Chapter 102: A Merman Syndrome

                     ***A Merman Srndrome***

Now let's talk about the scary skin reactions that I have been experiencing lately, I started having this itchy sensation on my body that caused me to scratch, at first I told mom about it, by that time it was just a mare rash which I actually paid less attention to, mom also thought it was something little, or some fungal infections which can be cleared by a common skincare lotion. So, she got me some drugs and Lotions that was presumed to kill the sensations, but the itching persisted till it resulted in a rash, just a few days after I discovered the rash on my skin I went to bath and I notice somethings which looked like scales, yes fish scales on my body, when I say scales I meant real fish scales, that was very scary. I tried to scrape off the scales but it was very painful as it stuck to my skin threatening to bleed me if I do not stop. Now I couldn't show this to mom because I feared that it could be the allergy she told me about, I just can't go tell her straight to the face that I blatantly lied to her, and I know how she acts, the poor lady might break again, and she might start saying those things which she often says "you are not a fish" that thing I never understood until later. This led to my wearing a cardigan always even in school at home, I can't stand anyone seeing a disgusting thing like that.

That very day, I woke up early to prepare for school, it was the day we were to start our first paper. So, we had to be in school on time so as to ease the exam tension before it officially starts. 

So I woke up and went straight into the bathroom, I could hear the sound of plates or pots making contact with other things in the kitchen, though I knew that was mom, but I thought of bathing before going to greet her. So, as I got into the shower with my eyes partly opened, I stumbled into different things, so I took my toothbrush and Oral B toothpaste which I usually kept on a plastic shelf in my bathroom. By the time I was done with the teeth brushing, my eyes were clearly opened, so I quickly took off my clothes and I whistled rhythmically. I am actually that kind of boy that cannot bathe without singing. I have always felt like the bathroom was a stage and a place to showcase my musical talent to the wall and mirror. So when I took off my clothes I tried to scratch as usual, since I've been scratching since the itchy sensation, that was when I notice the roughness of my skin, I quickly took a look at it, the light was bright and the tiles was white, so it was pretty easy to see things.

"Jesus Christ!"

This I shrieked as soon as I saw my body. Though then the scales were not much at the moment, but it was still scary. I heard mom from the kitchen asking if I was ok... 

"Yeah! I... I am fine." 

So I quickly responded. I know my mom, if I didn't respond and on time, she will definitely walk into the bathroom to check if I'm ok. So after the response, I went in front of the mirror, I tried to scrape off the scale, but it was so painful, the little that fell off fell with my body bleeding. I was so confused and terrified. That was when I realized that mom was not really overreacting when she said if I swim I will die. I felt this was me dying. That was the only logical explanation for these scales on my skin. Who grows scales? It's probably a reaction because I was truly allergic to water. Fear is truly a threshold to a different kind of self-destruction, look at me thinking now that I am soon going to die.

Actually I believed that the reaction I was having was a result of my addiction to the water, do you know that I often sneak to find my way into the pool. I did this every day during the break period, I will stay inside the pool until the bell rings. I have tried several times to stop this crazy and unusual addiction of mine but all the effort I invested towards fighting this addiction amounted to nothing.

Whenever I sink beneath the sea, I usually get this sweet feeling of comfort, and the thought of all pains and fear will automatically disappear. I also noticed that my senses became ever smarter, and I also developed a serious aggressive behavior, there was a time which I felt like I was a threat to the people around me, I remembered engaging in a fight with Kunle's friends, the aftermath of the fight brought great fear to me as one of the boys almost died before my very eyes, the worse of it all was that, though I was conscious throughout all the fight, but I was in zero control, I couldn't stop heating him even when I tried to stop.

That day, it was after school period. I and Cynthia were going home when the boys attacked us. We were close to the park, and it was in an open position. Though not many people were there, few people still passed by.

"Hey! Where are you going to?"

One asked. He was the biggest in the crew, even bigger than Kunle and Bright, but he was not older than bright, he is only but a fat kid.

"We are going to your mother's house! Now, will you assholes leave our front before I count to three?"

Cynthia said. When she spoke she did with a great authority. I was amazed at how she spoke to them, I thought she would have been scared. Of a fact, the way and manner she addressed them gave me the courage I had that day.

"Can you imagine? What will you do? Or else what? Look at this small girl oo, if I slap you now your face will bend."

Another boy said from the group.

"And if I slap you, your poor mother will feel the slap from where she is."

Cynthia responded more aggressively.

"Ehn, my mother? You are dead."

So the boy said as he came to lay his hand on Cynthia who now drew backward using me as her shield. Now, this was when I came up to anger, how can he even nurse the thought of slapping my Cynthia.

"If you dare lay your hands on her, just know that you might not even live to regret it."

Where this word came from I know not, but I knew that it came from me. The Boy stopped as I stood in his front standing as a barrier to his goal which was to slap the soft and silky cheeks of my Cynthia.

"Look at the Albino oo, I am dead, so I'm the one that you are talking to, so you don't have fear. I will just..."

He said as he tried to push me aside but got the surprise of his life.