Scales (A *Tail* starring One Direction, like no other)

Chapter 14 ~ The Darkness

Chapter 14.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" I yell, and then Ainslea and I grab our bags and dash out of the lab.

Shoot, how was I going to be able to go back to Uni after today?

"Lets head down to the beach." I mutter, and the two of us sprint over to my car.

"That was something." Ainslea mutters as we drive down to the beach.

"You could say that again!" I laugh, not really caring about how bad my day has been.

~

I lay on the sand, my eyes closed, soaking up the last rays of sun for the day.

Ainslea went home a few hours ago after I told her to, and Liam, well he's probably still at Uni, studying or something.

I enjoy the solitude though, it's something you need every once in a while, and laying here gives me time to think.

As the sun fades in the distance I sit up slowly and grab my phone out of my bag.

I decide to send a text to Liam.

Hey,

Had a rough day, hope yours was better :) I think I'm going to go for a swim for a bit, won't be too long though, if I'm not back by ten something's happened.

See you later.

xx

Hannah.

After sending the text I pick myself up off the sand and walk over to the rock pools.

Once I've hidden my tote in a crevasse I pull off my gladiators and get ready to get into the sea.

Slowly I undo my hair from the bun it's been in all day and instantly feel better when my strawberry blonde hair rushes around my face in the warm evening breeze, the rate at which it's grown fascinates me, it's down to my waist now. Then I walk up to the edge of the rock pools and collect myself.

"Lets go." I mutter and leap into the air.

The warm breeze rushes around me for a few short milliseconds and it's quickly replaced by the dark blue water. My outstretched legs seem to join together like magnets and I feel them get longer, transforming into a strong, stunning tail.

I am never going to get used to that.

Then I begin to swim, my powerful tail making me travel faster than I ever thought possible.

The sensation is amazing, even though it's dark I can still make out the coral and the fish beneath the waves.

I swim further and further, farther than I've ever been before.

I wonder what the time is, I wonder if Liam is worried, maybe I shouldn't have gone out.

I decide to swim to the surface and I gasp as my head breaks through the water.

Everything is dark, I have no idea where I am.

Just then I see lights, phew, must be the lights of the houses on the shore.

I begin to swim towards them, and as I get closer, they grow in size.

And why does it feel like they are moving too?

When I am a few meters away the truth dawns on me, but by then I'm too late.

I swim forward and feel my hands get entangled in what seems to be a huge net, I quickly try to free myself, but instead I get stuck even more, all the fish swimming around me pile in the net and a few seconds later I feel myself being lifted into the air.

Next thing I know I'm being thrown roughly onto the deck of a boat along with all the other fish, the bright lights aboard are blinding and I curl up, feeling exposed and scared.

"No way, Bruce, come get a load of this!" I hear a raspy voice yell.

"Mike, what is that?!" Another voice yells.

"I have no idea Bruce...could it be?" The one who found me—Mike I think—asks.

"It looks like a-a Mermaid?" Bruce stutters.

"It can't be!"

"Wow, we'd better take this inside."

I curl up tighter, feeling more venerable than ever as rough hands encase my body and me up, carrying me to who knows where.

The next thing I know I'm in a room on the boat, and it's dark and silent.

I listen carefully and I hear one of the men on the phone.

"Yeah, Jenna, we've found something, no I don't know what it is, come look at it, we're coming to shore now, OK, see you then, bye." He says, and then I hear the loud footsteps that signify that he is going up to the deck.

I sit in silence, regretting going for this stupid swim.

Uggh, what were they going to do to me? Cut me open? Clone me? Inject me? What?!

The possibilities were endless.

After what feels like forever I hear the door to the room I'm in creak open, and hear the click clack of heels on wood.

"Oh, this is great." A woman's voice croons.

It's the last thing I hear before I feel a sharp pain in my arm.

Then the world goes black.