I could still see my mother stride toward the waves slowly, entranced by them so much so that she couldn't hear me calling out for her. And I remember following, trying everything I could to bring her back. But she couldn't hear me; she couldn't see me. She didn't falter as she stepped into the wake, her body pushing through each wave that rolled toward the shore. I clinged to her as my smaller frame could not do the same. I saw the tear that fell from her vacant eye, like she knew what she was doing, but was powerless against it. I never gave up calling out to her, pulling her, pushing her, begging her to snap out of whatever trance she was obviously in; no matter how useless it was. 

"The last thing I can clearly remember is suddenly losing my grip on the sandy bottom and being carried off by a rip current. Next thing I knew I was waking up in a hospital room being told that I will make a full recovery, but I had sustained an injury that made it very difficult to speak again."

Will shifted in his stance. "That's rough having to watch your mother do that."

"What about yours?"

He looked down at his feet as he leaned away from the rail. "She was killed."

"I'm so sorry," I signed as I touched his shoulder.

I wonder what that does to a person, knowing their mother was killed before they even got a chance to know them. On the outside he seemed okay with it, but it was obvious he was holding back how he truly felt.

"The killer is still out there, somewhere," he continued. "And I think we're finally getting close to finding them."

"We?" I typed quickly.

"My dad and me. We don't like to make it known, but Dad never filed a report for her death."

"Can you do that?"

He shrugged without a care. "He did. He knows who killed her and he's been trying to track them down ever since they vanished. But like I said, we're getting close." 

I was afraid to ask what they planned to do with the person when they found them. They were obviously not going to seek justice the proper way. Again, I really didn't want to ask, but...

"What do you plan on doing once you find him...or her?"

Will looked down at his phone instead of answering. "You hungry?" He asked changing the subject. I don't think I could've nodded fast enough. The whole conversation was starting to make me nervous. 

After bidding Anna a second farewell, which consisted of more squeezing hugs and pinching cheeks that I silently laughed at, we were off once more back toward Manteo. The ride didn't seem to take as long as before when he slowed his motorcycle and turned into a small parking lot attached to a pier. It was the same place that held the bar and grill we went to the first time I met his friends. We must be meeting up with them again because I clearly remember him saying that this place was a little too busy for his taste.

We sat at one of the tables outside away from most of the pre-dinner time crowd. He was quick to pull the chair out for me, which always managed to make me blush in reaction. I wasn't used to such behaviors from someone other than my own dad. But then again, he was the only other man I had ever actually hanged out with.

We hadn't even been sitting for five minutes looking over the menus and ordering our drinks as we waited for the rest, when I happened to look around the beach the restaurant sat on. My heart gave a hard thud against my chest when I caught sight of something I never in a million years would have thought I'd see again.

My menu flew up into my face creating a gust that blew the napkins we had on the table to the ground. Not a moment later, Will's head peaks around the side of the menu.

"You alright?" He asks with a puzzled expression. I nodded at first, but my pounding heart made me shake it after. I was far from alright given the one person I was not banking on seeing was here.

After situating the menu so that it remained vertical, I reached for my phone and began typing. "Tell me, do you see someone sitting near the fence?" As Monotoneisa spoke, I quickly adjusted the volume low enough that only he and I could hear.

Will peeked over the menu in the direction I pointed in. After a moment he returned.

"I see a few someones." Ever so carefully, I raised my head above the menu just high enough to see. I hope this was just my mind branching out from the crazy desire to see him again.

The moment I spotted him, my heart leapt. This was without a doubt him. He was sitting near the fenceline with his feet in the sand. A rather stunning young woman sat next to him, smiling and talking to him. Her hair color had me question if this was a sister as it was identical to his. I returned to my little hideaway, bringing my attention back to my phone.

"It's the guy in the white sleevless shirt and blue swim trunks up against the fence. He's sitting next to a girl." It was Will's turn to look. It didn't take him long to find him as the beach here wasn't very crowded.

"Yeah, I see him now. Do you know him?" He asks when he came back.

"Sort of. I kind of promised him that I wouldn't bother him again, which is why I'm behind this menu."

"Why? Did you do something naughty?" He teased with a wink.

"I guess if you call borderline stalking a naughty thing."

"You stalked him?" He asked raising his eyebrows as high as they could go. 

"Not really. I got a little overbearing when I found out he could understand sign language."

"I can completely understand where he's coming from then." He grins. "You do like to hover." I glared at him and he just laughed. But I couldn't help wonder, was he joking? Or was there truth to his words? My eyes find him once more. Maybe I am a little much. 

"William, my brother from another mother, you made it!" A tall, tanned skinned, bleach blonde guy dressed in a floral shirt and khaki shorts shouts as he reaches the table, interrupting our chat. His bright white smile was all I could see when he stepped up to the now standing Will and grabbed his hand, pulling him into a half embrace. They slapped each other's backs before stepping back again.

"Why wouldn't we, Nate? You know me."

"Yeah, I know you'd rather stay home than be out here," he replied and quickly turned his brown eyes on me. "Molly, it's good to see you again. Are you hiding?" He asked when he noticed the menu partially blocking my face.

Before I could answer another, much deeper voice came from behind Nate. "What's up, what's up, what is up, ya'll?" The voice belonged to his other friend, Javier. The small, gelled dark haired young man came up beside Nate and gave him a good punch in the arm. I could tell he already had a few drinks before arriving. 

"You left me man, but look what I found! This gorgeous lady is Heather. Heather this is Nate, Will and Molly." He ushered up a redhead in a uniform, which clearly told us all that she worked here. The makeup caked on her face was well done, really accentuating her hazel eyes. "She's going to join us when she gets off in an hour." 

The girl smiled pleasantly before excusing herself back to work. Javier watched her walk away, but I am pretty certain his eyes were fixated on her lower half. He noisly blew out air through a whole in his mouth. "She's hot, right?"

"Only you man," Nate chuckled as the two of them took their seats. 

Thank God Nate was tall. He completely blocked my reason for hiding, which allowed me to set the menu down and act like a normal person. But I couldn't help occasionally stealing glances down at him, fighting the urge to break the promise I made. It was just before sunset when he finally left with the girl. I don't know why, but I felt a sort of distaste for her. I didn't even know her.

The evening went on with me mostly listening to the three of them chat away to each other about work, hobbies as well as Nate and Javier's knack for scoping out women. It was nice to see that Will never once took part in their games. I wasn't sure why it made me happy, but it did. Heather kept to her word and she joined us at the table as soon as she got off. Nate had also managed to pick up a brunette who had been sitting alone at the bar. I forgot what her name was and apparently so did Nate as he only seemed to call her "you."

After Will had spatted a good joke that had everyone in tears, mostly because they were on drinks number 5 and 6, Nate turned his attention to me.

"Did this guy ever tell you his wild theory yet?" He asks in a slur over the live music as he waves a finger at Will who was now shaking his head in what looked to be embarrassment.

I just stared blankly at him. Today was the first day we actually really talked about anything personal, but nothing that dealt with theories.

"You know of the great mystery right? The one with those settlers." He emphasized the words 'great mystery' as he spoke. I nodded my head. I'm not a history fan, but this history was one of my mom's favorites, so it was hard not to remember it.

"Will tell her what your family thinks happened," he said. He took a swig of his drink and wrapped his arm around the cute brunette as he sat back into his seat.

"Really, Nate?"

"Aw, come on, you gotta tell her!"

"No...I don't," Will replied.

"Please?" Nate stuck out his bottom lip as he gave his version of puppy dog eyes. I look at Will, very curious to what it was now.

"Now you have to tell us," Heather spoke up.

Will looks at each of us then sighed. "Alright. Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." He sits up and clears his throat. The whole table has gone quiet as we all wait for him to begin.

"Everyone knows the story, settlers came for a new beginning and disappeared without a trace. Have you ever wondered why that was? My family has this story they've passed down through the generations about mythical sea creatures known as...well...mermaids. These beings had grown upset with the settlers for not giving into their demands of sharing their land with them, so the creatures used their magic to compell every last settler into the depths of the ocean where they could never be found.

"After that, the lone survivor who had to returned after leaving them for England gathered all the settlers he could that came to the New World after and without England's knowledge, started a war against the creatures. For years this went on, until one day they all just up and disappeared never to be seen again. My family still believes that they are out there and have been on the hunt for the truth ever since."

Will gulped the last of his beer and nodded as the table sat silent. I continued to stare at him as I let his theory really sink in. The craziest part? It somehow made sense to me. I wasn't sure if I believed it, but I wasn't sure if I didn't either.

"Wow," Heather said finally. Her comment seemed to awaken the rest.

"Wild right?" Nate asked with excitement. He seemed to find this amusing, as did the brunette, Javier and Heather. Will laughed along with them as a show, but it was easy for a sober person to see that he, too, believed as his family did. And that was why I did not laugh along with them.

I have had my share of beliefs that got laughed at, which was why when we all finally parted ways, I decided to share one with him.

"I don't think your theory sounds crazy. I believe anything is possible," my phone spoke when I stopped him at his bike. "I didn't say this earlier when we were talking about our mom's because it didn't seem all that important, but there was something else I saw that night, out in the water. I only caught a glimpse before I could no longer stay afloat. Dad says it was probably a bouy, but I am almost certain there was someone else in the water that night.

"My Gran had told me a story when I was young about there being someone out there who could make you do scary things with just a look. My mom walking into the water the way she did was not something I had ever seen her do before. I don't want to believe Gran's story, but I don't believe that my mom committed suicide."

"Maybe what you saw in the water was what my family has been tirelessly searching for? Who knows." He grabs the helmets and hands me mine. "My dad also believes that the same beings are the ones who killed my mother. He believes that the creatures may not actually be out there in the ocean, but somehow made it on solid ground." He huffs a chuckle at himself as he shakes his head. "Wouldn't that be something?"

I shrugged, shoving my phone into my pocket then clipped the helmet on my head. The thought of mermaids being real and living amongst us without being detected was intriguing to say the least. They could be someone as simple as a person passing you on the street or taking care of your order or even someone like Will. Then there is the whole understanding that these creatures were not in any way pleasant toward humanity. They seemed heartless and cruel and downright scary. 

The probability of any of this being fact was pretty low, but there was still that sliver of possibility that carries on and I find myself wondering how I would react if I ever met one. Would I interact with them just as I do with everyone else and go on about my life? Or would there be something more dangerous that came out of it?