The Mermaid Tale "If I Could Stand"

Beautiful

It was very late and Andrina had fallen asleep on the large stone. Her harp sat next to her and as bubbles touched the strings I could hear only a little sound of music. I swam up to the surface and gazed around at the lovely night sky. Excitement was in my bones. I would soon be human. I wasn't sure what Andrina had in mind, but I was desperate, and being human to me was a need. It was more important to walk as it was for me to eat or need water. I hummed the ocean's song as the water hit my tail fin. I closed my eyes but I heard voice come out of nowhere.
"What the hell?!"
I jump back making a loud splash and my eyes spring open. I realize that I'm face to face with the boy I saw not too long ago. His eyes looked dizzy and he wouldn't move. I could see his friends in the far back keeping a distance.
This was probably the dumbest thing I have ever done in my whole life besides letting myself get cursed. I just sat there watching him. I suppose I was too shocked to move.
"I-I I'm so sorry." I stutter out.
All of a sudden I feel a tug on my foot and I'm yanked back into the water. Andrina eyes are cold and she's looking at me with the eyes of an angry old merman.
"What do you think you're doing you freaking idiot?" She hisses.
"I didn't know that there were anymore students out! It's late look it's nighttime!"
"Who knows what they could be doing!? They might be looking for mermaids to kill! Let me tell you something very serious. This is not the place for a mermaid to survive! There are many myths about how mermaids lived in this sea and that many people want to come in this little habitat of yours and capture you! Is that what you want!?" She yells.
"Of course not!" I yell back at her twice as angry.
"Rule number one Anastasia! Don't go to the surface!"
"But, I won't be a mermaid for long...right? Aren't you going to help me become human like you?"
"I can become a human or a mermaid. You either stay mermaid or stay human."
I roll my eyes and plop on the rock next to me. I can't believe I was face to face with him. I felt like I was near some sort of sea star. I suppose a sea star were celebs but underwater celebs. They sang and danced and we went to their performances. He reminded me of Blu Caspian. He was my favorite sea artist. He sang beautiful opera musicals.
"Anastasia are you even listening?!" Andrina yells waving her hand in my face.
"Yes, it's just that I've always went to the surface at nighttime. I love the beauty of it and I can't help but feel the air of the land."
"Well that's why we're going to see the Sea Devils tonight." She says picking up her satchel and brushing her hair with a clam shell.
My stomach turned and my heart stopped. Tonight?! That was so early.
"Already? What if the humans recognize me from this?"
"Believe me they won't."
I gulp hard and I look back up at the surface. I feel rocks being thrown and I hear his voice in a panicky tone. I hope Andrina is truly right. I don't want to be recognized at all.
                                                                 ***
Andrina and I had been traveling through the sea for hours. The water became tiring. We passed multiple docks and eventually we were free from the cursed sea I had been in. I had not seen water any bluer than this. It was very light so we had to travel down low so that we weren't seen by anyone. She continued to rant on about her first human lovers on the land, and how they broke her hearts or how women on the land were jealous of her.
"Anastasia if you don't mind me asking....how old are you?"
"When I was cursed I was eleven. I think I maybe sixteen. Is that right age in human years?"
She nods.
"Well how old are you? You seem to know a lot about human life and love."
She smiles proudly at this. I could tell she had been with several men and in love many times. Mermaids were considered very beautiful to humans...I heard that once. She talked about how beautiful men told her she was. She said she heard it daily.
"Well my dear, I'm much older than you. I just turned 24 a week ago."
"Oh, that's wonderful. Happy Birthday." I say smiling.
After some more hours of basically silence we come to an extremely dark and scary trench. I smelled the toxic fumes that escaped and I choked.
"Here is the entrance." She says nasally.
"It smells like putrid here." I gasp holding my nose.
The smell was excruciating and it messed with my brain. I felt like I'd explode.
"We have to go in. Just stay by me."
I quickly grab my nose clamp made out of oysters and I pinch my nose with it. I was not about to die from some toxic aromas. No way. I don't have time for that.
"Don't worry too badly about the smell. It'll go away. It's just the smell of dead mermaids."
As I followed her down the dark tunnel I cringed. I saw strange drawings of mermaid queens and merman kings. It looked ancient and ominous. I had this little thought in the back of my mind that Andrina was trying to kidnap me and give me to these Sea Devils.
Eventually, the smell did cease and we stopped at this stone wall. It wasn't an ordinary wall, but it had the face of a sculpted man on it. I looked at Andrina who was humming this weird tune. It sounded like some sort of ritual, and I just kept holding in any laughter or jeer remarks
"Lord Sapien! I have to come to thee with a favor." I watched her in awe.
"Andrina this is a wall not a person." I whisper to her.
"Shush." She tells me.
I roll my eyes as she hums the mysterious tunes. My mind drifts back to seeing Alessandro up close. I had never been that close to a human boy before, but it felt breathtaking. I was sort of fascinated with human culture. It was much better than anything we mermaids do.
  My thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the wall. I jumped a little but Andrina gripped my arm tightly, as she dragged me into the open area.
"Lord Caspian it is me Andrina."
I don't hear a voice, but I do hear squeaky noises.
"What are you doing here Andrina?" I heard some one say coming from the darkness.
"I have a friend. Her name is Anastasia and she wants to become human just like I did."
There is no sound, but then I hear him laugh. His voice sounded scratchy and old. He coughed after he laughed. The sea started to lighten up as if there were lights near us.
"Well then, bring in the new mermaid."
As we walked in the cave there was a large slam behind. I turned around and realized that the cave door had closed. I hope we could make a quick transaction. I wanted my legs and then to get out. That's it.
I see an old fat merman who was sitting in a purple chair. It wasn't a normal chair either. It looked soft and squishy like it was made of octopus skin.
"I'm not sure I've ever seen a mermaid that looked like you before." He says like he's surprised.
"I'm sorry that you haven't."
"Don't be sorry. What brings you here and why do you find it necessary to lose your fins?" He asks.
This man did not look like a devil. He looked old. I realized that Andrina may have exaggerated the description of what the men looked like.
"I'm here because I was cursed when I was eleven years old. I did not believe in harming humans although...my family did. My father trapped my soul in a sea shell. Ever since I've been out I've wanted to leave this place. I have no more family. There is nothing for me here, and I want to be on the land so badly." I said ending with a pleading tone.
He eyes me suspiciously and nods his head.
"Well there are other places in the ocean you can dwell at. You don't have to be just be in one place."
"No, I just don't wanna be a mermaid. I'm bored of it and I want to have legs! I wanna be able to run on the sand and on the grass. I want to be able to eat human food, and sleep in those beds they sleep in. I want to be able to love just like Andrina does. I want to stand." I say catching my breath from the long statement.
Andrina laughs and the man just stares. I hope I passed. I hope he'd just grab a wand and zap my legs and then boom! I'm a human girl.
"What will you give in return? It has to be something strong. It has to be strong enough for me to transform you completely. If you can't think of one thing then think of a list of things."
The corners of my mouth turn up. It was working.
"I could give you all the sea shells I've collected. I can give you my sea shell mirror."
"It must be a lot stronger than that."
I look at Andrina for some help but she looks down. I thought about what could possibly be strong enough.
"Would you mind giving up any use of water?" He asks stroking his beard.
Water? All water?! That would mean no swimming or drinking water...
"That means I wouldn't be able to live. I have to drink water as a human."
"No you won't. I will control that. If you give up water you will have total strength to remain what you want to be. That's the only thing for you that I can think of."
I glance at Andrina and she nods her head.
"Well, if that's the option then I guess I'll give up all use of water."
"You must listen carefully. You cannot get into anymore water after this. You can eat food, and that contains water, but only a little. You cannot drink water freely and you cannot swim in water. If you do it could become an issue."
"What about bathing?!"
"You will never have to worry about fumes."
I can't believe this. All the humans would think of me as strange if I drink no water.
"Now do you comply?"
I nod my head quickly.
"Andrina might've already told you this, but you must find yourself in something so you can be worthy of being human. Find something special."
This trip was nothing like I imagined it to be. I thought there would be magic wands or maybe a pot of magical elements, but it seemed normal.
"How do I become human then?"
He floats off into another room. He comes out with an hourglass. I suppose this is what Andrina told me about. It was the largest thing I'd ever seen.
"We will watch your actions through here. If you mess up you'll become a mermaid again. Stay clear of water. No pools, rivers, oceans, bathtubs, or drinking water. You hear me?"
"Yes sir." I say quickly nodding my head.
Out of nowhere I see two merman take me by my arms and wrap me in seaweed. Andrina gives me a thumbs up but honestly I'm terrified. I've waited all this time for this moment, but I wondered if I was doing it the right way.
Once, they've fully wrapped me in sea weed they lay me in this light blue crystal water. I hear the man saying words or spells I didn't understand.
The water began to sting a bit and I fidgeted. I closed my eyes and I said goodbye to all my memories in the water.
                                                                 ***
I felt something hot hit my eyelids. My eyes fluttered open and I found myself on the sand. I looked up and I saw the scorching sun on my skin. I look down at my tail...but it's not there. It took me a couple moments to realize that I had legs. I shot right up off the ground but I stumbled. I start laughing and jumping around.
  I looked around and I saw this woman in these high shoes and a blue dress walking over to me. She had long Raven black hair, and I knew who she was. Andrina.
"You look stunning." She says taking my arm.
I was still in shock as I followed her. I saw people looking at me in awe.
"Why are they all staring at me?" I ask in a whisper.
"Because Anastasia, we are beautiful."