Mermaid Tales

10

danny came back into the room, but alex wasnt in sight. i felt a little awkward. where was alex? did danny do something to him? danny picked up all of the cold rocks from the floor and threw them in a metal box. 

"chicken fingers are out. what's something else you'll eat?" danny asked me. 

i didnt reply. alex didn't walk back into the room. danny raised his eyebrow when i didnt answer, "how about pizza? everyone likes pizza."

danny opened the refridgerator thing and pulled out three boxes, "we have supreme, hawaiian, and barbeque chicken. which one sounds best?"

chicken was that rock i tried to eat earlier. i didnt want that one for sure. theres a dish my dad makes called hawaiian fillet. mabe thats the same thing. "hawaiian."

danny gave a nod before putting two of the boxes back in the refridgerator and leaving one out. he pulled a flat metal thing from a cabinet, opened the box and placed a round thing on the flat metal thing. it didn't look like fish. maybe fish looks different above the water. danny put the flat metal thing in the thing alex had called an oven, "alright, we have fifteen minutes. what are we going to do for fifteen minutes?"

i shrugged again. i wanted alex to come back into the room. where is he? my wish was granted as i saw alex walk through the doorway, "i have to go pick lenox up, his car doesnt want to crank."

i stumbled over to alex. i didnt want him to leave me. alex looked down at me, "olivia, i want you to stay with my brother. he's going to get you something to eat."

I shook my head. what if danny hurt me? he could kill me. alex gave me a little smile, "i'll only be gone for a few minutes."

Before i could say anything alex grabbed something from the counter and left the room in a flash. my new legs didnt want to work so i couldnt follow him. danny tossed the box into the big metal box, startleing me. my legs collapsed form under me and i fell to the floor. i heard danny sigh, "are you alright?"

i looked up at him. i didnt want to admit that i was absolutely terrified. danny sat on the floor beside me, "so, youre a mermaid."

i looked over at him, "i was. the siren sisters turned me human."

"do you like being human?" danny asked. he seemed kind of bored, the way my father is when he asks me how my day went. i shook my head, "i cant walk. i cant swim. my legs hate me. and im scared a human will kill me, the way they killed my mom."

danny gave me a sad look, "well unless your fin randomly pops back on you, no one will think you're not human. so you dont have to worry about dying. not by murder, anyways. once you get used to your legs, everything else will be easy. you also wont be able to breathe underwater."

i doubted i would have time to get used to these legs. if the siren sisters turn me back, ill be gone and forced to marry zachariah. but if they dont turn me back, ill be stuck up here forever. danny scratched the back of his head, "alex and i lost our parents a few years ago to a drunk driver. so i know how hard it is to lose your family."

"im sorry." i said. i didnt know what a drunk driver was, but at least it would make him feel better.