he touched his forehead."You have a date with that stranger?"
Clarrissa's face blushed."I'm not sure if Aaron will come, he is just a friend."
"Yes, and I'm a king of the sea, "Will replied."I will protect you, my little sister, from anyone!"He pinched her waist and went to the bathroom. Clarrissa shook her head and went to prepare breakfast. She put yoghurt and granola in pretty bowls and got them ready on a little table." Will breakfast is ready!" she called her brother sweetly. Will sat next to her eating quietly."Don't expect him today. If I see him, I will send him off. You are too young and naive for dating."He looked at her.
Clarrisa looked at him with worry." Aaron was not looking like someone easily scared, so just be careful and polite. I don't want you to get into a fight again. He is surely very strong. Just let him be my friend. Please, please!" she begged with her hands together cutely, looking pitifully.
Will looked at his sister." I see," he smiled reassuringly and went to put on his diving gear. He will be looking for a male target today. He jumped in the water with excitement, if he will find Aaron, he will get him to compete in diving. He will surely win and his bet will be for Aaron to leave Clarrissa alone. He smiled in his head as he jumped off the boat. Clarrissa looked after him, holding her hand on that precious purple shell. She hoped Aaron will still come, or he and Will would come together. "That be like amazing." Clarrissa took her book and biscuits. She could not concentrate on reading because her eyes wandered to the water too often. She sighed."Aaron, why am I waiting for you?"
Aaron was behind the rocks and was watching a smallish sailing boat with Clarrissa. He was waiting till Will will get out. He noticed how she gazed at the water ever so often." She is waiting for me," he smiled for himself and a pleasant feeling engulfed his body.
"Hey! What are you doing here? "an angry voice interrupted his gazing at reading Clarissa. Aaron turned around and saw a boy with a diving mask, who had just taken out the oxygen pipe from his mouth.
"You must be Will." he said to him." I'm guarding your sister," said confidently Aaron, "so nothing will happen to her when you are diving!"
"Guarding against what?" Will furrowed his brows and took off the diving mask to see better the stranger's face.
" From sharks of course." Aaron looked at him with a soft smile.
"There are no sharks here. I checked." Will replied.
Aaron looked at him." How could you check? You don't even have an idea where you are."He smiled.
"I do. I have maps and I have a machine to tell me too."Will said confidently.
Aaron smiled, "Your machine is not working here. I know. You don't need to pretend with me."
Will got intrigued."How would you know? Did you invade my sail? Did you break it?" Aaron shook his head."You are in the ocean called Erythnya. You are not in your place anymore."
"What? Are you crazy?" said Will.
"You are crazy if you don't believe me! They are sharks here and sea monsters too, if not for me, you be eaten long ago."Aaron said nonchalantly.
Will looked at him."You are joking."
"I could call them if I wish, but I do not want to scare your lovely sister. She is my friend."Aaron smiled."I'm here to protect her."
"She is fine."Will said."Leave her alone."
Aaron shook his head."I think she is waiting for me. Look she is glancing at the water all the time."
"No," said Will jealously, "she is checking for me."
"You just left, why would she?"Aaron nailed it.
Will bit his lips."Let's have a diving contest. If I win you leave my sister alone. Who can go deeper wins."
Aaron nodded."As you wish."
Will put on his diving mask and dive fast. Aaron was right behind him. Just as Will thought he was winning, something fast passed him deep to the ocean under him. Aaron's face was smiling at him. He reached his hands up and waved to him, Aaron was 4 meters under Will and looked like nothing happened. Will have a feeling Aaron actually breaths under water. Will looked in disbelief, how could he be so deep with no air. Will tried to go deeper but couldn't, he felt he is losing his strength and started to drown. The pressure was too intense. Aaron saw he is in the trouble so brought him up in quickly.
Will was coughing water and had horrid pain in his ears. They almost start bleeding. "You can't bring people up so fast, is dangerous." he growled at Aaron.
"You looked in trouble," said Aaron and shook his shoulders.
Will nodded, " Thanks for saving me. How could you go so deep?" He looked at him and noticed a dark tail in the water. Will stared like in a dream.
"Because I'm a merman.Call me Aaron. And I won the right to see your sister. "Aaron smiled happily.
"No,' Will said firmly. "You cheated because you are a fish."
"I'm not, I have hot blood like you. I'm a merman, we are more similar to dolphins than fish!"Aaron pointed with his fingers and touched Will's hand briefly. He looked curiously at the angry boy.
"Give me your sister and I give you anything you want."He tried to negotiate with Will.
"My sister is not for sale. Go away!"Will said."She doesn't need you."
"But I like her," said Aaron.
"That is your problem, she has me, that is enough, "Will said jealously.
"Let her decide..." said Aaron, "She gave me biscuits, I think she likes me too."
"Keep dreaming." said Will..."Go away!"
Aaron looked at him. He liked that the boy is protective of his sister, but he wanted Clarrissa and he was standing in the way.
"Be respectful to me," Aaron said darkly."I can be dangerous as well if I want to.
"Are you threatening me?" Will started to heat up.
Aaron shook his head. "In this ocean, you need to be respectful to strangers, you don't know who they may be."
"I'm not scared of anyone!"Will gritted his teeth.
Aaron smiled.
"I like your spirit, so I let it pass, let's be friends."He offered him his hand.
Will was enraged and squeezed the merman's hand hard as he could.
Aaron smiled," You need to eat more."
Will's locked-up emotions bursted."Let's see who is stronger!"
"I do not wish to harm you for your sister's sake," Aaron said with a cheeky smile and decided to lure Will away.
Aaron dived under the water and left for the caves near. He needed to get rid of this boy if he wanted to see Clarrissa.
Will got angry. He was not scared. He put on his oxygen pipe and diving mask and followed the daring merman. He will show him to peek at his sister!
Aaron smiled, he led the boy into the underwater caves." All yours Triss, "he called when he left confused Will in the middle of the stony maze. He felt sorry for him, but the boy was asking for it.
Will saw he is trapt. He was in the dark cave now. The bluish light the merman was holding was suddenly gone. Will try to swim but it was pitch dark." I will die here. The merman trapped me." the notion went thru his head. He was stupid to quarrel with him. He just wanted to be Clarrissa's friend. Will tried to reach for the torch on his belt, he smiled when he felt it, and he put the light on. Will found he was inside the dark tunnel. Will tried to find his wait out but it seemed impossible. He swam around the rocky maze. He started to feel desperate. Was Aaron really trying to kill him? Will tried to call him back. He picked the rock and start hitting it on the stones. The faint hitting sound passed thru the water, but Aaron did not show up. Will started to panic. He needed to find some pockets of air. Will was feeling his mind is giving up when a blue light appeared in front of him. A beautiful mermaid holding the luminous ball in her hands approached him. "I come to save you. Give me your hand if you want to be mine," she said seductively. Her dark blue hair floated in the water like a bewitching veil. Will reached his hand to her. If touching this beautiful mirage will be the last thing he sees, he could die happy. He hoped Aaron will take care of his sister. He dragged him to death just because he wanted to see her."Hurry up, Triss, "Aaron's voice sounded like a whisper, " He is drowning."
"Oh yes, "Triss noticed and took off Will's almost empty oxygen pipe, kissing him softly and giving him air. "He is mine now."She dragged him in an embrace out of the water into one of her private caves. Aaron smiled. Will belong to Triss now and he can go to see Clarrissa.