Sinking

Tank 2

At first glimpse, it looks to be nothing out of the ordinary. I turn around, the door closing loudly behind me. The small concrete ledge I am standing on is higher than the water level, giving me a great overview of the place. The tank is filled with water, as to be expected. I dip my finger in and put it to my lips. Salt water.

The tanks concrete walls plunge down as far as I can see. And definitely farther.

Dark shapes lurk at the edges of the tank. All the edges except for one that is. The tank is rectangular and the long side furthest from me is the only side without murky shapes. I inch closer to the edge. I want to see more. I need to see more. Right now. I inch closer and closer, letting the water guide me. I don't even notice the transition between water and air. I swim. Down, down until my lungs are full on screaming at me. I will never get down there without proper diving gear, somewhere in the very back of my mind, I know this but my body moves on its own accord. My vision turns black around the edges. I kick toward the surface.

But it's too late.

I don't have any oxygen left in my body. My clothes weigh me down like bags full of stones. I try to kick again. I have to make it to the top, toward home.

In my fast fading vision, I see a dark shape racing toward me. I watch. It gets closer. And closer. Until it's close enough to scoop me up in its arms. Wait, not it but he. His masculine jaw and deep blue eyes are the last thing I see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awake with a start.

Where am I?

Who was that man?

What am I doing here?

These questions roll around on my tongue. That's when I notice my surroundings.

I'm in what seems like some kind of bedroom. It has silver metal walls and a door with a hatch on it. It's kind of like the inside of a space shuttle. The furnishings are simple, only basic needs like a bed, a chair and a shelf, as if the creators didn't know what to put in it.

Someone pounds on the door.

"Can I come in?" Whoever it is appears to be asking me.

"Um... Yeah?"

The door opens and a man steps in. No.......... rather he swims in. WAIT?!?! WHAT?!?! I look down and find his elegant, shiny tail flitting back and forth, as if he were a nervous. I jump back in fright or rather try to. I'm connected to all these scary-looking machines. That's when I realise I'm in water. I move my hand from the bed and wave my hand through the water carefully. Nothing in the room except my clothes are wet. Waterproof everything?

The man speaks up.

"Well... My name is Lido. I am what you would call a ...doctor, I believe?"

"A doctor???" I stutter, "Why would I need a doctor?"

"Well miss..."

"Coral" I supplied.

"Well Miss Coral, when you fell unconscious and our Majesty Rysk saved you, we decided to give you a thorough look over before you go anywhere."

"Go anywhere?"

"Well Coral, we can't have you telling the world about us can we?"

"About you?"

"Yes" he gestured down at his tail.

"I'm dreaming, I must be." I mutter to myself.

"You're not. Definitely not!" He says, "I am a ... mermaid??"

"A mermaid?"

"Yes," he snorts and bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny? You're the one who's part fish!"

All signs of jest left his face and body.

"Now young lady, that wasn't not very nice at all. Our Majesty, Rysk, could've just left you there to die. But he has a noble heart, like more of us should have." He states poetically. I shudder.

"Now our Rysk will be here soon to decide what to do with you."

He turns and leaves me alone, to my thoughts, his tail fleeting majestically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stay awake, I want to meet the guy who saved me. Rysk, what a funny name. I wonder what origin it is. I've always been interested in names, their meanings and their origins.

I hear whispers outside the room. I sit up, listening hard. The hatch turns, and someone swings the door open. He swims in, instructing his party to stay behind. His party are bowed low to him and he leaves them that way.

"My name is Rysk" he says, capturing my attention.

He is slightly familiar. He has a masculine jaw and deep blue eyes, the colour of the ocean. He has short, cropped black hair and a small mostly healed scar above his his left eye. He has chest that screams 'I'm hot'. My eyes travel down his body. His amazing chest slowly transforms into the scales that make up his tail. They shimmer in the rare light of the room. They are a beautiful, deep, ocean blue, matching his eyes. Just the mere sight of him takes my breath away.

He stares me up and down. I remember what I was wearing when I came down here, a blue tank top and faded denim shorts, with my classic one piece navy swimsuit underneath. I realise now that I must look like a fool down here, next to all these majestic merfolk. I attempt at looking a tad bit more graceful, by smoothing down my hair and brushing off my clothes.

"as I'm sure my advisor Lido mentioned," he said, "and we are the Allyzi."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guyyyyyyyssssssss hope you liked it!!!!??!?!?!????!?!?!?!?!??!?!??

Please COMMENT AND VOTE