Dark Waters

Chapter 2

To put it frankly, I was shocked. I would have leapt backwards into the water if I hadn't been terrified of more creatures there. Instead, I sat in complete stillness and wondered what she would do next.

Hesitantly, she extended her hand towards me. Her slender fingers were impossibly long as she placed them on my ankle. Unable to control myself, I flinched. The cold, slick skin I had expected was not there. Her fingertips were warm and pruny, and she stared into my eyes with...

No. It couldn't be sympathy that flooded her countenance. I was still unconvinced that the mermaid wasn't going to drag me off the pilings to a watery grave.

I flinched again, much more of a jump than a twitch, when the woman spoke.

"You are sad," she said in heavily accented English. Her voice was throaty and rich, and it matched the rest of her appearance very well. "You are often sad here. But you do not often cry. Why do you cry today?"

I stared at her uncertainly. She continued in that exotic voice. "What are you called?"

"My name is Marin," I said warily.

"We watch you, sometimes. Not many people come out here. Not many people are sad. Why are you sad?"

I took a deep breath and said, "A lot of bad things tend to happen to me. I'm sorry if I've disturbed you and... whoever 'we' is."

"You are no disturbance," she said confidently. "We are sorry you are unhappy so often. We wish we could help you. What has made you cry today?"

"Well," I began carefully, "you see, my boyfriend, the boy I thought I loved, he- he told me today that he won't stay with me, even though I really need him to. I sort of need him to help me deal with the rest of my life, but... now he's just adding to my problems."

"I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you?" The mermaid's hand had left my foot, and she was now leaning towards me in a pose of confiding.

"Not unless you can take me away from all of this."

"I could, if you wanted."

I started. "What, take me with you?" She nodded. "But, are you allowed to?'

"I do not see why not. We are all very taken with you. I'm the first to meet you, yes?" I nodded. "The others might be very angry with me if I did not bring you to them."

I was skeptical. "How do I know you're not trying to trick me? I don't know anything about you, or about mermaids in general."

Luckily, she was not offended. "I am Aelaria. If I take you with me, it is true, you will be with great weakness. But in return, I will place myself at a great weakness to you." She sat up straight and gestured to her gills, tipping her head so that they flared noticabley. "These let me breathe under the water. But if you block them," and here she placed her cupped hands tightly over her gills, "I will drown within seconds. Is this enough of a measure of defense for you?"

I considered this briefly. It wasn't like I'd be leaving much behind. And if I should die at the hands of a mermaid, I would consider myself luckier than dying under my father's roof. My only drawback was Tyler. He would wonder why his big sister disappeared, and I would break my own heart with missing him.

"Yes, it is. It's just... Well, it's my kid brother. He really needs me, and I'd go crazy missing him. Can I come back and see him?"

"Every day, if you wish. I will speak to the Council of Elders, and see if we may permit you and him to become permanent citizens."

"Oh," I gasped. It was almost too good to be true. "I'd really like that."

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, sliding back into the ocean until the water lapped at her shoulders.