Chapter 3: The Human in the Tank (Jane POV)

Paul's crisp, commanding voice reverberated throughout the deck. "Everyone who is still standing should submit a complete report to me. Before we dock, we must have a precise count of the dead and unaccounted for."

With a look of tiredness on their faces, the workers scurried. They moved like ghosts in the daylight, broken and bloodied. The saline air did little to wash away the horrors of the night, so I stayed back along the rail and watched the waves crash against the boat.

Paul called without looking at me, "Jane, sit down or something. You seem to be on the verge of passing out."

I mumbled, "I'm fine," but the reality was everything but fine.

Paul faced the crew once more. "Inspect every area. Ensure that nobody else gets harmed. Elara, handle the equipment inventory!”

My eyes strayed to the hatch leading to the containment chamber while the mayhem around me persisted. Before I could question myself, my feet started to move.

The hum of machinery was strong in the empty chamber, and the temperature was lower than I had remembered. In the middle, the tank loomed, its glass sides slightly fogged by the temperature differential.

My breath caught, and I abruptly stopped.

The creature was gone.

Not literally, it was still in the tank but it wasn’t the merman we’d dragged aboard last night.

It had transformed.

“What the hell…” I moved closer to the glass and whispered.

His knees were drawn to his chest as he sat in the tank's corner. His limbs. He was now able to move. The long, glittering tail that had been so captivating only hours before was no longer there. His scaly, alien skin had turned pale and smooth.

And he was completely, unapologetically naked.

With my heart racing, I froze. His back was to me, but I could still make out his arms' muscles and the acute angles of his shoulders. Heat rose to my face as I snapped my eyes back up after trailing them down.

I hesitantly took a step closer and said, "Hey. Can you hear me?”

His head tipped slightly, as if he was listening, but he remained motionless.

I tried to maintain a steady tone as I went on, "It's okay. I just want to talk. I promise not to harm you."

No answer.

I pressed my palms against the glass and took another step. I could see the gradual blink of his eyelids and the slight rise and fall of his chest up close. He moved very little but was alive.

I whispered, more to myself than to him, "You've changed. How... how could this be?"

He turned his head slightly, and I caught a glimpse of his face. Even in his diminished state, his piercing blue-green eyes continued to glimmer dimly. Their gaze latched upon mine, and I momentarily lost my ability to breathe.

“Can you understand me?” My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

Still nothing.

My heart was pounding as I swallowed hard. "Say something, please. Anything."

He opened his mouth, and I moved forward, eager to hear what he had to say.

"Jane."

I jumped, spinning around to see Elara standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face.

"Elara!" My cheeks were burning as I growled. “What are you doing here?”

She said as she entered the room, "I could ask you the same thing." She glanced to the tank and then back at me. “Admiring the view?”

I became irritated. "I'm trying to speak with him."

"Talk, eh?" She pointed at the tank with a sly smile. "You seem to be doing a fantastic job. Let me guess, he’s been real chatty?”

I gave her a scowl. "Elara, this is serious. He's..."

Her tone was fierce as she interjected, "A creature that nearly killed us all last night. Jane, don't be fooled by his attractive appearance. He’s dangerous.”

"He's not just another creature," I retorted, raising my voice. "Watch him! He's a person. or sufficiently close."

Elara rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "You have no idea who he is. We don't. So maybe don’t get too close to the naked murder-fish, okay?”

I refused to back down and crossed my arms. "Since we brought him on board, he hasn't hurt anyone."

“Yet,” she said, her gaze hard. “He hasn’t hurt anyone yet. Jane, don't be so dumb."

Glancing back to the man in the tank, I tightened my jaw. His demeanor was unreadable, and his eyes were once again closed.

Elara took hold of my arm and dragged me to the door. "Come on. If Paul finds you down here, he will go crazy.

I yanked my arm away and murmured, "All right."

I couldn't help but take one final look over my shoulder as we made our way back to the cottages. The man remained motionless, but I could feel his heavy and unwavering gaze on me.

I opened my cabin door to see Paul waiting for me.

"At last," he remarked as he sat on the bed's edge. He had unbuttoned his shirt. “Where the hell have you been?”

I lied and shut the door behind me, saying, "Checking on the equipment."

He arched an eyebrow. "Really? Because Elara said she saw you sneaking off toward the containment chamber.”

I flinched. She did, of course.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly. "I simply wanted to check to see if..."

“...If the thing in the tank is still there?” With a sarcastic tone, he interrupted.

My face was burning. "That isn't..."

He got to his feet and walked across the room, saying, "Calm down, Jane. I'm not angry. I understand. You're interested."

"I am not interested," I answered defensively.

His hands found my waist and he murmured, "Oh, come on. Since we found it, you have been totally obsessed with it. It's actually kind of hot."

I scowled and tried to back away, but he gripped me tight.

"Paul, not right now," I answered in a tight tone.

"Why not?" he leaned forward and whispered. His lips caressed my neck, and I felt my pulse rise, but not in the way he had hoped.

I pushed him away and forcefully said, "Paul."

His face darkened as he took a step back. "What's wrong with you?"

I crossed my arms and uttered, "I'm just... not in the mood."

"Not in the mood," he said again in a sour tone. "All right. because that thing downstairs is keeping you too preoccupied."

"That's unfair," I yelled.

"Isn't it?" He fired back. "Since we brought it onboard, you have been distant. Are you even aware of how much you've been avoiding me?"

I started to reply, but he raised a hand instead. "You know what? Forget it. I’ll leave you alone.”

After grabbing his jacket, he slammed the door behind him and rushed out.

I put my head in my hands and slid onto the bed. I was plagued with guilt, but I was powerless to stop it. My mind kept returning to the man in the tank, his weight, his piercing gaze, and his immobility.

Our return to shore was indicated by the blaring of the horn. The crew was already unloading gear when I picked up my luggage and made my way to the deck.

Paul had returned to his customary authoritative tone and was giving directions. He didn’t look at me as I passed, and I didn’t try to get his attention.

A big sheet was placed over the glass walls of the tank when it was carried into a vehicle. I saw the man inside, his eyes still blazing with that intensity that words cannot express.

"Jane! Come on!" Elara from the dock called.

I looked away and nodded. However, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen after I got into the van.

What or who was he? And why did I think this was just the start?