Caretaker Chapter 7: She has two sides.

“What?!”

“Were you expecting some deep and insightful quote about Coral?”

“Well too bad, she sucks!”

-Danis White: Emeraldine Scribe. Last words before being devoured by Mr. Krabbles

“Where’s Thomas?” Vivian asked after swallowing. Mermaid flesh was surprisingly succulent. The fat was just the right hint of tender while also chewy.

“You monster!” Emerald cried from her positions suspended upside down, hanging from the frame of the cruiser cabin by an intricate netting of webs. A large chunk of her dorsal fin was now missing. She’d just watched in horror as it was consumed raw by a giant spider, her own blood still trickling from it only matched by the the color that stained her captors lips.

“You have  two more...for now.” Vivian said evenly. “Although I am still hungry.” She moved her clawed appendage towards her captive meal. “I don’t know if I can control myself much longer. If only Thomas were here to stop me...too bad.” Vivian struck deep into the already damaged fin and tore off another small chunk causing Emerald to shriek in pain. This mermaid was weak! She’d torn off an even smaller chunk than before!

“Talk!” Vivian barked before tossing another piece into her mouth. “Needs more salt.”

“I need to go!” Thomas exclaimed. “I-I need to find Vivian! I need to- Oh god! Emerald!” She’d tricked him! She’d-how had he even gotten to-where the hell was he?! Thomas’ brain was firing off faster than he could process. He was lost, stranded with two strangers, no way of getting back to Vivian, finding Luna! Was his journey over already?! Why had Emerald done this to him and left him alone! Was she behind Luna’s disappearance?! There were to many questions now and he was just a loser from Earth!

The two strangers just watched in mild curiosity.

“Ocean madness.” The small woman said.

“Hush.” Said the larger one. “Delilah” he remembered. “You need to calm down, dear. First tell us who you are.”

His brain rebooted. “Tom-Thomas.” He stuttered. “From Earth.”

“Nice to meet you Tom-Thomas!” Delilah giggled. “I’m afraid Earth is a ways away from here, but we’ll be stopping there soon enough.”

“Princess, hold your tongue! As your advisor I cannot condone further interactions with this human. He’s a potential threat!” Posie fumed. She fluttered between the empty space between the two of them and pushed her hands against her mistresses bussum. “I suggest we move along now.”

“Nonsense!” Delilah dismissed. “He looks harmless enough, besides it’s only neighborly to help a fellow earthling.”

“We aren’t earthlings!” Posie spat. “That’s why we’re here!”

“Ignore her.” Delilah said. “The transition has not been easy. Some of my more….stubborn subjects have been feeling homesick. Don’t care much for the human realm. Come along.” She said and started walking off. She stopped and looked back at him. They held eyes. “Well? Come, Tom-Thomas. We’re losing daylight!” He was expected to follow.

They travelled through a forest, through a swamp, and over a prairie. They walked for hours without slowing down. For so long Thomas’ feet began to hurt. All the while Delilah did not seem to tire, in fact she seemed in high spirits and enjoyed vividly recounting her own adventures as a princess and then as a ghost, and now a human. It was quite the remarkable story, so much so he wouldn’t believe it if his former narrow view of the universe hadn’t severely widened in scope by adventures of his own. She was an immigrant to Earth, fleeing a dying kingdom when their source of power had vanished. Being consumed in a fit of jealousy and fear. Taking over a human girl from the inside. Thomas worried this princess was perhaps not as kind as she appeared. Something to be feared.

“This girl, Delilah? The real one....You killed her?” Thomas spoke. His first words since they’d started this trek to parts unknown.

“How dare you!?” Posie started. “My princess was eaten by a barbarian that-”

Delilah cupped the fairy in her hands to silence her. A flash of anger was shown and just a spark of something dark seemed to flow off her. She took a deep breath and smiled anew.

“I don’t know?” Delilah said. “We don’t talk much these days. I think she’s frightened by me, or as much of her that’s left.”

Thomas gave her a questioning look.

“I’ve taken her body, her name, her life.” Delilah continued. “I know not if she wants them back.”

“That’s terrible.” Thomas said.

“Indeed.” Delilah nodded. “But I can’t afford the luxury of doubt. My people still need me.” She released Posie. “I hope one day she will surface again so we might share this world anew.”

“You are too hard on yourself, mistress.” Posie comforted. ‘You owe that human nothing.”

Delilah ignored her servant and continued on her way.

Soon enough the terrain began to change The fields of the prairie gave way to small roads of cobblestone. Thomas even saw buildings. Incredibly small buildings most of which he slightly taller than. Being the shortest of the group that wasn’t an actual fairy meant that Delilah towered over them. They were more scaled to Posie’s size then theirs and Thomas guessed he was about as tall as a modest two story home, which gave Delilah at least a story on him.

“Welcome to the Evercrest kingdom.” Delilah said with a hint of melancholy. “Long may it last.”

There was a job to do. Repair and relocation. The citizens of Evercrest needed homes. The human realm wasn’t catered toward the lives of the esshanti. Delilah had taken upon herself the task of repairing and returning as many homes to Earth as she could without her citizens knowledge. It was the least she could do for them. Thomas was an extra hand. He didn’t know much about repair work, assuredly not on houses so small and delicate but he could lift and carry as well as any mule, as Posie had put it. In exchange for his help Delilah would bring him along when they crossed over to Earth. Thomas didn’t believe it was that easy, that was if he wasn’t staring a portal right in the face. Not just that but he had already crossed over three times in fact. Carrying pieces of house and other structures between Outworld and Delilah’s basement assumedly somewhere on Earth.

“You’ve done enough, Tom-Thomas. It would be my honor to have you as my guest tonight. We can find you passage home in the morning.” Delilah offered as Thomas sat at her kitchen table. He’d had a shower, a shave, and a bowl of Frosted Flakes. He was on Earth. Detroit, Michigan, to be exact. Quite far from his home in California, but Delilah assured him that travelling funds were no issue. He could be home by tomorrow.

“I’m not going home.” Thomas was surprised to hear himself say.

“Really, dear?” Delilah smiled almost expectedly.

“Yes, really.” Thomas affirmed. “I have something very important I must do. I-I can’t stay here. I have…..friends looking for me.”

“Of course you do.” Delilah said. “I take it you’re looking for our moon then?”

“Psssh!” Posie scoffed. “The moon is dead! Cracked in half by a falling star! That’s why we’re stuck in this polluted slum! A wild gelse chase if ever there was one!”

“I knew you were special, Tom-Thomas!” Delilah exclaimed. “I could feel it!”

She stood up and hugged him. “I would be honored to help you on this noblest of quests!”

“Excuse, me!?” Posie blurted. “I can’t approve this, your highness. You barely know this mouth breather! The moon has failed us. Your loyalty to the old one is wasted!”

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing I’m the princess and you’re a glorified maid isn’t it?” Delilah spoke hugging Thomas tighter. “You don’t have to come!”

“What in the hell is this?!” They both heard in a deep roar of a voice. An incredibly tall black man with a shaved head and arms as thick as tree trunks. “Delilah! I know you ain’t in here bring no boys in MY house!” he yelled.

“Daddy, it’s not what you-”

“It’s bad enough you be bringing in this witchcraft and afronting the lord without you having no boys in my home! I ain’t raising no more babies!”

“Joseph!” Came a woman’s voice. “What the hell are you yelling about now?!”

“YOUR daughter has brought some strange motherfucker up in MY house!”

A broad chested woman walked in shortly after the taller man. Delilah’s mom by all assumptions. “Dammit Joe, you making us look like ignorant ghetto trash! Don’t be embarrassing your daughter in front of her boyfriend!”

“Boyfriend?!” Thomas shrieked. “No-no you’ve gotten it wrong.”

“No need to be embarrassed.” Her mother assured. “You two have fun, but not too much fun!” She winked at him. “Oh my baby’s growing up!”

“Damn, right not too much fun!” Joseph bellowed. “I hope you gotta job cause  I ain’t paying for no babies!”

“Get your dumb ass outta here Joe!” the mother roared pushing her husband out the room.

When both parents had exited Thomas finally looked toward his gracious host.

“I’m so sorry about that!” Delilah said as her skin completely blanched.

Thomas had made a decision, but there was still business to be had on Earth. Delilah had allowed him to make a long distance phone call to home. He couldn’t let his friends and family worry about him. He started with his mother. She hadn’t answered. He wasn’t sure what time it was in California due to the time zones. She could be busy doing a number of things. He hadn’t called her in months. Was she even worried about him. Still he left a long message explaining that he had taken some money he’d saved up and was travelling after a breakup with Jordan. It didn’t sound very believable to him, but his mother knew he didn’t take rejection well so she might buy it.

Next was Jordan. She hadn’t answered either. Not her cellphone, her home phone, he even tried his home number in hopes she was staying there. Nothing. That was strange. He was sure she’d wanted to talk to him at least to break up. He did it for her. His message was short. They were done. He woudn’t be coming back for awhile.

Finally was Bernie. She was probably worried sick. Truthfully he looked forward to talking to her and relaying what had happened to him. What had really happened even if she wouldn’t believe him. She was probably the only one who really cared about him. There was an answer, but not from who he expected.

“Who this?” He heard in a gruff voice.

“Markus?’ he whispered.

“Thomas!” Markus gasped. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Where’s Bernie?” He asked as calm as he could manage. “I need to talk to her.”

“She’s at work, bro.” Markus said with more than a hint of disdain. “Working herself to death to pay YOUR rent!”

“What?!” Thomas asked.
“Yeah! She’s been worried sick. About you, she took extra hours so the landlord won’t evict your ass next month!”

“Just let the apartment go! Tell Jordan she can have my stuff.” Thomas requested.

“Jordan’s gone!” Markus snapped. “I figured she found you and you both split town!”

“YOU don’t know where she is?!” Thomas snapped back. “I thought you two were together now! Wasn’t that what she wanted to say to me?!”

“She wanted to apologize, asshole. She still wants your scrawny ass over me! We’ll see how long that lasts. There’s stuff you don’t know about her. Stuff a civilian wouldn’t understand!”

Thomas hung up the phone.

“I’m running out of patience.” Vivian said. “And you’re running out of fin.” She snapped her jaws around a crispy piece of mermaid fin, she’d baked and salted in the ship’s cabin. The mermaid Emerald was being a huge baby about it too! It was common knowledge mermaid’s grew back there fins...eventually. She couldn’t be bothered to care even if they didn’t. This formerly finned fish fatale had done something to Thomas. Right now he could be struggling at the bottom of the sea in a forever drowning purgatory at best. At worst he could’ve been eaten! What could she do then?! This fish deserved to die!

“I don’t know!” Emerald repeated at infinium for the length of this living nightmare. “I was just following orders! I was told to drag him down and place a blessing on him. The sea would do the rest!”

“I don’t have time for this.” Vivian hissed. She would have to ask Winrey for help which would look like a failure! “I’ll make this quick.” She readied one of her stingers. A high dose injected in her neck would put her to a permanent rest.

“No please!”

Vivian stabbed!

Delilah was truly a genius. Not the Delilah he knew but the girl who had discovered a portal to another world. He wasn’t quite sure that girl was as gone as the princess believed. Why else choose to go by that name or live with her family? She was also prone to sudden changes in mood and speech. The princess often said “dear” while for uncertain reasons she would drop that term for long periods of time and seem all together more somber for it. Avoiding eye contact with him yet glancing at him when she thought he wouldn’t notice.

“Where do we start, Tom.” She said.

“Huh?”

“I said where do we start?” She repeated.

“Tom.”

“That’s your name right?” She said with a hint of irritation.

“Not Tom-Thomas?”

“Why would I call you that?” She shrugged.

“No reason.” Thomas said.

“This is pointless, Delilah.” Posie said, dropping her mistresses honorific title. “This unwashed reprobate knows not of the universe. He is ignorant to the leylines of of our world. He does not grasp the connections of nature and magic. Finding the moon, IF it even still exists is beyond him. We should cut our losses!”

Delilah growled. “I really hate listening to you.”

“And I hate talking to you!” Posie hissed. “I swear sometimes you are the most stubborn and pig headed princess in both realms!”

“I’m not sure where we should go?” Thomas said hoping to redirect. “I was on a boat with my friend in the middle of the ocean. The Emeraldine ocean. Vivian. I need to find her first.”

“The spider lady?” Delilah asked. “That sounds unpleasant.”

“Trust me she’s not that bad.” Thomas said. He’d recounted briefly some of his own story back on Earth. Just the broad strokes. It felt like nothing compared to what she’d been through but Delilah took the news with understanding and sincere interest.

“We don’t have a boat.” Posie said. “Even if we bought one on Earth I doubt it would be practical to try and drag it here.”

“We might not need a boat.” Delilah said. “I think we were meant to meet, Tom.” She said. “It is very fortunate indeed for you to stumble upon a master of void.”

Thomas didn’t respond. Most casual conversation was beyond him in this world. “Master of void?” Sure! It made about as much sense as mermaids, spider people, goddesses, and giant crabs. Why the eff not!?

“NO!” Posie screamed. “I will not allow you to put your very life on the line for this human nobody!”

“Posie, dear?” Delilah addressed her flying servant. “Do shut up.” She looked toward him.  “You will need to be a guide, Tom-Thomas. Be ready.”

Thomas gulped.

Delilah’s eyes went alight. Shining bright as her hands glowed.

“When the strings of two worlds align only I can open the door!” She spoke softly. Her eyes and her palms sparked with electricity. “I am the key to the door of possibility and I demand it opens!”

A portal in the fabric of reality opened.

Emerald opened her eyes. She was surrounded by water and the glimmering lights of emeraldine jellies. They swayed around her jovially as the lit the depths with there iridescent green illumination. She was home.

“How?” She whispered to herself. I should be dead.

“Come, now.” She heard in a familiar voice. The voice of her goddess, her mother, her queen. The voice of Coral. “I would never allow one of my children to come to harm in my sea. Never.”

“I-I’m so sorry, mother!” Emerald cried. She swam towards the voice and found herself embraced in massive hands. She looked up at the face of her creator. Not the face of a child but of a woman beautiful and regal. Hair flowing long in shining colors that matched her own. “I held out as be I could, but-”

“Shhhhhh.” Coral comforted. “I know Webby scared you, she just misses her owner that is all. It has been fixed. You did well.”

“She-she...she ate me!” Emerald lost control and broke down in tear that flowed out in salty bubbles. Her mother held her close. The girl most knew as princess Coral farther from her reality. Her mother was truly the only source of comfort in this harshest of worlds.

“You need rest dear.” Coral said. “I’ll have a nurse sent for you. There will be little lasting damage. Rest well knowing Webby has been duly punished.”

“Good!” Emerald seethed. “I hope she rots!”

Coral chuckled at her daughters spite. She gave her a few moments of comfort as she much deserved before sending her on her way. She would need to make proper time later, but there were much more pressing matters such as attending to her guest. Her most esteemed one, but first she must abandon this form she dreaded so. Being old, being responsible was such a cumbersome burden. She so wished her children would be more accepting of her preferred form. Life was so much simpler as a child, but it did not bring with it the reassurance Emerald needed. The respect one such as herself often warranted. Still. She took in a breath and let out the essence of Queen Coralessence of the Emeraldine Sea and became spoiled Princess Coral once more.

“She didn’t mean that did she?” asked the soft voice of a girl who had witnessed her interaction from behind the veil of deep sea kelp. Hidden from most like the dark side of the moon that was her banner. She had the palest of skin and dark blue hair. “That she wanted Webby to rot?” The girl held a small spider in her hands. It was pink and had a cuteness that contrasted with her carnivorous nature and callous behavior.

“No, she was just being a baby.” Coral assured. “She’s fine!”

“I told Webby not to scare people but she never listens.” The girl said.

“You just need to train her better, like I do with Krabbles!”

Princess Coral fetched her beloved pet dynastodan who had been making a meal of said kelp. She held him in the palm of her hand at this size he was a shadow of the titan that had devastated Bloomstor. Size alone meant nothing to her though. Regardless of the beasts truly titanic stature he would fit in her hand as long as she willed it for all things born of the sea were hers to control and it was much more fun to pet him like this. Of course if he ever ran away again well..that would be someone else’s problem.

“Your daughters a little bitch!” Webby spat truly venomously. “I barely made a snack of her and I refuse to be cowed by a seasalt sucking witch like you, so you can throw any notion of training out the window!”

“Webby!” the girl chastised. “What have I told you about language!?”

The spider flinched. “Mistress. We need to leave this place!”

“Nonsense!” Coral said. “We’ve been having fun right, Luna?”

“Yes!” The girl beamed with a smile as bright as a full moon. “And since you found Webby we can have even more fun!”

“Yes!” Coral grinned. “Who do you think is faster, Webby or Krabbles?”

“Webby!” Luna boasted. “She’s really fast when she shoots her webs.”

“Ah, but we’re underwater.” Coral said. “Mr. Krabbles is a great swimmer!”

“Don’t let her distract you!” Webby shouted. “He’s looking for you, for us!”

“Who is?” Luna asked.

“Thom-” Webby found her mouth shut. Water pressure used with godlike precision to choke the words from her mouth. She could do nothing Coral did not wish in her domain.

“Who?” Luna asked again.

“You know who!” Webby insisted. “You have to remember!”

“Do you know who she’s talking about?” Luna asked Princess Coral, her bestest friend.

“Just some human boy.” She said. “No one important.”