Marigold's Cafe

Cora silently popped her head above water as she reached the boat. She swished her tail underwater, signaling she was ready.

She counted each swish until everyone signaled they were in place. With one final swish, she pushed herself up to the ledge.

Her tail faded with the water as she climbed onto the deck of the fishing boat. She glanced around at all the eyes fixed on her, none noticing the others climbing aboard behind them.

"Where's the captain?" She questioned the men, her eyes studying each of them.

"I am the captain." A dirty man with a disheveled beard came forward, "I am Captain Zan."

"I can smell you from here," she scolded with disgust. "You are surrounded by water and yet it has never occurred to you to clean yourself with it... " She waved her hand towards him as a gust of air went through him, taking his smell, "disgusting."

He blinked a few times before his mind reconnected with his thoughts, "Wh..." his words were cut short by Cora.

"How many sharks did you kill today?"

A confidence spread over his demeanor as he answered with pride. "Two."

"Two..." a sadness tinged her voice as she nodded in acceptance before her voice became normal, "you seem quite proud of that number..." she began to move towards him, "why?"

"Well,..." a slight defensiveness coated his voice, "Today wasn't a good day. I usually kill more."

"You do?" She stopped as they stood chest to chest. Pushing up on her toes, she leaned into his ear. "I'm really going to enjoy this."

"Enjoy wh..." he began.

He didn't have a chance to finish before her teeth clamped down on his throat, ripping it out. Signaling the others to attack.

Cora placed the captain's pocket watch in his pile in front of her on the stone slab as Adria swam up.

"Are these the belongings of those murderous fishermen?"

"Yes." She answered as she continued sorting the items.

"How many did we get?"

"Four."

"How many did they get?"

"Two."

"Two..." she nodded somberly as she collected the captain's belongings, "two it is."

Adria leaned against a tree, watching as Mrs. Zan waved off her son as they both left for work. She began walking towards his path, twirling the pocket watch in the air, back and forth around her finger.

"Hey."

She heard him call out as she walked past him.

"Hey, you!" He called louder.

Turning back towards him, she questioned, "me?"

"Where did you get that pocket watch?"

"This?" She held it up.

"Yeah,..." he moved forward, examining it in his hand, "this is my father's pocket watch." His eyes went to hers, "where did you get it?"

"I found it," she pointed to the waters behind him, "right over there."

"Show me." He urged.

"We'll have to swim to where I found it." She warned. "Do you still want me to show you?"

"Yes."

He followed her down to the water and along the rocky bank until a sandbar appeared in the distance.

"There." She pointed as she began wading into the seaweed filled water towards it. She heard him enter the water behind her but didn't turn back until her tail could no longer reach the floor.

She moved backwards, watching as he swam towards her through the seaweed. She observed the shock, followed by fear entering his eyes as the seaweed tangled itself around him, pulling him down into the water. She waited as he fought to no avail.

She moved towards him as he went still. Swirling her hand above him, he turned into a pearl. Gathering the pearl, she swam back to shore.

Adria heard the ding of the bell above her café door as she stood over a giant pot of seaweed soup.

"We're not open yet." She called out as she dropped the pearl into the soup, stirring it.

"I'm looking for my son." The voice called out as it moved closer. "I was told that someone saw you with him earlier."

Adria popped her head out of the door and saw Mrs. Zan making her way towards her.

"Your son?" She questioned. "This morning I did run into a young man. I suppose he could have been your son."

"We had plans to meet for lunch but he didn't show up. Why were you with him?"

"I found a pocket watch that he said was his fathers. He had me show him the sand bank I found it on."

"And then what?" She probed.

"Then I left and came here."

"Take me to where you took him." She demanded.

Adria looked at the clock. "I can't, we open in less than thirty minutes but I'll take you right after closing." She countered.

"Alright." She accepted as she began to make small talk. "Marigold, is that your name?"

"No, my name is Adria." She politely responded as she continued stirring.

"How did you come up with the name, Marigold's Café?"

"It was my daughter's name."

"Was?" She questioned. "Did something happen to her?"

"Yes," Adria's voice became sorrowful, "my little Marigold was playing in the water, laughing, splashing around, when out of nowhere she was attacked and killed."

"Sharks are so scary." She presumed and she carried on. "That's my biggest fear. I worry every time my son goes into the water." Her voice turned worried, "I wonder where my son is."

"I'm sure your son is around here somewhere and soon you will be together." She poured some soup in a bowl and extended it to her. "Soup?"