White Coats

A beautiful creature races around the tank in front of me. It's one of the solitary tanks; big and isolated. Her golden tail beats against the glass as she tries to escape, but this tank was built for creatures like her. Creatures of magic and mystery are at home in my facilities. Maybe it's not the home they would choose, but it's better than the horror that awaits them out in the real world.

This one is faster and much more powerful than the others. She bounces off of one wall directly into another.

"Administer the sedative into the water," I instruct the young woman in the standard white coat next to me. In her hesitation, I realize how this must look to her. "Push the button," I urge again. "She'll damage herself if she doesn't stop this."

The woman's face softens and there is a gentle click of the button as she presses it, sealing the mermaid's fate.

In a few moments, her frenzy slows down. She drifts over towards the glass wall in front of me and taps it slowly with her finger as if to say, 'You... You did this.'

Soon, she is incapable of floating in front of me. She slowly sinks down to the floor with her beautiful locks following behind her.

"Drain the tank."

This time there is no hesitation, and I watch as the water disappears and the mermaid lays lethargic on the floor. Her wet hair is plastered to her face from where she didn't brush it out of her eyes.

Seeing such a beautiful creature laying so pathetically on my floor makes me angry.

After I finished watching the room drain, I enter slowly, as to not scare the creature, but it seems like my slow movements only encourage her terror.

"Shhhhh," Hushing the creature does nothing. "You did very well to get this far." I squat down next to my mermaid and her golden eyes squint at me in angry desperation.

We both know that this is her last chance to defeat me, and we both know she can barely lift her tail.

"You really are impressive to have gotten this close. It was cruel of them to send you here. You could have never won."

A gargled noise echoes off of the wall as the mermaid tries to hiss at me. "It's not your fault."

Another hiss was all she could muster before she closed her eyes.

"Put her with the others," I order the white coats. Several of the men rush in to move her while she is still sedated.

"Don't process this one like the others," I instruct without removing my eyes from the creatures golden scales. "I want everyone to see my new present. This one will be put in the display tank in my office."

They all carry out my orders quickly. They've processed so many mermaids that they can almost do it without any unnecessary damage to the creatures.

I ponder why they sent me one of their most powerful. Having a golden tail is rare for mermaids. The golden ones are unparalleled in their abilities.

This mermaid will be my trophy and a warning for all others who dare to come against me. My beautiful omen of death.