___

      
In a matter of weeks, things seemed to go back to a normalcy that Amila was sure she'd hate. Within two months the summer heat had subsided and Brockport was busier than ever. She took advantage of the growing chaos to keep her distracted. Endless droves of drunk sailors, nameless faces, and traveling tourists kept her mind from wandering, and every time she was reminded of Robert, her fellow bar backs was there to distract her. She'd never admit to any of them how she was feeling, but as a whole, they'd noticed her fizzled demeanor and had taken a chance here or there to strike up a conversation or give her something to do.

" Amila, you look better today mermaid, " Tracy's pet name for Amila made her face sour as she playfully elbowed her and sent a sweet smile her way. Her friend had been watching her closely, noticing her personality completely change when the familiar sailor had stopped coming in to visit her.

" More like angry squid, " Kenny eyed her from the other end of the bar, sneering at Amila and laughing quietly at his own joke. The sea witch silently turned to the jester and watched him for a moment, shortly after he began to choke on his own spit.

" God Kenny, you can't even breath right!?" Tracy scowled at her nephew, shooting him an annoyed, wide-eyed glare, and shooing him into the back.

The 22-year-old shot Amila a bewildered look as he entered the swinging door to the kitchen. Tracy sighed and readjusted herself and helped Amila prepare for the rush. Around six pm she was requested at the end of the bar by a gentleman, and for a split second, her heart sank into her stomach. She immediately stopped what she was doing and weaved around the other bartenders, only the man that was waiting for her wasn't the one she was hoping to see.

Myron's vibrant rose-colored hair always singled him out in any room he entered. He never kept it short, instead opting to grow it out and leaving it in a braid behind him. The Atlantean was sporting a matching beard and currently sipping from a wide rim mug. The moment his seafoam eyes caught sight of his daughter, his face lit up. Myron stood up from his barstool, an excited grin crossing his face as he rose up to meet her, his figure easily towering over most of the patrons in the bar. Amila paused for a moment, shooting the older man an annoyed look as her brows furrowed.

" Dad, what are you doing here? " Amila spoke quietly, glancing behind her as some of her coworkers had started to stare.

" My little love, " Myron had picked up a trail of a Norwegian accent as he spoke. His volume increased, causing her to grimace further.

She gave her father a shallow hug and tried to convince him to leave the bar so they could have a conversation without peeping ears. Myron wasn't having any of it.

"Millie, It's been a long time. " Myron pulled back and sat down, wrapping his wide palms around his frosty mug. He beamed at her, the short smile not leaving his face as she continued to look displeased.

" Why are you here exactly? " Amila'a annoyed tone didn't deter Myron in the slightest.

" Just here to visit my daughter, see the beautiful coast of Maine. "

Amila rested her forearms on the bar counter and remained silent, Myron was used to his daughters' damp demeanor and was more than happy to carry the conversation.

" You couldn't have just called? "

" You're terrible at picking up the phone, I was concerned. " Myron brought his drink up and cleared half a pint.

" Amila, seven missing persons, three deaths, " Myron's tone was nonchalant but what he was referring to was serious. " You're going to start drawing attention. "

Amila looked around her absolutely mortified.

" Tracy I'm taking my break. " Amila seemed to blurt out unexpectedly, winding around the corner of the counter and grabbing her father by his flannel. Myron quickly downed his beer, barely having enough time to set his frosted mug down as the glass rattled on the wooden counter and settled just as Amila pulled him out of the bar.

Late Autumn was just around the corner. Soon it would rain endlessly, the trees would turn and the air would get thin and cold. She stood on the pier with Myron, the white caps especially high and tight, signaling they were in for changing weather. Her father took in a deep salty breath of air, faintly grinning from under his full beard, he looked over to Amila and watched her for a moment.

" I get why you picked here, the coastline, the sea. But why for so long, normally you've moved again? "

Myron was notorious for not asking open-ended questions, always making her open up and talk when she'd rather just keep silent.

" I will after the rainy season. "

The lumbering redhead leaned on the railing that held just above the crashing waves, looking out past the afternoon swell and back to Amila, not believing a word she had just said. Amila was chaotic, but also very predictable. She'd spend a year in one area, then move, another new area, and again more of the same. This time she'd been in Brockport for nearly a year and a half. Something else had kept her eyes from matching his, and he was sure it was the very same reason she'd stayed as long as she had.

" I won't press you, I have some news about Othuum. " Myron's exaggerated vowels gave the name a more malevolent tone, but Amila wasn't fased. She grew quiet, thinking to herself while a soft, warm wind pushed up past them. " Theres some ancient text, they reference everything you're going through, everything we know about the creature. Amila, in every single instance, the host is consumed, and the creature is killed. The hosts never survive. "

Myron and Amila's matching green eyes met for just a moment, as an uncomfortable chill ran up the pier. The quiet voice that had lulled her as a child, comforted her as a teenager, and whispered seductively to her as an adult, would ultimately end up ripping her body apart as it tried to bore into this world.

" Just my luck huh, " Amila cracked a genuine smile at her father, who continued to look worried.

" Millie, this is serious. I know you've never come around, but you do have extended family that can help with this kind of situation. "

Amila listened and quietly turned away, " Yeah they'd love to meet their half-breed cousin. "

Myron was the brother of King Ryus, a royal from the ancient Atlantean Xbel family. Myron was stripped of his prestigious title and blacklisted when he decided to have a child with a human, but was still in contact with his brother who had been much more understanding. For five years Myron had little to no contact with his brother, until his father died, and Ryus took over the throne, reinstating Myron and welcoming him and his daughter back to their homeworld. For years Amila was told about the Atlantean people, her people, but the same people who would never accept her heritage.

" Things are different now, the son of Queen Atlanta and a surface dweller is now the King of Atlantis. Views are much more accepting than when you were a babe, I've been allowed back at the palace. Amila, if we're going to get ahead of this, we need help. "

There was a lot to take in, Amila had learned second hand about the Atlantean Empire, but her mother kept her at a distance, afraid of what might happen to her half blood daughter. Amila carried her mother's resentment with her, not realizing she too held contempt for the people who had outcasted her father. Amila met eyes with Myron once more before shaking her head softly.

" Your mother was stubborn like you, as persistent as the sea and just as reluctant as you are. Please, at least think about it. "

Amila exhaled deeply, not prepared what to say to his reuest. Myron reached out and let his lumbering hand rest over hers. His touch warmed her rippled skin as her doubt dissolved and she abruptly turned to face him, stepping forward and hugging him briefly as his deep voice rattled through his chest and against her cheek.

" I don't want to lose you too. "

___

The year progressed and she thought more about what her father had said. If she took a chance and went to her ancestral home, there was a chance someone could help her. She'd have a better shot there than here on the surface. But that would involve swallowing her pride, begrudgingly accepting help from a group of people who had ostracized her, hated her even, and ultimately she was scared that her pride would win. Othuum would win.

The stranger in her subconscious was actively listening when her father had visited, and was surprisingly outspoken about her options. Most of the time when L spoke to her, it was a soft push to kill or a subtle nudge to violence, but this last time he'd spoken the name that her father had said, laughing in a high frequency cackle, the sheer sound causing Amila to wince as the creature mocked him. " Othuum is an insult to my legacy, I am a being beyond that of your mortal compass. "

What a dick.

Either way Amila knew the end game, she'd just not thought she'd be alive long enough to deal with it. Sooner or later her powers would completely manifest, she'd sacrifice her body for the creature to rip through whatever slip or dimesnion it resided in, and what happened next wouldn't be her problem. She didn't owe this world  anything, so why should she work so hard to protect it.

The rainy season had finally ended and after a few mild days of weather the cold crept in. The tourist season was over and the crowds began to thin, for the next few months the bar would be filled with a few regulars and the occasional weekend crowd for winter festivals. None of that mattered, she'd be gone within the next week. The warm coastline calling her name, and with the bitter aftertaste of Robert's departure still on her mind, she was looking forward to leaving all of this behind.

Tracy had planned a going away party, getting some dopey pointed birthday hats together, and a small cake, she pulled a few bartenders and residential regulars together to help see her out. Everything was set, they were going to close the bar a few hours early, just before midnight and celebrate with close acquaintances, and the few people Amila would even call friends.

The sea witch was understandably upset. She didn't like parties, and now she had to sit through a party for herself? A hard pass. But Tracy wanted to see her out properly, and Amila reluctantly agreed. That night of the party was eventful, but not for the right reasons. On a chance Amila had taken a break from the bar just as they closed around 11, and Tracy shooed her out. Opting to take a walk along the pier, Amila suited up in gloves and a thick down jacket. The lights along the docks shuddered with each crash of heavy waves and the thin salty air gave her a euphoric realization that soon she wouldn't be here, soon she'd have a new place to call home.

There was a fight on the pier, which wouldn't be anything to bat an eye at, but it was the off season and nearly midnight. Amila kept her distance, opting to take a wider walk around the group to avoid them and continue on, Tracy would be expecting her back within the hour. Only Amila's eyes caught the familiar glance of a coworker in one of the kids that was being harassed, causing her to pause.

Kenny, who was Tracy's nephew and had become increasingly suspicious of Amila, was staring at her as though pleading for help. Three young men had the twenty-two year old bar-back cornered out on the dock, each of the men pushed forward menacingly as whitecaps washed onto the old boards of the dock, threatening to swallow all of them up.

Amila remembered everything that led up to the next ten minutes. The dark endless sea in front of her, the soft wails from the men as they met their demise, and the somber cries from a young man that nearly lost his life. She'd convinced herself that she tried to show them mercy, when in reality she's enjoyed every second of watching them suffer.

" Get lost bitch, " one of the men noticed her stop and rattled off at Amila, a bold statement to say to any stranger, but to a metahuman? She couldn't help but snicker.

"Kenny, " Amila spoke questioningly, clearly pronouncing his name over the sound of the waves.

It was then under the infrequently lit overhead dock lights that she noticed the blood on his clothes and the limp in his stance. A dark stain on his abdomen had spread in the few moments she'd observed him, causing her to look closer at the situation in front of her.

One of the men had the weapon in his hand, and she was sure the other two were accomplices. She remained silent, pacing slowly down the few wooden stairs that led to the dock at sea level. The men looked threatened, immediately turning to the sea witch and spatting off profanities at her. The waves had become more aggressive. Fully swallowing up parts of the beach and dock, the harsh white caps now becoming swirling voids as it greedily washed over the boards of the long dock and up past everyone's feet.

" Amila run, please they're going to kill you!" Kenny spoke in fright, his voice extending and cracking as his emotions overflowed. His weary eyes were full of panic as they held tears within them. He was actually concerned for her life.

She nearly snorted. They had no idea.

Should she give them a chance? Probably not. These older men had gained up on a Kenny, nearly killing him. Although Othuum would approve of their sacrifice to the sea, Amila had grown some of a conscience. Disgusting.

She'd give them a single chance, which was more than they deserved.

" Kenny, Tracy will be expecting you shortly. You should get home. " She paused at the base of the steps, the men growing closer to her, but she looked straight past them as if their presence wasn't a concern.

" You're a real sweet heart, you know that. This kid owes me money, and if we don't get what we're owed, then maybe we can get it from you. " The lingering look from one of the men was more than sufficient, she could tell how depraved they were willing to be. Had they done something like this before? How many people had they beaten, killed or assaulted?

One of the three men made loud whistling sounds at her while grabbing his crotch. She couldn't have been more thrilled at his offer.

Kenny cried for her, his concerns lost in the increasing winds as a freak storm had begun to crackle in the distance. She saw him hunched, reaching a crimson hand out at her as the three men closed in on her.

It wouldn't matter if he figured out who she was, what she was. She'd be gone soon, and this offer, with as delicious and easy as it was, was too good to pass up.

As the storm thrashed out at sea, a bolt of lightning crackled off in the distance, and for a moment, she'd swore she saw the brief outline of something other worldly, behemoth in size, and creeping closer to them. It was in an instant that she felt the heavy weight of someone pressing against her back, cold and damp as her hair shifted forward, a single breathy voice speaking loudly past her ear.

" Eat. "

Amila's eyes went completely black, the whites of her eye becoming clouded, completely pooling in defilement until it consumed them. She felt her control step back, and a bubbling power begin to boil at her surface. It was intoxicating, as the salty crushing swell increased ten fold, high violent waves becoming monstrous, viscous even, snapping the boards on the steps behind her. One of the men was swallowed up immediately, his wails quieted by the sea as his body was erased in just a few seconds. The second man was less lucky, Amila's extreme high on Otthum's presence was allowing her to obtain absurdly strong hydro kinetic energy. She felt unstoppable.

The second gentlemen disappeared in a red cloud, his blood instantly pulled from his pores and orifices. The liquid vaporized into the sea as his limp body fell into a wave and was gone. The final prick who had stabbed Kenny was right at her feet having somehow made it close enough to her to harm her. His blade pressed against her abdomen, the sharp knife breaking through some of the stuffing on her coat as it threatened to impale her. This last one was personnel.

Amila leaned forward, her hand carefully holding the hilt of the blade, and pulling it away from her, and turned it away and into thrusted it into the abdomen of the attacker. This was made easier by the fact that he was struck still, choking on his own fluids as harsh waves crashed over them and onto the beach. The blade of the knife fully inserted, she leaned forward, listening to him take his final few moments of life choking and gurgling.

Her hand removed from the hilt of the blade, but her body remained close to his. The side of her face just adjacent to his as she kissed the man's cheek, reveling in every inch of his pain, inhaling his fear and immersing her soul in his death.

" How's that for a payment, " she let her cheek rest against his as his body completely fell limp. She stepped away from him, letting his heavy dead weight fall without remorse. The harsh swell sweeping him from her feet without a second glance.

" Delicious. "

A hoarse, relieved voice whispered off in the distance and Amila could feel the surge of power slowly receded away from her. The heavy presence leaving just as suddenly as it had taken her and just as quickly as the storm had rolled in. In almost an instant the sky began to clear and stars were visible above through the patches of clouds. Kenny was left bloody and completely shaken up, his trembling feet left on the only stack of dock that remained. She'd been careful to make sure he hadn't gotten swallowed up. With the darkness gone from her eyes, Amila reached in her pocket and very casually called 911. Letting the operator know that a young man had been stabbed and that the three men had been swallowed by the sudden waves of the sea.

Not a complete lie.

___

Othuum, Amila's little pal, is based off the entity by H.P. Lovecraft/ Brian Lumley! I loved the lore around the deranged little fucker and was immediately set on having its name in my book. It won't look the way Lovecraft/ Lumley explains or share much likeness, but it will be a sea demon, similar to the lore and I wanted to give credit where credit was due!