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tw: murder, death, blood
The mermaids' silver scales flashed in the moonlight as she circled the young girl. The girl was swimming, oblivious to the mermaid that was a few feet away...and then closer...and then closer.
In a flash, the mermaid lunged for the girl's throat, showing a mouth of pearly white, dagger-sharp teeth. Beautiful, but not.
As the mermaid dragged the girl aside, a soft sound came from where the girl's blood had touched the water.
Leaving the girl by the side of the river, the mermaid dived back in. She followed the scent of blood...and found a dark red jewel, right where she had murdered her prey.
She reached out to touch it, but something pushed her back. Or someone.
"Xantpa!" the mermaid exclaimed, shocked to see the goddess of mermaids. Her long aquamarine hair flowed like water, and her dark skin glowed in the moonlight. A crown of teal seaweed crowned her head.
"Ameli," Xantpa said, "You have killed my daughter."
Ameli felt the water becoming cold and choppy. Xantpa was furious, it seemed.
"Y-your daughter?" Ameli said.
"Yes," Xantpa replied.
"But..she was a human,"
"Of course she was, fool!" Xantpa shrieked. "And you KILLED HER!"
"I didn't mean to...I didn't know." Ameli said, desperately.
Xantpa looked away, possibly to hide the tears of seawater spilling from her eyes,"You have killed my daughter. And now you must retrieve her from the Undersea."
Ameli stared for a moment. What in the seas was Xantpa talking about?
"But it isn't real," she finally said.
Xanpta laughed, "Of course it is. My darling sister Atpnax lives there,"
And then she knew with absolute certainty that she must do this, or else she would be killed, so she nodded slowly.
"Where exactly...is it?"
But Xantpa was gone.
Ameli stared at the ruby, surprised that Xanpta had left it behind. She looked back to the shore, where the girl's body was still lying. She went towards her, feeling the painful, freezing, cold familiarity that happened every time she changed.
Now, Ameli looked like an ordinary woman, wearing a silver dress.
The girl did bear similarities to Xantpa- the same dark skin, the same facial features. Without the otherworldly glow, of course.
Ameli was careful to not touch the girl as she gently placed the ruby on her chest.
Her name is Tanxpa, idiot.
Ameli jumped up, surprised, and wobbled a bit. She wasn't yet familiar with her legs; it usually took her a few hours.
"Who said that?" Ameli said, carefully looking around.
Who said that? The voice responded mockingly, Only I, Goddess of the Undersea.
"H-how?" Ameli asked, hating her voice for shaking.
No reason you need to know.
"Atpnax?"
Obviously.
Ameli looked back at Tanxpa, but the girl was gone, along with the jewel.
"Where- you stole her!" Ameli exclaimed.
Why don't you come find her?
"I will," Ameli said defiantly.
Well, here's a hint then: deeper than the sea, darker than the night, no swimming can get you there, but death just might.
While Ameli tried to decipher the poem, she didn't notice that the voice was gone.
"Death just- oh," she said as she realized what it meant. "I have to die, don't I?"
No answer came.
So she crafted a dagger out of coral, albeit reluctantly, and slowly drove the tip into her heart.
"I hope to..well, not Xantpa..that this is right," she murmured as she slid the dagger across her wrist.
Ameli died instantly, but she certainly didn't feel dead. She could see silver blood on the ground, see her dead body, but she wasn't in it.
"Well, you figured that out quickly," Atpnax said, and Ameli whirled around to see her.
She was beautiful- even more beautiful than her sister even- with brown wavy hair, pale teal skin, and eyes that glittered like stars in a night sky.
Standing beside Atpnax was Tanxpa, who was dreamily staring at the ground.
"Okay, now.." Atpnax snapped her fingers, and a piece of paper and a quill studded with pearls were in her hands. "Just sign here and Tanxpa is free to go."
Ameli took the paper, her eyes glancing over the writing. She stopped at the last line and gasped.
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"I won't do it!" she insisted.
Atpnax raised an eyebrow. "Xantpa won't be pleased,"
"I don't care for Xantpa, nor for her daughter," Ameli stated.
Signnn it!!
Xantpa's voice was a silent hiss.
Ameli shook her head.
SIGN IT!!!
"No!" Ameli cried as a burst of pain spread up her legs. She was changing back, and she knew she would die- again- if she didn't touch water soon.
Now.
"No. No. No."
Ameli sobbed as the pain hit her harder than ever. Her hand shook, and she started to write her name...
The mermaid fell to the ground, dead and still. Her eyes fluttered closed, and Atpnax smirked with self-satisfaction.
"Don't worry, dear," she said, "I have the perfect place for you in the Undersea."
