Swim Away (Mermaid)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

I went for a swim, to clear my mind. I tried to stay in areas where it wasn't full of other mermaids. Who knew what would happen if they saw a mermaid like me.

I crawled out of the water and hid behind some rocks. I looked back at my black tail, hating how it changed my magic. I could've lived with the color, but having to chant every time was more than a little annoying. 

I lie on the sand, with only my tail, not sure whether to stay like this or walk home to what I didn't want to see. It was too good to be true after all. 

Those black eyes were staring blankly at me. It was hard to tell what he was feeling through his eyes. Only emptiness could be seen and that ran chills down my spine. I took a few steps back and those eyes followed me. 

Fear. I was afraid of Noah, afraid of what it meant for his eyes to be like that. 

"Your eyes," I whispered. 

I shook my head and placed my cheek on the sand. Maybe I should head back in the water. Even though, swimming in the ocean was not the best thing to be doing right now. 

Avoiding the other mermaids down there was one of the toughest things I had to do. And having a black tail was like a threat to everyone under the sea. If they saw me, they would flee. Either to tell the mermaid leaders or go into hiding. 

It wasn't fair for those mermaids who lived their whole life down there. I was like a visitor, since I preferred land. I never thought I would choose land over sea in my entire life. 

He sat up and kept his eyes on me. My back was against the wall as I watched him stare at me. 

My mind went back to when he tried to choke me, causing me to place my hands near my neck. That fear crept up inside me, and I couldn't shake it away. 

The more I looked into those eyes, the more I was becoming afraid of him. I didn't want to feel this way, but I did. And I couldn't control it. 

I watched as Asher placed his hand on Noah's chest and began to chant. Noah began to close his eyes and fall back. 

"I-" I didn't know what to say, but I wanted to say something!

"I'm going to take him to my place. It's not safe for you to be around him right now." Asher said, picking Noah up. 

"Wait!" I stepped forward, "I want him to stay here. I just got him back. Please, I-" 

"Lara, I know this is hard, but-" 

"What's so important about me anyway?! Why was he and why are you trying to keep me alive?! I'm the worst kind of mermaid and everyone wants me dead!" I took a deep breath, "leave him here. I don't care what he does. I want to be around him." 

I sighed, chanting the words that would change me back into a human. I knew no one would come here, it was the one spot Noah and I hung out at. This was like our place, but it felt weird without him.