Short Stories and Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt #10 - Space Mermaids

I whipped my head around, before brushing it off. I thought I heard someone singing. Singing so beautiful, like I've never heard before. But that wasn't possible. I was alone in this space station. So obviously I was imagining things, right?

But I heard it again a few minutes later. It sounded far away, like they weren't in the space station. And sound didn't, couldn't, travel through space. As I turned to look outside the window for the hundredth time that day, my heart almost stopped.

Floating out there, was what seemed to be a mermaid, in space. I blinked, and she was gone. But I heard that beautiful singing again, singing a melody I've never heard before. Pleasant, but somewhat off-kilter. I involuntarily, as if someone took control, stepped closer to the window, desperate to catch a glimpse of the space mermaid once again.

I quickly changed into my space suit, determined to find the source of that singing. I attached the various harnesses to my suit so that I wouldn't float away, and went outside into the vastness of space. The singing seemed louder now. Closer. I turned around as I surveyed my surroundings, or lack thereof. The Earth seemed to have disappeared. But that didn't matter, as I spotted the mermaid.

She was the most graceful thing I have seen. I couldn't stop looking from her, even if I wanted to, I just couldn't. I wanted to get closer to her. No, needed. Without thinking, I unbuckled myself from the harness. No way of going back to the space station now. All I had was my space suit. But, all that seemed unimportant, unnecessary, because I knew once I was wrapped in her arms, I was safe.

I slowly drifted to her through space, and seemed to arrive faster as her song came closer to the climax. I could see her in full detail now, and she was even more alluring now. I knew once I was in her arms, all my worries would wash away. The song enveloped me, pushing away thoughts of the space station, of Earth, of home. Because home was in her arms, and I was almost there.

The off-kilter melody quickened, and her mouth curved as she saw that I was fighting to get closer. I knew why she was smiling. It was because she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with me. Because deep down I knew that I've been searching for her, and her for me, and we were finally victorious. At last I touched her, the song exploded around us as it reached the climax, and I looked into her eyes.

I was trapped in her embrace. No way of escaping. That didn't matter though. I was struggling to get the helmet of my suit off, so I could kiss her. I need to feel the warmth of her lips against mine, and mine against hers. She started floating again, pulling me along, her song never faltering. We were traveling fast, faster than the speed of light. To where, I don't know. That didn't matter. I was finally home.

Even with having to pull me along, her singing continued, stronger even. Nothing seemed to intimidate her. But, as her off-kilter song came to an end, so did our trip. We stopped. Stars surrounded us, and there right in front of us, is what looked to be absolutely nothing.

Oblivion. Maybe once before I would have been worried. But not now. Now I was safe. I finally got the helmet of my space suit off. The fact I couldn't breathe, the fact that it was so unforgivingly cold, didn't bother me. All that mattered was kissing her.

I turned toward her and there was this gleam in her eyes. An almost dangerous one. But that was quickly forgotten as triumph lit up her face, as she smiled entirely showing off her teeth. Her perfectly pointed teeth, tinted red. That didn't matter though. I shoved forward blindly, when I finally placed my lips on hers. But hers were cold, possessive. And that snapped me out of my trance.

I realized what I've done and pulled back. What has happened. There was no end of space in sight, my space station, and the Earth, no where near us. I turned back towards her. My vision was blurring. I was having a hard time holding my breath. As I stared in horror at her, her beautiful face transformed into a horrifying creature of the stars. Something that's never set foot on Earth. Her nails lengthened, the end of her tail sharpened, little teeth seeming to line the end of the fin.  Her teeth sharpened even more, her smile taking on a deadly edge.

Her clawed hands yanked me roughly, as panic set in. Because of the situation, because I had no idea where we were, because I couldn't fucking breathe. And it was all my fault.

She dragged me harshly through space towards that oblivion. Dragging me faster and faster. I was absolutely helpless against. She had unnatural strength, more than what should have been possible. There was nothing I could do, she just kept dragging me, and I was helpless against her. I was trembling now, trying with everything I had to get away from her. We were nearly to it.

She finally let go of me. She shoved me into the oblivion, and the darkness seemed to grab at me with invisible hands. Pulling me back, back, back. The darkness started to obscure my vision, the space mermaid already floating away, probably looking for another victim to lure. I struggled against the invisible hands, but I was slowly losing consciousness. I gave up. I opened my mouth to scream, but those hands silenced it. They shoved down my throat. I tried screaming, for anyone, anything. My heartbeat slowed, my breathing shortened, and my eyelids fluttered. I clawed at my neck, trying to at least get a semblance of a scream out, but that only worked to quicken my fate.

Because out in oblivion is a dangerous peace. Silence. Because out in oblivion, no one can hear you scream.