A Mermaid for the Lonely

Caught in the Currents

Beneath the soft lull of the ocean's waves, Sirène floated in the familiar silence of her realm. The cove was her sanctuary, and though she had been waiting for Lyam, she felt no impatience. Over the last week, she had become attuned to his presence, sensing the change in the water when he approached. Today, the currents whispered nothing of his arrival yet, so she remained underwater, letting herself drift.

Her mind wandered back to the last time she saw him. The memory of his kiss lingered like a haunting melody. It had been so soft, so fleeting, but it stirred something deep within her—something she still couldn't fully comprehend. She knew what kissing was, had observed humans do it before, but experiencing it herself was different. It wasn't just the touch of lips; it was the warmth, the way her chest felt strangely full, and the sudden pull that made her want to close the distance between them again.

She had been thinking about that kiss for days. Curious, yes, but also wanting more. Could she ask him to do it again? Would he? The thought made her wonder if this was another one of those human emotions she had been learning about—something she didn't quite understand but couldn't ignore either. Was this... desire? Or something else entirely?

Lost in her thoughts, Sirène hardly noticed the shift in the waters above. The soft creak of a boat's hull was masked by the natural sounds of the sea, and her focus was entirely on the surface, waiting for the telltale sign that Lyam was near. But instead, there was something else. The water stirred differently, and when she glanced upward, she saw it—a fishing net, slowly descending into the water.

At first, she didn't think much of it. The fishermen must have misjudged the area—there were no large schools of fish in this part of the sea, nothing that would warrant their attention. But as the net drew closer, her sense of unease grew. She moved to swim away, but the net was faster than she expected, as if guided with purpose, and it became clear that it wasn't just fish they were after.

It was her.

Her heart jolted as the realization set in. Instinctively, she darted sideways, her tail propelling her through the water in a flash of pink and white, but the net was cast wide, and it swayed dangerously close to her. She could feel the pull of the ropes tightening just above her, cutting off her usual escape route. Panic began to bubble in her chest—a feeling foreign and unwelcome. She had never been hunted before.

She glanced upwards, and through the shimmering surface, she spotted the silhouette of a small fishing boat. A fisherman leaned over the side, watching the net as it descended. The moment she recognized the figure, her blood turned cold. Mikkel.

Mikkel, the old sailor who had confronted Lyam just days ago. He had grown suspicious, wary of the girl who disappeared into the sea and the man who seemed drawn to her. Now, it seemed, he had taken matters into his own hands.

Sirène swerved and dove deeper, hoping to evade the net's reach, but it followed her, relentless. Her pulse quickened. She had never been trapped before, and the weight of the net began to drag through the water, threatening to ensnare her fins. She twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding its grasp, her silver eyes wide with panic. She had always been so careful, staying hidden from humans, but Lyam... he had made her careless. Now, she was paying the price.

The net brushed against her tail, and she thrashed, managing to slip free before it could tighten around her. But her escape was narrow, and her movements were growing frantic. She scanned her surroundings, searching for any escape route, any place where the net wouldn't reach. The underwater terrain was mostly flat here, with only a few outcrops of rock to hide behind. The open water left her vulnerable, too exposed.

A burst of frustration surged through her. She was a mermaid, not some helpless creature to be caught in a human's net. She was supposed to be free, part of the ocean. Yet here she was, trapped in a game she didn't know how to win.

Above, Mikkel's voice echoed faintly through the water as he gave orders to the other men on board. He had no intention of leaving empty-handed. The men began pulling the net back, hoping to catch their prize, and Sirène realized that time was running out.

Her mind raced. She couldn't let herself be captured—if they succeeded, they would expose her to the world, and worse, they would know what she was. But how could she outmaneuver a net designed for creatures smaller, slower than her? Her pulse pounded in her ears as she thought of Lyam, of the kiss, of the strange pull she felt toward him. The idea of never seeing him again, of being dragged away from the sea she loved and the one human she trusted, made her stomach twist painfully.

She had to get out of this.

With a sharp breath, Sirène focused. She turned sharply, swimming in a tight spiral, confusing the movement of the net above. She dove deeper, forcing the fishermen to pull their ropes harder, straining against the force of the sea. It was exhausting work, and she could sense their frustration growing. She used that to her advantage, darting toward the rocky outcrop nearby, slipping between the jagged stones where the net couldn't reach.

For a moment, she was free. Safe.

But she knew it wouldn't last long. Mikkel would keep trying, and she was only delaying the inevitable. She needed to find Lyam, needed to warn him. She cast one last glance at the boat, then swam with all her strength, slipping into the shadows of the deep.

Her heart hammered in her chest, a rhythm she was unaccustomed to, a mixture of fear and desperation pushing her forward. She had to get to the cove. She had to find Lyam.

And as she swam, her thoughts raced ahead. This was no longer a game. Mikkel was dangerous, and if he had caught her this time, what would he do next? Sirène's world had always been one of solitude, but now, the stakes had changed. She had something to protect. Someone to protect.

For the first time, the weight of that realization hit her, and it felt both terrifying and... something else. Something she couldn't quite name. But whatever it was, it drove her forward, faster than ever, toward the only person who could help her now.

Lyam.