Melusina

Melusina By : Hamid Rahbaoui Script Registration Number : 150914/1034

Captain Augustus was a man of a great wisdom. He was genuinely fascinated by marine biology and had an immense respect for the creatures of God. He held them dear to his heart and cared for them more than anything in the world.

For years, he had been roaming the distant and alien seas searching and studying the secrets of the deep.

Occasionally, he also gave lectures and exhorted his public to explore the mysteries of Nature.

Of the mansion he inherited from his maternal grand father, he created a Museum dedicated to the living marine fauna and flora.

During the early days of the autumn of 1863, Captain Augustus and his team have thrown the anchor into the waters of the Caribbean Sea, few hundred miles east of the coastal city of Belize.

For days, they explored the deep waters and cataloged many newly discovered species of marine fauna and flora.

In the morning of September 25th, captain Augustus was diving in his newly acquired scaphander, busy collecting rare specimens of deep water creatures when something odd diverted his attention. A strange yellow fish swam in agitated patterns around him as if desperately seeking some protection. Surprised by the presence of such specimen in such depth, he turned around to have a closer look.

But soon a raging Fangtooth emerged from the dark.

The captain hurried and chased the Fangtooth away to save the strange, never seen before, yellow fish.

But as he looked closer at the fish, he was surprised by the shape of it. Holding gently the tiny creature in the palm of his hand, the yellow thing unfolded like a flower. A small cute face with wide open eyes appeared. There was something strange about the eyes, almost human.

The little creature stared back at the captain with such intensity that it left him breathless and unable to utter a word. He felt as if his left brain was suddenly paralyzed, and with the even more unsettling feeling that he was being scrutinized by the little creature.

His semi hypnotic state was only interrupted by the Fangtooth appearing again from the dark mist of the deep sea and shooting like an arrow towards the creature.

The frightened little creature swiftly jumped into the bottle where the captain had been collecting his specimens and hid behind the weed.

Later, when the whole team gathered around the strange creature, they all agreed that it was nothing but a baby mermaid.

But this is ridiculous, the captain objected vehemently, that is completely unscientific!

Come and see this miracle of Nature he shouted at the crowds that gathered at the door of the Museum in London. And the people, men women and children flocked inside the building to see the creature.

The visitors would look at the little thing and think: it has nothing of a mermaid but sure it isn't a fish. So what is it really?

I'll call you... I'll call you Melusina! Yes Melusina! He shouted with great excitation.

The captain treated the baby mermaid as his own, and a great bond soon grew between the two. He felt a great love for the creature, such feeling that only a parent could feel for his or her own child.

He entertained the baby, fed her and celebrated everyone of her anniversaries.

Melusina liked the crowds and especially the children among them. She enjoyed their innocent curiosity and their genuine attitudes. In return, she made them laugh with her witty manners and sparkling eyes.

Parents brought their kids because they said, she made them less restless and obedient.

During those early months, one would hear only a sort of humming coming from the tank. A twaddling like that of a human infant experimenting with uttering sounds of language, but not yet producing anything coherent. These noises were thought to be associated with different moods and were believed to be used as social cues during the interaction with the public.

The captain would rage when heated debates erupted as to whether the creature was an animal in "human" form or a rational being with a soul.

After all, his opponents argued, dogs are also capable of showing such deep affection but surely that doesn't mean they possessed a soul.

One of those even went as far as to suggest a dissection of the little creature in order to establish the validity of the hypothesis.

In late November 1866, unexpectedly, Melusina's long "fins" started to lose their vibrant yellowish color and turned slowly pale and dull.

That reflected on her mood as she seemed withdrawn, stern, taciturn and no longer interested in the usual interaction with the public. Soon she was reticent to any food.

Stricken by pain and fear for her life, Captain Augustus attended her day and night. He went through her list of symptoms trying desperately to figure out what's ailing her. Deeply shaken, he consulted the books in his extensive library but the old books revealed nothing.

That culminated on the evening of 21st of December, Captain Augustus was as usual looking after his little creature trying to lift up her spirit, when he noticed the fine translucent membrane that formed all around her.

Later that night, the captain watched with sheer horror his dear Melusina slowly fade beneath the membrane which grew thicker and opaque.

With tears in his eyes, he ran to the home of his long standing friend Dr. Elliott Hardley.

Come and see what's wrong with my little baby, he cried.

Dr. Elliott Hardley, who knew the captain since their university years, looked at Melusina for some time and suddenly exclaimed: Metamorphosis! She is going through a metamorphosis!

A metamorphosis, echoed the captain, how can that be? He hesitated for a moment, looked closer then added: It is true that amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, Cnidarians, echinoderms and tunicates all undergo metamorphosis... but she is...

She is a marine creature, murmured the doctor.

Finally, Captain Augustus, resigned to the idea that his dear little Melusina was simply undergoing a transmutation, which brought him not only tremendous relief and comfort but also great fascination.

As the weeks passed by, the public grew tired of the little creature inside her chrysalis and his business started to wane.

After all what does she possess more than a Leafy sea dragon or any other known exotic animal. Surely, she's got some character but she doesn't really look like a true mermaid.

This episode was soon followed by a rapid collapse in stock and bond prices, accompanied by a tightening of commercial credit. On 10 May 1866, Overend, Gurney & Company, London's wholesale discount bank suspended the payments of its debt. Panic spread across London, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Derby and Bristol the following day, with large crowds around Overend Gurney's head offices at 65 Lombard Street.

The financial crisis following the collapse saw the bank rate rise to 10 per cent for three months. More than 200 companies, including other banks, failed as a result.

Money was getting scarce, workers were thrown out of the factories and the cities were filled with men and children that roamed the streets like ghosts.

On the morning of July 25th 1866, The captain hurried to pay a visit to his banker as letters warning him of foreclosure flooded his mailbox. To his deep disappointment, the bankers rejected his pleas to reschedule the debt and an ultimate deadline was set for the next payment.

That night, the captain, brewing dark thoughts and unable to sleep because of his financial woes, was suddenly brought to reality by a strange and eary song. It emanated from Melusina's tank.

He ran as quickly as he could to Melusina's tank and to his surprise, there she was, beautiful, radiant almost angelic little thing that shined like a star. She sung and her voice was so moving that it made him weep and weep.

The day after, he doubled his publicity effort and a small crowd came to see the mermaid sing.

Melusina sung and there was a long silence in the room. Men and women that came stood there frozen in some sort of sleep hypnosis state.

The day after a larger crowd came as the news of the mermaid singing spread among the people of London.

She sung and in the silence that followed weeping could be heard in the large room. There was a nostalgia in the voice of the creature that moved everyone. It was so deep it seemed to them as if coming from the innermost parts of themselves. It was a song of a mysterious and unknown Nature. Like the voice of an ancient reincarnated Goddess.

It was as if a veil has been lifted. In their heart there was no more anguish, fear, envy, hatred or desire for vengeance. There was only emptiness. Those with broken hearts were healed and those that suffered from addiction suddenly recovered from their vice and felt free again.

People who suffered from sickness were suddenly restored to health and cleared of all traces of ailments; those crippled could stand and walk.

People let their tears stream. They seemed as if transported to that place, without name, the closest to eternity and they felt love, not lust, not desire for something they lacked but deep and pure love. They felt their heart open and expand. Waves upon waves of pure bliss. It was the most strange sensation, the kind they never experienced before.

For some, it simply awakened the collective memory of an only too well known ancient past which apparently they have entirely forgotten.

The news reached the royal palace, where hasty and hushed activity was in progress in preparation for the announcement of the departure of the ailing queen as all hopes for her recovery were lost.

The dying queen ordered the chief of protocol to bring the captain and his creature to the palace.

Melusina sung and moments later the queen was roaming the large room with such excitement and vivacity, it was almost childish, admiring the unique creature and asking the captain all sorts of questions as to the natural habitat and living habits of this newly discovered specie.

Her Majesty invited the president of the The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge and ordered further scientific inquiry into the subject, more specifically in regards to where it fits within the newly established theory of natural selection.

The captain was also given a hefty prize and admitted as a honorary member of the Royal Society.

The news of the miracles spread across the countryside and further into the nearby towns and villages and soon there was no more place to accommodate the crowds. So a bigger place had to be fetched. Bankers came to visit the captain with business plans, short and midterm loans. Media group owners came with large sums of money in exchange of exclusive news.

But the captain never really liked the bankers, nor the news merchants so he decided to go for it alone.

Soon the whole fabric of society started a sort of metamorphosis. There was no more greed, no more additions, no fears and no violence. Alcohol and spirits shops closed. The trading floors were empty and big and old financial institutions started to collapse. Big political parties lost their electorate as no one cared for the elections.

Temples were deserted as no one felt the need to come back to them. The big media groups that entertained and shaped opinions for so long, lost their audience.

People have opened their eyes to a whole new reality. Their habits changed and they started caring for each other. A new relationship to nature developed, art flourished, beautiful art. Free for all to enjoy. Poets stood in the public squares and chanted their verses. Musicians and classical composers delighted their audiences with great symphonies. The commons that were merely slaves of poverty, sickness and ignorance were now capable of making real art. Big exclusive galleries were deserted and the so called modern art lost its mercantile value.

Old forgotten knowledge re-emerged again.

It was only matter of days, maybe weeks before the whole old system would collapse and a new golden age would sweep away all the filth from the face of the Earth. A golden age that is made, not of new gadgets and faster always faster devices of all sorts but a deeper rooting into the true ground of being.

So something had to be done immediately. The powerful men met in closed rooms, wondering what could be the best option. Some simply suggested to get rid of the creature. Others objected as it would only polarize the crowds against them.

Finally they had to think of some more diabolical plan that will ridicule the creature in the eye of the public. Ad agencies were consulted and campaigns were drawn to make the creature the laughing stock of the whole world.

Movies and theater plays were produced, newspapers and magazines were filled with articles that spoke of horrific and heart breaking stories of innocent people which pretended falling dupe to the captain's deceitful scheme. They accused him of duplicity, fraud and trickery.

Priests of various congregations and faiths exhorted the people to return to the temples.

For weeks, the rich and powerful waited for the result of the campaigns and finally when they came, the numbers were choking. Not only their action had absolutely no effect, it only increased the awareness of the people in the remote areas and the number of visitors that came to London to see the creature increased then folds.

Society and morals have clearly changed. The commons have no more respect for the institutions and new ideas have sprung and spread like fire among the inhabitants of the country. Soon the whole world will be swept away by the tsunami.

Foreign kings sent their agents and ambassadors and threatened the country with hundreds of flotillas, if no action was taken against the heretics.

Finally, in the dark closed rooms a decision was taken to unleash the fundamentalists. They have grown extremely weary of the influence of the Creature. These were the most radical gangs in town.

The one eyed leader, Savonarola, was known for his fiery speeches. In the past he led a life of “high virtue� which soon was perverted into evil.

He shouted at the crowds: This is the voice of a daemon! this is idolatry! The sirens are creatures of the dark.

The captain was thrown off the Royal society and his property was ceased in preparation for an appearance in front of a Judge.

The Museum, surrounded by the fundamentalists holding their torches and screaming : daemon! daemon!

They forced the gate and stormed the main hall.

Let's burn the Medusa! This is a profanation to the holy name of God! We shall not let the abomination of desolation destroy the house of God! But she is a creature of God, screamed the captain in despair. She is a gift from the Creator!

Led by their one eyed chief, Savonarola, the fundamentalists stuffed their ears with wax from burned candles and in their rage broke open the doors of the captain's museum in the search of the siren.

But as their eyes fell on Melusina, the creature's skin turned suddenly black.

Moments later, Savonarola, emerged from the clouds of smoke and dust. Pale, haggard, his knees shaking and his remaining eye transfixed, as if under some powerful and demonic spell.

Years later, in his death bed at the insane asylum, he uttered his first words since the incident: The horror... the horror. He simply repeated.

Moments later, he died and no one really knew what had happened in that fateful day. But rumors spoke of a wild sharp chriek that was heard not long after the fundamentalists had stormed the building, followed by a deep rumbling and swarms of terrorized rats were seen all across the streets of London rushing towards the river Thames where they jumped to their death.

As to the captain and the mermaid, the night following the incident, he managed to sneak out to the harbor. With his close and trustworthy assistants, they sailed towards the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Days later, they reached their destination.

With tears streaming down his face, Captain Augustus released the creature.

Men will come to me in their dreams, Melusina seemed to say, as she looked at him with her wide open eyes before slowly sinking into the deep warm waters of the Caribbeans.

That left him with some sort of inner peace.