The Cursed Mermaid

Chapter 6: broken dreamcatcher | Arya

I was falling. I grabbed desperately at thin air, trying to pull myself up, but I kept falling. The more I fell, the darker it became. A cold laugh sounded, startling me, and I spun around in terror, trying to locate the source.

But I saw nothing. The laughter got louder, as if it was mocking me.

My voice echoed painfully when I spoke. I was surprised that I actually could, considering that I'd been rendered mute ever since I'd stepped on land. "Who are you?"

I was only answered with laughter.

I couldn't see anything, but it felt as if the shadows were closing in, trapping me in a cage that I could not see.

Suddenly, I was harshly shoved to the side by an unseen force. "W-who's there?" My voice was shaking. For years, I'd been trained to be brave when facing danger, to show nothing but courage, even if it were false, as it would unnerve the enemy. At least, that was what my brother had always told me.

But I found myself frozen, unable to move. I was powerless.

"Did you really think," a voice sneered, "that you could protect the ones you love from me?"

As much as I didn't want to believe them, they were right. I'd tried so hard, and now I was stuck in a foreign kingdom, completely at their mercy.

My shoulders slumped - well, as much as they could whilst I was falling through darkness. "You can take me," I whispered, tears dripping down my face. "Just leave my family alone."

I heard tiny rasps, and at first, I thought it was choking. Then I realised the voice was actually struggling not to laugh.

"Oh, Princess," the voice cooed, "you are a fool."

I woke up clutching the blankets tightly with both my hands, my breath ragged and my eyes wild. Who was that, haunting my dreams? I tried to recall the voice, but I couldn't remember whether it had sounded like a mermaid or merman - or, in land terms: girl or boy.

All I knew was that they wouldn't stop taunting me. This had to be the third - or was it fifth - time I had had a nightmare like this. Why couldn't they just leave me alone and torment someone else?

No. Not anyone else. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, no matter how much I hated them.

I clambered out of the four poster bed. I wasn't as graceful as I would've liked; I immediately stumbled and nearly fell, but managed to keep myself upright on the spindly limbs that those on land called legs.

Having legs was way harder than my textbooks ever made it sound. Once I returned to the water, I would cry in happiness.

I surveyed the room. It was much smaller than my own, but it held the same regal aura, and similar ancient designs decorated the walls. Despite the long, narrow windows that breathed light into the room, there was also a massive chandelier, made from what I suspected were diamonds, dripping from the ceiling.

This looked like a room for a Queen.

The only thing that stood out to me was a plain white dreamcatcher hanging above the bed. The feathers hanging from them were charred black at the ends, as if it had been burned. When I looked closer, I saw that the dreamcatcher wasn't entirely intact. Bits of string hung loose.

I reached out and lightly touched the dreamcatcher, wincing when bits of the feathers disintegrated in my palm, falling onto the pillow.

I scolded the broken dreamcatcher in my mind. Damn you. If you weren't broken, maybe I would have a good sleep for once.

"You're awake," Hamish's voice sounded pleasantly behind me.

Stiffening, I spun around - way too fast. I lost my balance and ended up falling onto the floor, my legs sticking out at awkward angles.