Mary’s screamed in horror at the collapsed and bloody body in her front yard. Will was still conscious and the scream gave him hope that he’d be able to survive. He looked into the girls eyes with the little strength he had left. He could barely see her with the blood in his eyes but could tell she was a young human girl. He opened his mouth and tried to beg for help but instead winced and collapsed. H was sure he wouldn’t need to ask anyways, it was common in human nature to help others. He smiled in relief before he finally passed out. After calling for an ambulance Mary tried to wake up the boy but to no avail.
“I told you she would help him, most humans have sympathetic hearts.” A woman hiding in the forest watching the scene from afar was conversing with two others.
“If you truly believed that you’d have called for a doctor yourself!” Said a male voice.
“True… The doctors would have required a bill… And of course our appearance would surely raise questions. Remember Areth, we cannot reveal our existence despite our newfound freedom from that madman.” Said the woman.
“I’m aware of that! I know I’m the youngest but I still have a brain!” said the younger girl they call Areth. Mary continued to stand by Will’s body. Her heart felt as heavy as the responsibility at hand.
3 days later… The doctors had treated his wounds. When Will had become conscious he stated he had no relatives or friends nor any money. Mary’s concern for the boy caused her to stay with him until he was better and when she learned about his predicament she willingly paid for all his bills. Will was surprised to learn that Mary was actually very wealthy and was even more surprised when she offered Will a room in her 6 bedroom house. He accepted and is now living with Mary and her boyfriend Tyler.
“So you’re going to let this 12 year old live with us? Why?” The young man with a fohawk and many tattoos as well as a couple piercings was Tyler, Mary’s boyfriend. They seemed like opposites. Tyler was a punk with a cruel attitude and Mary was a sweet girl who wore modest clothes that did a bad job at hiding her beauty.
“My age is 18, not 12. Miss, could you ask your boyfriend to remove his feet from the table. Your cooking’s magnificence is not being properly enjoyed with this man’s body odor invading my senses.” Will’s voice was monotone and cold sounding. His deep vice definitely did not match his short body and boyish face.
“Whoa seriously? Do you have some kind of disorder or something? I bet I could fit you in my shirt, come over here!”
“Shirts are not toys, they meant for warmth and decency I ask that you not destroy your own shirt for the sake of a meaningless hypothesis.” Mary started to chuckle.
“Sorry Will, he’s a bit of a jerk face but he has a gentle side to him, you just have to warm up to him. Please do take your feet off the table Ty, it’s bothering our tenant.” Tyler scoffed and put his feet down.
“Tenants pay rent, he’s staying here for free. He doesn’t have any family. He can’t tell us why he was a bloody pulp three days ago. If I were you I’d throw him out.”
“I will leave if asked. I can also do house work. I refuse to be a bother to either of you.”
“You’re no bother at all! You can stay as long as you’d like.” Mary gave Will a kind smile.
“You need to also clean my room, massage my feet, bring me snacks when I ask for them, and you-“ Tyler was cut off by Mary’s hand which was covering his mouth.
“Thank you Mary… It’s been so long since I have met a human with this much kindness in their hearts. You truly are an Angel.” Mary blushed.
“Oh no I’m no Angel! I’m just doing what any other person should do!”
“It’s not a matter of should but instead would. Anyways thank you for the meal. I will be I my room reading if you need me.” Will left and Mary gave Tyler a glare.
“What the hell Ty? You were being such a jerk!” Tyler started laughing.
“Oh come on! I was just playing with him, although nothing seemed to faze him. He seems like a nice guy, I just wish he were more energetic. When you said a guy was coming to live with us I was hoping for a friend not a quite smart aleck.”
“Who said you can’t be friends?”
“Well I imagine our conversation would be like, ‘Hi bud how are you?’ ‘My emotions are neutral’ ‘Wanna go swimming at the lake?’ ‘Swimming is a waste of time, I can be much more sufficient by reading this 1,000 page book on gravity’. See what I mean?”
“You don’t know if he’s like that. Go ask him now, I bet he’d say yes.”
“Fine, but I’m going to make it look like I was going there on my own! I don’t want him to think I’m purposely trying to spend time with him.” Mary chuckled. Tyler had taken off his shirt and put on some swimming trunks. Next he pounded on Will’s door. Will opened the door and saw Tyler’s muscular body, he blushed by retained a bored facial expression and Tyler only saw it for a second before the door shut. “Uh, Will? What was that about?”
“Nothing!” he said in an embarrassed voice, then he coughed and spoke again but in a more monotone voice. “Nothing.” Will opened the door but kept his eyes away from Tyler. “Yes?”
“I was just wondering if maybe you’d like to join me for a swim at the lake.” Will’s eyes widened and he wore a terrified face.
“You guys use that Lake? I searched the house and found no fishing poles or boats so I figured it’d be safe dammit! I’m such an idiot!” Tyler looked at him blankly. “Dammit again! I just said all that out loud! Listen Tyler I will do whatever you want if you just stay away from the lake!”
“Pff hell no! I love the Lake! It’s our own personal pool. In face we are both going right now and you are going to show me what you are hiding!” Will’s face looked annoyed.
“No I refuse! I’ll leave the house if you want but don’t go near that lake for the next hour or so.” Tyler shook his head.
“We are both going there right now, come ‘ere!” Tyler scooped Will up in his arms and put him behind his back piggy back style. “Hold onto me or I’ll drag you” Tyler threatened. Will hugged onto Tyler and looked grim.
The two got to the lake and Tyler dropped Will. He scanned the area then looked at Will accusingly. “You’ll never find it. Just give up and let me leave.” Tyler scoffed in response.
“I could make you tell me!” he grabbed onto Will’s fluffy blonde hair and brought his face to his own. “What did you hide? Drugs? A dead body? Money? What!”
“Leave him alone!” screamed a female voice.
“Areth no!” yelled Will. A mermaid had jumped out of the lake and tackled Tyler. She held his arms down but Tyler managed to overpower her and get her off.
“What the hell are you?”
“Areth he wasn’t going to do any serious damage to me! Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt again.” She said on the verge of tears.
“What the hell is going on here!”