A long time ago, the Earth blessed four spirits, making them gods. The gods of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, oversee their realms, creating sentient creatures to help cultivate their lands. These beings constantly war over each other, eventually driving the servants of Water, the Merfolk, to extinction. Millennia later Kyle Weathers receives a gift from an old but mysterious lady while working in Haiti. This gift will change his life forever.

Chapter 10: The Tangled Webs We Weave

Quickly the young minx rushed over and threw her arm around my shoulder, guiding me over to the sofa ahead of me.

“You must be worn out doing whatever it is you Mermaids do!” Kali assumed as I had a seat on the couch below me. Yes, she did have a point. I was worn out. I was worn out from all the mental strain that has become a constant symptom of my new life. And her impromptu appearance from out of nowhere isn’t setting my mind at ease.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know. “Where’s Eliza?”

“Oh, don’t worry about her,” she tried to assure me as she headed to the wine cabinet. “She knows I’m here. I bet you don’t know, but we happen to be reeeaaalll good friends.”

Somehow I had a hard time believing that one.

“So I just told her, hey, take a night off!” she continued. “You’ve been spending a lot of time helping Ithy, and I figured I could take some of the load for her.” She came back with a bottle of champagne as she quickly popped the cork. “Want some?”

“I think the word ‘help’ has a very different meaning between you two,” I informed her.

“Oh?” She wondered. “How so?”

“For one thing,” I began. “She knows better than to not get me drunk. Dehydrates me.”

She just shrugged, and proceeded to down the bottle by herself, which is surprising for such a petite looking girl. She belched fire as a result, much like a dragon exhaling after a deep breath. I didn’t appreciate the fact that this very powerful Djinni standing before me was the ultimate party girl.

“Hehe,” she giggled, embarrassed at her unwomanly behavior, or at least pretending to be at least. “Sorry!”

“This is seriously too weird,” I said as I stood up and walked over to the bedroom, hoping that maybe Eliza was there, though I wasn’t holding my breath. But Kali kept trying to real me back in immediately getting in front of me.

“Hey, hey!” she cried. “Don’t leave! I can do better! Honest!” I rolled my eyes. She’s obviously hiding something, and if she did something to Eliza, I didn’t have any time to play these games.

She dragged me to the kitchen table. Obviously it won’t be easy getting by her; she is a powerful pyromancer after all, plus I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of her hooks- I can only shudder to think about getting one of those snagged in my gills like a helpless fish. I would rather avoid conflict as much as possible. Perhaps by sticking around I could get her to divulge Eliza’s location. She does seem to be easy to coax, at the very least.

“You know,” She began, “you may not know it, but I’m quite a chef! Wait here I’ll make you something!” She rushed back into the kitchen. Looking underneath the cabinets and into the refrigerator to try and impress me with her “talent.” Honestly I just wished that she could get it through her thick head that I’m not interested in her. Hell, even as a man she wouldn’t be my style. I liked a girl with a sense of responsibility; sure, having a sense a humor is a plus, but there’s a difference between having a good time and…this! This keeps up Eliza’s place may collapse in a fiery inferno!

“Ah ha!” She yelled, taking a fresh chicken breast out from the freezer. “How about some chicken parmesan? I guarantee it’ll be so delicioso!” She grabbed a pan and began to put the ingredients together. She actually seemed to have a cooking acumen, measuring each ingredient to its exact amount. Color me impressed.

Of course that all ended as she proceed to hold the pan in the palm of her hand and began to cook it to a charred brick. Apparently she didn’t know how to control the intensity of her powers.

Or she was oblivious to the fact Humans, or me for that matter, don’t eat things burnt to a crisp. She got a good whiff of the atrocious aroma, and apparently approved of it. Giddy, she put the blackened remains on a plate and ran it back to me. One smell was enough to make my stomach upset. I couldn’t hold it as I ran to the bathroom. This seriously had become the most challenging situation I’ve encountered at this point. Not even the Angel was this scary.

After a few minutes in the bathroom I slowly made my way out, praying that the terror that was Kali wasn’t waiting on me. My prayer went predictability unanswered.

“Are you okay?” She asked, concerned.

I was obviously getting fed up with everything. “Why don’t you use the stove!?” I yelled.

“That box that’s in the kitchen?” She wondered. “So that’s what that is! I always thought it was a heated chair!”

I facepalmed. Was she seriously that dense?

I needed to sit down, as this was beginning to be too much. I already had a headache, and I’m sure that by throwing up I lost a lot of my hydration. Having to gurgle a bottle of mouthwash didn’t help matters, as that just gave me another chore to clean up after.

Kali walked over to me and sat down beside of me. She did seem rather guilty for all the things she did.

“I guess I’m not the best hostess, huh?” She pouted. “I’m so sorry this didn’t turn out better.”

I just sighed in disgust. I appreciate she at least admitted it.

“It’s just, Ithy,” she continued, “I really, really like you. When I was a little girl I was so enthralled about our world’s mythology and the Merfolk and everything. People called them scary, warmongering people, but I don’t think that was necessarily true! And now that you’re here, I have a chance to understand you a little better. And ever since, I’ve been watching. I saw how lonely you were. And I wanted to be there. I wanted you to realize you’re not alone.

She moved closer to me. I didn’t feel scared of her anymore. I actually feel sorry for her. And maybe I felt a little guilty as well. It was true, I was lonely. I felt like I was the only person in the world. I wanted to find my place in the world. When I was Kyle, I had it. And so much I wanted to retain that. But I’ve lost it.

But, I just don’t like Kali like that. I don’t even know if I love Eliza like that, as much as I wanted to believe otherwise. I wanted some hope, some gleaming promise that I still have a little bit of the old me inside me, that I do love women, but not like this.

“Kali,” I began, “I really appreciate all you have done for me. You’ve saved my life, and it’s obvious everything you do is because you really do care for me.”

I put my hand over hers. I never looked forward to rejecting someone. “Kali, it’s true, I’ve been lonely. I won’t deny that. But it’s because of friends like you, and Eliza, that makes me feel like I matter, that I’m loved. But Kali, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I just can’t love you like that. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

My words hit her like a ton of bricks. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, and I’m surprised a Djinni could do that.

“No!” She blurted as the tears began to run down her face. “I know you love me! I can make you love me!”

She forcefully began to jump onto me and pulled my face into hers, kissing me aggressively, trying desperately to get me to feel something, anything. But it all felt wrong. It felt like that dream- like something was missing. And the manner she was doing all of this didn’t make it any better.

I struggled but eventually I was able to push her off. I stumbled off the couch, and stood up. Our eyes met, and both of us could see the pain and sadness on our faces.

“Why?” She yelled. “Why can’t you love me?”

“Kali…” I meekly said. I just didn’t know what to do now.

Suddenly another man popped up out of thin air and entered the scene. “Khalifa!” he yelled. “That’s enough!”

“Said!” Kali blurted out. Obviously these two had some connection.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” he asked.

“But…Ithy,” she sobbed.

“She doesn’t love you like that, Kali,” he replied. “And as a result, you’re not only hurting Ithycca, the one you supposedly love, but also her friend, who had nothing to do with this!”

“I just didn’t want her to get in the way!” she exclaimed.

“She doesn’t even like her that way!” he remarked. “She is a straight woman!”

That shook me to the core. She didn’t like me like that? She knows…she knows I was once a man! She knows that deep inside I still wanted to maintain and eventually reclaim my manhood! Can’t she at least see this?

“My sister,” Said continued. “I know you love Ithycca very much. But if you truly love her, you would support her in any of her decisions. I know it’s hard, but trust me, don’t think of it like she doesn’t love you. She does. But there are some things that some people can’t do. Physically, she just can’t find you attractive. But emotionally, she loves you as much as anyone.

Physically!? I thought to myself. Kali is knockout damn it! If anything that shouldn’t have been the least likely reason I wasn’t attracted to her! Yet, even looking at her I couldn’t feel anything. Nothing! Damn it! I know I can find her hot!

They were still talking in the background.

“I suppose I can deal with that,” Kali replied, still sobbing. “I’m sorry, Ithycca. I just…”
Said interrupted, “Kali, I think you have someone trapped out in the middle of nowhere you need to free.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “Care to come along, Ithy?”

“Please,” I pleaded, “take me to her.”

I was summoned into a desert. It was rather immediate, and my cold bloodiness couldn’t compensate from the sudden change of temperature. That wasn’t the true focus of my mind. No, my focus was directed to the person that sat there waiting to be rescued, and most likely she was waiting impatiently.

“Ithycca!” Eliza cried as she ran up and hugged me. I felt confused. Does she really find me unattractive?

“You’re free,” Kali said, still looking a little depressed. “I’m…sorry I did this to you.” It didn’t sound all that sincere, but I doubt Eliza cared. She was just happy she was free.

“We’ll take a small leave of absence, for now,” Said declared. “I think we have caused enough trouble for now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Eliza replied. What, you really wanted them to stick around?

“I’m sure we’ll meet again,” he assured us. Chances were, I could count on that. “Let us take you back to your home.”

And with a flash of light we were back home. It was just me and Eliza.

A few minutes past since we've returned. My mind was so caught up in anger and confusion. I tried to calm down, but it was futile. Does she even see me as Kyle anymore?

“God,” Eliza began. “It feels so good to be home.”

But I wasn’t in the mood to feel “good.” I needed answers. I needed to know.

“Did you love me?” I asked her point blank.

“What?” She replied, honestly wondering where that came from.

“Back when I was…when I was male!” I reiterated, obviously frustrated that again I forgot my old name.

“Ithycca…” She said.

“Is that all you see now?” I continued to interrogate. “Is all I am Ithycca to you?”

“Kali was right,” She realized. “I just was too naíve to realize it.”

“Realize what!?” I wondered, my anger getting the best of me.

“That you still have feelings for me!” She answered. “I mean, I knew the possibility could be there, but, I didn’t think you would actually consider it.”

“Consider it?” I continued. “Damn it, Eliza! All I know, all that I was; it's disappearing right before my very eyes! I don’t even know my name anymore; my real, male name! Even this; even this is all confusing. I don’t want to lose you. You’re all I have left from my former life!”

“Ithycca,” she stated, “Look, it’s true, I did feel some with you! I did find you attractive as Kyle. But I a woman! And as a woman, I find myself attracted to men. That’s just normal!”

“But I was a man!” I made her remember, “And I don’t want to this way forever! I swear I would do whatever it takes to return to my former self!”

“But can you?” She asked. “And how long can I wait? I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I just can’t see that happening.”

“So you too,” I replied, “You too can no longer look beyond all this and realize I was someone else.”

“Tell me, truthfully,” she argued, “Are you actually in love with me for me, or are you trying to convince yourself you love me to prove you’re still male?”

I wanted to say yes; that I truly loved her. But she could see right through me. She knew I wasn’t attracted to her, or any woman, any longer.

The tears built up. I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like I lost everything. Kyle Weathers ceased to exist at that very moment. I turned and ran out the door.

Eliza tried to run after me, hanging outside the door as she called back to me, “Ithycca! Come back!” I didn’t listen, however. I needed to be alone.

I could only think of one place that made me feel at east at this point. I pulled off most of my clothes save for my bra, and headed out to sea. At least the open waters could hide my shallow tears.