The Mermaid-Cursed Pirate

Chapter 3

The woman had searched for hours, being sure to pause and listen for any sounds nearing the door behind her. She had found very few books about mermaids, with even fewer that were anywhere near the truth. Most were the myths adults told children to terrify them from venturing into the waters. Sirena preferred those legends over the sappy fairy tales. Those stories always seemed to show her people as being nude, for a reason unknown to her. Contrary to what humans believed, mermaids were civilized people! Ones that appreciated the comfort and individuality of clothing, the same as humans!

She sighs to herself and spots a promising book on the top shelf, above the bed. She can't reach it from the floor, or when she stands atop the bed. She takes hold of the frame and places a bare foot on the shelf over the bed, pushing herself up. Then she hears it, a small gasp of surprise and the click of the door closing.

Time chose to stand still as the captain looked at the girl in surprise. She had yet to turn around in that moment, so he took in her appearance from behind her. The girl wore a light blue dress that flowed to her knee, the skirt loose and cascading as she held herself on the shelf. She had a black corset over her torso, only there for decorative purposes, as it was a simple fabric. Straps lay over her shoulders, holding the dress up, with two thin straps hanging loose onto her arms. She spun abruptly, but it appeared to be a crawl to the captain. Her dirty blond hair was in a shaggy cut brushing the top of her shoulders. She had a dusting of bangs hanging over her right eye, parting with the longer sections. The eye and its partner were open wide in fear, the blue-grey color popping out to him.

Meanwhile, the mermaid was assessing his appearance to determine his next move. His blue eyes, lined with kohl, stared at her as if he was not sure if she was a reality or a fabrication of his sober mind. He had skipped his rum that night, the first night in a long time. His dark hair was standing up, tousled in every direction from the wind. He wore a deep red vest under a large, black leather coat. His collar was upturned and he appeared to not be wearing a shirt under the vest, a good deal of his chest revealed to her. Instead of a left hand, a hook held its place, but he kept it on the door's handle from when he had used it to shut the door. Her eyes moved down and took in the absurd length of his coat, his black leather pants, and the matching boots. In her mind, he held no real threat, once she considered his continued stunned posture and irrational love of leather clothing.

Time had decided both creatures had been given enough and lurched back to its proper tempo. In a flash, the maiden's eyes turned dark, so the man drew his sword to halt her. However, she had other plans. With a swish of her hand, she encased the handle in water and propelled the weapon out the window, a smirk now on her lips. The pirate narrowed his eyes at the girl and attempted to remove his hook from the door, but she thwarted him again. Droplets surrounded the hook in the same way as before, but instead froze, securing his grasp to the bar.

The alarmed look returned to the man's face before it was replaced by a smirk. He opened his mouth to call for his crew, but the girl leaped to him. She covered his mouth with one hand and braced his shoulder against the door with the other. In an attempt to free himself, the pirate grasped her arm with his free hand, and his fingers brushed a tattoo he hadn't noticed.

The girl dropped onto the ground, feeling the familiar jerk in her heart. The captain experienced the new feeling, as well, but with great fear due to its unknown nature. Sirena dropped her head into her hands, weeping without any control over herself. The man wrenched his hook free and stomped towards her, tugging her to her feet harshly. But she paid no mind to his actions as she mourned, limp in his grasp.

"What did you do to me, witch?" he demanded.

She finally lifted her eyes to his, tears flowing down her face. "You have cursed us both, you fool," she whimpered, then her head crumpled.