Allergic to heat?

Jo didn’t want to come to the resort.

He dislikes crowded places. The constant throng of people pushing past each other in the shops. The piles of half naked bodies lying in the sand by the sea.

He went to the rocks by himself at the edge of the beach. The sun casted long shadows, created pockets of space here he sat, hidden from the world. He stared at the ocean stretching endlessly from his place. This was where he spent his time for a good 3 hours of the vacation. Away from the sun’s heat, away from the people.

When the sun was setting halfway into the sea he got up to go. He stepped outside of the cluster of rocks, and realised the sand was burning. He retracted his foot with a yelp of pain. He poked his finger onto the sand quickly and back again. The tip of the finger was dark pink and he felt certain it would have blistered if he placed it a few seconds longer. He waited for the sun to set completely 

He stepped onto the sand and was met with the feeling of harmless warm sand. He ran back to where his family waited. He didn’t tell them where he went or what he did and his parents assumed he went to a quiet corner by himself as usual, unlike their eldest, Rosie who talked about her day nonstop.

At dinner they had a buffet. He scooped his plate full of mashed potatoes, his favourite dish. Yet when he placed a spoonful in his mouth he spat it out immediately.

’Too hot?’ asked his mum.

He nodded. His sister tried the mash from his plate. ‘No it isn’t. He’s just being a baby.’

Their father brought them both hot chocolate. Rosie hers with glee. Jo took the toniest sip, then gulped at his water.

’What’s wrong with you?’ Asked his dad. 

‘I can’t touch anything that’s hot.’ Jo said, and talked about how the sand had been too hot until the sun totally set.

Their parents found the tale unusual and muttered their disbelief. ‘You could have just been badly sunburnt baby.’ His mother tapped his face gently. ‘I told you to wear sunscreen.’

Rosie couldn’t help pushing her warm mug against his hand which he found was bearable warm. ‘You don’t think this is hot?’ 

‘No.’

She spilled some of the hot chocolate on his arm.

’Owww!’ Blisters covered the spot where the liquid landed.

’Rosie!’ Their mum covered his arm with a napkin.

‘Now I’m convinced he’s telling the truth. Good job sweetheart.’ Said their father. His wife smacked his head

Jo pour his water down his sister’s head.

’I know I deserved that.’ Rosie said sheepishly, the closest words she ever said to an apology. She raised a glass of milk. ‘Try mixing the food with something cold.’

Jo took the milk and mixed it with the mash potatoes. He was was relieved at the slight warm buttery taste. He ate a lot more food this way. Rosie remarked how he devoured everything like a pig.

That night he had a strange dream of wandering the resort, going down to the quiet beach with the moon a ghost of a smile against the starlit summer sky. He was floating above the waters before letting himself dive into its depths. The water should be cold yet it warmed him to his core.

The next day Jo woke with a searing pain on his face. Groggily he rolled away by instinct, face meeting the wooden floor as he fell out of bed. He saw sunlight peeking through the curtain. He went down the resort stairs wearing a wide brim hat and a scarf wrapped around his face.

’You look stupid.’ Said Rosie cheerfully.

’I think I’m allergic to sunlight, and hot water, and hot food.’

’Then I guess you just have to avoid it all.’

’This sucks.’

Soon they could hear their parents.

’What about school?’ Their mother was calm.

’He can wear drapes.’ Her husband was calmer.

’He’ll be the school’s laughing stock.’ His wife’s voice was slightly raised

’Give him a hoodie.’ Their father was still very nonchalant .

’He won’t survive the summer!’ Her voice escalated to a scream

 They can hear their parents arguing back and forth as they met in front of their room.

Their father smiled at their approach. ’Alright Jo, we will go to the rocks where you said this whole funny business started the first place.’ 

‘Going to the rocks won’t help his heat allergy.’

He shrugged. 'Investigating the source is important.’ 

’Well I’ll actually be useful and look up skin specialists to go to.’

’Yes dear, come along you 2.’

’Wait. Jo.' Jo let his mother take his hand. She her children to their room, rummaging through the clothes they brought. 'Jo, change into your raincoat, the black one, and here, take Rosie's hat. Keeps the sun away. Rosie, bring your water bottles out, fill them up fully.’

‘I look weird.’ She kissed Jo’s cheek, then Rosie’s when she came back with the bottles of water. ‘You won't look too strange. Come back if it’s too hot.’ 

Jo thought he still looked ridiculous in Rosie's straw hat and a black raincoat in a on the beach with the sun on their backs. but knew better than to take either off. People stared and gawked along the beach. He wish quickened his pace to the rocks with his father and sister in either side of him

'You look so funny.' Rosie giggled.

'Shut up.' 

'Why would mum think this isn't a strange look on you?'

'Because I used to wear something similar too on a beach day.'

'Really dad? We're you trying to weird mum out?'

'No, I looked very good in black.' 

Rosie laughed, then she stopped, staring ahead with an empty gaze. Jo tugged at her hand. 'Sis?'

'Oh, I spaced out for a second.' She shielded her eyes. ‘I should have brought a hat too, it’s getting really hot.’

Rosie halted several times during their walk, panting. Jo noticed how pale she was getting and suggested she waited for them. She smiled, 'I'm curious now. Whatever is affecting you might be affecting me too.'

’Do you want me to carry you on my back?’ Asked their father.

’No dad, I’m little anymore, I’m too heavy now.’

’Nonsense, you’re always my little girl.’

She smiled, the last time she was held up was when Jo just started to walk. ‘I’m alright, maybe just a bit more water.’ She took a few more mouthfuls and stood up.

When they reached the rocks. Rosie told Jo to retrace his steps, which wasn't much ground to cover. Jo mostly just daydreamed on one spot beneath a rock with a flat top, facing the sea. Jo noticed Rosie hanging back while their father came closer to the rock.

'Scared?'

'I don't want to be allergic to heat like you.Be careful dad'

'That's fair.' Jo touched the rock that sheltered him from the sun yesterday. The he tentatively reach out his finger to the sun out of the shadow. A stinging sensation at his fingertip made him withdraw. 'Fudge.' He pulled his sleeve over his hand.

'Rosie, the rocks aren't the problem.' Their dad said leaning against one. 

'What do you mean?'

'Ley lines, pathways for the earth's energy flow. Sometimes it awakens the dormant blood.' Their father grinned, his skin changing in front of their very eyes.

Rosie gasped 'What-' Babbled Jo before his father gripped his hand and placed it against the rock. ' Jo felt a gnawing sensation in his skin, and he knew, before Rosie even screamed, his skin was forming scales.

'Good finding son. We have sea blood in our veins in case you couldn't tell.'

'What?' Rosie shouted.

Jo started to cry.

'Cheer up son. You're lucky you're not a girl. If Rosie had touched it she might have turned full siren on the spot, away from the water and she would have died.'

'And you are saying this now!' Rosie backed away even more.

'I would have stopped you sweetheart, but you kept away. You knew by some instinct to not come near, unless this was submerged by water that is.’

‘Does m-mum know?’ Jo sobbed.

‘No. I thought of showing her but that would complicate matters. She is a great woman, too stubborn though, she would dismiss this as some weird skin condition. Besides merfolk secrets should stay with the merfolk.’

’We should have come at night then, people might see.’

’No, this place is in a pocket of space of its own. You wandered in boy, the ley line welcomed you. Now it welcomes me too.’

Jo watched his father walked out towards the sea, his silver scaled skin, unexposed from his shirt and shorts gleamed. Again Jo reached out with a tentative finger to the sun. The sun reflected off his scaled hand. Reassured, Jo took off his hat and stepped out into the sun. His father was veering off to the direction of the sea. Pain bloomed on his face and he retracted back to the shadow. Rosie hurriedly put the hat back on his head and splashed cold water on his face.

‘Dad!’ They called out together. Yet he kept walking as if all he could hear were the sound of the waves. Rosie ran out to him and pulled his arm, yet he still kept walking without looking at her, eyes fixed ahead. Jo watched helplessly as his sister tried to drag and plead their father to turn around until he saw them both going into the water.

’Dad? Rosie? Rosie!’

A few seconds later Rosie’s head emerged. She came and collapsed in front of him, just beyond the shadows. Jo ran to her in his hat and raincoat.

‘Rosie?’

’I couldn’t follow him.’

’I know.’ He looked at her colour drained face. ‘Just rest. You look like a ghost.’

’And you still look ridiculous, you, you-.’ Then she sat up and retched, salty water splashed on the sand. ‘Oh I feel aweful.’

They stayed huddled together, they watched the sea’s glittery shining blue surface, and wondered if their father would emerge from the dark waters below.