Rising Tides

11

Sarah was lost in thought, collecting shells on the beach while she waited for Rowan to return with food. She had so many questions and wanted them answered, but it was clear that Rowan wasn't going to answer them anytime soon. It frustrated her that he was keeping secrets from her.

Sarah sighed and, angry, hurled the small white shell she held in her hand as hard as she could. It flew out of sight and, above her, a seagull cried. Scowling, she blew out a long, frustrated breath and plopped down on the warm sand. Crossing her arms and sulking.

The sound of loud, high-pitched squeaks nearby made her look around and her mood instantly lifted when she saw quick glints of silver in the water and the telltale dorsal fins of a small pod of dolphins. Excited, she stood and towards the water. Thanks to the brief swimming lesson, she wasn't as afraid of the ocean as she used to be. Anxiety still gripped her heart, but the joyous sight of the dolphins splashing around and poking their heads out of the water to click at her was enough to chase it away.

"Oh my goodness, look at you! Hi, guys." Sarah said, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible so she didn't scare them away. She laughed with pure joy as they swam closer to her, clicking and squeaking their hellos. "Aren't you beautiful. Hello."

One dolphin nudged her ankle with its nose. She was submerged up to her waist and gently glided her hand down its smooth, shiny side. There were five of them, and they greeted her without any fear or hesitation at all. Like a pet would greet its owner after being away from home for a long time. She giggled when one bumped into her back, pushing her a few inches farther into the ocean.

"Hi, sweetheart! Wow, you're strong." Sarah affectionately patted its fin and gave a little kiss to the nose of the dolphin in front of her. She felt like a happy little girl again.

Until she felt something clamp around her ankle.

Her laughter turned into screams of terror as she was suddenly pulled underwater.

Water rushed into her mouth and nose, burning her throat and lungs. Her vision blurred and she panicked; struggling and kicking against the thing that grabbed her. It dragged her down deeper and deeper. The pressure was so great that she felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. Then she felt pain rip through her calf and she let out a bubbly scream.

Twisting around, she tried to get a good look at the thing, then screamed again. It was a merman! His teeth were sunk deep into her calf and agony seared through her like white-hot fire as he tore through flesh and muscle and the blue water turned crimson with her blood. With every movement of his head, chunks of flesh got ripped off. Clawed and webbed hands dug into her leg; long nails like razors sliced through the skin as easily as a knife cut through butter. His long, powerful tail thrashed beneath him and he pulled her down farther.

She kicked at him furiously, slamming her free foot onto the top of his head so hard that it shoved him away for a brief moment. She used the opportunity to try and swim to the surface. Her newfound swimming skills came in handy. Even with an injured leg, she could still somehow swim like a pro. She made it about twenty feet before strong arms wrapped around her from behind in a bone-crushing grip, keeping her still, and sharp teeth grazed her ear

"You're not getting away that easily, sweetheart." A deep, melodic voice growled into her ear. "You're the first meal I've had in weeks. I'm hungry, so stay. Still."

Her body immediately went limp and still in his grip. The sound of his voice seemed to seep into her very bones and echoed in her mind in a hypnotic hum. She wanted to do whatever he told her to do.

"Good girl." He purred and turned her around to face him. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and she felt herself losing consciousness. "Wait a minute. You look just like..."

"SARAHHHH!"

Something huge slammed into him, sending him flying through the water at incredible speed.

She was free. She was sinking like a rock. She felt weak. So weak. Then everything went dark.