7. TOGETHER

Today is the last day of lake vacation. He was having lunch with the large family of Atkinston, in the inn they had rented for two days.

 "I still want to be here," said Aleda Atkinston, who was the third child of the family and the only daughter there.

"Why? We should immediately return to London," reject the mother, Beatrix Atkinston.

"It comforts me here, ma'am. It was a magnificent sight, in contrast with bustling London each day," Aleda replied.

"I have to go back to London tonight, you know," father said, Alferd Atkinston.

"Your father was right, Aleda. Your brother Lake should be going back too 'cause he worked as a cop over there," said Beatrix.

 Aleda seems upset, "Well, Alan and I will be here for a few days. We're not working yet."

"Alan?" asked Lake was surprised, he looked at a second child named Alan, "Can you watch Aleda?"

Alan had a handsome face, but he was a quiet, cold man. That's the reason why Lake was skeptical about his sister's request, Alan's chapter was not concerned about anything in the vicinity.

"I'm not sure I can count on that boy," mocked Alferd.

"He's your son too, Alferd. And he's Aleda's brother, I'm sure he'll look after his sister," said Beatrix.

"As far as I know, I have only one son and one daughter," said Alferd.

Lake is silent, as is Aleda. They realized that the cold was beginning to feel lurking.

"Alferd, we are eating together. Please behave, and behave. Respect your son a little bit. Let our family settle for the holidays," demanded Beatrix.

At that moment, Alan suddenly got out of his seat. He was still quiet, before he gave his mother the faint smile, "I'm done, and I want to walk around the beach. Thank you for the food."

Afterwards he walked away, and actually walked toward the beach. The step comes to a halt at the edge of the sand that is near the water. Several times a small wave carried water to make his feet wet, but he didn't care about it.

His gaze was as cold as an icy hill, his face flatter than the still water, the cold always enveloped him. That's what people saw about him, that no one understood him, and no one wanted to ask him.

He walked into the water slowly, there was nothing in his mind, he just walked with his instincts saying that this was the end of it all. Even Alan doesn't realize when he goes too far, until the very last step he goes into.

Alan sank in the ocean, he didn't move at all making the water sink more easily. His gaze was turned upward, where the land was no longer in sight, and only the light was witness to his drowning.

 However, as he was about to close his eyes, a hand pulled at his waist and carried him to the surface. Alan could see the beautiful face of a woman pulling at his body, as their present position was side by side with a nearby face.

 Every now and then, she turned to him and made their noses touch. Then she refocused on her goal to save Alan, but Alan's gaze fell on his nearby tail. One of his hands gently touched the tail, and he could feel the fish's flippers smooth over there. It feels a little rough, and it's very slippery like touching a snake's skin. However, there is a slight softness here as if there is a distinction between a sea creature and a snake.

By the time they had half of their bodies on the ground, the woman was pulling Alan with enough power. Take the man to the beach, and put him on the sand.

Larissa, a beautiful mermaid with a dark grey tail helped Alan almost shut his eyes perfectly. She did first aid on Alan, squeezing her chest a few times. She would do his best to save the man, "Sir? You must be okay, you must survive!" Cried Larissa and kept trying to save Alan.

Until finally, Alan opened his eyes again. He coughed out some of the water swallowed by it, hoping that it would not enter the fatal areas of his lungs.

As the man sat on the sand, Larissa looked at his handsome face in front of her. It looked sad, dejected, and full of dark shadows. This was the first time she saw a human being with such an aura, making her empathy appear suddenly. In fact, Larissa forgot her tail wasn't even dry.

 "Y-you?"

 Alan looked surprised, but his face was still blank. He gazed at the woman before him from the head down to the tip of her long tail. The fins on the woman's tail look shiny in the bright sun, making her beautiful in anyone's eyes.

 "Is the master all right? Swimming in the depths like that is not a good thing, especially if you're not wearing any equipment. You could die in the ocean," Larissa counseled.

 "Mermaid?" asked Alan.

Larissa looked at the tail and she breathed for a moment. This is the second time humans have seen it in its tail. She turned around and walked away.

 Before the man he had helped knock her hand out, making Larissa turn back to look at him. The one who was able to make him feel pain, and pity at the same time as he looked into those blank eyes. And now they're seeing eye to eye.

 "Thank you," he said with a sincere look.

Larissa looked at those big arms holding her tiny wrists, and she smiled and then tenderly touched them. A smile rose on her face, as if it could overpower today's shining sun.

Larissa also took hold of it with her wet hands, "If you have a problem, you can solve it with something else. You don't have to drown yourself in the ocean, because that would only leave a scar on the people closest to you. As much as anyone looks at you, it's just their opinion of you. They don't know what you really are, they don't know what you want, and why. I'm sure you're a strong man, and I'm sure you'll live a much better life next time."

The words spoken by Larissa just went over and over in Alan's mind. Makes a handsome man with that cold face feel he has a reason to survive. He wanted to give back to the woman who helped him, that would be the strongest reason of all time.