Part Of Your World

A Mermaid's Prelude

  Flash!

  Lightning flashed in jagged white hot bolts across the windswept night sky.

  Crack. Boom!

  Thunder cracked and boomed furiously all around me leaving my ears in temporary deafness.

  Oh God. Oh God why is this happening? Why is this happening now of all times?

  I bobbed up and down in the wild waves with fear gnawing at my heart.

  The lightning is striking too close to the ship... What if... No it can't.

  It shouldn't...

  But it did.

  I watched in horror as a zig zagging white light hit the ship dead on. The wooden ship immediately burst in flames.

  So this is fire... It's scary...

  Infuriated winds whipped my bright red hair about my face, rain dotting my exposed torso as I watched beams of fire colapse on the deck of the ship. Where he is... I clasped my hands to my mouth to keep myself from crying out his name.

  He has to be okay. He needs to be okay. Oh please let him be okay!

 I swam closer towards the burning ship to get a better view. Crewmen were cutting the ropes of attached vessels and jumping into them just before they hit the wave consumed water. But he was still on the deck. Trying to save that hairy slobbering beast called "Max" that licked my face earlier... He must really care for the creature...

  His black hair was being blow back by the winds blinding his field of vision as he called out to the hairy beast, worry lacing each "Max." His wonderful eyes, as blue as the ocean itself, were lit aglow by the dancing flames, terror consuming the joy that had been within them only moments ago.

  "Max" suddenly leaped off the side of the ship into the arms of an elderly human waiting worriedly on one of the smaller vessels. The elderly man was calling out his name as loud as he could muster.

  But in vain. 

  Another flash of lightning, then a snapping noise. My eyes widened in dread as another flame consumed beam started falling towards him.

  Get out of the way! Hurry!

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the beam falling towards him. He started to run towards the side of the ship to jump, but it was too late. A part of the beam hit his head sending his unconscious body tumbling into the raging waters below. He hit the water with a sickening splash. Tears filled my eyes.

  No...

  I looked to the safe crewmen to see if they were making any attempt to save him. No. Their little vessels were floating too far away to do anything. Oh no what do I do! I can't let him die. He's special to me... I gulped.

  I'm sorry Father...

  I dove into the stormy sea, my green tail leaving a panicked splash behind me. I hurtled myself through the water as fast as I could swim, following his body floating aimlessly down to the dark bottom.

  I reached out a hand.

  I'm so close to him now...

  I finally caught up to his sinking body. Wrapping an arm around his waist, I dragged him with all my might to the surface of the water. Our heads burst out of the water, moving to and fro with the waves. I stared at him closely. His eyes still aren't open... He's not breathing.

  I must take him to shore.

  A seagull overhead squawked out a cry, begging me to follow it to where the shore is. I quickly followed the strange bird, holding onto him for dear life...

  Sunlight shone down upon his handsome face. Small waves lapped up onto his bare feet. Sand from the beach flecked his soaked, matted hair. My tail flicked back and forth as I laid on top of him on the sand, watching his chest moved up and down slowly with ragged breaths.

  I gently moved a piece of hair from his peaceful face. My hand stayed glued to his cheek, stroking it with my thumb. I began singing out of habit.

  "Wish I could be, part of your world..."

   Suddenly I felt a soft hand on my cheek...

  I gasped as my eyes suddenly met his. He was staring at my face through groggy eyes. Staring at my face with great interest and curiosity, his hand still on my cheek. 

  No! I can't let him see me!

  He blinked and closed his eyes for a moment to rub them. Barking sounded down the beach.

  I must go now!

  Before he could open his eyes again, I dove back into the ocean, hiding behind a large rock. My chest heaved up and down. That was close...

  I peeked a little from behind the rock. The hairy beast, "Max," had found him. The elderly human was also there, helping him up steadily. He was telling the elderly man something,  something I could not hear. The elderly man chuckled and began leading him away. He looked longingly back at the sea once more and then disappeared behind a cliff.

  I sunk down against the back of the rock until only my face and hair were visible on the surface. My heart hammered crazily on the inside of my chest. 

  Oh how I wish I could be apart of your world with you, Eric my forbidden love...