The Mermaid's Reckoning | ONC 2024

Chapter 6

Night was different in the ocean. Darkness fell quickly and, with it, the water dropped in temperature. Pretie shivered as goosebumps rose on her skin—even the grey scales of her tail pricked up and began to twitch against each other, resulting in a soft grating sound. That—above all else—was definitely new to Pretie.

The girl swam close behind Ephyra and her friends as they headed away from the rocky hollow, winding their way through the rock columns.

"Where are we going?" She couldn't help but ask, taking a moment to rub at her arms. 

"The sleeping nooks?" Ephyra replied, shooting her an amused look as if this was something Pretie was supposed to naturally know. The girl just frowned, looking away. She refused to ask what 'sleeping nooks' Ephyra was referring to—not as long as she was going to stare at her like Pretie was some naive child. It's not my fault I don't know all the mermaid customs. It wasn't even my choice to become one.

Fortunately, the words explained themselves several minutes later, when a craggy outcropping of rock and coral came into view ahead of them. Pretie slowed as she noticed the array of mermaids flitting through the area, displaying tails of a whole rainbow of colors ranging from the palest pearl to the darkest midnight blue. As Ephyra and the others swam ahead, she continued to look around, noticing the niches in the rocky cliff. When she drifted closer, she saw the glimmering scales inside each one. All the mermaids are curled up to go to sleep, Pretie realized as a figure in one of the alcoves rolled over to reveal a human face.

The more the girl looked around, the more she noticed the sheer number of niches—and, beyond that, the number of mermaids sleeping in them. Every nook held at least two, their bodies twined together for warmth.

When Pretie looked up, she saw that both Krill and Melody had disappeared; all that remained was a flash of electric green and coral pink scales as they slipped into one of the alcoves. Ephyra started to follow after them before she turned to catch Pretie's eye. Her mouth opened, her eyes skating to the awaiting sleeping nook. The girl's heartbeat stuttered. Is she going to ask me if—

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, so... Sleep well, Prettypants." Offering her a nod, Ephyra dipped into the alcove. Something in Pretie crumpled in disappointment as she watched the last of her tail recede from view. She wasn't sure what she had been hoping the mermaid would ask her, but this somehow wasn't it.

With Ephyra gone, Pretie was alone. The clearing was still as the other mermaids tucked themselves into the remaining alcoves, their soft, companionable murmurs providing the only noise. Shivering in the cool water, the girl drifted around, trying to locate a sleeping nook of her own. They all seemed to be taken, their residents' presence revealed by the glint of their scaled tails in the dim moonlight.

This is exactly why I don't want to be here, she thought to herself as she swam down to the sand below. Her eyes caught on a small cranny between the ocean's floor and the craggy rock outcropping—clearly not a prime choice, considering it remained the only empty spot. Not perfect, but it'll do. Pretie hesitantly twisted herself around and, after some wriggling and grunting, managed to fit herself into the crevice, leaving just enough space for her to turn over. The sand and the rock alike were cold against her skin and she hugged her arms around herself, trying to reduce her trembling. 

I definitely understand why they pair up to sleep. It's... It's freezing. While Pretie knew she was probably exaggerating, the temperature seemed far colder than she was used to. Aecora was practically tropical; even the winters were mild. Here, the cold seemed to seep into her very bones, combining with an even deeper sense of loneliness that only increased her shivering. 

It seemed like hours of tossing and turning—as much as one could manage in an alcove so small—to no avail.  When Pretie finally fell asleep, it was restless. She slept in fits and starts and, all the while, she felt the strange prickling of eyes on the back of her neck, as if someone was watching her.