People of the Sea

Sinking Feeling

I wake up.

I look around. I'm in a room. The walls are all made of glass, but I can't see what's inside of them. It's too dark.

I start shaking, when a light gets turned on. I look up to see Ukraine.

He smiles. "Thanks to you, I was able to catch all the mermaids. Every single one of them."

He flicks another switch. I see the scared mermaids in the giant glass tank surrounding us.

America stares at me with a look of betrayal in his eyes.

Ukraine continues. "I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks for being such a good brother! You're just like Father!"

"No! I'm nothing like him!!"

I try to punch Ukraine, but he dodges. I turn to him. He smiles "See? You're turning out just like him! Always attacking people!"

I try to hit him again, but he moves away. "You're an alcoholic like him! You're tall like him!"

I try attacking Ukraine again. He dodges. "You earned the mermaids trust, just to help me capture them!"

"I didn't help you!! I was happy living with them!!"

He says "You can drop the act now, Russia, you don't need their trust anymore."

"I'm not acting!! I genuinely felt some happiness when I was on the island!!"

Ukraine laughs. "There's no way someone like you could be happy! You're always sad and lonely."

"I was happy, and you took that all away!!"

"Russia! Stop acting!!"

I glare at him. "I am not acting!"

Ukraine takes a step back. "You actually care about them?"

"Why wouldn't I?! They saved my life! They helped me on the island by giving me fish!"

"They were holding you as a prisoner! Why else would they keep you stranded in the middle of nowhere?! They don't care about you! No one does!!"

He punches me in the chest, knocking me into a glass wall. The mermaids swim away.

He punches the side of my head, and I fall to the floor.

He kicks me face. "You pathetic waste of space! Why do you even exist?! Just die already!!"

He turns and walks out the doors, sealing them closed. Suddenly, the glass walls start moving up.

The water crashes down on me before I can register what's happening. America swims over and quickly makes an air bubble around my head.

I curl up in a ball, leaning against the wall.

I shiver from the water being colder than I'm used to.

*+*A while later*+*

There's loud tapping sounds echoing around the tank. Everyone holds the sides of their heads, including me.

I look over to see Ukraine tapping on the glass. He yells "Russia!! Get over here!!"

He stops tapping, so I swim over. I sit on the ground, glaring at him through the glass. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're still alive!"

"Magic, idiot."

Ukraine punches the glass. The sound echoes around the water. I press my hands against my head.

I look up. A lid.

I quickly swim up and look for a way to open it. Soon, some mermaids swim up and help me.

We get the lid open.

I climb out and look around. I shiver from the cold air and water. Normally the cold doesn't affect me this much, but it's twice as cold.

I look around for a way to get the mermaids out of here.

The bay.

I jump down on Ukraine and knock him out by landing on him.

Then look up at the mermaids, then find the button. I press it, and the floor opens up to reveal an area for the water to flow into the bay.

I run over to the tank. "Get ready to swim!"

I press the button and the water starts draining. They all swim in the river made by the water.

I make sure absolutely no one is left behind, then start running behind the last of the river to help anyone who gets stuck.

Some kids get stuck, so I pick them up and toss them to their parents, who catch them.

At the last part before the bay, America gets his tail caught on something and he can't swim anywhere.

I run over and start helping him get free. I get him out, but there's no more water in the river area. All the mermaids are in the bay except America.

I pick him up, and he wraps his arms around my neck while I run towards the bay.

I put him in the water, when I hear my siblings angrily shouting my name. I run over to the only boat left and take it out. The others must be fishing.

I'm in the oldest sailboat we own.

Thankfully it's windy, so I don't have to worry about hurting the mermaids with the motor.

I get away from the dock just in time.

The mermaids all surround my boat.

Then, way out in the open ocean, they dive down, where no one will ever find them again.

I'm left alone, drifting in the open ocean.

I guess this is how I'll die.

Drifting alone...

For the rest of my life..

I sit at the edge and look down at the water.

It's peaceful.

Then everything gets darker.

I look over and see a huge storm. Then the waves hit.

The boat gets capsized immediately, and I'm plunged into the waters below.

The boat is over me, and I'm too tired to try and swim around it.

The boat starts sinking, taking me down with it.

I guess this is the end.

I let out the last bit of air in my lungs and watch the bubbles float away as my vision gets darker and blurrier.

Then I close my eyes for the last time.