Drown

Chapter 1

I tossed and turned in bed, unable to banish the slew of images that haunted my nightmares: me, moments after killing Tiger Shark; his blood on my hands; the looks on Naia and Meri's faces as they found out about Tiger Shark. The most prominent image, though, was my own expression after reading the letter and realising that Tiger Shark was alive. My father was alive.

I cried out as I jerked awake, my chest heaving as I tried to steady my breath. Sadly, these nightmares had become a nightly occurrence. They'd started a few weeks after I recieved the aforementioned letter. I hadn't mentioned them to the others; I didn't want them to worry. They all had more important things to worry about.

David and his sister had been travelling back and forth from Pelathas, their home, trying to reassure the population that Tiger Shark wouldn't be a problem anymore. My sisters were helping rebuild our village, after so many homes had been destroyed by Tiger Shark. Jay was the only one who'd stayed. A glimmer caught my eye and I smiled, holding up my left hand so the ring on my finger caught the sun.

Right before I'd gotten the letter, he'd proposed to me. Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly said yes, accepting his ring. We hadn't had time—either of us—to buy fancy rings, so we'd improvised. A nice couple from Pelathas carved out the rings for us. We'd thanked them profusely, but they'd waved us off. Defeating Tiger Shark was all the thanks they'd needed.

As much as I enjoyed not having to get up early every morning, I missed my shifts at the Ocean Cafè. I'd had to quit soon after Jay and I got married, due to the workload I would soon be saddled with.

My hands were trembling as I got out of bed and got dressed. I squeezed them into fists, taking a steadying breath. More than anything, I wished Mom were here. But she, along with my sisters, had gone back to our village.

Jay's side of the bed was cold; he must've gotten up hours before me. Swimming into the bathroom, I washed my face, struggling to keep the images at bay. I had a long day ahead of me. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

After I got dressed, I swam downstairs while running through my mental to-do list: 1. Check on the progress of our infirmary which was in the process of being built.
2. Have the weekly meeting with leaders of surrounding villages.
We met once a week, going over any projects or problems that had arisen. Having a solid plan was the only thing getting me through the day. If I paused for even a heartbeat, memories and images crowded my mind, threatening to overwhelm me.

I found Jay in the kitchen, talking to a brown-haired merman whom I quickly recognised as Pelathas' emissary. As I glanced at him, I felt a pang in my chest. It wasn't the same without David and Isabella.

When Jay noticed me, he quickly thanked the merman, then swam to me, grabbing my hand and kissing me on the cheek. Good-morning, my love. Did you sleep well? He'd come to me a few weeks ago asking me to teach him how to sign. At first, his signing was unrecognizable. The more we practiced, the easier it became for him. Now, his signing was flawless.  

I nodded, pasting a smile on my face. Very well. You?

He nodded. What are your plans for today?

I quickly gave him a rundown, kissing him on the cheek before swimming out of the house.

As soon as I swam into the open water, I could breathe easier. I swam to where the infirmary was in the process of being built, nodding at the mermen hard at work. I had a little time before the meeting, so I decided I'd go for a quick swim. A flick of my tail was all it took for me to be zooming through the water. Several other villages bordered our own, so I took my time swimming through them.

As I swam, a familiar smell filled the air, stopping my heart. My entire body went rigid, my senses sharpening. A few feet away, a sheet covered a body. I could just barely make out the tip of the tail fin. A mermaid around Naia's age was floating beside the sheet, distraught.

I didn't stay to investigate. The water blurred around me as I swam home, struggling to keep the panic and fear from overwhelming me. I was in such a daze that I hardly noticed I missed the meeting. That night, I collapsed into bed, wrapping my arms around Jay.

A single thought raced through my head, over and over: Could it really be true?

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