Fish Jinx

What does the most powerful man in the world have to fear? A very curious mermaid apparently.

Chapter 1: Fishy Hijinks,

 

            One early summer morning, a tall, lean man left his treehouse on a secluded island in the middle of a vast ocean with a fishing pole in hand. This man was dressed in a white shirt, tan short and a straw hat. He walked for several minutes through a heavily forested area, humming to himself with each step. Soon enough, he reached the beach where a wooden dock leading into the ocean and a chair were waiting for him. The sounds of the waves comforted the man as he approached the chair. The man quickly sat into his chair that faced the ocean and pulled out a box full of fish lures from underneath the chair. The salty wind blew around his long black hair. This man was Keith Omens Fee. He lived on this lonely island in the ocean. He only talked to a single other person in the world. Her name was Cecilia Feene and she occasionally visits the island from time to time.

            “Time to test out my new lure,” chuckled Keith as he opened the box of lures.

When he attached an intricate yellow, glittering, metal lure to the end of his line, he casted it into the ocean by several hundred yards. The fake bait flew over the water like a missile. It screaming past the oncoming waves.

            “As much as I hope this works, don’t catch anything please,” whimpered Keith as he slowly reeled his line in.

            As he had hoped, his line didn’t catch any fish the first time through. Upon getting his lure back and sighing in disappointment, he casted his line again. He wanted to have the success of catching a fish. Keith repeated this multiple times. The sun beamed onto him from high into the sky as the hours went by.

            “Something’s not working…” sighed Keith as he observed the lure.

            The lure had a bright yellow shine to it with sparkling spots along its sides. Two metal barbs hung from below the lure, waiting to hook onto an unsuspecting fish. Keith was hoping to catch a fish with this lure that Cecilia brought to him the other day.

            “Alright, one more try,” said Keith with a confident nod to himself. “Then I grab something for lunch.”

            So Keith casted his line even further than before, he really wanted to catch a fish. From the side of his chair, he grabbed a beer and cracked it open.

“Alright, now to wait,” said Keith as he drank his beer.

A moment didn’t even pass when he caught something on his line. He had finally got something after fishing all morning. He fought to reel in his prize, ecstatically swinging his rod from side to side. From the distance, he saw a tail as it thrashed to escape his pull. Keith shuddered by the sheer size of it.

            “It’s a big one,” whimpered Keith with a quivering lip. “Not good at all.”

When Keith reeled the line close enough to the dock, the line went slack. All the weight that once pulled against the line was gone. As soon as Keith peered into the water to see what had happened, whatever he had caught jumped out of the water and began screaming and pounding on the wooden dock. The salt water sprayed into his eyes, blinding Keith for a moment. Unable to see, he became extremely wary to turn to find out what was behind him screaming in a familiar language. Once he cleared his eyes of saltwater, he turned to see a mermaid thrashing around screaming in pain.

            “Uh… miss?” asked Keith as he slowly approached the mermaid.

            “Get it out, get it out!” yelled the mermaid as she noticed Keith approach her. “It hurts!”

            “Uh, s-sure…” stuttered Keith as he quickly opened his lure box and pulled out pliers. “T-this will hurt, but only m-momentarily.”

            As he reached towards the mermaid’s mouth, Keith openly avoided touching the mermaid’s tail. He saw the lure inside the mermaid’s mouth and the barb sticking out of her cheek. He took the pliers and flattened the barbs that were sticking out from her cheek and ripped out the lure.

            “Man, I didn’t think that fish had such a bite…” groaned the mermaid as she rubbed her cheek.

            The mermaid’s cheek bled a bit, but it stopped soon enough. It was a small hole to begin with. It seemed that the pain subsided with the absence of the metal barb.

            “Uh… this fish is fake, it’s a lure to catch other fish,” explained Keith nervously as he stared at the mermaid.

            “Well that explains a lot…” said the mermaid as she observed Keith. “So who are you?”

            “Uh… Name’s Keith Fee,” he muttered as he slowly backed up away from the mermaid. “And you?”

            “Well, Keith Fee, I’m the glorious witch of the East Sea, Blair Eanami,” she boasted with a large grin and a fist bump to her chest.

            Matching her scaly bluish green tail, her bright green hair was tied in a long ponytail reaching her waist. She wore nothing around her waist, but a blue bikini top covered her chest. Some kind of white cloth was wrapped around her top. Pearl beads delicately hung from her wrists.

            “W-witch?” inquired Keith uneasily as he shuddered from the thought.

            “Well, technically, I’m a mermaid, but I was told Blair was a witch on the surface,” chuckled Blair with a tense smile. “So I don’t think you have to worry about me turning you into a frog or a fish or something.”

            “F-f-fish?” inquired Keith, filled with an indescribable dread as he faced the mermaid in front of him.

            With each passing moment, Keith began to breathe heavier and heavier. Blair watched as Keith became increasingly more terrified of something. Curious, Blair crept closer to Keith, hoping to solve the mystery of his behavior.

            “Don’t come any closer!” yelled Keith as he threw the lure in hands into the ocean.

            Distracted by the lure, Blair immediately jumped into the ocean to chase after it. Keith calmed down with the absence of the mermaid, he was finally able to think clearly. Once he stood, he heard Blair screaming in pain as the other set of barbs pierced her cheek.

            “I knew it was fake, but it was so tantalizing!” said Blair as she swam up to the dock, crying in pain. “Do a mermaid another favor and take it out please.”

            “Yeah, I can do that, stay still,” sighed Keith as he grabbed his pliers again.

            Even scared he couldn’t leave her in pain. Keith knelt down onto the dock and once more reached into Blair’s mouth as she swam in the water. This time he cut the barb off from the lure and carefully pulled it out.

            “So you are a mermaid,” ruminated Keith as he observed his destroyed lure.

            “Yep,” smiled Blair as she observed him as he stared at his lure.

            “Alright, nice meeting you,” sighed Keith as he packed up his fishing gear.

            “What, that’s it?” asked Blair as she swam around the dock trying to get Keith’s attention. “You found the allusive mermaid, there must be something you wanted!”

            “Like imprisoning you for sale, or keeping you as pet to be stared at all day without being able to return home for eternity, or perhaps becoming my toy to be broken,” smirked Keith mischievously.

            “Gulp,” blurted Blair as she tried hiding behind the docks. “I meant wishes…”

            “Yeah… no, I don’t care for anything,” sighed Keith as he walked down the dock. “I only fish to pass the time.”

            “Oh come on, no need to give a mermaid a heart attack!” shouted Blair as she awkwardly hopped onto shore following Keith. Her tail often slapped the sand so she could keep her balance on land. “Though it’s not like I have magical powers anyways...”

Keith avoided eye contact with Blair as much as he could. He couldn’t even look in her direction. She felt quite rejected with Keith’s behavior. She sat on the sandy beach, poking at her tail.

“Am I monster?” asked Blair with heavy heart, hoping he didn’t think so.

            Keith turned to her and observed Blair as she fidgeted around uneasily. Though she looked cute enough as a human, her fish tail ended any interest that Keith had. He knew that Blair wasn’t a monster, he could see a curious face as they locked eyes.

            “No…” sighed Keith as he calmed down. “It’s not that at all.”

            “Really?” asked Blair as she slightly smiled to Keith’s comment.

            “I suppose you all people deserves to know my little secret,” nodded Keith. “But it’s not something you would believe.”

            “I’m a mermaid!” boasted Blair, proudly.

            Keith stared at Blair curiously, unsure what she had meant with her statement. A moment pass with neither of them saying anything, he was waiting for an explanation from Blair.

            “What?” asked Blair curiously as she observed Keith in return.

            “Nothing,” said Keith as he shook his head. “Well here it goes.”

            Blair propped herself even closer to Keith in anticipation, her question was going to finally be. He closed his eyes and sighed, preparing for his explanation to her.

            “I have ichthyophobia,” explained Keith. “Or in other words, a fear of fish…”

            Blair quickly snickered upon hearing what Keith had said, skeptical if it was even a word. Keith could hear Blair laughing as his eyes remained closed. He also started to snicker.

            “No way that can be true, you were just fishing!” laughed Blair hysterically.

            “Want me to prove it?” sneered Keith. “But be prepared, my condition is rather intense.”

            “I would like to see this,” chuckled Blair. “Want me to chase you around with a fish?”

            “Actually, I believe just touching your tail should do the trick,” explained Keith. “There’s need to give me a heart attack to prove it.”

            “But I’m not a fish,” said Blair irritated.

            “Fair enough, but neither are crabs,” explained Keith with his eyes close, “my fear extends to various aquatic animals. I just group it all as fish to keep it simple.”

            “Oh, I’m included…” sighed Blair, saddened by Keith’s announcement.

            “Regrettably yes,” said Keith with crossed arms and a few nods, “but I must say, I enjoy my fear so please don’t feel too bad.”

            “You are an odd creature, aren’t you?” questioned Blair as she observed Keith as he kept his eyes closed. “But I suppose I could grant your wish to touch me.”

            “But that’s not my wish…” grumbled Keith.

            Before he could move or even open his eyes so he could prove his fear, Blair grabbed his right hand and placed it on her bare waist.

            “Don’t you dare open your eyes!” demanded Blair as she blushed, “I have to admit that no surface creature has ever touched me here before…”

            “But I’m touching your waist, a few inches below your top,” explained Keith with his eyes closed. “This isn’t going to scare me.”

            “Damn, didn’t think you would realize that…” muttered Blair, frustrated that her plan to get him flustered failed. “Alright, time for the main course!”

            Blair shuffled away from Keith. He really didn’t want to know what Blair was doing.

            “Fine, open your eyes,” chuckled Blair as she tried to hide her smile.

            As quickly as he did, he saw Blair’s tail as it came straight for him. She thought it would be a fun idea to slap him in the face with her tail. Keith hastily backed away, breathing heavily.

            “I’m sorry!” cried Keith as water rose from the shore and washed Blair away from him.

            She tried to swim against the waves with all her might, but some impassable force prevented her from going back to Keith. She was forcibly sent back to the ocean.

            “What was that?” asked Blair as she swam back to shore a few moments later.

            However Keith wasn’t on the beach when she got back to the shore. He had ran away from almost being hit by Blair’s tail.

            “Huh, I guess he is scared of fish,” acknowledged Blair as she swam back into the ocean.

            Keith had ran halfway home through the dense green forest in fear. The treetops blocked most of the sunlight from hitting the forest floor, except a few beams of intense light.

            “Well, she was interesting,” thought Keith as he walked back home.

            When he reached his house deep in the forest, he remembered that he left his fishing gear at the docks. He thought that Blair might be ransacking his lures or eating his bait or whatever mermaids would do with it. So he rushed back to the docks to see his fishing gear laying exactly where he had dropped them in the excitement.

            “She’s gone?” asked Keith curiously as he picked up his fishing gear. “I guess I was wrong to think that.”

            When he turned toward the forest, he heard a loud scream coming from the ocean. He turned to see Blair swimming towards the dock again. With a sigh, he grabbed his pliers and walked over to the docks to meet Blair.

            “Let me guess…” sighed Keith. “You tried one of my lures again?”

            “Not really,” replied Blair. “Now, that mention it, do you think I could have some of the safer ones?”

            Keith went over to his lure box and looked inside. All there was inside was fake lures that would only hurt her more.

            “All I got are barbs, and believe me they’re an acquired taste,” said Keith a slight smile.

            “Yeah… I’m good,” groaned Blair as thoughts of more barbs piercing her cheeks flowed through her mind.

            “Alright, suit yourself,” said Keith as he grabbed a handful of lures. “It’s your lost.”

            Without any hesitation, Keith shoved the lures into his mouth and began chewing the metallic fish with ease. Blair could hear squishy and juicy sounds coming from him instead of pain and disappointment.

            “Those are fake, right?” asked Blair as she curiously leaned closer to Keith. She observed his mouth as he chews the lures.

            “Certainly has the minty aftertaste going for it,” mumbled Keith with his mouth full of lures. “You sure you don’t want any?”

            She didn’t know what to think as she watched Keith eat the lures that once caused her great pain with ease. Her looks to Keith grew more and more inquisitive. She even wriggled around trying to get a better view.

            “Maybe I’ll try a small one,” said Blair quite hesitant to put another lure in her mouth.

            “Alright, I’ll see what I got,” said Keith after he swallowed the lures in his mouth.

            Blair looked into Keith’s lure box and saw only metallic fish that looked painful even to look at. He grabbed a red tinted lure without any barbs and presented it to Blair.

            “Better start off easy, they have quite the kick,” said Keith with a small chuckle.

            She carefully took the lure and it felt smooth and cold similar to the last lure she put into her mouth. Blair was very cautious to put it back into her mouth.

            “Here goes nothing,” said Blair with a nervous gulp.

            She nervously placed the lure into her mouth. The coldness of the metal caused an anxious shiver down her body. She was very afraid of the pain to come.

            “Since it is quite hard, try biting into it,” said Keith. “It’s the juicy bits inside you want.”

            With a quick nod, she bit into the lure. Blair was expecting hard shell similar to the crustaceans she’s familiar with, but instead was greeted with a soft, chewy taste. It was easily chewed and swallowed as well as left a fruity aftertaste.

            “That pretty good,” said Blair as she savored the juices that was left over. “What happened to hard shell though?”

            “You see, I was able to change these inedible lures into a tasty treat.” said Keith with a smile. “The look on your face was priceless.”

            “Change?” asked Blair with a tilt of her head. Her green hair delicately hung across her body. “You’re able to change painful objects into tasty treats?”

            “Among other things.” said Keith with a boastful smirk.

            “Oh you have to show me that trick,” said Blair with a bright, glittering twinkle in her eyes.

            “Well, Miss Eanami, a magician never reveals their tricks.” said Keith.

            “Aww… please?” asked Blair with a flirty tone.

            “Nope,” said Keith.

            “Then can I at least have that lure that you rescued me from, it should be safe now right?” asked Blair.

            “Yeah, as long as you don’t try to eat it,” nodded Keith as he rummaged through his tackle box.

            Blair shuffled closer to Keith to watch him find the lure. But Keith twitched when he noticed Blair near him. His hands also began to shake.

            “By the way, I believe you,” said Blair as she entered the water. “I won’t bother you anymore. I don’t want to be a nuisance to you.”

            Listening to what Blair had said, he grabbed his destroyed yellow lure and cut off any remaining metal that could harm her. Without saying a word to respond to Blair’s feelings, he walked over to Blair with the yellow lure in hand.

            “You may come visit anytime you want,” smiled Keith. “Just because I’m scared of fish doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with you.”

            “Really, I won’t be a bother?” asked Blair curiously trying to cute in her questioning.

            “I live on an island alone, I could use the occasional company to enjoy the long days here,” explained Keith as he handed the yellow lure to Blair.

            “Aren’t you the ladies’ man?” chuckled Blair with her cheeks flushed red. “Whenever I have some free time, I’ll swim on over.”

            When Blair grabbed the lure, she quickly swam away. Keith watched as Blair disappeared into the ocean. He shuddered in the vastness of the open ocean before him. Keith’s stomach growled indicating his missed opportunity to have lunch.

            “Eh, a late lunch is better than no lunch,” shrugged Keith as he grabbed his fishing gear and walked home.

 

Author's Note

Just a rough draft

Reviews

[David Jae]

I like the interaction between Keith and Blair; it's sweet and heart-warming. It could do with a little less exposition at the start, but it gets going quickly. Well done.