Predator Lurking in the Waters

Chapter 9: An Understanding

He was hearing that hum again. The soft, mellifluous echo that made its way into his mind—into his body, except this time the circumstances were different (he hoped).

Richard felt instantly calmed by the soothing sound, and he was pulled in closer by the mer. The mer wrapped its body around him, eyes half-lidded, and seemingly content by his presence. Its clawed hand stroked his face sweetly, intimately, in a way a lover would.

Richard would have been thrashing, trying desperately to escape the mer's grasp, but the sound, that deep, enticing sound, was pulling him in a haze. He felt high, and disoriented, however, he also felt a sense of comfort. He couldn't make sense of anything, and his vision had become hazy.

This, Richard thought stupidly, This would be a nice way to die. Except he wasn't dying—and wasn't going to, at least in this moment. The creature had decided his fate. It had no intention of killing him, and instead, from what Richard could decipher, perhaps empathized with him. Like Richard had given mercy to the mer, the mer was giving mercy to him.

It had startled Richard for a second as it pushed its cheek against his. And for a split of a second, Richard was wary of his situation, wary that the mer had serrated teeth that could just tear his face off right there and then. But instead he was greeted by the shallow breaths against his face, the purrs luring him into this feeling of easing him into the state of contentment.

"That—that feels nice," he mumbled to himself.

"But why haven't you gone back to the ocean? I'm sure your family will be waiting for you there."

Of course the mer didn't understand English, so it cocked its head to the side, staring at Richard. But although it couldn't understand his words, the prince had a feeling it was trying to tell him something. But what that something was, he had no idea.