Drowning (1st book)

2. The Evil Merman

"Jump already!" Gretta screams.

I stand on my dock, watching the currents in my lake move.

The lake is pitch black and scary.

"I don't think I can!" I yell. I silently pray to God. If he loves me a tiny little bit, he won't make me jump.

"Rose, do it, or I'll push you off!" Gretta declares narrowing her eyes. That does it for me. It would be more humiliating if she were to push me off.

"Don't let the demon kill you!" a girl screams and the rest of them erupt in laughter.

I take a deep shaky breath and peel off my shirt and pants. I leave myself in my unicorn covered underwear and bra.

All the girls let out a mass explosion of more laughter at the sight of the unicorns. I perposfully ignore them.

I plug my nose. Please God, help me. I close my eyes and jump.

I plunge into the black, grotesque water. I automatically start shivering. Isn't it supposed to be warmer because of specific heat or something like that? Wow, I'm such a nerd...

I start swimming to the bottom. After every stroke, I look around to see if anything is following me. Stop being paranoid! There is nothing here! I shake off my suspicions and continue swimming.

I reach the bottom and tap it, but instead of tapping squishy sand, I touch bare, decomposed bone.

"Agh!" I scream underwater.

Beneath me is the skeleton of a human. How did my parents not know about this?

I race up to the surface and take a deep breath and plunge back to the bottom. Call me crazy, but I need to get another look.

I swim back to the bottom, feeling an eerie silence creep over me. I look around the water. I swim towards the skeleton. It looks very decomposed. Fish swim around it and suck and nip at little bits of leftover flesh. Gross!

Suddenly something grabs my ankle.

It's him!

I thrash around. I grip the skeleton's arm. It unhooks with a disgusting ripping noise that makes me mentally gag.

I feel the weight of the bone in my hand. That's disgusting! I touched it! I stab whatever is behind me.

The thing screams in pain and lunges at me. I try to swim to the top. My lungs burn for air. I claw at the water like it might help me get out of this death trap.

It grabs ahold of my ankle and pulls me down towards him.

The monster turns me around and strangles my neck.

I knew this wasn't a good idea! I knew I would meet him again!

When I first see the man I thought was a thing, I gasp. He looks the same since I last saw him when I was eight.

I gaze deeply into his icy blue eyes.

They look murderous and deadly, but I can see a tiny hint of sorrow.

To be honest, I really don't care if he's a depressed demon. I just want him to let me go! If he lets go of me right now, I'll never bother him again. In fact, if he's that sad, I'll be happy to pay for some mermaid group therapy sessions!

I struggle in his grip and my lungs scream for oxygen.

His hands suddenly go slack and my vision returns.

He touches my hair with his left hand and ropes his right one around my waist.

"Rose?" he says perfectly through the water.

He knows my name? How the hell does he know my name?

His eyes glance down at my underwear.

"Nice bra," he smirks.

The water demon complimented my bra?

I don't have time to fully contimplate that remark. I try and push his arm off my body.

He finally lets go of me and thrusts me upward.

I reach the surface and I scream. I thrash around and grab at the water like it's a solid surface that might actually help me up.

"Help! Please just help me!" People rush into the water and drag me out.

Bodies surround me and attatch their arms to any part of me they can grab. I feel myself being lifted up and dragged to the shore.

Once I reach land, Gretta talks to me.

"Are you okay?" she says, looking genuinely concerned.

I spit out water and then cough.

"Go to Hell," I say weakly. I surprise myself by saying this. I don't usually say mean things to Gretta.

A ripple appears in the water and the handsome man's head perks up. I look around to see if anyone else is noticing him. People are too concerned with me to notice.

He looks at me and then winks.

He's evil! He must have killed that person!

But you can't deny he's handsome, Rose!

Shut up, Rose! That's sick!

I quickly lose consciousness and dream about the beautiful merman, just like I did when I was eight.