64 - Isla Paradiso

Upon arriving in Isla Paradiso, Maia got directions to Refuge Island, where Finley and Dylan made their home.

It was wonderful to see the children finally able to meet their fathers.

The dads decided they wanted to show all of what island living had to offer, so everyone went to the beach together to rent jet skis, go windsurfing and water-skiing, and do some snorkeling.

And the first night, after roasting marshmallows around the campfire, they camped out underneath the stars on Refuge Island.

The next day, Maia looked into getting lodgings for everyone.  While she would’ve liked to have checked into a resort, the kids all preferred the novelty of living on a houseboat, so Maia rented a couple of them so there was room for everyone.

Finley and Dylan thought it would be fun to take the houseboats out to a dive spot so the mermaids could enjoy being in their natural environment and everyone else could try scuba-diving. Maia was a little apprehensive after her near-drowning at the Area-52 Test Lab’s aquarium, but she didn’t really remember enough of that experience to deter her from participating. And she trusted Finley, who went over everyone’s diving gear thoroughly.

Being underwater while watching her mermaid children cavort beneath the sea made Maia wonder what it must have been like for them in Lucky Palms without having this kind of opportunity.  And she was curious about what it might be like to dive without needing her own scuba-gear.

When she mentioned her thoughts to Finley and Dylan, they told her it would be relatively easy to become a mermaid, and that many visitors to Isla Paradiso often went looking for mermadic kelp to temporarily achieve that effect.

“Although you have to be careful; some of the folk that deal in that business are scam artists and don’t care if they sell you bad kelp that doesn’t work,” Dylan warned her. “And oftentimes they don’t warn you of the side-effects of mermadic kelp, like dehydration. But as long as you’re aware of the dangers and get the right product, becoming a mer and living as one, in the right environment, is easy.”

Maia was stunned.  “But if it is so easy to become a mermaid, then why would the scientists at the Area-52 Labs experiment on you and try to create more merfolk for their tests?” she asked Dylan.

Finley answered her instead. “Maia, I’ve learned a great deal about merfolk since living here on the islands with Dylan, and I can only say that either the Lucky Palms scientists are far behind in oceanic knowledge given their desert location... or there was another more nefarious reason behind them abducting Dylan and attempting to produce more merfolk. And I doubt it was the former.”

“But what could be more horrid than the allegations in the paper?”

“Plenty,” Finley said grimly. “But we may never know exactly what their intended purpose was, which is part of the reason why neither Dylan nor I will return there. But most of it is due to not only the acceptance of merfolk here, but that it’s just better overall health-wise for mermaids to live near the ocean.”

After thinking about it, Maia realized that to truly understand what things were like for her mer-children, she needed to become a one herself.  “So is the change easily reversible? And how do I go about acquiring some kelp to become a mermaid myself?”

Destiny chimed in, “I could engineer some synthetic kelp for you, Mom, if you’re willing to wait a few days. It would likely suppress your witch powers for the duration, but would be easily reversible with an alchemy potion and you wouldn’t need to be concerned about getting bad kelp.”

So Maia decided that she would do just that.

In the meantime, she wanted to explore more of the main island, so she rented a Ferrari and taught the teens to drive while doing so.

The islands were so beautiful and had so many fun activities to do that everyone always wanted to be outdoors to enjoy it, especially Marina, who was in the ocean more than she was out of it. Maia had to really push the teens to keep up with their homework so they wouldn’t fall behind.

The teens complained a great deal one day in particular, but once homework was out of the way for that day, she took everyone out to enjoy the Oceane Waterpark.

Early the next day, Destiny approached Maia.  “Mom, I have your kelp ready, if you still want to experience what it’s like to be a mermaid.”

Maia did.

She ate the synthetic kelp, and almost instantly, she had scales!

Maia also suddenly had a very dry and itchy feeling in her legs, like her scales were too tight.  “Is that supposed to happen?” she asked Dylan.

“Yeah, that’s normal when mers are out of the water, although it might be worse for you, given your abrupt transition.  But water soothes that irritation, particularly salt water,” he told her.

Maia jumped in the ocean and felt immediate relief. No wonder her mer-kids especially loved Isla Paradiso.

And since they were near a diving area, Maia decided to test out her diving abilities without the need for scuba gear.

Maia frolicked with schools of minnows that darted playfully amongst the kelp and sea grasses, explored the wonders of the sea caves, and enjoyed the bright colors of the myriad plants that grew on the ocean floor.

Diving in the ocean was an even more delightful experience now that Maia was unencumbered by her diving apparatus. There was no need to worry about oxygen tanks of course, and the salt-water felt absolutely delicious on her scales, but it was so much more than that. She had such a sense of perfect belonging that she could completely understand why mers never wanted to be out of the water for long. She didn’t want to leave either. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring her teens back with her to Lucky Palms after their vacation as she’d originally planned... perhaps it would be better for them to stay in Isla Paradiso?

Maia was so caught up in her musings that she failed to notice the silent presence of a shark until she had nearly swum into it!

And it attacked her!

But as athletic and as skilled at fighting as Maia was, she easily fended the creature off.

Still, she was shaken. She could’ve died! And she certainly couldn’t complete her challenge or even raise her current babies in Lucky Palms then.  Worse yet, what if it had been one of her kids who’d been attacked instead of her?  Was it really a good idea for her to leave her teenagers in Isla Paradiso after all? Even if life away the ocean meant some discomfort for mers, at least Maia would know they’d all be safe in Lucky Palms...

Well, maybe. But maybe not. There were always hazards no matter where she chose to raise her children; nowhere could ever be completely safe.  And if her children were taught about those dangers and how to best deal with them as they came up, wasn’t that better than futilely trying to shelter them from life? 

Besides, the teens would be young adults soon, so she’d only be extending her vacation a little longer if she transferred their credits to the Accolades Institute and stayed to see them graduate here.  And, Maia had to admit, they’d probably do better in a classroom setting than they had done so far being homeschooled, as she had a difficult time motivating them.  Maybe knowing they were going to be living here permanently if they so chose would make them feel more settled into a routine and less like they were on a vacation where they felt they shouldn’t have to do homework. And as much as she missed her little ones at home, she felt in her heart this was the best solution.

Additionally, Maia realized that having the kids attend school would certainly free up her time, which would allow her a real vacation where she could do whatever she wanted for a change. She could even check into a resort for some relaxation and VIP treatment during the day!

Having made a definite decision, Maia felt much more at ease. With a flick of her tail, she swam towards the surface and went to tell her children of her plan.