Hate

Chapter 2

Nightmares are defined as frightening or unpleasant dreams. Sometimes, those dreams felt so close to reality,  you believed you were living one. Yet, when Cold opened her eyes after that horrific dream, she was for the first time, grateful for the nightmare that was her life. 

Cold stared out the screen door, watching as the waves assaulted the shore. Shivering, she replayed what happened to her, in those very waters, in her nightmare. 

Cold saw herself going for a swim, just like every other day, but that day, the water was a bit rougher, more demanding. She heard a voice begging her to get in. A voice, a soothing voice, telling her to relax, just float. She obeyed. Big mistake!

Her father often warned her of the ocean's currents, especially the ones in the waters behind their house. He said those currents were strange and often, a bit too powerful. Cold never paid him any mind, but his words repeated over and over in her head as she was surrounded by those currents.

As she was pulled deeper into the water, Cold fought to be freed from the strong forces. Her lungs were filled with seawater, and her feet stuck together. 

Staring at her feet transforming into a tail, panic filled her body, but there was also a calmness that came over her. That could have been due to the soothing voice that whispered, "You belong to me..."

The words comforted her or forced her mind to calm down to be exact. She closed her eyes and let the voice consume her. Cold watched the light of the surface slowly fade as her body was pulled to the depths. 

Her eyes sprung open as she rose, gasping for air. Coughing, water splattered onto the bed. Was she drowning? Impossible! She was nowhere near water. 

Facing the water once more, she watched as it battered the land. For the first time in her life, she felt fear towards her haven.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she readied herself to stand. As her feet touched the soft carpet, she fell to the floor, legs too weak to support the weight of her body.

Cold's heart slammed against her chest. Was that a dream? Or did she transform into... no. That couldn't be right. Mermaids didn't exist! Right? 

No! They did not! Her father was the best oceanographer in all of Blue Land and the mermaid, her favourite mythical creature. Surely he would have informed her if they were real. Getting on her hands and knees, she attempted to stand once more, holding onto the edge of her bed for dear life. 

Right foot. 

Left Foot. 

Rise.

She steadied herself and took a step forward. It was the most painful and unnatural thing she had ever felt. It was as though she had never walked a day in her life. Despite the pain, she made her way to the bathroom. As the cold water beat her skin she tried not to panic. 

Was her dream a sign?

She nearly drowned yesterday. Then she was dragged to the depths and transformed into a mermaid! Was she going to die the next time she ventured to the beach? Was she going to be reincarnated as a... mermaid? 

That thought made her...happy. What if she left her sorry excuse of a life and lived as a mermaid for the rest of her days? Imagine a life where the pain of being alive didn't exist. A life where you didn't regret waking up. A life where you were free!

Oh yes, Cold would like that very much. But for now, she'd have to deal with the life she was cursed with. 

~~~

"Did you see Cold last night?"  Ethan asked his wife. Ethan was Cold's father. He used to be a hero in her eyes.

That was before she got older and saw him for who he truly was.