Drowning (Lams mermaid AU)

Chapter 12 - Laurens

I still wasn't sure how much I could trust Eliza, but she was the best chance I had. So I kept following her, deeper into the ocean.

It was getting darker all around me, I was starting to get nervous, but Eliza wasn't slowing down and I had to keep up. I didn't want to be stuck in the dark by myself.

Suddenly I saw something giving off a faint glow, from the top of a tall rock. Just the top was illuminated, but it seemed to reach down deeper than I would have imagined possible.

I immediately felt comforted by the thing, no matter what it was, it was giving some light into this gloom, which made me feel safe.

Eliza seemed to be aiming towards that mysterious object, finally slowing down a little as we got ever closer to the rock, before gradually reaching a stop right next to it.

The light seemed greater now that we were close, although it didn't offer any more illumination of the area around us. It created a very small haven of safety and comfort, giving just enough light to show me Eliza's excited face. She seemed very impressed by this weird object.

"So.. uh what is it?" I asked cautiously, scared to interrupt the silence, but immensely curious about this thing, particularly if it could help me talk to my human.

Eliza didn't respond for a while at first, seeming completely entranced by this thing.

It took me clearing my throat for her to realise that I was still there. I gestered towards the item as she looked at me with confusion.

"Don't you get it John? This will let him breath underwater! Isn't it a miracle!" She answered joyfully, a smile already plastered across her face as she returned her gaze to it.

I felt unsure, it wouldn't be that easy, surely.

I decided to look at the item properly for the first time, and I soon saw why Eliza struggled to take her eyes off it.

It was a stunningly crafted necklace, a chain of woven seaweed, so finely formed it looked like pure silk. At the centre of the seaweed hung a medium rock, with strange markings carved into it. These carvings gave of a blue and green glow, that was impossible to look away from.

I found myself drawn to it in a way I could never explain. I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and touching it.

As my skin made contact with it, the glow stopped.

We were plunged into total darkness. I only knew Eliza was still with me because she grabbed my arm in fear, and I grabbed onto her.

I quickly closed my hand around the mysterious necklace, ensuring it wouldn't dissapeare. I couldn't dare let my only chance to communicate with my human slip through my fingers.

I heard a rumbling around me, and knew I had to move. I had to move if I didn't want to stay in the dark sea forever.

I grabbed Eliza's wrist as she remained frozen, and began fighting to swim upwards.

It was harder than I expected, even as Eliza started to realise the situation and swim with me. It felt as though the necklace was trying to drag us back to the bottom of the ocean.

As we started to see light tip-toeing through the water, a voice rang through my ears.

"You who have stolen from me, listen well. I see you have a heart that is full of love, and I shall allow you the thing you have stole, but I warn you, if you touch the thing that you love, the sea will ask for its payment"

I felt fear run through my blood at this warning, I couldn't figure out what it meant, I had to focus on getting out of there alive.

I didn't stop swimming until my head broke the surface of the sea, and I was far out of the dark.

The necklace had stopped struggling against me, and lay calmly in my hand, softly glowing green and blue.

Eliza looked at me, eyes full of relief, she clearly hadn't expected such a struggle.

I didn't care about her or the struggle, as grateful as I was to her for showing me this magical thing, I was too distracted.

All I needed now was to find my human, and finally, we could talk.

A/N  did you miss me?