The Fins And Fortune

 

A Beautiful Six Months

It has been a beautiful six months for Robert Lawson, six months filled with love, laughter, and joy. He has never felt this way in a very long time in his short thirty years on earth. All this had happened the day he met Farida. She is beautiful, kind, and full of compassion. She showed him what it really means to be loved. He sat there in his well-furnished apartment reflecting on life's journey and how far he has come. He is the youngest manager in an oil firm worth billions of dollars, and if rumors are right, he is in a prime position to be promoted as the new CEO. What could ever go wrong? He questioned himself internally. Even if the company folded up, he had saved enough to set him up for life.

The Man Next Door

Robert Lawson is that guy next door who everyone turns to for advice. He lives an easy life. He doesn't smoke or drink liquor, he takes care of his health and is always fit as a fiddle. He had a well-trimmed beard, blue eyes, and hair that speaks midnight, a perfect set of teeth and an average height, with that smile that says all is well, come on, be strong.

The Phone Call

He sat there thinking of his love when his phone pinged. He glanced at the caller and sat up abruptly, clearing his throat as he answered.

"Yes, my love," he said, grinning like a kid who has won the last candy bar.

"Baby, how is your day going?" Farida asked him with a smile in her voice, which he could figure from the way she sounded.

"I'm good, just at home getting bored every second. I missed you."

"I missed you too," she replied. "Well, as for the boredom, you don't have to worry."

"Are you coming?" he asked eagerly, holding his breath as he expected a yes.

"No," came her reply. She could hear the sigh and picture that eyebrow that raised whenever he was disappointed.

"No?" he replied questioningly.

"I can't come, but you are coming," she said with a light laugh.

"Wait, are you saying you're inviting me to your home?"

"Well, it is not like that. My mum wants to know who I'm dating, and so, well, she just said bring him here."

"Eh, that sounds ominous."

"Now, don't act like a baby. Be a real man and face her."

"But I am a baby," he said, teasing her. "After all, you just called me a baby."

She laughed, a sound that filled his heart with warmth. "Are you coming?" she asked him.

"Sure, what time?"

"Tonight, 8 PM."

He looked at the time on the wall. It was just a few minutes past 6 PM. He told her he would be there and then he hung up.

Killing Time

Robert reclined on his couch, not sure if he could ever wait till that time. He had missed Farida so much and wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and hear her whisper, all is well, you don't have to be worried. He busied himself hoping it would make the time move faster. He watched a few movies, but his mind wasn't in it, so he brought out his phone and browsed through social media, reading the latest news and trends. At 7:30 PM he entered the shower and took his bath, and at 7:50 he was on his way.

Arriving at Her Door

Farida lives on the other side of town, about a fifty-minute drive. He figured it wouldn't be bad to arrive too early or too late, so he took his time, and when he arrived at her address, he held his breath as he rang the bell. He waited expectantly, and when he heard the lock click, he let out the breath he was holding.

A man in his mid-fifties stood there, who he believed was Farida's father. The man stood scrutinizing him without a word, and the way the man's eyes changed color made him unsettled. Before he could do a double take, the man asked, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"My name is Robert Lawson," he said, extending his hand, but the man never shook it. "What are you doing here?"

"I was invited here, sir," he said.

"By who?" the man asked, frowning. "I live here alone, so who could have invited you?"

"Farida!" he said, now feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Suddenly the man roared, "WHAT FOR?"

At that moment there was a commotion behind the man, and Robert looked up to see Farida coming. He had already taken a step back but held on as he saw her.

"Father, you need to calm down, please. This is Robert. I told you he would be coming."

"I should calm down?" her father asked her.

"Yes, Father."

"Okay, I should calm down," the man said, walking back into the house and muttering to himself. "I should calm down, I should calm down, of course yes, eh, that would be fun, calming down." And then he laughed.

Robert watched the man heading inside, talking to himself. Then suddenly the man stopped and turned back. Robert watched as the man shook his head and muttered something under his breath, and then he was standing in front of him again.

"You must be Robert, right?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Yes," Robert said, shaking it as if it were made of acid.

"Please come in and make yourself comfortable. I have been told good things about you."

Robert looked at Farida, who encouraged him with a smile. He walked into the house and wondered if he would be alright at all.

The House Under Water

As he walked along the passage to the main house, he looked around and could have sworn the house was like something underwater. He saw so many pictures of different creatures on the walls, and a seat with golden arms on either side, and a woman with long hair sitting on it, while Farida sat on the ground just in front of the woman's feet. He stopped to look at the picture, and Farida smiled when he inquired about it with a raised eyebrow.

"Me and my mum. Don't worry, you will be meeting her soon."

They walked for about five minutes, and Robert wondered if he was really in a house. How could he walk five whole minutes just to reach the sitting room?

"This is strange," he said, looking at her.

"What is strange?"

"We have been walking for a whole five minutes now."

She laughed. "Don't worry, it is a big house and we are almost there."

The Matron

When they finally reached the throne-like room, he saw the woman sitting on the chair with the golden arms. She had two beautiful women on either side of her, each holding a feather fan they used to fan her.

"Welcome," she said with a nod of her head. "I'm glad you could honor my invitation."

"Thank you for the welcome," he said. "I can never say no when it has to do with Farida."

The woman smiled. "My name is Matron, and I believe you have met my husband over there," she said, pointing at the man he had guessed was Farida's father.

"Yes. I was never told his name," he said.

"Ha. He has no name that could be spoken of, really. He lost it a long time ago."

"I don't understand. How can he lose his name? You're his wife. You know his name, right?"

"Don't worry. Come, dinner is set. We have much to talk about and all questions will be answered."

The Dining Room

She led them to the dining room, which was massive too. Robert looked up and saw rows of fish swimming about. It was like he was looking through a show glass. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was underwater. He looked around and swore silently. The room was lit by glowing clams that opened and closed at intervals, green light coming from their shells. The dining table was long and appeared to be made of solid water, he thought, as he examined it properly. He moved closer to Farida and asked her, "Are we underwater?"

She laughed and gave him a mocking smile. "Did you enter through a boat?"

"No," he replied.

"There lies your answer. Now be silent, we are ready to eat."

The Father's Outburst

Suddenly there was a loud shout from the father. "ARE YOU MAD? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE? YOU REALLY WANT TO DIE, EH?"

"Calm down now, Father," Farida said, looking at him.

Robert swallowed hard. He knew something was wrong, and he had a feeling he had walked into a trap.

"WHERE IS THAT BLASTED BOY? WHERE IS THE BOY WHO SAYS HE WANTS TO MARRY THAT FISH?"

Matron turned to Robert and said, "Sorry about him, he is not feeling fine in his head."

"I'm sorry," Robert said. He turned to Farida. "You should have told me."

"I'm sorry, I was embarrassed," she said, looking down at her feet.

He tilted her head upward, and when she tried to shake his hand away, he held on until she looked into his eyes. "You don't have to be embarrassed, my love. Life is hard and it happens to the best of us."

"SHUT UP, FOOL! WHO IS THE BEST, EH? ARE YOU TALKING IN MY OWN HOUSE, AT MY OWN TABLE? HOW DARE A FOOL LIKE YOU—" the father roared, and then he started laughing. He said in a small voice, "Of course I was a fool too, yes, a big fool, but this boy will be a bigger fool, eh," and he laughed.

"Behave," Matron said, looking at Farida's father with a glare that chilled Robert. Then she quickly composed herself and smiled at Robert. He smiled back, because he had seen something and needed to hide his fear. Her smile never touched her eyes.

Dinner Is Served

Dinner was served by beautiful girls who hardly smiled or blinked. Even when Robert thanked them, there was no response. They looked animated, almost robotic, as if serving was all they were born to do.

"Are they okay?" he asked Farida, nodding at the servers.

"Of course, they are low fishes," she said, and then she put her hand over her mouth. She looked at her mother, who was glaring at her.

"What do you mean by low fishes?"

"Don't worry, I was just blabbering."

"What was that outburst by your father about marrying a fish?" he asked her.

"Don't take it seriously," she said, tapping her temple. "He is not well up here."

But Robert had seen enough. He may not have the full picture, but he knew something was wrong. He just couldn't place it. He thought that before he left he would get the full answers, but he put a big IF at the end, not knowing if he would even be allowed to leave.

Don't Eat That Meat

Suddenly the father stood up and ran to Robert, spittle flying from his mouth as he roared.

"WHO ARE YOU? ARE YOU TRYING TO DIE? WHY DID YOU COME HERE? HURRY UP AND LEAVE NOW. HAHAHA, YOU HEAR? LEAVE, AND DON'T EAT THAT MEAT."

Matron was furious. She snarled, forgetting to hide her facade. She looked at the man she had bewitched — the man who had let them live on earth as humans and not as fishes, the man who had fathered her daughter — and then she turned on the serving girls.

"What are you people still looking at? How dare you stand there! Take Ferdinand out of here now!"

The Curse Breaks

And just like that, it broke the curse.

The curse that had been placed on the father shattered the moment she spoke his name. She had been warned that if she took that path in bewitching him, she must never call his name, and that the day she did, all would be revealed. She had also been warned to be careful around the first man her daughter would bring home, for he would either ruin their future or make them stronger.

Ferdinand's Story

Ferdinand was a business tycoon who loved the open sea. He had been on a solo trip around the Atlantic when he spotted a beautiful woman stranded on a small island. He had hurried to help her, and from that moment, he forgot who he had ever been.

Who Is Matron

Her real name was Pamela, and her title was Matron. She had been sent to that island to lure Ferdinand, and twenty-five fishes had been sacrificed to make her appear human in that moment.

The Golden Boy

The moment he showed her kindness, that was when the curse took effect, and since then Ferdinand had been a slave to her. Only when she spoke his name would he be free, and that moment came when she had her outburst at the dinner table.

Robert had always been a golden boy with a lot of luck. Things had always come easy to him and he had never faced anything truly difficult in his life. Farida had been told that if she married Robert and fed him one of her fins, their power would grow exponentially and they would become immortal. She had been told the more he loved her, the more they would prosper, and that their success depended entirely on his luck.

Ferdinand Is Free

Ferdinand froze the moment he heard his name. He hunched over, clutching his stomach, and let out a scream that chilled Robert to the bone. When Matron heard that scream, she lost everything she had become and began to change form.

Farida turned to Robert. "I'm sorry. You must leave now or you will be dead."

"What is going on?" he asked, getting out of his seat and giving Ferdinand a wide berth. "Will he be okay?"

"Worry about yourself and leave him alone. I don't think I have much time to explain, but when you reach home you will receive a letter which I have written just in case something like this happened."

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Go now before the dome breaks. We are truly underwater."

The Dome Breaks

Robert wasted no time. He ran for the entrance, and as he ran he saw some of the serving girls going into a trance while others had already changed into fishes, flopping about on the floor and making their way toward the water spilling slowly from the rooftops. He looked up and saw cracks appearing across the ceiling.

The Jetty

Robert emerged from the house, but what he saw surprised him. He thought he was dreaming because he had come out from a completely different part of the house. His car that had been parked in front was gone, and a landing jetty stood where he had emerged. He breathed hard and turned back to look at the house, then let out a nervous whistle followed by a shaky laugh, because the house was gone. It had submerged into the sea.

What frightened him further was seeing Mr. Ferdinand standing a few meters from him. He wasted no time climbing the jetty up to the road he could see above.

How Can Love Be So Cruel

As he made his way home, he wept. How can love be so cruel, he thought. He had believed he found love, not knowing he had been used all along. He wondered what he would do, and whether they would come after him with some supernatural force. He steeled his heart and went home, flopping down on his couch and thanking the Creator for saving him.

Then his doorbell rang and he jumped, edging slowly to the door and calling out, "Who is there?"

"Just the mailman," the voice from the other side said.

He cautiously opened the door and saw the mailman waiting impatiently for him to sign. He put his signature and took the package that was handed to him. He entered his house and set the package on the table, staring at it and fearing the worst. He took the letter attached to the package and opened it.

The Letter

Robert,

When you receive this, I will no longer be in this mortal world, and I don't know how to beg for your forgiveness. Yes, I have been using you, knowing you carry a luck that would be of immense help to me and my people. I don't think you will ever be free, because we shared blood the day we were intimately bound together, and that counts. Until you fulfill your part by giving me a portion of your luck, you will never have peace. Inside that package is the meat you never ate at dinner. Eat it and become a part of my rise to power. We are watching, and time will tell.

I Need a Witch to Fight a Witch

"Is this what she wants to tell me, eh?" Robert said, staring at the letter. "She must be mad. How can I sell my soul for nothing? What the hell. Wow, this is beyond me. I need help. I need a witch to fight a witch."

If you enjoy this story, read The Curse Land. A story that chill the bone.