THROUGH ADAM'S EYES

Manny breaks away from Kate and rushes over.

MANNY

Lou, you two need to listen to her before you—

Before he can finish his sentence, Kate covers his mouth. His words are muffled as he continues to speak. This is weird. I would suspect someone like Manny to be strong enough to break free. I guess he is just being kind to his girl.

Marcy is confused, while Lou tries to hide his anger behind a gentle smile. His death stare gives him away.

KATE

Don't you mess this up!

I lean f forward on the counter. I make sure my voice is stern. I am all for a good show, but I won't let things get violent here. I don't know what damage fish fillets can cause here. My insurance won't believe a Fishman destroyed my store.

ADAM

You guys better chill. I don't mind kicking you back out into the storm.

LOU

We're just talking here. Got a little hype.

ADAM

Happens a lot, huh?

KATE

Let's leave them be. You two should continue your talk.

Kate nods to Marcy, who is gripping something in her hand tightly.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

MARCY

I think... I know...

Marcy avoids Lou's eyes. When She looks away, Lou pulls out the box. He gently opens the box and holds it up so Marcy will see it when she turns to him. All three of us nosey people lean in closer, waiting for the reveal.

MARCY

I want...

Her hesitation is palpable. From my angle, I see her expression. Her eyes jolt back and forth as her hands shake. She is on the verge of tears as her body floods with emotion. With one brave inhale, she turns to Lou.

MARCY

I want to break up!

Lou is stunned and silent as he holds the box open for Marcy to see the gem. Marcy is finally looking at him and now notices the box.

MARCY

What is that?

CLACK! Lou shuts the box. A cocktail of confusion, sorrow, and rage pours on this man's face. The cracks form on the edge of his gentle demeanor.

LOU

Where did this come from?

Why do you want to do this to us? To me?

Marcy looks over at Kate, who points at the paper. Marcy relies on pure instinct and holds the paper out for Lou. He is silent, staring at it, angry and confused. Don't blame him. I would be, too.

MARCY

This... read this. It tells you why.

LOU

You can't tell me? Why do I have to read it?

Marcy stays quiet as she holds out the paper. Lou, reluctant, takes it as he stands up and steps closer to me. He isn't coming to me for sage advice. It's aimless. His eyes might as well have sunk into his head as his focus is only on how he feels.

He's hesitant to open it, and then it clicks in his head that he is right in front of me. He turns, and now his back is facing the counter. I look over his shoulder as he opens the paper. There are strange marks I can't make out. In the middle, though, is a hand-drawn picture of a tongue in a circle of coral.

LOU

When did you learn my people's language?

My lights flicker as the storm's winds howl. The bottle in the fridge rattles as the ground below shakes. My eyes jump back to the page as the marking glows gold. The ink on the page turns to golden flames and swirls around Lou's hands.

The lights shut off, and the flames are the only light source. The flames crawl up Lou's arms and into his eyes. His hands become long and morph into talons of corral. The skin the threads of flames touch turns to scales. He never lets go of the paper, even though his screams of pain overpower the storm.

The flames enter Lou's eyes and mouth. He has scales under the bags of his eyes. I think he is trying to fight the flames. I'm uncertain of how his true form looks, but by his screams, I can tell the flames stopped him from transforming fully. Then he stops screaming.

The lights flicks back on. Lou stands there, staring at the paper, partly changed. Steam rises from his body as the storm's winds return to a soft hum. He doesn't move. Kate chuckles to herself as she steps forward. Her voice grows louder as twisted as the chuckle becomes a maniacal laugh.

KATE

Finally!

The doors are shut, and the windows don't open. Yet, a gust of wind hits us as Kate laughs louder. The scent of sea air fills the air. Part of it comes from the steam Lou emits. The other comes from Kate's direction. There is a soft grey and black glow around her. Strands of her hair float in the air, as if she was floating underwater. Her eyes are colder, and her body language went from open and kind to dominating.

She wipes a tear out of her eye with a smile. Her energy doesn't scream murder but...relief?

KATE

That took forever.