Fishy Business

Chapter 1: A Calm Beach

The ocean.

I recall the soft sounds of the waves, crashing against the shore, a calm beach.

Nagisa.

The meaning of my name is a calm beach.

The ocean was warm that day, despite it being cloudy. The beach wasn't busy, I could turn around and immediately spot my dad, waving at me from the shore. I could feel the salt in my hair as I walked further into the ocean, a piece of seaweed tickled at my feet.

I had just turned 18, and my dad decided to take me to this small town on the beach, the vacation home of an old friend, a surfer's paradise. Now legally an adult, he was helping me with the preparations to move out of my mother's house and into my own, so I could sever ties with her before she could engage.

"Nagisa! Don't go out too far okay!!"

"Okay!"

I called back to my dad, and decided to float at the spot where I was standing. My face was barely peering out of the water, and I was looking up towards the cloudy sky. I could hear the seagulls above me, the sound of a jet ski in the distance.

A calm beach.

I felt water splash over my face, I shut my eyes tight as I felt myself go underwater.

I couldn't move.

I was squirming and kicking my legs, I felt the water get colder and colder, I was being pulled down under, I felt arms around my shoulders, pulling me down. I felt my ears pop, I tried opening my eyes, but I could barely see a thing. The surface was so far above me, the calm beach was getting further and further away.

I was almost unconscious when I felt myself being pushed onto a hard surface. I was coughing and gasping for air, there was salt in my eyes and water in my nose.

I could hear voices over my own coughing, three of them. They sounded panicked, they were arguing.

"You fool! That's not one of our own! That's a landwalker!!"

"But look at that one's hair, I thought he was one of our own!!"

"Did you not notice his legs??"

"I panicked!! We've been losing so many of our own lately, I thought he needed help!"

"Well, your empathetic skills have compromised our entire clan!!"

My vision became much clearer, I scanned my surroundings. I was in an underwater cave of sorts, illuminated by strange orbs that decorated the rocks. There were all sorts of gems and pieces of jewelry all around, along with other shiny things. I looked over at the three heads that were peering out of the water, seemingly human, all with long flowing hair. It didn't take me long to notice what was off about them, instead of ears they had glowing colored fins on the side of their head, some had jewels hanging from them. Their cheeks had stripes on them, three on each side. Are those... gills?

"Are you guys... mermaids?"

I felt like an idiot as I spoke those words, a concept from old Disney movies and children's stories was seemingly looking right at me. They all stopped dead in their tracks, looking over at me, silently.

"It's awake!"

The small one on the left squealed, diving underwater.

"That's merman to you."

The one on the right sneered, prompting the one in the middle to whack the back of his head.

"You're the one who brought him here and now you're being rude. Unbelievable."