Beneath (#Wattys2016)

The burning sensation ripped through my body, turning it limp. My flowing locks and shimmery tail turned to weeds. My finger nails morphed into sharp, pointy daggers and my face was one that belonged to a monster. I wasn't myself. I had an indescribable desire for flesh that I had never felt before. I couldn't escape it.

Let me out. Let me out!

I was trapped in a body that was not my own, with unrecognizable sensations. I tried to fight it as I made my way towards the pod that I loved and cared about.

Please, no!

I screamed inside my head, trying to force my body to come to a complete stop. I fought against the walls in my brain, pushing, trying to escape. I wouldn't let this happen, I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough despite my efforts. I, or it, was almost there.

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Mermaids are real, but so are less pleasant things...

In a world where everything is seen beneath the ocean waves, Kai isn't an ordinary girl. She has a tail instead of legs and gills on the side of her body. She's known as a mermaid by some and a monster by others. Her world is perfect. However, when members of Puakai's pod start to disappear, her world as she knows it comes crashing down.