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"A young girl drowned a few miles down from here...a few hours ago." That would explain why it wasn't on any news channels...the news for the morning were already over. And it probably hadn't been reported, yet. "Someone lured her into the water and drowned her. We believe the culprit fled this way...it would be best if you went inside."
The way he was speaking indicated he wasn't telling the full truth. ...Someone lured her into the water...lured her... |
Glory immediately caught on to the unusual wording.
"There have been no other boats out this way besides yours," she said, instead. However, once he left, she would take a look around the area herself and see what was going on. |
"That may be so, but the culprit might not have a boat. He might have ditched it in favor of swimming...much less noticeable, in most cases..." The man frowned slightly. "I'd appreciate it if you stayed inside at least until we're done searching the area. Once we leave, you're free to come out again without danger of being harmed."
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Glory considered for a moment, then shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but if you're going to be poking around here, I want to keep an eye on things," she said. It was just vague enough to be a plausible answer without giving anything away. |
The man did not seem pleased about her answer. "...Very well. Stay away from the water while we look...."
The ship headed back out into deeper waters, poking around underwater with a small camera for clues. One of the crew members also used a telescope to glance around, curiously. They stayed a good fifteen minutes before they up and left, quite suddenly. The sounds of the boat died off into the distance. |
Glory watched them leave, and went back inside.
"Something's going on, and I want to know what," she said when she got back inside. "Their story was shaky, and they weren't around near long enough for it to be true." |
Léan looked suspicious, as well. "...I know everyone else hides when boats come around. But Lleu...he was here a few minutes earlier. You know as well as I do that he's not frightened of boats...why would he hide?"
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Glory nodded.
"I would say we should take a quick look around, but one of us needs to stay with the children," she said. |
"I'll stay here. I'll be able to hear and see if those humans are returning more quickly than you will..." Merpeople had heightened senses on land, especially...it was like a constant adrenaline rush of the senses for them. "I would suggest searching for Lleu first...after all, he and his creepy way of knowing things would be a great help."
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"Alright," Glory said. She went over and gave him a kiss. "I'll be back soon, I'm just going to take a look around and make sure everything is okay."
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Léan smiled, nodding. "All right...be very careful. With suspicious people in the area, we must be vigilant..." He seemed awfully nervous about this people. Particularly because of Eden. Eden had grown and was a swift, agile swimmer now. She often wandered away on her own.
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Glory nodded.
"I'll be careful," she promised. She also knew to keep an eye out for Eden, although she still wasn't sure how much English the child understood. Going into her bedroom, she undressed and wrapped herself in a towel before going outside and quickly slipping into the water. |
Lleu was still nowhere in sight. Archie and Damon would hide for at least a half hour, yet--they were terrified of boats. Lleu would come out much more quickly.
He was out a bit farther, hiding in the coral reef. He stood out, but it wasn't easy to see what stood out. He was huddled up in a small underground cave. Just a bit of his stark white tail was showing from where he was hidden. |
It took Glory a moment or two to find him, but once she did, he kind of stuck out. She made her way over carefully, glancing around every so often to make sure the boat hadn't come back.
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"Are they gone?"
Lleu didn't even glance in her direction. He was very still...did he really think that if he stayed still, he would somehow blend into the vibrant colors of the reef? With how albino he was? It was a funny thought. It was also funny how he didn't even ask her what was going on. Maybe he did know something. |
"Something is going on, and I want to know what it is," Glory said in reply. "They're gone for the moment, but their story was shaky, and they left suddenly."
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"Someone tipped them off that there's suspicious activity on this beach. They're part of the fanatical group that Aster was once a part of," Lleu hummed, in response. "...I have not seen Aster in days. I'm assuming he has left the water, and possibly regained his past memories."
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"I haven't seen Aster in longer than that," Glory replied. She glanced around, making sure the boat hadn't come back. "Something isn't right. I'm going to keep an eye out from home, and I'll do what I can to turn them away if they come back again."
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"...Perhaps it would be a good idea to take Arcturus, Damon, and Eden inside, and keep them inside for a while? Surely that tank you have is big enough to hold Arcturus and Damon comfortably...Eden can stay out of the water and with your two little ones..."
Lleu was concerned about their safety. |
"I'll talk to them," Glory said. "If they agree, I'll see what I can do." She was still going to keep an eye around the beach, though... She didn't like that there were boats poking around.
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Most likely the biggest problem with the boats poking around the beach, well...that would be Lleu. Though Lleu was not always at the beach, he visited once or twice every two days. His stark white coloring made him stand out beneath the somewhat murky water, and it would be easy for a snooping boat to spot him. Especially if the boats were specifically looking for his kind.
And yet...he didn't mention anything about staying away, or wanting to come up on land to be safe. "...Very well. I would suggest locating them as soon as possible...I have a feeling those boats will be back by nightfall," Lleu murmured, glancing around in a paranoid manner. It was often wise to trust Lleu's 'feelings.' |
"Alright," Glory said. "I'll find them." After a moment, she added, "it might be a good idea for you to head back home, too. It's probably best not to hang around here until this is all sorted out."
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Lleu frowned slightly, almost like he was offended. He didn't like to think that his being an albino had any sort of bearing on how much of a nuisance he would be with a boat snooping around. "...Oh, all right. I'll come around at night sometimes, though, if I have something to update you with..."
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Glory nodded.
"Alright," she said. "I should go and find them..." Turning, she left. |
Archie and Damon were hidden down in the less explored area of their territory, curled tightly together and holding a sleeping Eden safely between them. Archie seemed to be more frightened by the appearance of a boat than his mate was.
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