November 2023

Mermaid in the neighborhood

It should start soon. In less than fifteen minutes. I have to hurry and wrap everything up before it begins. Today I finished my work earlier, so I will be able to soley focus my attention on it and go back home on a sweet note.

I just zipped my bag when it started. Very low at first, almost undistinguishable, then slowly went crescendo. As it went up, shivers covered my body and an undescribable feeling filled my heart. Today it was a sad song, and it was such a match with the sweet and high pitched voice that sang it. It was the most captivating melody I had ever heard even though I worked in a music studio.

Every night, at exactly a quarter to midnight, that voice raised up on the silent neighbourhood. It started the week before, and I was so caught up in the performance that I only thought of looking for its origin when it was over. Today, maybe I could find it.

I stood up, took my bag, closed the studio with the least possible noise and started walking toward my goal. I let the melody lead me through the building, and down to the parking basement. I could feel I was getting closer, and the closer I was, the more I wanted to find her.

At a certain point I didn't even pay attention to my surrounding, I didn't notice when I got out of the building. I could hear I was getting closer, but it also felt like I was still far away. The only thing I cared about was the voice I didn't want to lose.

The voice suddenly shut-up, making me feel extremely empty, but also lost. Only then did I notice I was near the lake. How and when did I reach it ? The lake was around two or three kilometres from the building where our studio was. How comes I walked that long without noticing?

I decided to walk back home, but then a cristallin laughing caught my attention. A young woman was sitting on a bench a few letters away, and obviously looking at me. Just to make sure I was not being a narcissist, I took a look around to see if there was anyone else she might be looking at. But there was absolutely nobody. Nothing surprising, since it was past midnight.

She gestures her hand in my direction to ask me to come. I was hesitant at first, but then I decided to go, out of curiosity. As I got closer, I could distinguish her traits more clearly, and she was extremely beautiful. She had straight hip-length black hair, fair skin, and a generous chest. I could not explain why, but she appeared to me as the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and God knows how many beautiful women I met in my life, especially at work.

"Evening, Madam!" I greeted. "Can I help you?"

She didn't reply, but kept smiling. I tried asking a few questions, but none of them were answered. I knew I had to leave, but I strangely had difficulties taking my eyes off her. However I mustered the necessary will to move, and then turned around to walk away.

I did less than ten steps when the song started over. I turned around, realising the song was coming from the silent lady. She was looking straight at me, but I was then too far to see through the darkness if it was really her. But it could only be her. I started walking towards her, the melody she was producing leading me.

When I did a few steps towards her, she started walking in reverse, a bright smile stretching her lips. I was so captivated by the melody that the fact that her lips were not moving despite singing didn't catch my attention. I also didn't pay attention to  her skin slowly getting covered in something shiny, as she got closer to the water.

I kept following her as she entered the water, still mesmerized by the melody. The water was now at my knees, she was still going deeper in the water. Could she stand even that far away ? I was told the lake was pretty deep. But again, I didn't care. Water reached my chest when someone's voice shouted "Hey, you!", causing the song to stop.

I looked behind me to find an old man aiming his lamp towards me, blinding me at the same time. "Are you trying to commit suicide?" The old man asked. "This is not the best way, and it is forbidden, go find another lake!"

I looked back in the lady's direction to see that she was gone. Was that a dream ? Had she drown? Suddenly, the cold of the water penetrated me to the bones. I hurried out of the water, but before leaving I took a last look towards the lake. And maybe I imagined it, but I saw something moving in the middle. Shivers recovered my body, because of the cold, but also because of the feeling I got that I could have died, if not thanks to the old man.

The following day, I resigned and went back to my parent's house, in a city a thousand kilometres away.