Short Stories and Drabbles

Fathoms Apart (Remix From Fanfic Idea)

Sera huddled in the corner of the tank, arms wrapped around her tail and head down.

She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.

You're too reckless, her father's voice rang in her ears. You'll find yourself in over your head one day if you're not careful.

She'd always scoffed at him and rolled her eyes behind his back. She was seventeen after all, practically an adult and she knew what she was doing. She could handle herself.

That's what she'd used to think anyway.

She raised her head, and promptly burst into a fresh wave of tears at the sight of the glass walls surrounding her. The water they'd dumped her in was pristine, but almost painfully empty. No gentle currents to push her back and forth, no fish zipping about, no near buzz in the water signaling the closeness of other mermen and women.

Nothing.

She'd never felt water so utterly dead.

Her tail, usually a mass of vibrant gold and silver scales was faded and dull and the ebony mane that passed for her hair hung limp about her head.

She would die in here.

Already, she could feel the gnawing hunger in her gut as her stomach protested a lack of food. Her limbs were shaking, and weak and she felt achy and tired as if ill with a cold.

Her captors had tried to make her eat, dumping all manner of fish into the tank, but the mere sight of it made her want to throw up. She'd done little but cry since being locked in here, and had no intention of stopping any time soon.

Mermaids were not made for captivity.

Her captors didn't care. She'd heard them talking about it, saying that once she died they'd simply put her corpse on display and garner just as much interest. That it'd actually be easier to have her dead, more cost effective in the long run.

As if they needed to worry about cost.

The barest flicker of movement caught her eye through the glass and she turned dull eyes in that direction, wondering what fresh torment they had planned for her.

The tank had been placed in what she privately referred to as the ego room, showcasing weapons and furniture and other things encrusted with gold and jewels and all manner of pretentiousness. During the day people were marched through, some clearly wealthy, others not, to marvel and exclaim over how magnificent it all was.

When they saw her their eyes would bug out and they'd rush over, banging on the glass and shouting to try and get her to do tricks like some sort of trained dolphin. She'd ignored them thus far, choosing to stay curled in her corner. She'd been threatened over it but, really, what more could they do to her?

At night everyone would leave and the lights would be shut off, leaving her alone until the next day when it would start all over again.

It was night now, meaning she should be alone and yet here was the dull flicker of a wraith light moving among the pedestals.

Sera watched it a moment or two, and then buried her face in her arms again. She didn't care anymore. Let them do whatever it was they wanted and then go away and leave her alone.

The darkness over her closed eyelids brightened and she tensed, tightening her arms about her tail. She hated this. She wanted to go home. Why couldn't they just let her go home?

A light tap sounded on the glass.

Sera flinched and burrowed deeper into her arms. Go away, she thought desperately. Just leave me alone.