I regain consciousness and I can feel the sun beating down on my face, it feels like it is burning me slowly through my wet clothes. I don't want to open my eyes bet I do a mental once over wiggling my toes they crackle a bit breaking the caked-on salt that covers my body. I then wiggle my fingers and feel a shooting pain from my palms. Still there but wounded. I feel the sand with the back of my hands and let out a slow breath. I am on land, I am safe. Then I feel a drop of water splash onto my cheek. Now that confused me, am I under a tree?... No because then I would feel the shade.
I peel one open slowly, the salt crumbling off of my face, and the shock from what I see causes my other to fly open as well. Above me staring at me is the merman. I want to scream but all that comes out is a pitiful squeak. I instantly regret that because my throat begins to burn like the fiery depths of hell.
His eyes flicker over my face with worry, but now that he sees I am awake he backs up a bit. He lays beside me on his stomach in the sand. Almost in the same position, he was when he lay on the rock. I try and lift my hand. I fail on the first attempt as it heavily smacks back to the sand. I take in a deep breath, it burns all the way in and try to raise my hand toward it again. He backs away from it as if it were on fire.
"ey, nooo." I squeak pitifully, the words sounding like a deflating balloon. He looks at me and then comes closer again staring at my eyes. He smiles, and his face holds a look of concern, his eyes trail down my body and he nods to himself before he begins to crawl away.
I sit up quickly, my muscles spasm and burn and I flop back down hard into the sand. Hands reaching up to cover my eyes. A shooting pain strikes my skull. "Come back." I try to call out to him but my voice is barely above a whisper.
But the merman's progress stops when he hears me, I roll and prop my head up to see him staring back at me from over his shoulder. Then he sits up right where the waves hit the shore and stops. I roll onto my stomach clenching my fists tight and army crawl my way toward him. It takes a while but he remains there watching my progress down the beach.
I stop when I reach the end of his tale and I flop down exhausted the only thing in my line of vision being the end of his fin. I reach a shaky hand toward it but just before my hand lands on it, he flicks it away just out of reach. I huff and give up just laying on my stomach in the sand check pressed against the hot grains. "Did you..." I wheeze and cough sending a spray of sand flying I take in a breath and it burns the whole way in. "Save me?" I turn my head to see his face. His blue eyes glimmer and his hair looks so blonde and fluffy under the bright sun.
"Yeas." He murmurs quietly, as if afraid to speak too loud.
"Why?" I ask still trying to force air in and out of my lungs.
"I don't... hmmm." He taps the side of his head and makes wild hand gestures I stare for a moment trying to understand what he means.
"You don't know why?" I ask and he nods and gives me a soft smile. I stare at his face for a moment mesmerized by his pale skin, I still can't get over just how beautiful the creature in front of me is. His features so delicate except for his sharp cheekbones. His face looks like one of those Greek sculptures of the gods. His hair is sticking up at wild angles and is still wet at the roots. The ends wisp around in the soft breeze. I feel like I don't even deserve to be looking at him like this, half wet, bleeding and covered in sand.
"Maybe, you good." He says and I smile. His eyes flicker behind me and then back to me he looks at me sadly before rushing into the waves. I try and reach out an arm, but it is too late. HE is already gone.
"wait." I squeak. Then I hear someone yelling behind me.
"Oh my god are you okay?" and suddenly there is hands on me rolling me over. My face feels dry and cracked and I close my eyes when the bright sun hits me in the face again. "Hey call someone right now! This guy isn't okay!" The person yells and I just keep my eyes closed.
YOU ARE READING
Waters Edge
FanfictionRewrite Of Beyond the Wake What begins as a simple fishing trip turns into love, lust, and fighting against nature itself. But for him, Pete would do anything.
