One Shots

Heck?? Mermaid ???

"My name," she said slowly, the sound like a low hum, "Is Lilanii"

The bronze scales of her tail glittered under the light from the surface above. Her hair panned out behind her, transparent and iridescent, vaguely reminding me of a jellyfish. Her skin was the darkest navy I'd ever seen and the bronze scales were littered across some of her major joints. She turned to look at me and I let out some of the oxygen I still held in a shocked yelp. Lilanii's irises were clear as her hair, her eyelashes thick and bold.  I darted up to the surface of the ocean and heaved in breath after breath, panting as wildly as I was treading water. Miniscule yet forcefull waves swept against my chin and cheeks, the unbearably salty taste clung to my lips. I flinched when I felt the mermaid poke my calf, looking down into the water she beckoned me back under. Beggining to shake from the cold, I heaved in a breath and let myself sink. Hesitantly I reopened my eyes, I took a moment to admire the angular differences in her facial shape and wondered if it was common bone structure for her kind.  She took my hand in hers and stared directly into my eyes. For a moment I thought she was going to kiss me before I realised my hands were burning like fire, the feeling crawling up my arms as I tried to pull away. Her grip tightened and with panic tripling in size, I noticed that my vision was going dark, my energy was fleeting fast.

***

I woke in a dimly lit room, lying on the floor. I'm still in the ocean. Everyone around me looked similar yet entirely individual to Lilanii. I noticed that the colours of people's scales differed here and there as a particularly beautiful woman swam nearby with rose gold scales along her spine and forearms. Suddenly, memories of what had happened before shot into my head and I panicked. My breathing quickened, I tried to scramble back but my hands slipped and my legs wouldn't move. Why won't my god damn legs move! I looked down just as someone came rushing to my side. I screamed and my breath caught in my lungs. Pale, metallic scales shone from the thick tail that now extended from my hips. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. The thought of breathing made me realize, how the hell am I breathing? My vision was gone before I realized it was even fading and finally, I passed out cold.