My Little Mermaid

Sputtering and coughing, Juliette gasped the air around her. Her hair hung in her face as she breathed normally. The pain receded, but there was a dull ache as if reminding her it was there. Matt held her up, keeping her head above water. She sagged, coughing and hurting. She knew something was wrong. Juliette didn't know what though. It could be a number of things.

“Are you...alright?” Matt asked softly. His eyes searched her form. She didn't appear to have any injuries nor did she seem to be harmed in any way on the outside. “Juliette,” The female took a deep breath before glancing up at Matt. “What happened?”

What could she say? It wasn't something that she knew the answer to. She could chalk it up to the hiccups messing with things. But instead of saying anything, she just shrugged. Matt didn't like that, but he accepted it, figuring she may not know what happened. She wasn't originally a mermaid, so the inner works of their body was an enigma.

Faith popped up, looking at Juliette with worry and concern. “Are you okay? Everything still working?” Juliette nodded. She didn't want either of them worrying about her. She wasn't someone they should worry about.

“I am all right.” They looked at her like they didn't believe her. But neither one said anything. It would do no good now.

“You're clearly not.” Faith gestured to the shaking female. “I don't think I have met a more oblivious, self-destructive person before.” Juliette didn't like that. She felt her throat constrict and her heart sink. “We want to help you even if you do not want it.” What could she say to that?

“Faith,” Matt said softly. She turned to Matt, nearly glaring. “Let it be.” Faith opened her mouth to protest, but closed it as she slowly realized what she was doing. She was degrading Juliette, hurting her already low self-esteem. But Faith knew Juliette had to know this. She had to be told how her actions were hurting herself and others.

The royal female sighed. “I can't. Juliette, you are hurting yourself and hurting others that care about you.” Juliette looked down at her hands, trying to hold back the tears. Matt moved her to the bed and Faith followed. Faith was still “talking” with Juliette, telling her what she was and how much she had hurt not just herself, but the people around her.

Matt moved to call the doctor. When he was done, he went back to the two females. “Erin is on her way.” Both females looked to the male. “She will be here in a few minutes.” The water waved as they sat on the bed, barely floating. “You,” he pointed to Juliette, “sit there and don't do anything strenuous until she gets here. My liege, please go easy on her.” He just wanted to make sure she was all right. He wasn't going to express his opinion like the siblings had. She had enough of berating today.

Erin came within the hour. Her bag at her side and a calm expression upon her face. “What is the problem?” Matt came up and whispered what was going on, mostly because Faith didn't know some details that Matt and Erin did. Erin nodded before moving to Juliette, who was sitting down, resting. Faith was at her side, still berating the poor girl. But it was because Faith cared for the girl. She didn't want to see her hurt. “My liege, please stop. Miss Juliette has had enough.” The short female turned to the taller and wiser woman. She sighed heavily.

“You are right. I will take my leave then. Until next time, Jewels.” Matt gave Juliette a curt nod as he too left. Erin waited until the door slid shut, to turn to Juliette. Erin was bowing to the princess.

“You couldn't breathe?” Juliette slowly nodded as she looked at Erin, wondering how she could know. “Anything else?” She almost spilled that her tail was hurting. But she didn't. That was something she didn't want to express. The female did not want to burden Erin with something that probably was in her mind anyways.

Erin knew she wasn't telling her something, but she didn't push it. She was starting to close up and keep everyone out. If she pushed it would just cause Juliette to do so faster. “Very well. I will need to take a blood sample. Is that okay?” Juliette grimaced, not liking that she will have a needle in her. “I promise to make it quick and as painless as possible.” The girl nodded, ducking her head and looking away as Erin pulled out her tools from her box. It was like the Carrier Spheres, but a box.

Once the small need came out, Juliette turned away. She couldn't look. Needles reminding her too much of the scientists. She breathed in and out slowly. Inhaling, expanding her diaphragm and exhaling through her mouth. It kept her mind busy on breathing as Erin slid the needle into her vein. She winced, but continued breathing.

Erin worked quickly, taking what she needed and patched Juliette up. Once she looked up, she noticed the tears rolling down Juliette's cheeks. “Juliette,” she whispered, feeling for the girl. She had been through a lot and now being berated by someone that she thought was a friend hurt. Erin knew this well, but she also understood friends did that to show they cared; they cared enough to be angry at them. “It is going to be all right.” Erin patting Juliette on the shoulder, not really knowing how to comfort her.

She nearly launched herself into Erin's arms, crying into her chest. Her top would be soaked by not just water, but tears as well. She awkwardly held her arms out before slowly wrapping them around the thin girl. She had gain some weight, but not nearly enough. She started to hiccup, having cried so much. Erin rubbed circles into her back, feeling her heart break a little more each hiccup and sob Juliette let out. It was moments like these that Erin wished she could do more. She wished she could make all of Juliette's troubles go away. But she couldn't.

Slowly the girl released Erin and wiped away the last few tears that rolled down her cheeks. She ducked her head, embarrassed by her outburst. She did not think she would start crying like that, especially in front of Erin.

Erin patted Juliette's shoulder, trying to give her comfort, what she could anyway. “We will get through this.” The doctor didn't know how much those words relieved Juliette, but she could see how the girl's shoulders shagged, as if still burdened, but not as much. The older woman gently pulled Juliette's red eyed gaze to her. “I promise.”

That nearly made Juliette start crying again, but she held it in. Erin moved back to her stuff, putting everything away before turning back to Juliette. “Take care of yourself. I will be back in a few days with the results.” The shy, timid girl nodded. Erin gave a curt nod in return before heading out.

Juliette sat on the bed, not knowing what to do now. She looked around the room, staring at the far wall that looked into the darkness of the ocean. It was endless. She could make out some light from the sun high above.

“Bored?” a male voice asked. Juliette turned from the water surrounding this place to the person, merman before her. Matt floated, watching her curiously. “Nicolas, sent me to apologize.” She stared at him, looking solemn. It just got worst as the time past. She was sinking. Far into a depression that she may never get out of. Matt did not want that. “Juliette, nothing he said was true. None of this is your fault.”

She looked at him, surprised, but incredulous. Matt sighed before moving closer. “Nicolas has asked that I show you to the Atrium.” She looked at him, confused. Atrium? She had no idea what that was. All she was thought was about household things. Most likely to become a servant somewhere and at the best be a good housewife.

“Just follow me. It is easier to show you.” Matt swam down, pausing to wait for Juliette. She took a bit to muster up the courage to go back beneath the water. She knew Matt wouldn't allow her to die, but it was still frightening to even come anywhere close to that.

Once she was beneath the gentle waves of the water, she swam slowly to Matt's side. He watched and evaluated her before nodding. He led the way out and into the hallway. No one was there. He continued to the right and traveled around. She followed, looking at the walls and the statues at certain doors. He explained those were to past Primaries and Secondaries. Or Solatium's founders. Ten women and Thirteen men. They founded Solatium.

Matt led her up through a long spiraling column. There were small domes every fifty feet or so. It was the only way they could get a safety air pocket in the Spiral. Juliette went up in on, curious. It wasn't very big, but big enough to house three people. She went back down and followed Matt once more.

When the reached the top, she was in awe. The large, open room was filled with barely anything. All it had were places to rest. The rest of it were windows and a blank wall. No one seemed to be there. Besides them of course. Matt swam up, stopping a bit away from the entrance in the middle of the room. Juliette moved to his side, grasping his arm as she looked around, gaping at the sheer size of the room. It could house nearly her whole town in here. Not that her home town was very big.

“This is the Atrium.” She swam around, looking out the windows. This place was higher and in a different part of the ocean. She could see rock on one side and flora growing. A fish swam by, It was scaled and the light reflected off of the small thing. “You can see 360 degrees. All around Solatium.” Juliette placed her hands on the cold window, looking at the fish that swam back to its group. “A school.”

She turned to Matt, confused. “A group of fish is called a school.” Then she understood. She gave him a nod before turning back to the school of fish. It turned and swam around. Juliette was entranced as she watched. Matt sat back and watched the girl. She was having fun. And that was all he and Nicolas wanted.

Matt swam away, going towards the blank wall. To the side of it was a small pedestal. He wanted her to see something else as well. Something that may change her outlook on the world and him. Well all merfolk.

“Juliette,” he called, turning towards her as she pressed her hands against the glass, fogging it up with her warm breath. “Come sit.” She slowly turned to him, having a sparkle in her eye. Something that he hadn't seen. Juliette swam lackadaisically over to him, glancing back over her shoulder at the school. It was still swimming near the window as if not caring she was watching, but rather wanting her attention.

She sank into a chair, feeling it form to her body. “Just sit back and enjoy.” Matt pressed a few things before the lights dimmed and the black wall lit up. Images formed and created a picture that moved. Juliette had seen a movie before, but they were rare in her hometown. There was only one person on the screen, smiling. Then came the sound. Laughter. The small kid was laughing. This child was standing on a grassy field, laughing at the person behind the camera.

“Mama!” The brown haired child reached up as another person came on. “Mama!”

A female picked up the kid and smiled. “That's right, Ben.” She smiled brightly. She hugged the boy, showering him with kisses that he squirmed away from, laughing. “When you get bigger, we'll show you something amazing.” The scene disappeared and black came on.

“What?” Juliette looked to Matt, but he just smiled gently. She stared, never seeing that look on him before. But it did its job. It kept her quiet and watching the next part.

An image came back, this time of the same woman, but an older kid. “Alright Ben, you ready for an adventure?” Ben, being around seven or eight nodded eagerly. “Then let's get daddy to come with us.” She looked at the camera, smiling. The man, the father, laughed.

“Come on!” Ben jumped up and down, his hair bouncing as well. He was excited. “You were going to show me on my birthday!”

“Alright, alright!” the man said, lowering the camera. “Let's go then.” The three of them walked out of the field, showing it was near a forest and a house. It probably was their house. They trudged over to the car, a wheeled beast. She hadn't ever seen a car like it before. It had covered wheels, but it was sleek and didn't look like the car from an age ago. It seemed futuristic compared to that, but then everything seemed advance to her own technology. “Hop in, I'll set the coordinates.” The camera looked at the rounded window of the first door on that side. Ben and the mother got in on opposite sides. Ben was behind his father.

The camera looked at the glass as a holographic screen lit it up. It had a spot for something which turned out to be numbers. The coordinates. She watched the camera move as a map came up. They were heading to the coast.

“Are you ready, Ben? You will be seeing a new world.” The camera went black again. This time Juliette just waited.

The screen came back, but what she saw was jaw dropping. They were beneath the ocean, walking the halls she had come to know. That was Solatium. But there was no water. “This is going to be our home." Ben was excited and bounding down the halls. He shouted, listening to his voice echo down the long corridor. It was weird seeing the empty halls. Not that Juliette had seen the halls crowded.

The group went on. “Yeah, little guy, this is going to be where we live in just a few years. You will be able to play in these halls.” A strong hand reached out and ruffled the kid's hair causing him to duck away, laughing. Ben, the brown haired boy, ran down the hall. The mother came running after him, roaring and chasing him. The father laughed, following them, but slower.

“Don't go too far!” he shouted. “We haven't completed the eastern wing yet!” The two slowed and turned to the camera. They smiled and waved. The father laughed, waving back. His dark skin blocking the camera several times. “Alright, let's see the Atrium.” The screen became black again.

And it stayed black. “That's the end of that video.” Matt slowly swam back to the pedestal, glancing at Juliette as she stared at the blank wall, which was really a screen. “Did you want to see more?”

“Humans built this place?” Matt nodded. “But...why? How?”

“Let's watch another and maybe that will give you the answers you want.” Matt tapped away on the pedestal, pulling up another video.