Memory Glitch (Book 2 in the "Glitched" Series)

[TWENTY-THREE - The Mermaid's Curse]

There was water, all around him. An endless collection of the blue-hued liquid obscured his vision as Vik found himself awakening. He was at the bottom of the sea, and he could feel the water all around him...

But he couldn't breathe.

Tensing as he saw a group of squids swim by, and feeling the waves lapping at his bruised skin, he tried to hold his breath for as long as he could. Vik didn't know how he'd survived, as he'd been unconscious, but he wasn't planning on taking any idiotic risks that could end up with him getting killed.

On the other hand, though, he should already be dead.

"Vik, just ignore your stupid logic and be happy that you're still alive... Oh my Notch, I sound like Dad now." Shaking at the mere thought, he snapped out of his mind when he saw a blur of brown swim by.

"Probably just a fish or something Vik, just a fish, stop panicking over a silly fish." The dark-eyed male attempted to calm himself, somehow managing to sit up at the bottom of the sea as wincing as the salt burned his eyes. He brushed a hand along the surface, the grains of sand and small stones running through his fingers.

It was... Peaceful. Nothing bad was down here, and he couldn't hurt anybody, so nobody would hurt him.

'Beautiful, isn't it?'

Yelling out at the sudden voice he heard, Vik pushed himself up from the seabed as he heard a husky laugh. He tried to kick up to the surface before his limited air ran out, but before he was anywhere near the top he realised something.

The fact that he couldn't move his legs as a pair, but the moved as one. Formulating the possible and impossible ideas of what could have happened, he postponed looking at what was wrong and decided to continue the journey upwards.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you, raven-head.' The voice warned again, and he saw the brown flash again. This time it sounded more fuzzy, but that was probably because he was beginning to black out.

'For Atlanta's sake, breathe!' He felt compelled to do so, and did it - He felt the water in his lungs, the immeasurable amount of salt burning his insides.

But he didn't start to drown. Yes, it hurt to breathe, but it was functioning normally as if he was on land 'Gods, mate, are you alright?'. Coughing violently into his hands, Vik heard the voice sigh before something... No, someone swam infront of him. They placed their hands on their hips, the scales dotted on her hands reflecting the sunlight that filtered through the breaks in the strong current 'Honestly, one would think you couldn't breathe underwater.'

'Normally - Normally I c-can't... Oh Notch, where am I? And who are- What are you?'

'They always ask what I am, not who I am: Well that's depressing. Anyway, as you asked so politely, I'm a mermaid. Saltwater kind.' She seemed more smug at the added sentence, but then it dropped as she shook her head 'Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Who are you?'

'I'm- My name's Vik.'

'Good to meet ya, Vik! My name's Athena, and as for where you are, your location is currently on the outskirts of the fabled water temple.' The mermaid explained cheerfully, silver tail swaying in the current as she gestured to the monument. Vik's jaw dropped at the impressive sight, most of him wanting nothing more than to go and explore the legendary place, but he also had.. Ahem, other issues.

'Hey, Athena-'

'Yes?'

'Why do ever-loving-' A squid swam by just before the word was spoken, obscuring it from hearing range '-do I haVE A TAIL?!'