On the Beach

In the moonlight

She watched him on the beach.  A tall, dark silhouette in the moonlight.

He was walking slowly, with his head lowered, as if intently searching for something lost in the sand.  Every now and then he looked up and out towards the horizon.  She wondered if he could see her, although she knew she was too far out.

He had reached the mound of rocks near the cove and was starting to pull himself through the carpet of silky seaweed.

She could see him lose his footing and put his hands out to catch himself, holding her breath until he stood up and continued to climb.  As he reached the plateau, the beam from the lighthouse arched around the cove, reflecting on the still sea.

Everything was calm tonight.  The waves crept silently onto the beach, and only a light breeze caressed his skin.  He could taste the tang of salt in the air and in the tears that had started to fall down his cheeks.

She sensed his pain and knew it was pointless, as she felt it too. She should have listened to her sisters.  It had not been her place to interfere.  It was too late for regret now.  She was no longer like the others, cold and heartless.  When she sang now, it felt like poison running through her veins.  How could she have been so violent and malevolent?

The stories told by the old ones were true.  Love could make you mortal, and mortals were weak.  But he had shown her how to love and feel emotion, and if that was weakness, then she didn't care.

She had inadvertently saved him during that fateful night.  They had surrounded the 'Arrabella' in vengeance after the crew had killed one of her kin.  The crew became enchanted by their song and the sea became cruel and unforgiving.  As the ship began to fall beneath the waves, she had been caught by the anchor and knocked unconscious.

He was young and naive and did not know who or what he had pulled to the safety of the crag in the cove. He was mesmerised by her beauty.  Long golden hair framing delicate porcelain like features.  In her comatose state, her sharp teeth and wild turquoise eyes were hidden.  Her iridescent, fish-like tail however, could not be hidden, even in the dark depths of the sea.

He did not know of the true nature of mermaids, and had not heard of the tales that sailors would tell; of mythical creatures that would lure ships and their crew to their doom by their song, to be ripped apart savagely with long talons and sharp teeth.

As he looked upon her, all he could see was a peaceful beauty that instantly stole his heart.  Once he had regained his strength he had carried her to a nearby cave and placed her limp body in a deep rock pool and cared for her for several days until she regained consciousness.

Upon waking, she has been fearful of where she was and instinctively intended harm against him, but she sensed no fear emanating from him as he approached.  Her body ached and she had felt dizzy as she tried to move within the rock pool.

She had slipped back into unconsciousness for a while and woke to find herself being supported by strong, warm arms.  She gazed hazily into his eyes and began to feel a warmth run through her cold body as he applied a cold compress to her feverish brow.

She had never experienced any form of intimate contact.  It was frowned upon by her kin.  In her world, only the strongest and cruellest survived. Closeness to another, physically or emotionally was wrong, but her body was relaxed and she was soothed by his calmness.  There was warmth in his eyes and his voice that allowed her to be still, to trust this human would do her no harm.

He cared for her, bringing fresh fish to eat and salt water to drink, applying compresses to control her feverish state.  He never showed any sign of fear and every time he was near, she could feel warmth radiate through her body.  They exchanged stories of humans and mermaids and he never showed signs of revulsion or contempt, just acceptance.

Growing stronger every day, she knew she had to leave him and return to the sea and her kin, but whilst he was with her, she could not bear to go.  Knowing what could never be, as he left to catch fish and collect driftwood for the fire, she made her way through the rock pools to the entrance of the cave.

The vastness of the sea stretched out in front of her, the sunlight catching like jewels dancing upon the water.  The gulls screeched up above in the cloudless sky.  Not looking back, she dived beneath the waves and swam out towards her underwater home, resigned never to go back to see the human again.

It seemed so long ago now, but she had found she could not forget him.  She had been punished for her stupidity, for allowing a human near, but even this did not dull the ache she felt in her heart.  So here she was, watching him from afar, a tall dark silhouette in the moonlight on the beach.