Page 73 of Anchored to the Storm

Felt like a life passage, walking in the steps of men I thought so highly of. A sense of maturity struck me deep.

Maybe that’s why, that night, the beer in Styx’s hand froze in midair, on the way to his lips, when he witnessed me tug my mattress through the bedroom doorway.

Knocking things over, I explained, “Just in case she visits. I want to be here.”

Walking toward my room, he teased, “Ya know, this isn’t exactly playing hard to get?”

Placing the mattress right next to the pool, I also explained, “I don’t care.”

Styx came to me with a pillow and blanket. “Finally getting that sleepover with your mermaid?”

My tongue licked my retracted fangs. “Now that was a night to remember.”

He tossed the items on the mattress for me to fix. “Speaking of the beauty, I ordered skylights and an eye-scanner for a retractable gate in the water.”

Always with the security. So be it. “Whatever it takes to keep her safe while giving her the freedom she needs.”

“Think she will learn the process easily?”

“I was once told nothing is impossible.”

“Smart ass.”

I ran to my room and got my brass knuckles from a nightstand. Seeing Dad’s skully there, I touched it. “Thank you for all these gifts. Love you.” Then I jogged back into the lagoon.

Styx casually asked, “Since we will be in here for a bit, want to learn about the security cameras?”

I welcomed the distraction.

I met him at an outer wall of the ‘church-with-no-bibles’. There was a medium-sized desk with a couple of monitors and a computer. It looked like a table that you could stand at, but Styx clicked a button on the left, and it lowered to a good sitting height.

After pulling up two chairs, he said, “Sit.”

Both of us sitting in front of the screens. He started typing on a keyboard and explaining the logistics. Giving me the layout and details. “We have color night-vision… Dual-lens optical… 4K resolution… Digital zoom… Bought under a fake name, of course. No monthly subscription, no trace… Distinguishes between humans and animals… Reduces false alarms. Solar panels… Continuous battery backup… Connected to your cellphone… Local storage… Cloud access… If they cut wires here, backup cameras run off of wireless… If anyone crosses this path… Also have triggers all along this strip…” He spoke of generators and more solar panels on the roof.

From the swivel chair, I peered around the lagoon. “Any cameras in here?”

“I have triggers on every door, but no cameras. No system is safe if the right hacker finds ya.” He gazed at the pool, then me. “Want to take a chance she will be seen?”

Staring at the pool, my stomach did a brutal flip. “If anyone ever found out about her…”

Gramps agreed wholeheartedly. “With the power of the internet and social media? Saleeni would be famous worldwide within an hour, making it impossible to protect her.”

I grabbed my stomach. My teeth began to protrude. I started to growl, low and deep.

“Easy, Silly Rabbit.”

My fists were so tight my hands ached.

“Mad-G?”

Hearing the only voice that could cut through the buzz in my ears, I spun around in a drug-like haze. She was in the pool, at the edge closest to me, reaching out.

So desperate for her soothing touch, I got up from the chair and stumbled forward. “S-S-Leeni.”

She patted the water. “Mad-G. To me.”

Getting to the edge took so much energy that by the time I made it there, my eyes closed, my body swayed, spinning me on my heels, then I fell back in the water.