My Merman Named Donghae

Chapter 1

Feeling water being poured on his head, Donghae opened his eyes before squirming in the lukewarm water he was being kept in. Looking up, he saw his owner, Kim Youngmin standing over him. “Wakey, wakey my little ocean jewel,” Youngmin said in a singsong voice.

          Donghae panted quietly as he looked at Youngmin with his scared eyes. His owner ran his fingers over the merman’s shoulders, laughing as he watched Donghae’s body tremble. He kicked his tail and tried to lower himself down further into the clawed-foot bathtub he called his bed. Youngmin grabbed Donghae’s shoulders and pulled him up. “No, no, we don’t hide Donghae,” Youngmin muttered as he stroked the back of the merman’s neck.

          The brunette flinched as he pushed Youngmin away. “No!” he yelled as he punched Youngmin’s mouth.

          His owner wiped the blood the dripped from his lip before glaring daggers at the merman. Donghae felt his heart begin to pound as Youngmin angrily lifted and pushed the bathtub over on its side; dumping the water along with Donghae out of the bathtub. The merman slid onto the dirty floor, and gasped as his tail began to vanish, as two slimy, weak legs replaced it. He hated being out of water and being on his legs. They weren’t strong like his tail, and he barely knew how to walk on them.

          Youngmin picked up the weak, naked male by his arms and dragged him into the back room. “You should know your place by now you freak. Guess I need to remind you again,” Youngmin growled as he pressed Donghae down onto his bed, pinned his arms down, and forced his legs apart.

          Donghae was so weak now, that he couldn’t fight his owner, so he lay there and cried “No, please, no.”

          Youngmin slapped the merman, gripped his throat, and spat “Shut up, you don’t own me, I own you, and I tell you what to do. Now shut up.” The brunette squeezed his eyes shut as his owner had his way with him. When he was finished, Youngmin stood up and walked into the main room. He tipped the bathtub back upright and refilled it with warm water. Youngmin reentered his back room and picked up the quivering merman before tossing him into the bathtub. Donghae gasped and submerged his body in the water as his tail reformed where the legs were. “Now you be on your best behavior today. We have three shows tonight in Seoul, and tomorrow we’re traveling to Busan for four shows before we head for Japan,” Youngmin demanded as he picked up a bucket filled with fresh fish and held one just out of Donghae’s grasp.

          The merman reached out for the food, not having eaten anything in three days. “Please,” Donghae begged as he looked up at his owner with sad, brown eyes.

          “If you do a good performance tonight, you may eat, but until then, you get nothing,” Youngmin replied as he dropped the fish back in the bucket and pushed it away from the hungry brunette.

          Meanwhile, in an apartment in the city of Seoul, professional author Eunhyuk; was getting ready to go out for the evening. He had bought a ticket for the local freak show that was in town for a few days, and was fortunate enough to get a ticket on the premiere night. His boyfriend, Heechul, wanted to go with him, but had to work, so Eunhyuk was forced to go alone. Eunhyuk drove over to the park where the tent was set up. The blonde approached the entrance and noticed the place had a steampunk feel to it.

          Eunhyuk sat down on one of the chairs and looked around at some of the displays that Youngmin had set out as a preshow. The blonde was entranced by the talent in front of him; people who could contort their bodies in strange ways, girls who grew beards and looked like men, a person who swallowed swords and fire, and even conjoined twins who were synchronized in everything they did.