Deep Under {ManxMan}

Chapter 1

A Q U A R I U S

Waking up I had an ache in my back. A rock was digging into the small of my back making me groan. I was cramped and uncomfortable. I swam out of my makeshift shelter and went to look for breakfast. Any moon jellyfish or shrimp would do.

After a while I ended up finding some shrimp and a few jellyfish to munch on. It was good enough to keep me going.

I gathered my stuff and swam towards the direction of the tribe I was trying to reach. They were more towards the land then we were. My tribe feared humans, unlike this one. This tribe was fascinated with them. Many switched to their leg form to walk amongst humans, which I thought was crazy.

Humans were destructive creatures. Always killing and ruining wherever they go. They killed more than they needed and polluted this earth like no other. They were killing the ocean, killing us!

Could I love my mate if he were human?

I probably would since he was my mate, but it would be a slight disappointment to know my mate aided in my home's destruction.

I was swimming and did not even noticed how there was barely any sea life around. It seemed like the ocean life today was non-active. The water was also colder than usual, and murkier.

I shook it off and kept swimming. I needed no distractions. I could feel the pull of my mate getting stronger, he had to be in this tribe.

I looked at the map and sighed. If I was right, I still had a little over 60 miles to travel.

Merfolk were naturally fast and agile swimmers. We could travel at about 30-40 miles per hour.

I sighed and just kept going in the direction I needed to go, south.

I wanted to work on a necklace I was making for my mate, but I needed to be alert for predators.

The necklace was made of pearls and shells kept together with a thin strand of colorful seaweed. At the center was the prettiest seashell I could find in my grove. It was a shimmery purple, and when the light hit it exactly right, turned rainbow. I loved it.

I smiled thinking about how I would spoil my mate. He would get the prettiest jewelry of the ocean.

I giggled thinking and imagining all types of scenarios, and just kept swimming a long like the fool in love I was.

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By night I was tired as all hell. I had swam for 4 hours straight and only made 30 ish miles. That was all my I could put in.

For the rest of the day I rested in a quiet coral cove and hunted for lunch and dinner, coming up with a few jellyfish and shrimp.

The water was getting brighter and warmer as I got nearer to land. I was used to the cold chilly water out sea, so this felt nice.

I was relaxing on a rock just enjoying and watching the colorful fish getting back to their homes when I heard a thundering boom from somewhere and the ground start to shake.

I panicked and swam up. The water started to swirl and turn darker as I could feel the current start to pull me up.

I tried to swim away but was too tired from today's traveling. I used all my force to swim down so I could hold onto something, but the water sucked me straight up and closer to the surface.

A whirlpool formed and before I knew it, I was trapped in the swirling mess. It made my head rush and stomach gurgle.

The booming sounds kept coming, frightening me even more.

I managed to look up and see flashes of light and that is when it hit me, I was stuck in a hurricane. This was weather.

Fear filled me even more as I was bashed around and around in the swirling sea.

The power of the wind and water stopped me from being able to move. I could only pray to whatever god that nothing hit me and damaged my body.

Before I knew it, a partially hard force of water rushed and pushed me into something hard. My head bounced off the surface and I groaned as black dots filled my vision.

I should have never left my tribe. They were right about the force of the sea.

EDITED 11/11/20