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"Captain we have a stowaway!" One of the crew members says dragging behind him a tear stricken woman
"A woman" the captain wrinkles his nose and climbs down the steps, he takes out his sword and holds it under her chin
"You got two options little lady" the captain smiles "walk the plank or wait with the crew until the next port" the crew members smile and cheer at the idea, the woman cries harder
"Please" she croaks out and the captain shakes his head
"If you don't decide I'll have the crew decide" he smiles crookedly
"I'll wait for port" the woman says with a trembling voice
"I don't think so" The captain says lowering his sword "men tie her up!"
"No!" She screams as the men surround her and bind her hands and feet together, the knots so tight she can barely stand. They have to drag her over to the plank that's being put in place. She thrashes around like a fish out fo water in an attempt to be free of the men's hands sadly she's vastly outnumbered and outmuscled.
At the plank they push her forward and she almost stumbles overboard. Her tears have not ceased and she's pleading with them promising them anything as long as they let her live, the men laugh.
"Women bring bad luck to any ship" the captain says over her pleading "if you wanted to live you should've hid better"
"Please!" She begs "I'll give you anything you want please don't do this" the captain grins and the gold tooth sparkles with the last rays of the sunset. With a grunt he kicks the plank causing it to wobble and the woman to loose her footing.
The icy cold water meets her in an embrace and wraps its arms around her struggling body, slowly but surely pulling her under. The salty water burns her nose and throat as she continues to scream, air bubbles fly out of her mouth as she struggles against the ropes.
Her legs thrash together causing more bubbles to surround her. She screams even though she has no more air to give. There's a ripple in the water as the sun sinks under the waves. This time her screams make noise, the time her screams are for a different pain.
She thought frowning would be painful and for a short time it was but this, this was something different. Her legs feel as if they're being fused together, they burn even though the water is freezing.
The ropes on her hands break suddenly and she lunges for her legs but when she manages to find them underneath her dress they're gone, instead a dull golden tail is there. It's twice as long as her upper body and thicker than her hips. The pain has disappeared and with this comes the realization that she is no longer drowning. Her tail is keeping her afloat.
She looks around and screams, the water carries her broken scream like an eco and soon figures start appearing around her. Terrified she tries to swim away but her tail is new she doesn't know where to even go, in the ocean direction looses all meaning.
"Don't be frightened" a voice suddenly says and she snaps her head towards it
"Who are you?" She asks noticing her voice is different, it's more like notes than actual words
"I'm Marie" a woman says pleading before her, her tail is a moss green, scales cover her stomach and arms, her red heard flows around her face like a halo. She's beautiful
"What are you?" The woman asks and looks down at herself "what am I?"
"Some call us monsters and sea witches, others call us mermaids" Marie says in a very gentle tone "we are like you, women thrown overboard because we were bad luck" she chuckles at the thought "they never realized their bad luck had only started"
"What do you mean?" The woman asks noticing that more and more mermaids are appearing, each has a different colored tail and they vary in size and shape, some mermaids are white as snow while others a black as night almost invincible in the now dark waters.
"We have taken our revenge with those foolish sailors" another mermaid smiles revealing rows of pointed teeth like a sharks her head clean shaven "with a tail grows a certain hunger, a hunger fueled by our anger and satisfied only with human flesh" she snaps her teeth and the woman swims back slightly but another mermaid places a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her jump slightly as she realizes her dress has disappeared into the sea.
"We decided to become the bad luck they thought us to be, so we sink their ships and lure them to their deaths" Marie smiles
"How?" The woman asks
"We sing" the mermaid with her hand on her shoulder sighs "salt water does wonderful things for the voice" she laughs delicately and it makes the new mermaid laugh as well
"Teach me" she begs "for I want my own revenge as well"
"You have been reborn with everything you need" Marie smiles "ask and you shall be given"
"Then swim with me sisters!" She smiles feeling her limbs fill with energy and strength "teach me how to get my revenge and I shall swim with you for eternity" The mermaids smiles and a small growl emanates from their throats and soon from her own throat as well
"What's your name?" Marie asks
"Anne" she bares her teeth in a sinister smile, her canines far sharper than normal "it's time for my revenge"
