Dark Waters

Chapter 1

EDITED

Avalon's Story

(Avalon's POV)

My name is Avalon Tailor. I know, cheesy right? But to be fair, I wasn't the one who chose the name. I recently turned 16, I live in Miami, Florida, and as you have probably guessed by now, I'm a mythical creature you all know as the mermaid. 

I know what you're thinking, I'm the runaway daughter of Triton, or I became a mermaid in a cave that's inside a volcano, on an Australian island that's strongly connected to the moon. But you're wrong. All of that is wrong. 

The Little Mermaid, H2O (Just Add Water), Mako Mermaids, etc.- those are fairy tales, though I have found that they're occasionally correct. All of those shows are made up for sheer amusement and humility of the real creatures, which you all think to be myths. Most people don't know the truth or the history of the merpeople. But if you want to know the truth, here it is; my backstory and where my family comes from. 

I live with my family. And yes, they are also merfolk. My family consists of my father, Tangaroa, my mother, Nerissa, my brothers Amphitrite and Poseidon, my sister, Melody, and I. As you can tell, we have some pretty abnormal names.

These names are all traditional merfolk names. However, our last name was actually made up by my great, great, great grandparents on my father's side, when they left their clan and moved to land. 

You are probably wondering what the hell I'm talking about, right? Well, I'll fill you in. There are two types of merfolk in the Northern Kingdom: Domestics, and Natives. My family are Domestics. 

Domestics are the merfolk who decide they want to leave their clans in the sea and live on land with the mortals, who call themselves humans. Keep in mind that even though we're on land, we still have to use our tails regularly. They don't just disappear completely when we're out of water. 

Here's how it works. After any water makes contact with our skin, we have about ten seconds before we transform. Yes, the television shows had that fact correct. In order to keep our tails in good shape, we have to swim at least once weekly. This keeps them healthy and strong. Just taking a bath or even transforming won't be enough, as it is the exercise that keeps our tails in good shape. 

The most important rule to follow as a Domestic is keeping your tail a secret. It needs to be kept a secret from any mortals, unless you trust them with your life. Because with a secret like that, they may as well be holding your life in their hands. Merfolk must stay a secret to the outside world. (To help our case, there aren't many people who actually believe in our kind.)

Most Domestics are born like humans, instead of hatching from eggs like the Natives do. So when Domestic children are born, they don't have their tails. All Domestic children who are born as humans will transform for the first time when they reach a certain physical, mental, and emotional maturity. This is usually around the age of 13. However, each Domestic gets their tail at their own pace when they are ready for it. Think of it like mermaid puberty.

The tail you get is usually one solid color. But rarely, you can get a multicolored tail. But multicolored tails have a meaning; they mean power. That the person is strong and will be powerful in the future.

For girls, the first time you see your tail is also the first time you see your top. This is a pretty big deal, as nobody can choose the type of top they will have. But this also means that they can't choose the size of the top they get.

Most get their top and it fits them perfectly, and even grows with them. The types of tops known are seaweed, seashells, scales, and clams. Some Domestics who are half and half (one mortal and one merfolk parent) even end up with no top at all.