Infatuation of a Merman

Chapter 4-What Should've Been Done

He had played me for a fool. It must have been amusing, leading me into a false sense of security while knowing he could've shattered it whenever he wanted to. But now the jig was up, and I knew his secret. His fun was over. His time was up, and now so was mine.

The merman moved toward me, a bit too rushed for my liking. So I scrambled back, which in turn caused him to slow down. Realizing that it was futile, I stopped my scrambling and curled up into a ball. The tears had returned, and the wound at my ribs seemed like a distant problem.

"Go away!"

I was surprised to find out that it was my own voice that had spoken. It was broken and fear-filled but it was my voice nonetheless. And to my even greater surprise, the victory smirk was wiped from his face, and he actually stopped.

"Why?" he asked me, his soft and confused voice greatly contrasting my fearful one.

"Stay away!" My arms tightened around my legs.

He swam around in circles, almost as if he was pacing. His pacing stopped, and he turned to face me, scrutinizing my figure.

"What makes you think that I can go near you?"

Was he serious? Did he really think that I was stupid? Did he really think I forgot what happened?

"Don't play dumb! I saw the other merman go on land. I felt the pain as he tore into my side, all on land! I know yo-"

The merman made a shrill sound, like metal grinding against stone. It was a low and threatening noise that swapped my anger for fear. He looked down at me condescendingly before speaking again.

"We cannot go on land."

I said nothing in response to his obvious lie.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "We cannot survive on land."

I scoffed. My mind was a mess of fear, anger and pain, but somehow I managed to keep it together and off my face.

His eyes darkened, and he turned away from me.

"You," he pointed to the dazed mermaid. "Come here."

Without missing a beat, she picked herself off the rock and swam over to him. It worried me as to why she was obeying his orders and why it had seemed like a conditioned response for her to do so. But at the moment I had bigger problems to face, like being eaten.

She stopped by his side, like a soldier awaiting further commands.

"Go onto land and stay there," he said.

And so she did.

Why she did it or even listened to him was lost on me. But she pushed herself and her tail out of her watery environment and onto the sand. She didn't say a word, only quietly followed orders.

The merman's gaze was locked onto me, not lingering toward the obedient mermaid. His unwavering gaze made me feel uncomfortable, so I turned back to the mermaid.

I didn't know what to look for as I observed the mermaid. I only understood the pain at my side and the fear still present in my bones. I didn't want to be here with these flesh eaters. And I also didn't want to see whatever the merman had to show me.

The mermaid's eyes widened after a while. She clawed at the sand, as if trying to catch something that wasn't there. Her gaze turned to the merman as her hand reached out.

"Water," she said, her voice throaty and cracking. "Let me return to the water."

The merman said nothing in response. He just continued to watch me with his arms crossed, like the begging mermaid was of no importance to him. It was as if in his eyes, we were the only two people in the world.