The Bad Boy And The Mermaid

Hunter

“Don’t look at me like that,” I told Fred who was staring at me as if I’d spoken in Chinese.

“I guarantee you will eat your words when you see her,” Fred said.

And for the first time in my life, I saw what a pissed off Fred looked like. And somehow his mood-swings were getting to me too. They wanted to give me half-truths and also get mad when I uttered a word. They remembered everything, I didn’t. Someone needed a reality check and fast.

“Even though we’re married, I don’t know this woman. What if I don’t get my memories at all? How do you expect I spend my life with her?” I asked.

He wasn’t going to answer me, frustrated; I put the car into drive and drove to my house. The miles stretched on with no words exchanged between us. He thought I was that shallow asshole who’d suddenly change my words when I saw just how pretty she was. And that’s the thing. I didn’t care what she looked like, okay…maybe I was curious, like A LOT but that didn’t change the fact that I wouldn’t want to spend my life with a woman I didn’t know.

When we entered my house, I decided to break the silence because it was getting unbearable. “Okay, I’m sorry for what I said. I guess I’m just tired of thinking of all the possibilities that this might go to shit.”

“If you’re going to keep up with your attitude, it sure will go to shit, maybe even the sewer.” He commented, following me upstairs.

Leslie was right behind us, wagging his tail begging Fred for belly-rubs.

“Alright.” Fred put his hands on his waist, “where did you want to start?”

“I searched through most rooms; the bedrooms, the living area, and the basement. Found nothing there.”

“Have you checked the attic?” Fred asked.

“Nope.”

“Then that’s where we start.” He suggested.

“You have to understand why it’s so hard for me to believe that I married someone. It’s like she was never here. If she lived with me, how did she not leave anything behind? Clothes, makeup, you know, women stuff.”

Fred shrugged, “I don’t know, man. It’s so shady.”

We climbed the stairs to the attic together. The door was locked and I didn’t remember where I left the key. Fred picked the lock easily with a sharp-pointed object, and the door gave away. I wanted to ask him how he’d acquired the skills of a thief but thought better of it since I didn’t want to piss him off more than I already had.

“You gonna help me look through these or are you just gonna stand there looking pretty?” He taunted me as he dived into a box.

was getting on my nerves. He wasn’t going to allow

I found another dusty old

toys, and other useless things started to pop

one of the old dusty shelves. Something about that box was odd. When I pulled the box down on the floor, I noticed how

the wrapping, feeling like opening a box of Pandora. Inside the box was an instant photo camera and a stack of pictures. With shaky hands, I

picture was of me taken in a restaurant. I had a huge smile on my face, the kind of smile that I didn’t think I ever had,

No one.

next picture. This time

picture

was dressed as a groom and I obviously looked like I was over the moon, holding hands with the air

look at these...” I

dropped whatever he was doing and reached out towards

this mean?” I asked him. “My wife. Are you sure I haven’t imagined

was with you. I don’t know how someone can just disappear from

I completed

is some kind of

“ghosting” on someone until these pictures.” I gave out a

giving me a worried look. He thought I’d changed personalities from Mr. Perfect-Married-Guy to Mr. Loony Toons. Heck, he wasn’t even wrong to believe that. If I didn’t put these missing pieces of my life together and manage to find my “supposed” wife, I sure as hell was going to be

the rest of the things in the box. I needed a clue, any clue that could revive my memories. I dug

legs. This was a mermaid. The painting was breathtaking, and just clearly conveyed one message; that the painter was completely in love with the woman he’d painted. Her blue hair was glossy and shining, her eyes a mixture of azure and emerald, glimmering like rare expensive jewels in the sunlight, her pink lips puckered and she was sporting a lazy smile. The colors and the strokes

This was my style.

This was my painting.

time believing it, much worse

I couldn’t remember her.

married such

be similar to Marilyn Monroe marrying

Fred...” I called to him

I’d slept in and done various things with her. Even though my memory wasn’t serving me properly, I had basic morals

in your

“Nothing. Sorry,

“Why not?”

it’s a painting of my