The Story Enigma

Warm Water

Author Note: So I watched all the pirates of the Caribbean recently and that made me want to write a story about mermaids. Mermaids are super cool and now I'm like, fuck yes, let's do a mermaid story. So... here we are. I actually really want to make this a book now.

If you asked me, love was the most complicated aspect of life there is. Obviously we understand the basic principles... the science and the reasoning but no one really can confirm that love is an idea or a fantasy that our brains conjure up.

Love was mostly bullshit.

At least, love was when it came to me. I had seen love before. Though the environment was horribly taken care of and living in secret sucked, there were the perks to being a mermaid.

Being able to be human at night and also enhanced senses were among the benefits.

Also, no hierarchy and no wars.

Yay mermaids.

Okay but the bullshit love thing. Many species around the world have a mate for life.
They pick one person or animal or whatever and that is the only person, animal, or whatever that they will ever love.

Mermaids did the same.

It was bullshit.

I had seen many mermaids and humans have amazing lives with only one mate but that was not the case with me.

For some reason, I enjoyed making myself suffer so the person that I decided I was going to make my mate was the man hoisting me out of the water and into his boat.
Stupid, I know.

"Listen.. I'm sorry..." The man crouched next to my net and ran his hand through his dark hair.

I didn't speak back, I just watched him. I knew many languages, some dead and others used globally but I could not think of any words as I stared at him.

The net was uncomfortable and my sensitive skin wasn't used to the material. My sea blue, light green, and dark purple tail whipped around as I was not used to being out of water. I had never been completely out of water before in this form... this was a new experience.

I should have been scared but I knew that this man wouldn't hurt me. And that wasn't just because I decided he was my mate, I had always been able to know a person's or mermaid's real intentions.

"Do you talk?" He asked, he eyes remorseful as he examined the net that was bound around me.

"I'm going to let you out.. please cooperate." Carefully he removed the net and helped me so that I was lying on the floor of the boat.

I may have been silenced by him but I wasn't going to be his prisoner. With a few quick movements I pulled myself up onto the railing and into the water again.

Though I wanted to run away back to my home, I hid myself behind a rock and watched him.

"Fuck!" He yelled, kicking a bucket and throwing the net across the boat. The man then went to slam his fist on the railing and I saw the pain it caused him.

He cursed again as he examined his hurt hand, he sat down and then started to look off to the distance. He massaged his hand absentmindedly and I could see where he had hurt it.

Apparently I was stupid... carefully I swam back to the boat and pulled myself up so that he could see me.

"Why did you come back?" He asked, lost as he stared down.

I slowly reached toward him and grabbed his hand. I expected for him to pull back but he just followed my movement, even getting up and sitting closer to me.

Wrapping my hands around his I chanted the words before revealing his now healed hand to him. He wasn't surprised which baffled me.

"So it's me huh?" He asked, amused but sad.

I tilted my head in a way to say without words I didn't understand.

"My father has researched you for years. He was positive that one of you were the cause of my mother's death. He wasn't angry at all mermaids though it took him awhile to realize that. He became in awe of your species and wanted to learn more but you guys are very good at keeping your self hidden. He is obsessed with finding a mermaid and learning more. I listened to his babbling and research of mermaids for years and learned everything. So I know what I am to you. No normal mermaid would come back to heal a person that tried to capture them."
 
Letting go of his hand I moved myself back but not away. I was embarrassed he knew. I wasn't proud of mermaids for choosing their life long mate as soon as they met them because often it wasn't reciprocal. Why do you think mermaids have such low population? We suck at breeding.

"Are you leaving?" He asked surprisingly sad and moving so that he was over the edge of the boat.

Realizing that he wanted me to stay I moved myself back to where I was and looked up at him. Lifting myself onto the side of the boat I was inches from his face.

"They say a kiss from a mermaid is cursed just like the way mermaids were were made. A witch cursed the girls who bullied her and made them unable to choose who they loved." The man moved even closer, his eyes switching from my lips and my eyes. "I know that isn't true though, the Witch was angry but felt sorry for the girls. She didn't make their kiss a curse, but themselves one. They can get legs when the moon is up but as soon as the sun rises they must return to the water."

He really knew his stuff about mermaids.

The man turned his head towards the slow sunset before meeting my eyes again when all the light was gone.

Carefully he reached down into the water and swiftly picked me up and out. He sat down with me on his lap and watched as my tail transformed into legs.

The man trailed his hand down my leg but kept eye contact with me.

Not being able to take it anymore, I reached my hand up and brought his lips to mine.

He returned the kiss with a passion I didn't expect.

"What is your name?" He asked, setting me down beside him after we had ran out of breath.

"Nadia." I replied as I touched my smooth leg and wiggled my toes. My voice was quiet from not using it often.

"Eli." He held out his hand to for me to shake... which I did though it was odd. I understand what it meant but it was a strange thing to do.

I smiled and then looked out over the water.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."