Submerged

A Choice

Infront of us, as we stood there, my eyes ajusting to the new light, and his skin absolutly glowing, there sat a man in a wooden chair. He was facing the other direction, with what looked like a book in his hands. Suddenly he spoke, "Mikko, you bring a guest. You know how I feel about unintented visitors." He had a  rough voice, but it was a very calming sound. I shivered alittle to how naturla it felt to be there, even though I was in a damn cave under the lake.

What, the hell....

He slowly turned in his char to face us, and when he did, his expression was simply as if he had been waiting for us for hours.

"So, this is the human your cousin tells me about." I felt the grip Mikko had on my hand tighten, and he took a step instincfully infront of me.

How could one person feel so protective over someone they just met? But then again, how can I be so amused by a creature I didnt even know exsisted. It was all so strange.

"I saved her in the lake and-" Mikko started, but his father simply raised a hand and started towards us. Mikko stopped talking, but didnt move. He stayed right there infront of me, and his father walked right up to us, standing within 3 feet of Mikko. I help my breath.

"You don't have to explain to me what you have done, I heard enough from Aquiam." He looked from Mikko to me, and back at him. His eyes looked old and kind. But mostly, very old. And very blue, like Mikko's. I smiled a little, then tried to hide it by looking down at my feet. I squeezed his hand a little and he squeezed back. I felt giddy inside that we were still holding hands, even though there was really no need for it.

"You saved this girl from drowning, olny to introduce her to a new and cruel sentencing," He looked at me a stepped so close I could smell him, a deep smoky aroma, like a fire. He put his fingers on my chin and looked into my eyes, and then Mikko let go of my hand. I was in instant panick, and my eyes flickered from his to his fathers, my heart started pounding out of my chest, and Mikko looked away. I swallowed and met his fathers gaze, terrified. Why was he staring into my eyes like a freak!? All I wanted to do was look at Mikko and see him looking back at me.

Just like that, he let go. He put his hand down and turned away from me, gesturing to Mikko to follow him. He looked at me and nodded, as if I am to stay. so I did.

A few minutes pass before the two of them appeared from behind a dark curtain. Mikko walked towards me and reached out his hand to me, which I imidiatly took, grasping hard to his icy hand. He pulled me to the wooden table his father just sat and, and he also sat down. I took the chair next to him. How akward was this. Usually this would happen after getting caught making out in a bedroom or something, but this was a completly different nervous feeling.

This nervous feeling was brought on because whatever this man says could mean life or death for me.

After a long wait of Mikko staring off into space, and his father staring at me once again, he cleared his throat, and it sounded loud in the silence.

"So," He said quietly, "What is to be done with this human?" He asked Mikko, who turned and looked at him with an expectant gaze.

"Well father, I would much rather her not be sacrificed." His finger carressed an area of skin on my hand, and I felt my stomach flutter, my cheeks most sertanly turning red.

"You realize that there is only one way that that wouldn't happen, and that is a very rare service." Mikko nodded. His father continued, this time talking to me. I tried to keep his gaze without shaking or puking. "While I was looking into your eyes, I could feel your emotions. I can tell that you have a strange, and very strong connection with Samikko, which was proven by the way your body reacted when he let go of your hand and stepped away from you. I feel that he blinds your true emotions, such like fear and rationality, when he is near you. This is something that is very rare in our kind, and when it happens, it usually only occurs between two merpeople, not merman and human girl." He looked to Mikko, who smiled and looked at me. I kept my eyes on his father.

He could read me? So he must know how enexplainably distracted I was by his son, or how frigin scared I was to be threatened with death.

"That said," he said, looking back at me, "The  option is to turn you into one of us." He looked at my whole face, taking in my reaction to his offer. I tried to stay the same, but confusion was clear on my face.

"It would be completly your decicion, and you  do have until our deadline to decide. I know it isnt much of a choice, be turned into a merwoman, or hav eme fight for your life against our whole colany and the elders." Mikko looked overwhelmed at the thought of that, and I knew right there that I couldnt ask him to fight for me against his own kind. I nodded, "Ok, so I can think about it?" I looked at his father, who smiled and nodded. "Mikko can tell you all you want to know about it and more." I looked at Mikko and he looked down at our interlocked hands.

I spoke and it was bearly a whisper, "So I have three days to decide my choice." I took a deep breath, and we all three nodded to ourselves, and it was quiet.

~~~~~~~

Mikko brought me back to the dock , and it felt unnatural to be in the dusky light. I could feel my lungs getting stronger every time we went under. I didn't even know what was going through my head,  all I could think about was how unreal everything seemed still. My week was already down to four days, and I pretty much knew what I was going to choose, because lets face it, I wasn't about to die after finding out all this information.

It took his hand on my knee to drag me out of a trance. It was refreshingly cool. I put my hand ontop of his and looked into his eyes.

"This is crazy. I was living a normal boring life two days ago and then you saved me and just like that, I am going to be a different being all together. Not even like, oh I moved to another state, or got a real extream hair cut, but, now I will have fins and scales and gills like you, and swim like you. And, eat... Like you...

He laughed when he saw the grimmace on my face and I shivered.

"You will get used to the food, we do cook Sophia" I blushed at the sound of my name coming from him. He took my hand in his and brought it up to his mouth, gently kissing my fingers, one by one. I felt my heart speed up instantly and my face was hot. His lips were so cold and soft on my fingers, that I had a sudden curiosity for how they would feel on mine. I leaned down to him and got very close, looking him in the eyes.

"How does the change work?" I asked, whispering to his mouth we were so close. He breathed out heavily and shivered almost, closing his eyes. "It takes place infront of the elders on a great rock, surrounded by candles lit by the prince. Who in this case, is my father." He got even closer to my face, so our noses were nearly touching, and I felt every move his lips made, "Under the full moon, you have to drown. The sacred rocks, blessed by the elders, will bring you back to life when touched my the full moon." I felt my stomach lurch as he let out a cool breath on my lips. I managed to stutter,  "I have to die again?" Before I got an answer, he was gone.

I felt the absence of him instantly, and I was suddenly very awear that i was alone on the dock and the sun was completly gone. And unlike childhood when you dont have anything to fear, you are just over reacting to simple things, I did have sometihng to fear. Fear of death. As it seemed, now my only way out of death was indeed to die.