Short Stories

Cage

"I remember when I would stretch my tail on the open beach, and sunbath till my scales turned colors."

Recently I haven't been able to go to the surface  to collect items or even sunbath do to what humans call summer break. I have to make sure i'm not spotted at all coast but the thrill of someone knowing we exist is always an adrenaline rush. 

There are times I would swim to the surface around boats and flip my tail out just to get there attention, somehow they always think its a dolphin or some sea mammal. Why is it so hard for them know the difference. I just want to be know and learn the ways of the humans, to eat there food and bath in warm water. 

Would they accept mermaids or merman's? The thought always lingers in my mind to know if we would live as one or be experimented on. 

As time went on i did all i could to get where attention without truly exposing myself. I tried to get there attention so they would search for us and see where it would go but to no prevail.

One morning i noticed to coast was empty of boats and the shore was empty as ever. I wiggled my way on the shore and just collapse on the warm sand under my body. 

"We meet again my warm friend." I said as i gathered a pile of sand with my hand and placed it on my tail to warm it up. 

Regardless of all the rumors and tall tales and mythical stories mermaids legs do not grow into legs just cause they warmed up or removed from water. 

Only two things will turn our tail into legs. Will power and unfortunately, the transformation is absolutely painful. There are times the tail will deteriorate and fall off in chunks or in one whole piece and we will have nubs from the waste down until our legs slowly start to form and eventually start to part ways then voila human legs.

Second way is to quickly splitting our tail in two, right down the middle. Over time the scales will adsorb into the skin and appear as regular legs. Again very painful either way.

Also Water does not change us back into mermaids when exposed. We do have a time limit for how long we can stay as "Humans" .Over time the longer we stay one we eventually become one, but once that happens we become allergic to the water we once was a part of.  

As time went on i lost track of time and how long i was on the shore. I could hear murmuring and whispers from around me. I looked around and saw a few groups of people around, keeping their distance. 

"Make way we are here, move!" Said a loud, strong, and stern man voice. A group of people in weird outfits holding strange objects came rushing towards me. Startled i try to wobble back into the water but i was to slow and they caught me. A sharp feeling pierced the back of my neck and down i went. 

I awoke to find myself in a large underwater holding tank. What was going to happen to me? Did my worst fear of being dissected come true? I splashed around slamming against the walls hoping to crack it or knock it over. I was unsuccessful.

In the corner of the room a door slowly opened letting in the light from the outside. So that was my exit, i just had to find a way out. 

"Hello there beautiful." Said a strange man, as he stood before me.

"You was a hard one to track down, we have spotted you a few times, didn't think you would go unnoticed did you? He asked as he circled my tank.'

"You wanted to be noticed so bad,well deary you got your wished." He said as he looked me in my eyes and smirked. He started to examine the tank one last time and walked away after. 

Hours passed and no one came back. I struggled trying to leave and every attempt was a fail.  

In the corner of the room the door slowly opened yet again, and in came a group, no a mass of humans with camera and phones pointed at me. Their faces lite up with excitement and amazement.  This went on for years. Humans came from all around the world, all different from color to shape and size, even from the way they talked. I was amazed to learn about them to. I enjoyed them being around i learned to entertain them and keep them loving me. 

Over time groups of people hardly came to see me, to the point they stopped all together. Time went on as loneliness kicked in. I was confused i couldn't escape and no one, not even the strange man came back for a long time. The only thing that kept me company was the machine that blew air bubbles into the water and the automatic machine that dropped raw food for me, and like every one else it stopped.  

I knew what my fate awaited me as I stayed locked in this cage!