Opal Waters | ✔

Chapter 30

The water was smooth, calm, and filled with life. Crabs, shrimp, snails, octopus, and plentiful fish. I had hit the jackpot. I lingered for a moment, hanging out on the bottom of the waves, taking in the rest of my surroundings. There wasn't much I could do here, but there was no reason to leave without saying goodbye. I could see the shadow of a few fishing boats up above, and I remember our history class we were supposed to avoid those due to their nets.

But they too seemed calm.

I played with a sea turtle for just a moment before deciding it was time to get heading on my way. There would be no one around to help me anymore, so I needed to keep my eyes on a swivel, searching for sharks, or whales. Anything that could cause me serious harm. I filled my lungs with bubbles, allowing myself to float up towards the surface slightly before I began on my journey out of town.

This would be a safer depth.

The boats seemed to follow me as I grew closer to the water of the big blue ocean. My heart started racing as I would pick up my speed they would too. Something wasn't right here. I tried to swivel, to move but they would follow me too. Why were they following me?

I continued to swim though, my mind trying to focus on a way to get out of here. If I went further into the water, would they still be able to follow me? I shook my head realizing speed was my only options. I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing my energy to build back up. Stretching my arms out in front of me I flicked my tail, and then again. Moving it as fast as I could, a jet stream of bubbles following behind me as I broke through the water. I felt like I was getting away, like I was finally freeing myself of the monsters up above, but as I swam it felt like things were falling onto my skin.

I looked around trying to figure out what was touching me. A swarm of fish sat trapped above me, as they too tried to swim away. I watched carefully realizing that as they swam they would get close to getting free before running into something. What were they running into?

It felt like my bubble of water was getting smaller, and now whatever the invisible creature was it was wrapped around me. I quickly took my claws, slashing towards anything that would budge. Yet nothing would. I watched carefully towards the sun as a large object blocked the view. We were right under the boat but something was drifting slower to us. A crate of some sorts. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, the water washing away from around me. Until the crate got close enough, it was going to fall right on top of me.

I shook my head turning to swim as forcefully as I could, but I couldn't go anywhere, the material cut into my skin leaving marks of red across my arms. What was I trapped in?

Then it hit me, both the object and the realization that I was in a net. My heart sank as the heavy object crushes my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I pressed, using all my strength to try and get it off of me. There was no use though. It was too heavy, and every second that passed by the more pressure it put on my bones.

I felt them bending, getting close to the point of snapping. I prayed it would fall off, that someone would realize they've made a mistake and let us go. But as the thoughts rushed through my head, my vision began to blur.

***

As the rock continues to crush Opal, the waves grow stronger around her. The net of the fisherman's boat digs deeper into her skin. Lacerations cover her body as she drifts to sleep for the final time in her life. The blood floating through the water brings sharks. As they swim around the net searching for the scent that drove them wild. The fisherman would soon realize something wasn't right.

The lone mermaid had been caught. Her body now one with the net, the biggest dangers any sea creature would ever have to face. She couldn't get out, she couldn't attack it, and worst of all she couldn't see it coming.

Opal fell victim to her love of the ocean. The waves crashing over her skin. But unfortunately for her, she would never experience that again.

But what the fisherman up above didn't know, was he just made the catch of a lifetime, a catch he would never have a chance to make again. Though he didn't realize he killed her, but by dropping the weight into the net to help it keep from getting caught on the coral below, he crushed the one thing that just wanted a chance at her own life.

His journey may not be over, as the net still swings deep in the ocean, but for Opal her curiosity grew too strong, her rush to get to the sea put her in a place for great danger. Danger she couldn't fight, couldn't break free from.

There was nothing she could have done though, it was her time to go. Opal had lived a life that no one else would be able to experience but what she didn't know was her powers were constantly battling with one another, her fin echoing blues, and greens, and every other colorful imaginable, because she had it all, and she was very dangerous to say the least. The world is a safer place without her.

Police would be called a few days after the bag was found in the garbage. The man would be able to identify the girl as young, maybe late teens, beautiful long white hair, and he would tell the police she ran to the end of the pier, jumped into the water and never be seen again.

But this wouldn't be the case.

Even though Opal had not survived her journey,

She would be seen again.

"Grandpa, you are so full of stories," The little boy shakes his head as the old man with white hair, and some stubble scattered across his chin hold him on his lap. He looked like Santa Claus but since that day the girl had joined him on the pier his obsessions with mermaids would never subside.