Cursed to the Sea

Mermaids

I groaned when I woke to the sound of giggles and splashing.  Someone's soft hands were stroking my forehead.  A different set of hands were tickling my nose. 

"I think she's stirring," a soft sing-songy voice whispered.  I let my eyes open a fraction of the way and noticed three girls wading before me.  I was spread on top of a rock, my hair falling into the water and fanning out like seaweed.

"Where am I?"  I croaked.

"The middle of the ocean, and don't ask us how you got here, the merman says he doesn't know," red haired one said.  Merman.  What had happened before I passed out came back to me.  I could feel hot tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Oh don't cry!"  The blond haired one gasped.  I lifted my arms, only to find that they ached like hell and were too weak to move.  "Everything will be okay," she whispered.  Her elegant gold tail, similar to the one Will had had, rose mysteriously out of the water as she pushed herself up and curled around me.  Her eyes were the color of violets and calmed me at the sight.  She began to sing a soft tune that put me into a trance.

"Where's...Will," I felt myself drifting off into a deep sleep.  I couldn't ask her to stop singing, it was so beautiful.  I wondered if my voice had sounded like that.

"Oh, the boy?  He went off to get you some fresh water.  He said something about finding someone too, whatever he meant by that."  The red haired mermaid stroked her long fingers through my hair as my eyes began to slowly shut.  I didn't want to sleep, but I couldn't control it as I sank into my dreams.

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I woke at sundown.  The two mermaids were gone, only to reveal one with long black hair and a gorgeous cerulean blue tail that drifted carelessly in the water as she sat beside me.  She watched as the sun ducked under the waves and left the sky dark.

"I see you have woken," she whispered.  Her voice was sweet and quiet, almost mysterious.  I felt out of place as her tail swished elegantly through the water while my sea-wrinkled feet bobbed ungracefully on the waves.

"William wanted to speak to you.  He returned just after you fell asleep.  Avrill and Catarina went with him to get you something to eat."

"Who are you?"  Was all I could squeak out.  The mermaid chuckled.

"I am Lucette."  She raised her gorgeous blue tail out of the water and it beside me.  I stared down at it awkwardly.  "I must ask though, were you shipwrecked?  I could gladly bring you back..."

"No!"  I felt myself snapping at her.  She pulled away and slipped into the water gingerly.

"Where is Sebell!  I want him to chang me!  I want to be a mermaid!" I couldn't control what I was saying, like I was watching myself from the sky, uncontrollable.

"Sebell?  I think you may be mistaken..."

"I am not!  I am a mermaid, I  mean I'm a human but I was cursed and transformed into a mermaid then trapped on a pirate ship where I was going to die when they broke their own curse but when I was about to be killed, Will came in and saved me but I changed back into a human just in time but he was about to die and now he's a merman and I woke up here and-" I stopped myself.  My tongue buzzed from talking so fast.  Lucette just stared at me blankly.  Wesat there in hesitation for a while before the two mermaid from before rose from the water with a cluster of tiny dead fish, shellfish and seaweed in their hands.

"We brought you dinner!"  The red head exclaimed.  I guessed she was Avrill and the blond was Catarina.  They both dropped the food onto the rock next to me.  I gingerly picked up a clam and opened the shell before plopping it in my mouth.  I hadn't realized how hungry I was.  Catarina and Avrill giggled.  Lucette took a bit of seaweed and ate it.  She sighed.

"Where is William?"  She asked.

"Will," I corrected.  I knew Will hated being called by his full name.  The memory of the day he told me that came back to me.  We had both been sitting on the beach by the lighthouse.  It was only a week before I was cursed.  One day before my mother left.  He had told me thing he hadn't even ever told his own family.  Like how the maid who tended to his room was always sneaking things into her pockets and how he dreamed of marrying on the beach.  I had asked him what he would do if his wife didn't like beaches and he responded with a "You don't like beaches?"  I sighed at the memory and felt the clam coming back up. 

I vomited into the water where the three mermaids gasped and switched to the other side of the rock.  I subsided to some seaweed which I nibbled on.

"He was going off swimming somewhere.  Probably off to find you some pearls Lucette, you seem to fancy each other."  Catarina grinned.

"What?!"  I gasped.  Lucette blushed and looked away where she nervously braided her hair.

"Oh don't be like that Luce, you two are meant for each other!"  Avrill protested as the two smooth talked their friend.  I looked down the food pile where a random peice of shattered glass had fallen.  I stared at my reflection meekly.  Pale skin, gray eyes, messy brown hair.  I was no longer a mermaid.  I was no longer beautiful.  I grabbed theglass and threw it into the water all the while, holding back stinging tears.

"Why are you crying?"  A familiar voice asked.  My eyes widened when I noticed Will rise out of the water.  I wrapped my arms around him and fell into the water.  I hadn't even noticed I was completely naked.  He pecked me on the cheek and smiled.  "I thought you had died back there from shock.  I swam back to shore but Calypso and Sebell were gone..." His voice trailed off.

"Why are you Mer?!"  I piped up before he could finish.

"I was dying, Syrena.  It was the only way I could live."  he frowned. 

"I'm glad to see you're back," Lucette butted in.  Her violet eyes searching my face and then Will's.  He smiled.

"Just getting used to-"

I turned away and pulled myself back up onto the rock as the other two continued the conversation.  I curled up in a ball and silently cried until I fell asleep.

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"Are you awake?"  Someone nudged me from behind.  I opened my eyes to find I was completely underwater.  Sebell glowed before me.  He was no longer in the same form I had seen him before in, but a majestic godlike form that looked young and handsome.

"Sebell?"  I asked.  I found I could talk underwater.

"Yes Syrena, it is I."  He seemed to drift towards me and placed a glowing hand on my shoulder.  "You are dreaming though," he whispered.  I frowned and decided to ask for the unthinkable.

"I want to be a mermaid again." I said in barely a whisper.  Sebell raised an eyebrow.

"I had a feeling you would say that."

"I just want to be with Will, human or not.  I love him."

"I'm afaid I am unable to do that.  I am not with you Syrena, I cannot magically make you a mermaid.  You must become one yourself."  I folded my arms.

"I'm human!  How in the world am I supposed to magically turn into a mermaid!?"  I snapped.  Sebell shook his head.

"You will soon see.  But I have come to you to speak of your father.  He is in danger."  My eyes widened in fear.

"W-what do you mean?"  I stuttered.  He did not answer. 

Instead, he began to fade away, as did the sea until I was swimming there alone.  Alone like I would always be.  And then I began to cry.

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