From The Place I Hate, Came My Love

Going back.

 "So...Amelia." I spoke to the...person...thing, in front of me. "You brought me here, so does that mean you can take me back?"

 Initially, she looked almost sad about what I asked. "You should go back, shouldn't you?" she shrugged sadly. I almost wondered if asking a mythical creature to take me back was a bad idea. She looked human...well mostly, she acted human if not a little childish, but over all I didn't have a clue what her attitude would be like towards the notion of me leaving. Maybe she wasn't the happy version of a 'mermaid', but rather a siren. The not so nice version that eat people and have separation issues.

 "That's not a problem, right?" I asked slowly. "I mean...I won't...tell anyone about you if you want."

 She quickly jumped up further out of the water, jumping practically on top of me. Her sudden movement and weight on my chest pushed me down back onto the rock. She quickly grabbed onto my shirt and pulled my face up to be inches from hers, "You can NEVER tell anyone about me!"

 I was totally speechless for a moment. I really couldn't deny that she was real now. I could feel the weight of her bottom half on top of my legs, and I could feel the wet scales against my bare feet. If she wasn't inches from me, looking into my eyes like she was staring straight into my soul, I probably would have cringed physically at the touch. Scales...fish...wet...ocean isn't really my thing.

 Eventually, I came to my senses again, realizing she was still awaiting an answer from me. "Um...I swear I won't tell anyone." I replied to her.

 Her intense gaze immediately let up, reverting quickly to the bubbly person she had just been. She loosened her grip on my shirt, pushing herself to sit next to me instead. "Good." she smiled.

 I sat up slowly, taking in the totally clear sight I had to her tail now. It was long, and even though most of her body was sitting on the rock, the end of her tail was still submerged in the depths of the water off the side. It was it's own form of elegance though, that I couldn't deny. As terrifying as the whole thing was, it held it's own form of beauty...she held her own form of beauty.

 "So...you will take me back, then?" I asked again.

 The sad expression returned, "Oh, yeah. I'll take you back." She turned and slipped back into the water. She went completely under for a couple seconds and I watched as she circled the small rock a couple of times before popping her head up again. "You can ride on my back." she said.

 "...Sure." Was this really gonna happen? I don't even have words for this situation. I began to scoot over to the edge of the rock, sticking my toes into the cold water. This probably wouldn't be so bad if I had my shoes...my shoes. "Hey Amelia, did you see what happened to my socks and shoes?" I ask her.

 "The things covering your feet?"

 "Uh, yeah." The innocence on this girl is amazing to me. Questioning what socks and shoes are.

 "Well...I wanted to see your feet, so I took them off." I feel like, by the way she couldn't make eye contact with me, if the sun had still been up, I probably would've been able to see a blush covering her face.

 "My feet? Why?" I asked her. I mean, I get that she doesn't have feet of her own...which is still a weird concept, but why would she want to see mine?

 She shrugged again, still unable to make eye contact with me, "I hardly see them up close...I'm not aloud to go around people at all." She quickly turned back to face me, concern covering her face, "I still have them! I can go get them if you want!"

 I held up my hand to stop her. There would be no point now. They are most definitely ruined at this point, cause I'm pretty positive she has some sort of little mermaid style cave under the water. They're not a whole lot of use if they are already soaking, either.

 "It's okay, Amelia." I told her. "I was just wondering what had happened to them."

 "So I can keep them?" the childlike wonder in her eyes was amazing to me. She was so...uneducated that the simplest thing, like a pair of shoes, was brand new and exciting to her.

 "Sure...if you really want them that bad." I shrugged.

 She immediately threw herself up and out of the water at me again. Although this time, instead of pushing me down, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed. "I've never had a pair before!" She pulled back and let herself fall back into the water. "Come on, we better get going. It'll be well into the night by the time we get there." she smiled.

 Now that I was wet already from her hug, I saw no harm in getting back into the cold water. I knew if I didn't go all at once, I'd go very slowly into it. Deciding to rip off the band aid, I pushed myself off my rock and let myself slip under the water. The cold immediately took my breath away, and I resurfaced gasping with a tight chest.

 "What's wrong?" Amelia asked. By the look on her face, I think she thinks I'm dying or something.

 "Really...cold." I pant out, treading unprofessionally in the water. 

 "Is it?" she cocked her head. "Feels fine to me."

 "You're already used to it." I replied. I had managed to get my breath back and could focus a little more on keeping my head above the water.

 "I guess." She turned around so that her back was facing me, "Here, hold on to my shoulders." I moved carefully, pulling myself up on her shoulders like it was a piggyback-ride. Although, I didn't wrap my legs around her waist as that would be a...little weird. "Alright, we're off." she quickly began moving her body through the water. She skimmed the top of the water, her body below, mine mostly above.

 This is...well...let's say when I woke up this morning, went to work, then was on my way home, I had no clue that I'd be getting a ride on a...mermaid. This is one for the record book I think...either that or the psych.