Fathoms Below

Round 4 - The Stakes

The cut ran deep, revealing tissue beneath Adelaide never wanted to see again. She hissed in pain as Seymour cleaned the wound. He glanced up, but didn't stop, letting the alcohol burn as he poured it over her shoulder.

"You're doing that on purpose," she growled, her muscles tensing as he dabbed the liquid away with a clean cloth.

"Maybe." His smirk wasn't comforting, and she fought the urge to jerk away. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice soft. "I wasn't lying."

"I know." Adelaide didn't meet his gaze, biting down on her tongue to keep the tears shining in her eyes from spilling out. "I should have believed you."

"I've only ever tried to protect you, Addy." He positioned her in the chair so they were face to face, prepping the needle and thread for sewing her back up. 60/40 shot at infection, he'd said.

"I have to go back."

Adelaide's assertion stopped Seymour mid-stitch. He stared at her, his pallor pale as the moon.

Blinking back to his usual scowl, he shook his head. "You can't go back." He stuck the needle into her shoulder. Biting back a cry, Adelaide suffered through the stitches, waiting until he'd finished to dare speak again.

"I'm not going to let Ro's death be the end of it. I'm not letting Pheron win." She leaned away from him, lest he get any ideas she needed more done to her shoulder.

"Adelaide." Seymour pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep sigh that moved his whole body. "You can't do it. You can't stop him. It's the end, and that's that." He looked away, his jaw clenched. "You'll survive. You don't need to worry about the rest of us."

"There are still millions of humans on this earth. I'm not going to watch you or anyone else die while I have the power to stop it."

"He'll kill you if you go. You realize that, don't you?"

"And if I don't go, millions die."

"Millions might die even if you do."

"Might." She poked his chest with her finger. "There's a chance for them – for you. I won't waste it."

"But—"

"No, Sey. For the last six years I've followed your rules, listened, been a good little girl. It's kept me alive, yes, but it hasn't allowed me to live. I know you don't think it's possible, but I can feel it, deep inside." She beat her fist against her chest. Tears tightened her throat. "For once, I need to listen to myself and trust myself. I know that I can do this. Please, believe in me the way I've always believed in you. Let me try and save you for once."

Seymour didn't meet her gaze, but she could see his eyes shining as he stared at the table. With a grunt, he cleared his throat.

"And what happens if we survive, but you don't? What am I supposed to do without you?"

Adelaide forced herself to her feet, staring down at him. Cupping his chin in her hand, she forced him to look up at her.

"I'm coming back. Trust me."

Word count: 512

Outline: 611 words

Hook – Adelaide is nearly captured by an UnKept on a raid of their compound for water and food. She and Seymour barely escape with their lives.

Inciting event – Adelaide wakes in the middle of the day to discover the UnKept nearly on top of their hideout. They have two options: flee further into the desert, or head for the ocean. Seymour chooses the former.

Key event – Adelaide catches Seymour breaking his biggest rule: don't go near the water. She follows him to the beach.

1st Plot Point – Adelaide meets the man Seymour is talking to and discovers what lurks beneath the surface of the black waters. The merman, an alluring, other-worldly entity named Pheron, promises Adelaide a better future if she'll do one simple thing for him: bring back the second in command of the Unkept.

Reaction – Adelaide, determined to give the stranger what he wants in exchange for her own (and Seymour's) ultimate freedom from the Unkept, sets out to do as the stranger asked – against Seymour's wishes.

1st Pinch Point – With Seymour finally agreeing to her plan, Adelaide sneaks into the compound and discovers the Unkept Second in Command – an attractive young man named Ro – and begs him to come with her.. While she had him distracted and before he can sound the alarm, Seymour arrives and knocks Ro unconscious. He and Adelaide drag Ro away, back toward the sea.

Realization – Seymour shares with Adelaide why he went to the water – and why they cannever go back. He agreed to capture Ro in order to save all of them from Pheron.Seymour says Pheron is unpredictable and will most likely kill her when he getswhat he wants. Adelaide doesn't believe him, convinced he's trying to keep herin his own small world. 

Midpoint – Adelaide takes a bound and gagged Ro down to the sea, offering him over to Pheron. Pheron removes Ro's gag and triumphs over his success. Ro, Adelaide discovers, isn't actually human, but is one of Pheron's kind. Worse, he's the rogue prince, an enemy of Pheron's people – and he isn't alone. All the UnKept are mermaids walking on land, and Adelaide is just like them. Adelaide learns of Pheron's plans to destroy the earth and all remaining humans by enveloping all land underwater, drowning them.
Pheron kills Ro and, when she refuses to join him and help him in his plans, moves to eliminate Adelaide as well.

Action – Adelaide escapes – just barely – and realizes everything Seymour said was true. She returns to him, vowing to stop Pheron at any cost. Adelaide, injured, is cared for by Seymour. They discuss her likelihood of failure and what she's risking losing by following through. Adelaide realizes she's depended on Seymour for far too long, and while he's willing to die for her, it's up to her to make this end.

2nd Pinch Point – Adelaide goes to the water, descending into the depths for the first time in her memory. Becoming a mermaid might be simple in theory, but Adelaide struggles with using her new body. She realizes that Pheron is a master of the sea – powerful and commanding - and she's going to challenge him when she's not even sure which way is up. Let alone attempt to control the sea in her favor.

3rd Plot Point –Adelaide arrives in Pheron's world. (------------censored for story's sake-----------)

Climax – Pheron and Adelaide: battle of wills, water, and rage.

Resolution – (---------censored for the sake of the story-------)

Thanks for reading! This section included a scene depicting the stakes - what my MC stands to lose, gain, etc. followed by an outline!  Note that the ending is mostly censored or not clearly stated to keep it interesting when the story hits the page.