Of the Twisted and the Lost

PROLOGUE:

Like every other story that ends with tragedy, a certain thought slides through Avelyn's head. A thought she knows for certain, the idea sending chills down her spine and uneasiness prickling her skin: something bad is going to happen.

Yet despite her uneasy thoughts, the girl still stands on the edge of the rickety bridge, watching as the ocean waves splash at her night slippers. One little slip and Avelyn will tumble into the hungry waves, with no one to hear her terrified screams.

Avelyn Roberts stays rooted in place, azure-blue eyes scanning the sky. Silver stars glisten against the midnight skies, the full moon waiting solemnly. The harbor, tonight, is calm — unlike Avelyn, whose heart thumps, a million drums pounding inside her.

Her feet move without permission, edging closer to the bridge, in an almost trance-like movement. This is what brings her to the harbor. The soft ghoul-like whispers that caress her hair, urging her feet to move forward and into danger, despite how terror swallows her whole.

Finally, she speaks, spell broken. "I know you're stalking me." Her voice wavers, though it still echoes around the vast harbor. "Even though everyone thinks I'm turning crazy, I know for a fact that you're stalking me."

Silence. The kind of quietness that invokes fear.

"They say all those shadows and whispers and nightmares are part of my imagination," Avelyn whispers. "They tell me what I'm seeing is just trauma from accidents."

A glittery laugh escapes her, tinged with disbelief, the sound threading its web into the suffocating silence.

"You shouldn't be paranoid, they say with those stupid smiles that pretend to be sympathetic, when they're really mocking me. It's all in your head, they add, but I know that's not true."

Tears stick onto her long lashes, threatening to fall. "I know you're there. So please come out." Avelyn looks down, suddenly realizing how pathetic she is. Who would wake up in the middle of the night, walk to a harbor dressed in only a thin robe and night slippers, just to talk to a stalker? "I don't want to be crazy. I don't want to. I want everything to go back to how it was before."

Avelyn's expression crumbles when yet again, there's no answer. No, she thinks, and that's when the tears come pouring. Dripping to the cold ground, emotions engulf her in a wave of fury and terror. Fury, because everyone's right. Terror, because she's turning crazy like everyone predicted. I'm not crazy, I'm really not, so please—

She's crazy. Avelyn is crazy.

You're crazy. Her thoughts hiss with sweet poison, all butter and honey and something bitter underlying it all. You're wrong and they're right and you're crazy.

"No!" A scream rips out of her throat and she stumbles back, covering her ears. "I'm not crazy! I'm not stupid either! I know what I saw!"

"Hmm, I'm afraid I have to contradict that statement." A low voice cuts through the silence and shivers ripples through the air. "This might come across as a tad harsh, but you were stupid for following me."

Avelyn whirls around, frantic gaze darting everywhere. There. Her breath is instantly taken away when she locks eyes with a boy who's floating in water.

It's him, the boy who's stalking her. He's beautiful and in that out-of-the-world manner, bronze curls dripping into piercing green eyes, lips curled in amusement. Though this situation is hardly amusing, terror causes Avelyn's heart to plunge.

"You." Avelyn's tone comes out accusing. "You're real."

"Me," he agrees. "And yes, I am real."

There's a sly touch in his voice, which manages to both infuriate and frighten Avelyn. "Who are you?" she demands, willing her body not to tremble under his gaze. "Why are you following me?"

The boy flicks away the question with a dismissive snort. "Let me cut to the chase." Water droplets drip down his curls, as he leans closer. "You saw me in my form, didn't you?"

"You're a merman."

The sentence flies out of Avelyn's mouth and even though part of her feels ridiculous, she knows it's true.

The merman laughs and Avelyn's cheeks pinken. This is the exact reaction she braced for, yet it still stings.

"You're right," the merman says casually. "Would you like a badge that says 'Teenage Girl Finds Real Merman'? I'm sure I can find the time to print it out."

Avelyn's mouth drops open, but it's not because of his abrasiveness. Disbelief and relief rush from her feet to her head, causing tingles to dance on her skin. "I knew it." Tears rush to her eyes, as she quietly murmurs those words. "I'm not crazy. I knew it. They're wrong and I'm right—"

"Avelyn." The merman slides an unreadable look in her direction. "You told people about me."

What? Avelyn freezes, warning lighting through her. "No," she stutters. Lying has never been one of her greater attributes, but she hopes in a life-and-death situation, her lie can be believable. "Why would I tell anyone? If I told people, they would think I'm crazy and my classmates would lose respect for me and my father would never believe me—"

"You're rambling, love." He interrupts her, eyebrows raised. "You're also lying."

Terror sweeps through Avelyn, the same roiling shade of tragedy, heart fluttering faster. She stays rooted in place, though her mind screams out one word: run.

"Stop looking so scared," the merman laughs. "Don't worry, I won't do anything painful. I'll just erase your memories."

Avelyn's eyes frantically dart for help, but there's no way except for her and the merman. "Don't come closer!" Avelyn warns, watching as the merman moves towards her. "Get the hell away from me!" 

He tilts his head as if relishing her fear. Then he crawls out of the water — and when his tail melts into white linen pants, with a pair of legs that weren't there before, Avelyn's fear increases tenfold. 

"How?" she stammers, fear making her throat tighten. "Mermaids can't go on land—" 

"Says who? Your storybooks? Your movies?" He laughs, approaching her in a slow predatory way. "Besides, you underestimate my abilities." 

She's shivering, tears sliding down her porcelain skin. Her thoughts are fleeting and icy. I shouldn't have come here, Avelyn thinks. I'm going to die. 

"Don't be so hard on yourself," the merman chides. "It's not your fault that you saw a merman or that I lured you to the harbor or that I'm able to go on land for thirty minutes." 

Avelyn turns to run, able to control her movements again. She rushes towards the broken sign that declares this place Tevine City's Harbor, praying. Praying that it'll take the merman a few minutes to regain his leg movements. Praying that she'll have a chance because she used to do track and field in middle school. Praying that she'll have a chance, that he'll never catch her, that she'll survive tonight. 

Then a hand wraps around her waist. No. That moment — it's like all her hopes have been dashed on, stomped on, spit on. Destroyed in the cruelest way. All her hope shatters like glass, as Avelyn lets out a guttural sob, trapped in the merman's arms. 

"I'm sorry," he says, sounding genuinely apologetic. Which makes everything ten times worse. "Goodbye, Avelyn. I hope you and I never cross paths again." 

Then he's kissing her so deeply and sweetly, lips tasting of salt and oceans. Wait, Avelyn thinks, as her limbs relax. Not kissing, but sucking the energy out of me. 

No. 

Her heartbeat slows and she tries to fight. She really does, battling with every ticking second — but her arm goes slack. 

No. Please, no. 

Avelyn wants to scream, but she's smothered with the lack of air, of salt and tears, of fear that swarms her blood. 

No. No. No. 

Stop! she shrieks, as death caresses her body with fake promises: Don't struggle. It'll be all good if you stop struggling. You won't get hurt, I promise. 

No. No. No. No. 

Time comes to a standstill. Avelyn goes limp in the merman's arms, and he smiles.