I Saw You In The Water [Joshler]

Twenty six 🐚

Warning: gore, crying like a bitch, more blood and sum boat 😩👏

"T-trade?" Tyler choked on his tears seeing the body being held by the group of mermaids

The raven-haired mermaid smirked devilishly allowing a glimpse of her sharp shark-like teeth. Her perfect features were unsettling. All of the mermaids were naked waist up, their long hair stuck to their skin as the creatures slowly bobbed up and down in the water. The mermaid slowly inched forward, till her forearms were on the edge of the boat slightly weighting it down. Tyler never felt so intimidated in his life, the mermaids were so different from Josh that it was hard to believe that the man was the same species.

"Trade. " the mermaid repeated

Tyler realized that the mermaid knows as much English as Josh did when they first met. The boy strained under Josh's strong grip. Josh didn't hiss or show his teeth like he did to the other mermaids. He looked at the black haired mermaid with respect and fear. No matter how much Josh was shaking he was trying to protect Tyler from the curious hands that wanted to touch Tyler. Josh bit the air towards a mermaid who got too close almost carrying away her nose. She let out a faint hiss and slowly backed away into the water. The queen mermaid smirked again seeing how protective Josh was over Tyler.

"M-momma... " Josh managed to utter out

"You broke the rules, Joshua. " The mermaid spoke calmly without an emotion in her voice "You weren't home after sundown again. "

"I'm sorry." Josh murmured gripping at Tyler's shoulder tightly "I'm so sorry. "

The boy squinted his eyes trying to see the figure floating in the water better. He bit his lip from keeping his tears streaming down but eventually, the dam broke and Tyler started whimpering quietly

"I just..." Tyler lifted his head up to face the black-haired mermaid "I just want my dad back. "

"Then let's trade." The mermaid smiled slowly extending her arm forward 

"Josh..." Tyler whispered

The man looked at him with a face full of sorrow and shook his head saying no. Tyler's lip trembled even more. 

"Josh..." Tyler's voice faltered

"They'll kill me." The man whispered against Tyler's hair "They'll kill me if they found out I laid with a human. "

"D-don't tell them." Tyler whispered, his lips barely moving "They won't know. "

"They will." Josh glanced at his mother "I'm not supposed to be human for this long, Tyler. I can manipulate my form with the necklace but if I don't have it I'm supposed to turn back into a merman after three sundowns. Tyler, it's already been three sundowns. " 

Tyler stole a glance at the raven-haired mermaid queen who looked like she was losing patience. She lightly tapped her long pointy nails against the wood, her eyebrows were slightly furrowed but in general, her face was quite calm. It was more unsettling seeing her so poised and sure of herself than seeing her angry and hissing. 

"Joshua..." the mermaid queen extended her hand, light shone through the webs in between her fingers "Come, child. "

"Momma..." Josh inhaled deeply "I love this human. "

The mermaid queen let out a low growling noise, her eyes squeezed into narrow slits as she slowly backed away from the boat. Her long coal black tail splashed the water around anxiously creating rippling waves. The mermaids around them started whispering and glancing at the queen. She looked like she had lost her chill but was trying not to show it.

"Joshua, child. " the woman glared at Tyler 'Come home, we'll sort this out. "

"Will you give Tyler his dad back?" Josh asked

The queen let out a deep sigh and nodded. Her gaze drilled right through his features, gliding over his fragile human body as her upper lip slowly rose exposing her teeth. She jolted forward almost tipping over the boat with the wave she had created. 

"Where is your charm, Joshua?"

The man looked at Tyler with panic in his eyes.

"I... I lost it..." the man lied

Tyler felt how heavy the guilt was. He swallowed thickly, sensing that mermaids knew all about and were just playing around. Tyler had his palm on Josh's chest, he felt how ragged and irregular the man's breathing was, his heart was pounding violently against his rib cage. 

"Come..." the queen moved forward

"I h-have to find m-my charm. " Josh tried to hide the shakiness in his voice

"We will get you another one. " the queen sighed "Now, come..."

Josh was hesitating whether he should grab the mermaid's hand. Tyler felt the breath leave his lungs, the tension was unbearable. He wished he had some sort of weapon to defend himself. The boy glanced at the old rusty gaff that he had found a long time ago at the beach but never got the chance to take it out of the boat. It looked very old, rusty but the end of the hook was still very sharp. Tyler calculated all the possibilities, all the scenarios in his head. 

"P-please, give Tyler his dad back. "Josh pleaded 

"If you come home, I will. " the queen smiled "Now, Josh, you have to come with us. "

"I..." Josh took a deep breath "I can't. "

"Joshua." the mermaid said in a stern demanding tone "Now. "

"Let me say g-goodbye to Tyler." Josh swallowed thickly

"I shall allow it." the mermaid brushed her black hair off her forehead "Hurry, time is precious."

Josh turned to Tyler, the man softly cupped his cheeks. Tyler started at Josh with panicky shifty eyes, it was hard to see because the brunette had tears in his eyes. Josh bit his lip wanting to kiss the boy but he couldn't give any hints to the mermaids that they might shared their bodies. Tyler blinked rapidly trying to blink away his tears. Josh smiled softly, he pressed his forehead against Tyler's and wiped his cheek with his thumb. 

"I'm sorry. "

"I'm s-sorry too." Tyler sobbed "I love you, Josh."

"I love you too." Josh closed his eyes and kissed Tyler's forehead softly "I love you so much."

"It's m-my fault, it's all m-my fault." Tyler whimpered "Josh, I'm sorry I was selfish and I took your necklace and I hid it and..and I... I'm so sorry I-"

"Tyler, it's okay, I know." Josh smiled warmly "There's nothing we can do about it now. "

"I c-can go b-back and get it." Tyler choked on his own tears "I'll g-get it and t-then you'll have..."

"Shhh..." Josh cooed "I'm gonna be okay."

"I can get it right now." Tyler shook his head "P-please."

"Time's up." the mermaid queen lost her patience

She extended her arm quickly and grabbed Josh's leg. The man let out a yelp as he was dragged into the water. Tyler let out a loud sob as the man was gone under the water. He quickly rose up, he paddled his arms and legs quickly as he gasped for air desperately. The mermaid squinted her eyes waiting for Josh's tail but then her face twisted in disgust when she saw that Josh still had human legs. 

"Laying with a human...." the raven-haired mermaid hissed "Is punished by death!"

"No!" Tyler yelled as the mermaid dove forward