Celeste

10.

I never realised how cold the sea could be. Or how dark.

I'm not dead. That's nice. Wait. How am I not dead?! I panic, breathing heavy, looking around at the pitch black.

Then light begins to creep in. Something silvery heading this way. I blink, squinting. What? It's coming closer... bigger. There are more of them.

I scream silently, hunching down as something big swarms over. Fish? Fish. Fish?!

I try to get up, but my legs seem to be stuck together. Slowly I reach towards the rope on my legs... and touch scales. Is there a giant fish on me? My fingers glide upwards, feelings the cold skin of my waist under my cotton dress.

I'm really panicked now. A thought appears in my head. Am I a mermaid?
No. Ridiculous.

Still... if I am a mermaid, and I move like this...
Experimentally, I shimmy my waist. And move upwards In a half tilt.
My legs feel different now, like the Columns of a spine, flexible and easy to move. It puts me in mind of playing hoops as a child, never quite getting the metal hoop up my hips, always letting it clatter onto the floor in defeat.

I'd bet I'd be really good at it now, I think, shimmying vaguely upwards. I can see a pinprick of light when something catches my attention.
I can hear the sea just like in the shells in the beach. And somethings heading this way fast. Nothing small, either. About my size.

I glance down, and nearly have a heart attack. A face stares at me, lips moving. The voice reaches my ears a moment later.

"Are you alright? Quite unnerving, isn't it?"

I furrow my brow. "You can hear me?" I direct to him as he catches up.

I can see his tail, a shimmering silver on dark skin. Seaweed wafts in his dark hair. Silver eyes flash like coins in his angular face.

"The names Mitch. You can direct your voice to people using the waves. I heard you scream." He says, smiling my way.

I frown. "Is this a dream?" I direct at him.

He laughs, "I thought the same when it happened to me. I cant explain how it works, but I can tell you this. If you try to go above ground so soon, you will die. The sun, no matter how weak, will fry you so fast, that all that is left is sea foam." He sounds deadly serious. I swallow hard.

"What happens now?" I ask, folding my arms about myself.

"You can come with me. There are others who are in the same predicament. We can help." He says, stretching out his hand for me to take.

I look up again, into the light. Then I look down. At my tail. It's a classic shape you would imagine, but with reflective silver rainbow scales, and fine fins working fluidly to keep me upright. I'm still wearing my dress, though it's hardly recognisable, missing a arm, torn to almost half the length. My necklace is gone. I can only hope blue made it out.

I turn to the other mermaid, who watches me with a sympathetic smile.
"It's a hard choice, I know. Some mer go off the grid, but to sharks, and other predators, you are just a fish. A weird fish, but still a fish." He raised one dark brow.

I considered these options.
"Fine. I will go with you." I said, taking his arm.

I tried to keep up with him, but I felt like riding a runaway horse, clinging on, feeling wind in my hair...
Or water in my tail?

I grip onto his arm, seeing only vague shapes through the dark. His tail sticks out like the sun on a silver tea set, winking as it swishes too and fro.
But there is no sun down here.

I can only hope there is light where we are going.
We seem to be delving deeper into the dark, feeling the water grow more heavy and the pull to go deeper rises. Soon I see nothing at all.

But then, I see flashes of vibrant colours wizzing past, yellows, greens, pinks. I stare after one, hoping to see some vague shape, some sea creature...
But we were going too fast, I only saw streaks of it. Biting my lip, I clung on tighter.

Soon, Mitch began to slow his pace, rightening himself as we approached a gateway of glass shards.
"This is our home. The glass wards off predators." His voice says.

We swim through the archway, and I blink in surprise.

I can see. Strange colours coat the outlines of ships, strange ballooning creatures float slowly through, trailing wisps of pink behind them. Bright glowing yellow stones light pathways between the sunken wrecks, leading to a huge fountain from which bubbles emerge.
There are more mermaids.

Some twirl in the bubbles, laughing, others talk and swim together, holding another creature, a smooth silvery blue thing, that squeaks.
I don't realise we've stopped until Mitch tugs on my arm.
"Welcome to the city of light."

"What are those?" I ask, letting go of his arm, pointing at the ground.
He lets lose another grin. "Bioluminescent Algae. We use them so we can see. The jellyfish help too, some are used as lanterns on scouting trips."

I frown as one 'jelly fish' floats past, seemingly non seeing, emitting light as it slowly flies past. It trails strange things behind it, like strips of fabric. I reach forward, fascinated.
"I wouldn't do that. As you get used to being a mermaid, it won't hurt, but it can sting new fry." I withdraw my hand. "New fry?" I ask instead.

"It's what we call the new mermaids who haven't quite figured it out yet. But first, I have to take you to ruby." He said, taking his arm about my waist, guiding me forward.

"Whose that?" I ask.

"It's the leader. She gives new fry an audience, and decides what they do. Scout for food, scavenge materials, or fight."

I stare up at him.
"Who do we fight against?" I asked, confused.

Mitch gives me an odd stare. "Pirates, of course."