Swim Away (Mermaid)

Chapter Forty-Six

Drip. Drip.

The sand was covered with small drops of my blood. Dark red liquid continued to run down from my chest. Having already figured out the star was pierced inside, I gave up on finding my way back.

Whatever it was that helped me out of there, shouldn't have done that. Whether it was my own magic reacting to my emotions or the image I saw before I came here, it should've known I'd end up dead. That must be my fate.

The cool water continued to crash against my tail. It wouldn't dry if it went on like this, so I dragged myself as far from it as possible in my condition. Every move I made caused my chest to pour out more blood. I tried to hold my screams, but they escaped.

I ran my hands in through the sand again and curled them into fists. I used all my strength to move forward. Once I believed I was far enough, I lied down. My face planted on the sand.

I let a several minutes go by before I put pressure on my arms to get up. I huffed from how hard it was to breathe. I could see everything around me becoming a blur.

I had to do the chant, quick! I used every ounce of strength I had and focused on the words I needed to say to activate my magic. I repeated it many times but nothing changed. I dropped down on the sand again. My eyes forced themselves shut, but I was still conscious.

If only I knew a way to remove the star that was planted on my chest. From now on, I had to avoid those swords. If I live.

I heard someone gasp. I didn't think it was worth looking up.

"A mermaid!" A little girl shouted.

My eyes shot open. Small legs standing in my view. I looked up to see a little girl in a yellow dress. Her brown hair was in a ponytail. At first, she looked shocked and excited at the sight of me. But when the color of my tail registered, she quivered, taking a few steps back.

I didn't know what to say. I never had this problem before, because I was always careful.

If I chose to defend my tail, I would be admitting that mermaids were real. She may see one right in front of her, but as long as I didn't confirm it, I should be fine.

Ugh. Who was I kidding?

The little girl started to cry, and I wished I got stabbed instead of having to deal with this. There had to be a chant that could erase someone's memories of seeing something magical.

I tried to think if I saw something like that in the journal. But I came up blank.

Without even realizing it, I said a chant and the girl's eyes went blank. She turned and walked away without another word or tear.

There was a sudden surge of energy that felt similar to the one that got me here. Where was it coming from?

I looked down at my chest, seeing the liquid continue to ooze out. More ran down after the chant. I didn't know how much longer I would last. There was nothing I recognized in this area. I didn't have any way of contacting anyone.

First, I needed to get my legs back. If I was able to do something to that little girl, so maybe I could make my tail disappear this time. I focused on my chant and used every ounce of my power. The energy in me was draining out as I continued. It was making me weaker, hanging my head so close to the sand.

I started panting more than before and fell flat on my face. My tail was still attached to my body as I lied there, almost lifeless. I didn't know how much longer I could keep myself conscious. It wasn't for long, though. I was out cold.