All I felt was his icy fingers around my mouth.
"Alicity, do not scream. I don't want to do anything I don't have to," said a deep and gravelly whisper of a voice.
He had snuck up behind me. I couldn't hear his footstep over the constant groan and creak of the ship. I didn't even know who he was. I tried to escape his grasp by thrashing my shoulders. He held me tighter, gagged me, and began to tie my hands together at the wrists. I was turned around violently by my capture. I finally saw his face. It was Josiah, the ships steward. He was the captain's assistant. Of course it was him. Josiah had been giving me guilty looks all day. I tried kicking him but my frail legs just bounced off his muscular calves.
He pushed me over and began binding me at the ankles as to prevent me from running. When he finished fastening the ropes to the tightest extremity, Josiah picked me up by my waist and shifted me so that he was carrying me like a baby. All was calm for this short amount of time. Almost serene. The quiet before the storm.
Josiah carried me up to the main deck and I let out a muffled scream. "Quiet down, Alicity, or else!" He spoke somewhat desperately.
Then out of nowhere I heard a voice boom, "Josiah, stop!" It was the captain, Sebastian! He had come to rescue me! I knew that my screams would benifit me in the end, though my throat felt raw and hoarse. Captain Sebastian approached and I was practically radiating gratitude. But, why hadn't Josiah put me down? Wouldn't he want to try to explain himself to his employer?
"Wait! Let me see her," said the captain as he stepped closer to my kidnapper and me.
"Why, sir?" Asked Josiah
"Because I never want to forget a face as pretty as her's," explained Sebastian to my surprise. He was supposed to rescue me! He was the only one that I trusted on this wretched vessel! He unfastened my gag.
"Captain, what are doing? Help me!" I exclaimed.
"I'm sorry Alicity, but women are bad luck upon the Red Lady. We must dispose of you. When we picked you up in Cumbria, I didn't realize that you would become a permanent fixture of the crew."
He then gagged me again and turned away.
I had never felt more betrayed in my life. The man that took me in and gave me free passage.
Josiah re-adjusted my limp body in his arms and walked to the edge of the ship. "Goodbye, my beautiful Alicity."
All I felt next was a cold sheet of silk. I closed my eyes. I was then completely submerged. I didn't get any breath before I went underwater. I began to slowly sink to the bottom of the ocean. My whole body became numb from the cold of the salt water. I pressed the air out of my lungs. My chest started to burn and I felt like I was being stabbed with a thousand daggers in my feet and calves. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but blackness. It was like an elephant was sitting on my ribcage. I was so dizzy I thought I would pass out. I was right. I did, but right before I did, I saw an angelic halo of yellow gold singularly swimming through the darkness of the ocean.
I blacked out.
I woke.
Gold.
Black.
Blinding light.
Once the light faded, I saw colors. So many beautiful colors all around me. I moved my head.
Black.
As I began to stir, I heard a soft murmuring located behind my head. I glanced down and saw a ginormous fish where my legs should be. I took a deep breath and heard more murmuring. Deep breath. Deep breath? I moved my arm and recognized the soft ruffle of waves. Another breath and I could believe what I saw.
I am a mermaid.
