Aquarius [COMPLETED]

The Point of No Return

Todd had traveled every day for two whole weeks to the Meeting of the Waters, where he had met the seemingly normal girl named Claudia. The trips there and back were long and exhausting, but he found it eventually becoming easier, and he took less rests on the way. Even though he was supposed to be trying his best to catch something worthwhile, Claudia was always eagerly waiting for him waist-deep in the water, and he always found himself distracted with talking to her.

There was nothing romantic between them, and Claudia even seemed to enjoy him telling stories of his wife, Anne. There was just something carefree about the way she spoke and asked questions, like the war hadn't even affected her. To Todd, she just seemed a way of escaping from his life at home, where he knew that there wouldn't be much food on the table, and where Anne would complain about how other people didn't have to work half as hard as they did.

The night before he found out about Claudia's true nature, Anne's complaints had turned to accusation. She blamed Todd for not trying to catch anything, since he mostly came home empty-handed, and wondered why he even made the journey if he wasn't going to make an effort. Not wanting to upset his wife any more, Todd made a plan to set up his fishing pole upstream from where he and Claudia normally talked, spend time with her, and then head home early with dinner to surprise Anne.

Anxious not to waste time, he briskly walked over the moors and all the way to Warden's Rock without stopping, no matter how lightheaded he felt. When he arrived, he was heaving for breath and his vision swam in front of him. He lost his footing as he climbed the rock and fell forward, gripping the stone with one hand and clutching at his shirt collar with the other as he gasped. Claudia popped up out of the water, gasping, "Todd?"

"Help," is all he could wheeze as he coughs and collapsed onto his side.

"Todd! What's wrong?" Claudia seemed to become even paler as her thin-lipped mouth hung open, and she clutched the end of the rock to see him better.

But Todd couldn't reply, and his body shuddered with each rasping breath as he extended his hand towards her. "Todd, I can't. Can't help," she whimpered, frantically shaking her head. As his face quickly lost color and his eyes became cloudy, Claudia whimpered louder and then gave a small cry. She hoisted herself over the rock, grabbed Todd's sleeve, and with surprising strength, dragged him into the icy waters.

The cold triggered Todd to suck in a large inhale, earning him a mouthful of river water. He flailed and kicked, his world spinning, and then he burst through the surface. He felt arms supporting him, as he started coughing up foul-tasting water mixed with bile, and heaved shuddering breathes. His hair was drenched and hung over his eyes, and his waterlogged clothes weighed him down, but somehow, he was being supported against the current and pushed towards the side.

Pushing his hair back, he clung to the edge and dragged himself out of the water, feeling hands also helping boost him up. Once out of the water and able to breathe, Todd laid back and panted heavily. After a few moments, he heard movement in the water and then something dripping onto the rock.

He sat up, his mouth open as if to speak, but all speech died when he saw her.

Claudia was resting on her hip and propped up on a hand, and her hair still draped over her thin, pale form. But just below her small bellybutton, her skin became shiny and almost translucent, and the skin on her legs was covered with bright red scales. Or at least what should have been legs. Her entire lower half was fused into one giant appendage that flaired out at the bottom into a fin.

Todd shook his head and blinks a few times as he gaped at her. She looked down and ran her fingers over her hair. "D'you see now?" she asked quietly.

"I- Jus'. What are ya?" He breathed.

Claudia answered with a shrug. "Different." She looked back at him, "What was wrong?"

"M'lungs," he answered numbly, still staring at her, "Was born wit' bad lungs. S'why I fish." He shook his head again, "D'ya live in the river?"

She nodded.

"How long 'ave you been 'ere?"

"A long time."

"How d'ya know 'ow to talk?"

"I listen t'people from the water."

"Where d'ya come from?"

At this question, Claudia went quiet and her face grew darker. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she replied, "I see a face. Then water. Thas all I remember."

Todd's face softened, "I'm sorry."

She looked back up with him with her familiar head tilt, "For what?"

"I jus' think that y'should 'ave someone who cares 'bout ya," he sighs.

"Don't you care 'bout me?" Claudia looks at him with those bright pink eyes to which he'd become so accustomed.

"Aye. I do," Todd smiled.

"Good," Claudia beamed at him, "You can't tell anyone." She slapped her tail on the stone, making him flinch slightly.

"Don't worry," he nodded, "You have my word that I won't tell a soul."