Drowning

Chapter 8

Kurt took me by the hand and we ran through the forest. Snails were crawling everywhere.
"By the way, what happened to your leg? I thought it was broken?"
"It healed!" I laughed and pulled him up on a rock. We looked out at the view.
The sky was long and wild. Below, was a glistening and glass lake. Plants grew wildly in the corners and creatures danced in the sun.
"It's beautiful." For once, I felt safe and all worry about water escaped my mind. I leaned my head on his shoulder and breathed in the sight.
"Yeah." Kurt smiled back and held my hand. This time, I didn't pull back or flinch. "Wait, one last thing before the sun sets. Follow me."
I followed him through the woods. He led me through branches until we were on the shore of the lake.
"But... I don't really want to go swimming."
"You don't have to. But the sun looks beautiful when you see it set over the lake. I wanted you to have a front row seat." Kurt sat down on the sand. "But while we wait, we could cool off our feet in the water."
"I'm fine here."
"Please? You never go in the water." Kurt pleaded. He stepped into the water and made motions for me to come with him.
His legs started glowing. WOAH. He was a merman! I grinned happily from ear to ear... Until I noticed he wasn't. He was very confused and breathing heavily.
"Kurt you-"
"What's happening to me!" He said frantically.
"You mean, you don't know?"
He made eye contact with me for a quick second. Uncertainty and fear flashed in his eyes as he fell back into the water. A moment later I saw his head on the water, observing himself.
"I... I..." He widened his eyes as he saw his tail. "I'm a fish!"
"But... How could you not know?" As soon as the last word came out of my mouth, I remembered seeing Kurt in his pool surrounded by girls: and he was not a merman. Is there another kind of mermaid that Cora forgot to tell me about?
"Come out of the water." I said.
Obediently, he dragged his tail out of the water and onto the shore. He had a dazzling yellow tail with matching eyes. His hair was spiked and a perfect shade of blue.
"You're a merman, not a fish, Kurt. Now what exactly happened to you?"
"I just got wet." Kurt said promptly.
"No, I mean, did anything weird happen to you another day?"
"Well, yeah."
"What?"
"When I was swimming yesterday, you know, when you were waiting at the hospital, I found this weird cave underwater. The water glowed and steam and... Do I sound crazy?"
I shook my head.
"I don't even know what I'm saying. It just was some crazy dream. This is some crazy dream." Kurt watched his tail glow, and then his feet return.
"No Kurt. None of this was a dream." I looked into his swirling brown eyes. My back leaned closer. My neck pulsed forward.
We were kissing.
After what seemed like a second, we pulled back and blushed.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it was my fault." Kurt awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
"So... This isn't a dream? Then what's wrong with me?! Wait. Why am I asking you? You don't know anything about this. I'm going crazy!"
"Kurt, calm down. You're not crazy. I'm a mermaid too."
"What? You are?!"
"Yes. That's why I never go swimming with you. It's my biggest secret. Our biggest secret." I smiled and jumped in the water. I heard a splash as he jumped in after me.
"Wow. You have a beautiful tail." Kurt commented.
"So do you." I said back.
The rest of the afternoon was spent explaining and having fun.

~~~

"How long have you been a changed mermaid?" Kurt asked.
"About eight months." I answered.
We were in the water, watching the sun set on the water. It was a marvelous sight. The light in the sky reflected the water, making it run red. Clouds bursted pink and the sun was a red chip in the sky. The moon shone brilliantly across from it, making it appear on the water that they were touching.
Kurt kissed me again, just as the sun disappeared on the horizon. It suddenly got dark.
"Thanks Kurt, but it just feels creepy now. I feel like we should go."
"I know, but just a couple more minutes."
I nodded my head slowly, still uncertain. Something was watching us, I could feel it.
"Could we start heading back?"  
Kurt looked back at me with a questioning look on his face. "Oh. Um, if it bothers you so much."
I turned back towards the dark shore. I heard a sharp breath from the darkness.
"What was that?!" I said nervously and started breathing deeply.
"I don't know. We should-" Kurt stopped talking and hung his mouth open.
"Kurt you... You..." I also stopped talking as I heard a loud, ear-splitting cracking noise.
"What is that?" I said.
Kurt just pointed.