Submerged

My Dear Cousin

I saw the sunlight peak through the water in front of me as I got closer to the dock. I planned on telling Sophia everything about our colony today, but I was going to take her to a beautiful place to do so. I had the perfect place in mind.

As I got closer to the dock, my heart started beating a little faster. I was nervous to see my princess, even though being aruond her was so easy. The water was getting brighter, and I let a beam of sun touch my shoulder. It burned and I could feel my scales sizzle, but I didn't stop. My head surfaced and I looked around. I beat her here? Weird. Usually we are here the same time or she beats me. That's fine, it'll give me some time to plan out everything I'm going to tell her. Like how the tunnels and passages under the water that she has seen is just a fraction of the intricate city that lives below her world. And that there are well over 50 merpeople like me that are living in the caves, and all contribute to making out colony thrive. I was going to tell her about the cave where we raise our own animals, and where the hot springs were located, and... about the moon room. A giant cave room with crystals lining the walls that when the moon touches them, the whole room becomes magical. This is where she would have to drown.

Sounds pretty crazy when I thought about it, and I could picture the look on her face as I tell her. Disbelief, awe, and fear all mixed together in her beautiful features. I had been waiting for over an hour now, and no sign of her. Maybe she is still sleeping. Or eating something. She has been preoccupied the past few days, i don't think she has even eaten.

More time went by, and it was high noon now. There is no way she would not come, unless she changed her mind.

My heart skipped.

Did she change her mind? Did she not want to see me because she doesn't want to be a merwoman anymore? Maybe she got scared or doesn't want to leave her life behind to live among us forever. She must be terrified that changing her mind will result in her death so she is hiding in her cabin on land. What she doesn't know is that I will die saving her before anyone even gets near her, no matter what her decision is. Merwoman or human, I would do anything to know she is livng on, with or without me.

~~~~~~~

I decided to wait for her until sunset, and then I would go to my father to tell him that I would be fighting the elders for her life. My mind was made up, which made it much easier to decide to die for her. I hope she would be happy living back in her world, where ever she lived. In a tall building somewhere or in her own house on a quiet street. Once she got away and I was sacrificed for my betrayl, she would be safe for the rest of her life. I'm sure she would never come back to this lake. I'm sure she would meet a human man who would see how amazing she was and love her forever and have children and they would be happy.

 My heart ached at the thought of this and I shook it out of my mind.

The sun was going down now, and I took a deep breath, readying myself for a fight greater than this colony has ever seen. I knew that I would die, but if there was even thr slightest chance I could get how much I love her across to the elders, maybe it was worth it.

I turned and was about to swim back to my fathers cave when there was the outline of a head floating just out of reach of me. through the moonlight I could tell who it was, and my stomach churned, my face growing hot with anger.

"Aquiam," I growled through my teeth, "What are you doing here?" I felt a bad feeling grow in my gut, and I uttered the words, "Where is she?" The look on his face was enough to make me throw up.

He chuckled, "Out of the way, my dear cousin." He swam around me so he was in between me and the dock. "I couldn't let her be changed and you two live happily ever after and then have me left in the dust." He scoffed, "I deserve to be on the council just as much as anyone, but if you mated, you would be next in line, and where does that leave me?" He whispered now, inches from my face. I could feel the movement in the water of him treading close to me, our arms and legs moving but never touching.

"It would have been twice as insulting to lose my seat over a," He spit through it teeth, "human." My eyes welled with hot tears of anger and the sudden urge to crack his nose. It would be easy. One hit is all it would take, and he would sink to the bottom.

But I knew it wouldn't change anything, and I wouldn't find her. There was a million places he could have her hidden and she wouldn't be able to hold her breath long enough to escape.

What if she dies trying to escape?

What if she drowns?

I looked Aquiam deep in the eye and said again, "Where is she. Tell me now." My voice was strong and demanding, and I saw a little flicker of fear in his eyes. I kept a strong gaze, his muscles getting tired from treading and his head surly getting dizzy. I pushed my gaze harder, "Where is she!" my voice boomed across the lake and I grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him under the water with me.

He tried to fight me off but I was stronger, always have been. I held his arms away from his body and we both treaded water for a few minutes, staring into each others eyes, mine burning with hate, his full of fear and embarrassment.

"You thought you would get away with this, cousin?" I said, my voice a little muffled under the water, but not too much to where he couldn't hear me. "I would've thought better of you." I laughed, tossing my head back, "But then again, you have always been jealous of me!" I got inches from his nose, gritting my teeth and thinking how wonderful it would be to bite it off.

"Tell me where she is or I will drag you to my father and you can tell him where she is..." I paused, pleased with how that would end. "Im sure, my dear cousin, that it wouldn't end in your favor."  I smiled when I saw him finally give in, he stopped fighting against my hands, and his arms went weak. He eyes were heavy and he looked down when he said, "She's in the worm cave."

I laughed out loud and released him, shoving him away from me. "The worm cave?" He nodded, still looking down. "Leave me now, cousin." I snarled at him, and he swam around me and I watched him dissappear into the dark waters.

My heart was beating like a drum as I dove deep down to the bottom of the lake where the entrance to the worm cave was. I knew exactly where he put her. There was a little cave in there where she could stay without being wet, but it wasn't very big and surly the oxygen would be getting low in that little space. I swam harder thinking about her struggling for air in that little cave, where I was going to take her to tell her about my world. Now I will never make her go there again.

Once I save her, I will never let her out of my sight.