The Count and Countess of Huntington, their teenage son Lord David, and most of Melinda's fellow servants had all gone to bed somewhat earlier than usual. Once the final candle had been extinguished in Huntington Manor, Melinda slid out the back door. There was a determined and mischievous glint in her bright green eyes as she headed to the nearby seashore.
She eagerly inhaled the salty night sea air, which smelled sweeter than the Manor's rose garden to her. The familiar, soothing sound of the waves crashing against the rocks sounded even lovelier to her ears than the beautiful classical music that the Count and Countess played at their fancy balls. The stars and waxing gibbous moon shone over the sea, making the water sparkle in the darkness.
When she arrived at the shoreline, she threw off her dark brown leather work shoes. Sighing in contentment, she relished the sensation of sand between her large, pale toes. Some of the other orphans at the Southern Kallia Asylum for Orphaned Children had teased her mercilessly about the size of her feet, but Melinda actually liked having big feet, as she supposed it was the next best thing to having fins like a mermaid.
She then took off her gown, stays, and stockings. She always swam in her shift, enjoying the way it clung to her slim body when wet.
Whenever she dove into the cool embrace of the Western Ocean, Melinda felt like she was truly coming home. Neither the Asylum nor the Manor had exactly felt like home to her, but the ocean assuredly did.
The gentle sway of the current lured her into an intoxicating sense of peace. Melinda realized that it was probably quite immature and silly for a 16-year-old young lady to do so, but she still liked to imagine that she was a mermaid when she was swimming in the sea. If such magnificent creatures existed, and she certainly hoped with all her heart that they did, she was sure that their lives were as tranquil as the ocean on a lovely night like this one.
A lone seabird cawed sharply overhead. It circled back and forth, as if agitated. A frown started to form on Melinda's comely face. The ordinarily crystal clear water seemed slightly murky, all of a sudden. As she kept on swimming, the gentle sway had turned into a subtle tug, pulling her ever so slightly further out to sea.
As she glanced up, she noticed that the glittering stars were obscured by a rapidly gathering mass of dark clouds. A flash of blinding light suddenly split the sky, followed by a deafening crack. Panic surged through Melinda, as a colossal wave rose from the churning darkness. It was as if the Western Ocean had been transformed into a raging beast.
With all her might, she strived to swim back to the shore, but the abrupt, intense storm was too much for even a confident swimmer like Melinda to handle. Just when she was certain that she was destined to drown in the restless waters, she felt strong arms wrap around her.
Melinda's mysterious savior held on to her so tightly, and gracefully swam at a rapid speed she hadn't thought was even possible. In the flickering light of the storm, she managed to catch a glimpse of a well-muscled male chest...attached to a huge, scaly, turquoise fishtail. Was she hallucinating due to swallowing too much seawater, or was she really being rescued from a watery grave by a benevolent and handsome mermaid...no, merman...?
Before she knew it, her rescuer set her down softly on the beach. "Wait, please don't go..." Melinda pleaded. "You saved me...I'm Melinda...". Something deep inside of her told her that she could trust him, even if he was a mythical being.