A Sporadic Swarm of Butterflies

The candles in front of Finley flickered, as if bending down beneath her gaze. She felt incredibly uncomfortable, dressed like a princess, sitting alone in the dark. She didn’t want to look and scare herself from the shadows flickering with the candlelight. It was easier to just stare at one thing; so that’s what she did. She tried her best not to fidget.

The doors of the Spuntino di Mezzanotte creaked open. Finley nearly fell out of her seat.

It’ll be alright, she told herself, smoothing out her dress. Hermit wouldn’t do something dangerous. Then again, she didn’t know if Hermit really liked her. She was ninety-five percent sure Hermit thought she was hideous without her magic transformation.

How did Finley think this was a good idea right now?

The muffled steps of shoes on carpet filled the restaurant. Eventually, someone made it to Finley’s lonesome table. The fire flickered over his face as he looked down at her, his face a mixture of fear and repulsion.

His?

Finley suddenly remembered that it was very unsafe to be alone with a stranger- a male stranger. She stood up, panicked, and attempted to take a few steps back in her heels.

“Don’t come any closer!” Her voice cracked in the middle, and she could have face-palmed herself. That wasn’t menacing at all.

“I don’t want to hurt you, I promise!” He threw both his hands up in a panic. His hands were tanned and soft. There wasn’t any sign of labor or fighting on them. It even looked like he got a manicure.

Then again, that could have been Hermit’s doing.

Finley slowly sat back down, smoothing out, her dress and fiddling with her hair. She watched as the guy sat down in the chair across from her, and she could finally get a good look at his face.

The guy looked about the same age as Finley. He had soft, brown eyes covered in kohl, chestnut hair that was gelled into a perfectly styled swoop, pretty pink lips, and-

Wait, why was she thinking this?

She turned her attention away from his face and to his outfit. He looked as if he was badly cosplaying a pirate. He had on a dark purple button-up, a brown sash tied around his waist, and loose black pants that looked a size too small at the top. He even wore a gold chain. She held back a snort.

“I never shoould have trusted Hermit,” she grumbled after a moment. “I didn’t need to be Cinderella’d and set up on a date.”

The guy looked away. His cheeks flushed, and his brows furrowed. Finley may have, accidentally, hurt his feelings. It wasn’t on purpose- but she really, really didn’t want to be on a date right now. She had only reached out to Hermit in hopes of getting a job.

Finley filled the awkward silence by staring at the lovely pattern of the red tablecoth. After a moment, she heard the stranger take a deep breath, and they looked up at each other.

“My name is Bailoch,” he murmured. When he spoke slowly, she could hear his accent. He rolled his Rs a little, and he almost sounded Scottish. “May I ask what is yours…?”

Finley blinked, unsure if she should. She let out a little breath and nodded.

“Finley.”

They stared at each other for a moment. She was sure her whole face had turned red. Hermit’s magic was encased in her wand, but Bailoch seemed to have his own magic. A whisper of promises in his gaze that could not be said with words. They tickled her ears and flitted over her cheeks, warming her skin as they said words like forever. She shivered; she wasn’t sure if this feeling was good or bad.

“Finley,” he said, slowly pronouncing each vowel as if it were something new on his tongue. “May I ask why you’re here at midnight?” He tilted his head like an animal.

“I’m guessing your reason is the same as mine,” she shrugged. “Hopelessness.”

He nodded.

“Though, I didn’t expect that goblin woman to take my hopelessness as being hopelessly romantic.” She scowled at nothing in particular, remembering how the strange green woman had given her practically no details as to what was about to happen.

“You didn’t find her helpful?” Bailoch asked. Finley scoffed.

“All I needed was a job to pay for college,” she said. Bailoch’s brows furrowed, as if he were confused why on earth she needed to go to college.

“Instead, I’ve been bamboozled into a date with you,” Finley sighed and pinched her nose. “I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but I really don’t need this.”

Finley stared at the table for a moment, hoping the tears that pricked her eyes didn’t try to run down her cheeks. She was already embarrassed of herself, ashamed, even, for believing this was a good idea- and now she was going to break this guy’s heart. All because she couldn’t find a job. Because she had trusted someone blindly.

She had done that once before, many years ago. She had never planned on doing it again.

When she looked up, Bailoch was leaning forward on the table, studying her intently as she tried not to cry. He bit the inside of his cheek, watching her with his full focus, and her entire face turned red again.

“You haven’t hurt me,” he murmured. His face broke into a little smile, and it felt as if all of her worries faded away. Maybe she hadn’t broken his heart. The whispers from before warmed and prickled her skin again, and her shoulders relaxed as she leaned in a bit, too.

“How could you hurt me when I barely know you?” he said again.

Bailoch seemed different than other guys she had talked to before. Well, not like Finley had talked to guys before- but he was different than Audrey and some of her other friends. He didn’t roll his eyes at her. He didn’t grumble or call her nonsensical. He just watched her- and somehow, he knew exactly what she had been worried about.

Finley sat up a little straighter and smiled at him. Maybe she didn’t want to date- but certainly, they could be good friends.

“Since we don’t really know each other, and I really don’t know how to get out of this…” She cleared her throat. “Let’s get to know each other.”

Bailoch’s face paled.

Before she could ask why Bailoch looked why he was going to throw up, a poof of glittery pink star dust appeared, and Hermit was suddenly leaning back in the chair between Finley and Bailoch. Finley gasped, nearly falling out of her seat. Bailoch acted as if he was used to such magical things before.

“Hello, humans.” Hermit winked at Bailoch, and Finley suddenly had the urge to smack her. “Have we all gotten to know each other?”

“I-”

“Well-”

“Great, amazing, wonderful.” Hermit folded her arms and gave them both a condescending glare down her nose. “Both of you fools hate your lives, correct?”

Hate was a strong word. Finley looked up at Bailoch, and he was blushing.

“I have a proposition to make,” Hermit continued, “if you both are willing to give enough up.”

Bailoch nodded immediately, but Finley stared suspiciously at Hermit.

“I’m gonna need context.”

“Of course you do, you idiot,” Hermit grumbled. “Why can’t either of you make things easy for me?”

“I would like to point out that I nodded,” Bailoch said quietly.

“Yes, yes, you did, boy,” Hermit shooed at him with her hand. Finley scoffed.

“Let me clear a few things up, then,” Hermit said. She pointed a thumb towards to Bailoch. “Your pretty date is a merman.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Finley laughed. She almost believed it. Hermit definitely wasn’t a human- so who was to say Bailoch was? Still, he seemed to have normal skin, normal proportions, and his ears-

His ears were pointed.

Finley’s jaw dropped.

“I don’t… believe…”

“I apologize, Finley.” He looked down at his feet, ashamed.

“No, no, no!” She waved his hands at him. “I’m not mad. You didn’t deceive me or anything. Hermit did.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Hermit scowled. “I was simply giving context. You see, according to my knowledge, Bailoch deeply wishes to be human.”

“It’s true,” he said.

“And you, dear girl, wish to be free from your impossible responsibilities.” Hermit grinned. “What better way to be free of them than to become a mermaid?”

Finley’s jaw managed to drop for a second time.

“Mermaid? Do those even… I can’t leave my family…” She scoffed. “Mermaids?”

“I have a way to show you, if you’d like,” Hermit said. “Since you humans can’t believe anything these days.” Hermit pulled out her wand and grabbed Bailoch’s arm, jerking them both up to stand. Finley stood up, following as they made their way out the door.

“Where are you taking him?” Finley asked. “Why did you grab him like that?!”

Bailoch grunted as Hermit shoved him forward and he ungracefully rolled down the sandy hill by the restaurant’s parking lot. As soon as he hit the water, Hermit zapped him with her wand.

Bailoch flailed around for a moment. He was covered by a strange, white mist- the same type that Finley had been covered in for her magical makeover. She witnessed, secondhand, as his body writhed and he screamed. The white mist dissipated.

On Bailoch’s top half was his purple shirt, his golden chain, and his sash….

The second half was a long, shimmering tail. It was covered in scales, and translucent fins grew from its sides and the end. Bailoch held up his top half with his arms, but he let his head sag.

He shed a tear.

“Now human, that you see his ugly form,” Hermit began, “do you believe me?”

“You’re cruel,” Finley growled. She pointed a finger at Hermit. “He clearly hates this. Change him back!”

Hermit shrugged, studying her nails.

“The magic would wear off after a day anyways.” Hermit looked up at Finley and smirked. “If you really want to help him, switch places with him.”

“I… I can’t…” Finley bit her lip. She couldn’t just leave her family, her entire, life, for a stranger.

But maybe she could help him for just one day.

Finley lunged at Hermit and stole her wand. Hermit gasped, falling to the ground. Her face paled to a light green as she stood up.

“Finley,” Hermit rasped. It was strange hearing her real name from the creature. “Give me that back. It’s dangerous.”

Danger hadn’t scared Finley when she arrived at the restaurant at midnight. It certainly wouldn’t scare her now. Not when she needed to help someone.

Finley pointed the wand at Bailoch, unsure what it would do.

Please, she begged, to no one in particular. Give him legs again.

Hermit cackled behind her as the wand let out a beam of light, striking Bailoch in his heart. He screamed as he was encapsulated by white, sparkling mist.

Finley felt a rush of wind as Hermit disappeared, leaving Finley with the wand. She ran towards Bailoch as the mist disappeared. He collapsed as his legs buckled beneath him.

What had Finley done?