Call from the Sea

By Inktasticx

I do not own Harry Potter nor do I own Twilight. Both belong to their respective authors and publishers – none of which would be me! This is a work of fanfiction and for enjoyment purposes only! No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: He was called by a creature that should only exist in fairy tales.

Tangled

Spring 2000

Jacob sat in the darkness of his room, staring out his window at the large full moon that filled the night sky. He drew his knees tightly to his chest as more tears filled his brown eyes.

"Mom," he whimpered, the single word slipped from his lips, holding so much grief and longing.

How long he sat there, he could not have been sure but eventually heavy eyelids began to close only to snap back open moments later.

Something had called him –

Carefully, Jacob slipped out of bed and got to his feet. Pulling at the waist band of his worn Superman pajamas that had began to slip. He shivered slightly as the cool wooden floor chilled his feet while he tip toed out of his room and down the hall – momentarily pausing in front of the room that once belonged to his elder sisters and now sat empty.

"Dad?" he called softly, sighing at the sight that greeted him as he entered the living room – his once tall and proud father was slumped in his arm chair surrounded by empty beer cans and bottles. Shaking his head, the young boy turned off the television that was playing a late night infomercial of some product that would be eventually forgotten and replaced.

He pulled a quilt from the couch over to his father, eyes once again filling with tears as his eyes settled on the worn face; a growing days old beard, dark bags under eyes and wrinkles that had not been there months earlier.

Suddenly, the sound came again and all Jacob felt then was an indescribably yearning that made his soul heavy and ache.

He slipped into his old and beaten tennis shoes that sat at the door and jacket, before, with one last glance over his shoulder; he pushed against the screen door and slipped silently out of the house and into the night – his father passed out and unaware.

Even with the full moon Jacob strain to see in the darkness as he walked, tipping over the rocky path of the road as the call continued to summon him closer – the salty smell of the sea growing stronger with each step.

His feet met sand and still he continued forward, towards the large sharp rocks that jutted from the water.

"Hello," he called out as the sound grew louder- a song filled with heartache, desperation, loneliness and helplessness. Feelings he had become familiar with all too well the last four months.

He wanted to help – he had to help.

Stumbling over rocks and drift wood, he stepped onto a large cluster of rocks calling out again – this time the song abruptly stopped and there was nothing. Just silence broken by the waves slapping against the stone and beach. Jacob stayed and waited, uncertain, he crouched at the edge of the ledge, his tennis shoes becoming soaked from the lapping water.

"Hello," he began to shiver slightly, but he remained…needing to hear the song again. He leaned forward slightly and the sound that came was not the enchanting song from before, but a whimper. Looking down his breath caught and his eye widened as they met of pair of dark eyes that starred right back at him.

"A-are you okay?"

At his words the person shrunk back, away from the shadowed protection of the rocks and into the light of the moon.

Beads of water tumbled from pale, toned skin that gave off an almost hypnotic ethereal glow in the moonlight – but it was the tail that arrested the boy's attention: a tail of a fish, speckled like that of a mackerel, glinted in the light from the moon.

…a beautiful tail that was tangled within an old fishing net.

The young native sat there, stunned with amazement, staring at the creature that should only exist in the fairy tales that his mother once read to him – a mermaid, a merman.

"Who are you?" he asked the merman, but received no reply. "You're stuck," he said reaching down towards the net wrapped around the tail. The creature that had been frozen still with fear moved then, jerking violently back, its large fins slapping against the shallow water.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he attempted to calm to calm the frightened whimpering creature, not knowing if he was being understood or not.

Jacob tugged at the net, fingers brushing against the smooth scales, but he could not get it free. He sat up; digging into the pockets of the thin jacket he wore and gave off a noise of triumph as he pulled out an item – a folded pocket knife given to him by his father before.

He could see and feel the merman shiver as he worked the blade across the net, "I'm not going to hurt you," he repeated when suddenly the net finally loosened and the tail was pulled free. Startled by the move, Jacob jumped and the knife slipped from his wet fingers and into the water with a sound plop.

"Hey!" He yelled out, but the merman was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh Jacob sat back on his knees, "Embry and Quil definitely won't believe this."

He waited a few minutes, "He's gone," he whispered to himself, staring out into the sea as the familiar feeling of loneliness returned. With another sigh he finally stood and was prepared to leave when he heard a splash.

The merman had returned, holding up the pocket knife. He stepped closer, taking in the young face of the creature, "Thanks." He was rewarded with a ghost of a smile as he knelt back down onto the rock. He reached out, but as if propelled by some unseen force, his hands did not reach for the knife and instead his fingers ghosted against the cool pale skin of the creatures cheeks, brushing away the shoulder length hair weighted down by shells and pearls.

So soft…

"I'm Jacob…who are you?"

Pale, pink lips moved almost silently as something was pressed into his hands, and then the merman drifted away before disappearing into the waves.

By the time Jacob was found by his father and panicked tribe members, the sun had began to climb into the sky. He had not moved from the rocks edge, and sat there starring into his hands – ignoring the relived cries behind him – at the small beautiful shell, the sound of the soft voice echoing in his mind;

Hah-ree.

Harry.