Cursed to the Sea

Daydreams

Pure light flooded into my eyes, it was golden and felt warm as it touched my raw skin.  I looked around me to see a few vibrant colored fish swim past in a cloud of bubbles.  It finally occured to me that I was underwater.  I kicked my legs, but it felt strange as I pulsated through the water faster than expected.  I looked down and realized that my legs had been replaced with the familiar green and silver tail.  The light glinted off the scales as it moved evenly through the water.  I gasped and pulled it upwards, touching my fingertips to the silky surface.  Had I really become a mermaid again?  Joy flooded through me as I flicked the fins and sliced through the waves.  A few fish followed at my side as I swam threw the golden water.  I didn't know where I was going, but something inside me told me to keep swimming.  I eventually swam upwards and broke through the surface, the sun blinding my eyes as I let my hair fly back behind me, droplets flowing through the air.  

Something began to bubble up inside me, yet I couldn't put my finger on it.  Suddenly, the feeling flowed out in beautiful notes from my lips and echoed throughout the water.  I had never heard something like it before, but the feeling overcame me until I was jumping out of the water and into the air, still letting notes drift out into a haunting yet beautiful song.  I closed my eyes calmly and laid back, letting my body float on top of the water.  I felt like honey as I floated along in unision with the waves.  But then the light began to darken and clouds began to take over the orange sky.  I knitted my eyebrows in confusion and screamed as lightning cracked through the dark clouds and hit just inches away from me.  

I dove under the water and tried to swim away but rain began to fall like needles on my skin, the lightning following.  I closed my eyes tightly and dashed through the water while trying to dodge lightning bolts.

"Help!"  I screamed into the air, until everything turned black around me.

"Get her out of the water!"  I heard someone scream over the shrieks and cried from others.  I opened my eyes a fraction of the way to see I was being carried in Henry's arms as he trudged through the dark stormy waters.  Rachael and the girls were waiting at the shore.  I groaned and tried to make sense of what had happened.  I looked down to see two pale legs, caked in blood, instead of a tail.  It all had been a dream, or a nightmare, I couldn't decide which.

"Get the village doctor!  She's barely breathing!"  Henry yelled.  I watched as Rachael lifted her skirts and sprinted off while the other girls surrounded their father and watched as he lowered me onto the damp sand.

"Father, is she going to be alright?"  Heidi asked through tears and sniffles.  Henry didn't answer, since I knew the answer was uncertain to him.  I tried to take deep breathes but my legs were filled with water and breathing took all the energy I had.

"What were you thinking!  Jumping off one of the highest cliffs in the island!?"  Henry whipered frantically.  I felt hot tears roll down my cheeks and blend in with the blood that seemed to be pooling beside me.  Henry brushed wet hairs from my face and looked up to see Rachael and a man racing towards us.

"What happened?"  the man asked as he rested a hand on my chest.

"Fell off the cliffs, nearly drowned!"  Rachael squeaked.  The doctor lifted away his hand and turned to Rachael.  

"Is she your daughter?" He asked skeptically.  Rachael's face turned deathly pale. 

"Yes," Henry answered for her.  "She is."  The doctor nodded slowly before picking me up in his arms.  

"I'll bandage her up and keep an eye on her for the night," he said softly.  I glanced back at the water that glistened under the pale Summer moon.  It mocked me with it's beautiful glow and waves that gently lapped up against the surface.  I could see Will swimming in it with the other mermaid right now, not a care in the world as he discovered what would probably be his new watery home.  I let hot tears roll down my cheeks and moaned out his name.  Everyone looked towards me with confused gazes.

"I'm fine," I said slowly while struggling to break free from the doctor's grip.  I fell loose from his arms and hit the sand with a light thud.  Rachael hurried to my side.

"Let him take care of you, dear."  You're awfully pale and I can't bear to see you like this." he whispered while holding my frozen hand in his, his wide glass glinted off the moonlight.  I just let a groan croak from my throat and lay there motionless.  She took my hand and smiled.

"You're in good hands, trust me," she said honestly while picking me up once again and dragging me away from the beach, with each step making me feel more sick than the rest.