Dreary clouds blanketed the sky so thoroughly that the pale blue underneath could not be seen for the stretch of several cities in any direction. Rain fell so quickly and in such a thick pour that even with the windshield wipers at their highest setting, Eclipse could hardly see the road in front of him. His dog in the passenger seat huffed and shifted to find a more comfortable spot.
He smiled at his dog and looked back up at the road. In the mere seconds it took to appreciate the presence of his companion a car had pulled out in front of him. Eyes wide, heart racing, he slammed his foot into the brake.
He couldn’t say how or why, but instead of hitting the car in front of him, his vehicle slid and careened into the barrier separating him from the sea. Perhaps the metal was old. Perhaps he had thoughtlessly driven too fast. Either way, half of his vehicle jutted out over the cliff.
He stared at the grey ocean beneath him, too frozen to move. His knees felt weak. His mouth was dry, and his lips were permanently pressed into a thin line. Suddenly breath invaded his lungs and his chest rose.
Metal groaned, and the car fell.
Finally he screamed, burnt orange nails digging into the wheel all the way down. He blacked out when the car hit water, causing his head to ricochet.
A mer came to investigate the vehicle resting in her garden. She darted low around her tall plants, green and black tail shimmering in the low light. She pressed her hands against the floor as she bent to peer at the small human vehicle. The human-made object was so small that its windows were smaller than one of her lovely eyes. The windshield had shattered, and the passengers were quickly being submerged. A fur-covered animal, almost rat-like, couldn’t decide between trying to get out the window or to wake its master. It limped from the center console to the window back to nudge its master with its nose.
It would not have to decide between self-preservation or concern for its master any longer. She hooked her hand underneath the machine and pushed off the seafloor with her other hand.
She gently grabbed the cliff with the tips of her fingers to stabilize herself and carefully set the red vehicle down. She promptly yanked one of the doors off to help drain it of unwanted water. The rat dog fell out of the door, shivering and whining. She set the door against the car so that the rain didn't fall so heavily on the traumatized creature. She would dismiss the rain entirely if it weren’t for the fact that it was her sister’s first attempt at summoning a storm, and she didn’t want to, er, rain on her parade.
The man did not get out of the vehicle of his own accord. She set her chin on the cliff’s edge so that she could see him more clearly. His head drooped over his chest. She frowned and made quick work of the other door. It was set elsewhere. It seemed she didn’t have to work to wake the man, perhaps the noise of the metal crumpling woke him, as he stumbled out and stared up at her. She held one hand above his head and crooned. “There, there, the water will no longer harm you.”
He did not speak. She wasn’t offended; the baby of her family didn’t speak either. Particularly when he was in a stressful situation. She suspected this might count as a stressful situation.
When her brother was really little, he used to hide under her fins and wait for her to sing. It took her a while for her to understand what it was he wanted from her, but ever since then she was able to tell when someone needed a little tune to encourage or soothe them.
So she sang for him. Quiet and calming, words nonexistent. When her song was finished, she crept away, and ducked underneath the water.
Eclipse wasn’t certain how he was still alive. All he knew as he clutched his dog to his chest, wet fur dampening his clothes further, was that he wanted to see the mysterious giantess again.
