I Shouldn't Love You

Chapter 3: Disobeying

TW: Small mentions of blood, needles.

"So what's your world like?" Luz asks, leaning her head on her hands as she stares intently at the mermaid.

Amity didn't completely trust the human, but she would have small conversations with her. It was boring, living in the new glass tank she was forced into. As soon as she was free, she'd leave the human behind and go back to her old life.

"Ocean-y? You said my world is called the ocean, correct?" The mermaid asks, keeping her distance between the two of them.

"Yes. You live in the ocean." Luz nods her head, looking at Amity with an eyebrow raised. "Well, there's lots of seaweed and sea creatures-?"

"Luz! Get out of there this instant! I told you not to visit the creature today." Justin scowls at his daughter. That was the only thing he did anymore. Never a smile or a hug, just scowls and yells.

Luz sighs, standing up. "Yes, father." Luz turns around, waving goodbye to the mermaid before sulkily walking out of the aquarium room.

"You can go visit her tomorrow. I have a favor to ask of you beforehand." Justin leads his daughter out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I need you to talk to the mermaid. She seems to trust you. Ask her if she can give us some of her blood." This time, Luz scowls, crossing her arms in front of her. "Why should I?"

"Please. It's for your mother. She's getting worse and the doctors aren't helping." Luz had never heard her father plead like that, but she wouldn't hurt Amity. "No. I won't."

"Very well." Justin stands up straight, running a hand through his grey-streaked hair. "Do not be late for supper." With that, Justin walks off upstairs, opening the very loud door that lead to the room that sat just above the glass tank.

"She declined. Do whatever you must." Justin walks into the room, handing the two divers their gear, motioning for them to hurry.

"Quick. I doubt she isn't already back in there. I want her to see what will happen if she disobeys me again." Justin smiles as the two hurry to put on their gear, being done in a few minutes.

"Take a good amount, however much you deem necessary." 

Justin walks back out of the room as the divers jump in the pool, searching for the mermaid.

~

Of course Luz had gone back in the room. Amity was her friend. She wouldn't leave her alone.

"Oh, Luz. You're back." A small smile appears on Amity's face as she spots the brown haired girl running towards her.

"Yeah, I couldn't leave you alone." Luz returns the gesture, but her face falls as she sees the divers behind her. "Amity, move-!"

One of the divers grabs Amity's tail, practically hugging it with their arms, while the other grabs her arms, pinning them to her sides.

Amity flails around, trying to free herself of the divers grasps, but comes out unsuccessful.

"Hey! Let her go!" Luz balls her hands into fists and bangs on the glass, knowing full well that it wouldn't break. Her father was rich, and smart. He'd never buy cheap, thin glass for such a strong creature.

The diver that holds Amity's arms sticks a long needle into her neck, entering the skin in between her gills. Said diver pulls the plunger backwards, the small vial inside filling with a red substance.

Blood. Amity's blood.

"Stop! What are you doing to her?!" Luz yells, hitting the glass harder, guilt ripping apart her stomach. She couldn't do anything and she knew it.

The diver removes the needle from Amity's neck and lets her go, swimming away with his buddy. Leftover blood-mixed-water slowly seeps out of Amity's neck, contaminating the water.

Amity's unconscious body floats down to the sandy ground, the water picking the sand up and moving it around the tank before eventually settling down.

"Amity! Amity are you okay?" Luz sinks down to her knees, watching Amity to see if she moved, made a sound. Anything.

She didn't. Not for the rest of the night.