Internet 24

Through Marcy's Eyes

Lighting flashed, and the lights flickered back on.

The fog dissipates while Adam swings his arm over Manny's shoulder while he gets back on his feet. His eyes look around the store. I can not afford to fix this place, but that's not my concern. Standing in the middle is Lou, back in his human form. He stands there alone.

MANNY

W-where's Kate?

Lou looks at the book in his hand. The same book Kate was holding before. Look avoids his look, but I see the pain embedded in Manny's eyes.

LOU

I couldn't risk it.

MANNY

What did you do!

Manny tries to lunge forward but Adam holds him back with the bit of strength he has. Marcy walks up to Lou.

MARCY

Lou, is she...?

LOU

I did what I had to.

MANNY

What gives you the right?!

Manny leaves Adam and grabs Lou by the shirt collar. Lou doesn't fight back.

LOU

She was going to kill us. You should be thanking me.

MANNY

No, we should have helped her.

LOU

I don't see how we could have helped her.

MANNY

Of course, you don't.

Adam separates Manny from Lou, more for Manny's safety. He looks up at Lou and then at me.

ADAM

Understand how he feels. Imagine if it was her.

Adam puts his arm around Manny.

ADAM

Let's head to the back. I need to sit down, and these two need time alone.

Manny breaks into tears as he can't hold them back anymore. After everything that happened, he still cares. There's a part of me that wishes I could cry. Why aren't I? When I envision Kate. It's not her as she appeared my whole life, but all I see are those glowing, hate-filled eyes. Maybe I should give myself longer than a few seconds to process this. Yet Manny cries. I wonder who that says more about.

Manny helps Adam to the back, leaving Lou and I alone. I feel my scales fade, but the energy waves still flow through me.

LOU

I know she meant a lot to you, but she left—

MARCY

Don't.

I bend down and pick up my doll. My finger runs through the patches, and I feel nothing.

MARCY

I knew her longer than anyone else here.

I get how Manny feels. I do. The Kate I knew was the best person in my life,

someone I could trust, but that wasn't real.

This was Kate. I see what I was to her, what everyone was to her. This is who she became. This was her choice.

I hold up the jewel and stare at it. Every time I look at it, I see a new part of the ocean Lou has seen in the past.

MARCY

The necklace, it has your soul?

LOU

Half of it.

MARCY

Ha. I'm part fish now.

He's silent, which means he's thinking. I need to give him time, this was alot for the both of us.

LOU

I'm sorry, but the deal was made the second you accepted the necklace and put it on.

I can't reverse the effect. We are connected, and you are now half of my people.

MARCY

You said it would cover the payment, and it did...right?

LOU

It did. I wouldn't lie to you.

MARCY

I won't head home and see him on the floor.

Lou steps forward and reaches for my hand, then pulls away at the last moment.

LOU

I swear. Everything is paid.

MARCY

This doesn't mean I take back what I say. We're not getting back together.

LOU

I know.

MARCY

What happened to her? What did you do?

LOU

Sometimes, it's best you don't know the details.

MARCY

That's not for you to decide.

He nods. He puts the gem on the necklace. I look into it, and I am sucked into the ocean. I see the moon high up in the sky from below the ocean. There are no stars. I sink deeper and deeper into the ocean. I passed the beautiful tropical fish, the cascade of coral, and down a trench below the sea floor.

The further I drift, the darker it becomes, until it's pitch black. I continue to sink further as the trench feels never-ending. When my feet finally touched the sand, the gem closed. There is no life in this part of the sea. No fish, seaweed, or microbe. The gem is the only light in this abyss. I move the light around, and a shape reaches out to me.

I swim back, gripping the gem tight. It is a stone-scaled hand with talon nails reaching out for help. I am the light to reveal a statue embedded onto the sea floor. The face is filled with tears, but it isn't of pain or fear. Her heart is broken, and her eyes hollow. Kate is perched on the sea floor. I don't know if she is alive or dead. If she can see me or not. It wouldn't matter as I don't know what I would say.

With a blink, I am back in the cafe, and Lou makes sure to look me in the eye.

MARCY

You had other choices.

LOU

Easy to say that when you weren't the one who had to do it.

He's right, but that doesn't make it hurt less.

LOU

I know you still cared for her. It was quick.

I let the necklace fall back on my chest. My thumb rubbed the feet of the doll before I presented it to Lou.

MARCY

It's only fair you get to keep this. Now that it doesn't have a hold on me.

Lou hands me the book he once let Kate borrow.

LOU

Take the book. I would offer to teach you how to handle your powers, but I know

I wouldn't be able to handle that, not now. After some time, I would be happy to help.

My finger grazes the necklace.

MARCY

I'll keep it safe. I swear.

LOU

I know you will.

MARCY

You gave me half your soul.

LOU

Think I overpaid?

MARCY

No, because I think you still have part of mine.

This silence is nice. After the chaos, it's nice to have a sense of serenity that night. A flash from outside grabs our attention, and in three seconds, we hear the thunder shake us back to reality.

The wind has calmed, and the flooding has lessened, but the rain continues to pour.

MARCY

...You think by now the storm would stop.