Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
Malachi Marin watched as Mr Berry stuttered out a thank you, his cheeks flushed. Then he left the store.
Mr Berry was an extremely pretty young man. But for some reason, he always seemed so nervous and jumpy. Malachi was confused as to why. At first, he’d assumed it was because Malachi was a siren.
He picked up the tank containing the elothea grass and placed it carefully beneath the counter, trying to keep the water level and the plant undisturbed.
He kept it close to the counter, as Mr Berry would return every day for fresh seeds.
The plant did not like the light so preferred to be tucked away.
Malachi stared at the plant in the water for several seconds. Then he moved on to wiping down the counter. It was almost closing time.
It would not be surprising if Mr Berry was scared of sirens. It was rare for sirens to live in Anorra, since it was so far from the sea. It meant there was a general lack of familiarity and knowledge regarding his kind in the city.
And Malachi did have tentacles and sharpened teeth. He understood they could be startling.
Also, there were quite a few peculiar stories about sirens. Particularly stories of people casting themselves into the sea after hearing a siren song. Malachi paused and stared at the cloth against the wood.
Those stories were nonsense. It made sirens out to be monsters. But strangely that was not what most bothered Malachi.
It was the fact that it so greatly misunderstood what was occurring. It removed all romance, passion, intensity, and love from the siren singing their mate song. They turned it into something horrific, something to be feared.
In truth, if an individual cast themselves into the sea after hearing a siren singing to them, it was only so they could fall into the arms of their siren mate.
Malachi stared blankly at the cloth in his hand. He let out a shaky breath. He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump rising in his throat. After a moment, he gave his head a shake and continued.
Mr Berry had come into his store daily for months. When Malachi considered this, it seemed odd that Mr Berry would continue to be nervous around Malachi. Surely he would have realised by now that Malachi had no intention of harming him.
Perhaps Mr Berry was just a person with a nervous disposition. Probably prone to profuse twitching, being flustered, and blushing. Luckily, the young witch was really very pretty when he blushed.
I wonder if anyone treasures him?
Of course, that was none of Malachi’s business if the man had a keeper, mate, or someone who held him dearer than all others.
Still, he always tried to put Mr Berry at ease, keeping his voice gentle and his movements predictable. It didn’t help. Strangely, if anything, the human became more awkward and nervous over time. Perhaps his brother’s continued illness weighed on him.
But what was that thing Mr Berry had said about a green or blue thumb? It must be some human or city folk idiom Malachi was unfamiliar with. Because despite the fact that he’d lived in the city for so long, there was still so much he did not know. He was still an outsider.
In his mind, he pictured a faraway ocean that he had once called home. He thought of those he’d left behind.
But of course, he couldn’t have stayed. Not after…
He didn’t belong there. That was all. Even before he’d left, he’d been an outsider there. And now he was an outsider here.
Finished cleaning the counter, he made his way through the store, checking on the plants and going through his closing routine.
“Is there anything else you need, my dears?” Malachi asked as he passed the plants.
But of course, he’d been tending to the plants throughout the day, ensuring all their needs were well met.
“Then I bid you goodnight and a pleasant sleep.” Malachi walked to the front door and locked it. He turned the sign from open to closed. Then he made his way around the room, shutting off lanterns and closing up the store. Going through the motions.
And it was Christmas already. What had he done this year?
Nothing he could think of.
For Malachi, the days passed, and so did the years, bleeding into one another with a monotony and sameness. The passage of time made little difference for him.
Finally, he turned towards the tank that contained the yellow sorrow, a plant native to small ponds to the east of the city. Whilst the roots grew in the water and bedded down into the soil beneath, thick green leaves sat on the top of the clear liquid.
A large stem grew from the leaves. Small black spheres grew along the knobby green stem.
At the top of the stem, a single large yellow flower, which gave the plant its name, drooped.
The flower petals could be dried and crushed and made into a salve to treat burns.
The roots could be consumed to deal with indigestion.
But that was not why Malachi paused in front of the plant.
“Hello, my darling. It’s closing time.” He held out his hand. “Ready to go upstairs?”
A small green frog released her grip from the stem and hopped onto his palm. She had been completely camouflaged with her green skin and her beady black eyes against the stem.
Malachi smiled. “What am I saying? You always know when it is closing time, and you are always ready and waiting for me.”
Throughout the day, the small frog moved throughout the store, hiding amongst the different plants. Malachi rarely spotted her. But at closing time, she always came to the yellow sorrow and waited for him.
“You are a very clever little pond frog, Kelby.”
Kelby stared up at him, as if listening.
Which was a nice thought. She was the only creature, other than his customers and plants, that Malachi had to speak to.
There’d been a time in his life when he’d had many with whom he could share his thoughts and feelings. But that time had ended even before he left the ocean.
Malachi gazed around the room, at the unending stillness and quiet that descended on the emporium.
How is this my life?
It was so different from what he’d once hoped it would be. It was so different from the glorious joy it had been for two short years.
A knot formed in his throat.
This is my life now. It will creep on like this, empty and silent, year after year, until I die.
Kelby croaked.
Malachi looked down and gave a shaky smile. “You’re right, my dear. That’s enough melancholy thoughts for one day.”
Kelby croaked again. Malachi walked to the back of the room and up the stairs. The wood creaked beneath his feet as he ascended. He pushed open the door to the small room where he resided.
It was not much. A bed, a stand and wash basin, a chest where he kept his clothes, and shelves that held practically nothing except for Kelby’s terrarium.
There was also a small table and two chairs that faced a little fireplace. Only one of the chairs was ever in use. He never had any guests.
Malachi walked to the terrarium and lowered his hand. “There you are, my sweet.” She hopped off and sat on the log surrounded by a variety of plants. Malachi sat in one of the chairs.
In a moment, he’d light the fire. More for Kelby’s comfort than his own. She liked a warm room. Malachi should also feed himself.
He turned and looked to the window. The wind battered against the glass. White snow flickered past. The sun had set long ago. But of course, at this time of year, darkness always came so early. And stayed so late.
But for Malachi, darkness had descended on his life a long time ago.
No matter the season, his world was always filled with long shadows. A bleakness had sapped all colour and joy. An endless winter had settled inside him, stealing heat and warmth from the air.
Malachi turned and stared into the empty grate. He thought of the young Mr Berry. He wondered what the witch would be up to tonight. He didn’t know much about the young man, except that he had several siblings and worked in a bakery.
But a young man so lovely, even though he was a little awkward, must have friends. He must have companions. He must have someone to spend the winter nights with.
At least, Malachi hoped he did. He really didn’t like to imagine that the human might be as miserable and alone as himself.