Innocent Creatures

Chapter 1 (P.O.V: Fia)

I wish none of this mess ever happened.

I lay in the Summer pool, crying my eyes out in the little cove papa dug out for me. I slap my silver tail against the water, and tug the fins on my arms and neck. I'm a mermaid in a human world, and everyone in the village helps me protect this secret. I turn into a mermaid when I touch water, the transformation is very painful. I can also control when I change, and do it whenever I want. That's not why I'm crying. I'm crying because I kissed Clive Dandelion. I'm crying because I liked it. I'm crying because I kissed him without telling Clara. I'm regretting all of it and I'm crying because Clive is my brother's boyfriend. My brother, River, told me to never touch Clive, because he loves him. River is the most loyal of brothers, and I'm crying because I know he will be sad.

I know that this is not the best way to introduce myself... but right now, I do not care for it.

'It was the heat of the moment' I tell myself. Maybe if I say it enough times it will become true. Clive likes both men and women, even River knows that, but I didn't think for a second that he would think to kiss me. I hate Clive almost as much as I hate myself now. I kick my tail out and swim down. This part of the pool has been made deep for me, around 16 meters deep in fact. I swim to the bottom and cry silently, my scaly hands over my skin-covered face. I see my oily tears fly around me, and my ginger hair cascades over my shoulders. I see a few fish swim in the seawater pool, and sand lays neatly at the bottom. It's lit by the blue lights at the bottom of the pool, so I can see all I need to see. I stay there long enough for the morning light to turn into the white light of the moon. Long enough to see River jump in the pool to find me, with a sad look across his face. When he spots me, he turns into his water form. His hands change into fins, and so do his feet, then he produces gills on his neck. He swims towards me, in a much more elegant manner than I could ever muster. Then he sits in front of me, and I shut my third, transparent eyelid, so that I can see him clearer. He has been crying. Then he finds the courage to pull the water-chalk board (invented by papa) from the cupboard in the wall. The cupboard is covered in seaweed and starfish, much like the rest of the pool. I'm still weeping when he starts writing on the board. When he holds it up, I hug my tail tighter and slowly read it.

'Clive told me' it reads 'about the kiss. He was crying too. Can you tell me why please?'.

I weep, and take the board from him. I wipe the board until all the chalk is off its black surface.

'We had drunk a little too much wine' I write 'and I know not to blame it on that. I wasn't thinking, River. I'm so sorry'. Wiping away my pearly tears, I show him the board.

I see him cover his mouth with his hand, and an oily tear falls out of his left eye.

'Sorry can't make what you did any better' he writes, when I pass him the chalk board.

"I know" I mouth, gesturing that my heart is now broken from seeing him cry.

"Mine is more torn" he mouths, letting oily tears fall from his eyes. The water around us is freezing and it's dark, but the lights in the floor let us see each other clearly.

'I can't express how sorry I am' I write, weeping, and then handing him the board. 'Yes you can, Fia' he writes, showing it to me with a solemn look on his face.

"How?" I mouth, still crying. Then he combs his fingers through his ginger hair, and I see him sigh.

'The carnival is coming to town. I, Clive, and you will go. You will prove you don't love him there' he shows me. I nod frantically, letting go of my tail, and hugging him hard. He doesn't hug me back, but he leans his head on my shoulder and I feel him heave a breath. When I slowly pull away, he points up, and starts to swim, his glistening flippers moving side to side. Bubbles rise upwards slowly, from where they throw around the water. I swim up too, using my tail, which is a sparkling silver colour. I wonder what thoughts are running through Rivers head now. Probably a sense of betrayal. My neck feels like it's clutching it's self, or there's a knot sitting at the back of it. It feels like a large ache. I let my weeping cease, and swim fast enough to meet River at the top. He will not look me directly in the eye, as he whispers "Papa would like you to join us for dinner. He said he would be grateful if you came".