A Mermaid's Story

Chapter 1

Dad finally made it home with his crew. They look different, almost like strangers. That's what happens when your a pirate on the ocean for half a year.
This time was the hardest for me. Normally I would go with him and travel. Mom would stay because she's a woman and has to watch my siblings.
I just turned 16, making me a woman. My younger sister and brother are both 5 and twins. They will be able to go soon in my place with Dad.
I can't because of that stupid belief. Everyone believes a woman curses a ship and the crew if they aboard. Around here, 16 is when your declared a woman.
I, with other females and some males, think it's a stupid myth, but none of us is willing to sacrifice ourselves or another female.
Sacrificing ourselves is very dangerous. Why? Any females old enough found abroad the ship is punished and drowned. They'll kill us.
Different ships have different punishments that all end in drowning. I have over heard many stories of these different punishments when I was younger.
These punishments are stupid and uncalled for. Some females are raped, beaten, and used as slaves.
Once they are done with them, they tie their legs together and throw them over board naked. They are left to drown or be eaten alive, if they are still alive when the sharks come, and are never saved.
So many females die this way. Its saddening and disgusting how, us females, are treated in this world. We are used as toys and slaves.
Some of us our lucky. Like my family to have our dad. He doesn't do what the others do. They treat us like crap and rape us.
They don't care what we are to them. I have a friend named Lisa. Her dad beats her and her mom everyday. He even raped her and let his friends take turns with her.
This is how it is with all most all the families. Beaten, raped and forced to work every day. It may not be in that order, but it happens in our country.
We have laws and one of the biggest law is about the women. We must, once 16, dress like women and be prepared to marry.
The dresses are corsets and kinda look like dresses from long ago with the powdered wings and poofed out skirts with frills. The only difference was, we could choose what they look like.
My mom took us out to buy me some. I hate heading to the market place. Its where all the stores are located. I hate it because of what happens.
Men will be hitting the women and pushing them around like mules. Some will even come up to you and sexually harass you if you don't have a lupis.
A lupis is what we wear if we are taken already. Its basically a special necklace with a big rock on it and other stuff. Females without are fresh meat, as I heard some males call it.

If you don't have one and not near your mom or dad, your a goner. You may be lucky enough to escape without being kidnapped.
Many girls are kidnapped and forced to marry them or sold off by their fathers. Many of the guys are old and disgusting and tend to be the first ones asking.
You rarely have a guy whose around your age or actually decent want to marry you. Having a guy who is both your age and decent is very rare.
We enter the store with the dresses as a employee walks up to us.

"Hello, welcome to Dressins," she said happily, "are you here to be measured for specific dresses or just want to grab and pay? "

"Lora, lets do the measures to get you a good fitting dress, ok?" My mom said as we headed to a booth marked as the measuring station.

It was basically a separate room with booths for the girls. There was five total and I was give the second one. Inside was a mirror, bench and some places to hang dresses.
An employee soon came and measured my entire body asking me questions on what style I'd like my dress. I prefer something not girly and over the top.
After listening to me and measuring, she left to grab some dresses as my mom came in. She looked in awe from the new dresses.
The lady soon came back with an hand full of dresses. Most were black, my favorite color. I picked the plain looking ones with a bit of other colors and designs.
My mom took them all but one since I'm required to put it on. This one was black with red lace on the corset and a bit of red detail on the poofed out skirt.
The dress was really uncomfortable. It was squeezing me and pushing my breasts up for show. Only thing I like about the dress style was how it's shorter in the front.
I walked out into the market place to meet my mom. We soon went home after that. Too many guys that are old enough to be my dad, tried to touch me when they realised I'm of age.
They made us uncomfortable enough to leave before she flipped. She already smacked one and was threatened, but we ran out of there and walked home.