the way her fat melted into her tail. She heard the sigh come from the woman’s mouth as a song. The mer regarded Alice. She turned and gestured to Alice to follow. Alice followed Misa dutifully. She couldn’t think of what she would do or where she would go. The tunnel they went down was dark, and the way ahead was filled only by the girth of the mer.
Alice stopped as the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern. In spite of herself, her mouth gaped again. It was a grotto as large as a football field, filled with marks, drawings, names. She couldn’t even see where the roof of the grotto lay, but inside the cavern sparkled. Misa was smiling at her knowingly. Alice swam along the walls, ignoring the three other mer in the room to look at some of the drawings. She touched a carving of a mer that had to be countless years old.
“The water can destroy but it can preserve as well.” Misa was right next to her, Alice hadn’t even noticed. “Your name.”
Alice looked up at the woman’s kindly face. She put a tolerable distance between them as she noticed the gap mouthed stares of the other mer in the room.
“Alice Bailey”
“Ah. I’ll have Aria take you home.” Misa began to sing and several other mer took up the call. Alice listened to the song echo around her, it was as if it was calling to someone. When she turned around, the wide-eyed little mer was staring at her.
She was a little girl with a strong tail and wide brown eyes. Her small gangly hand reached out to touch Alice’s face. Alice jerked back before forcing herself to let the girl touch her. She smiled a sweet little smile before moving away so fast that Alice could hardly keep up. The girl swam back and motioned for Alice to follow her with a huge smile on her thin little face.
Alice had so much trouble keeping up with the little girl in the water, and she was so weary. She didn't want to think about any of this now. She didn't even want to be a part of her own people, let alone a whole new society. Alice's world had just gotten a bit more complicated, and she really didn't need it. The little girl was way too happy, and by the time Alice broke the surface again, she landed on a soft beach, breathless.
The little girl was already running into the large mansion on the beach, her quick little tail transformed into quick little feet instead.
The mansion loomed huge over the beach in the moonlight. The storm had strewn debris all over the beach, but the worst of it had petered out. Her tail flopped in the surf. She had followed the girl, she knew where she was, but not what to do, and the mansion was extremely imposing. It felt like the giant windows looking out on the ocean were staring at her. They were so dark and she couldn’t see through them. All Alice wanted to do was lay her head down, close her eyes, just…
The girl poked at her with a towel, looking at her insistently. “What am I supposed to do?” Alice demanded a little too strongly, surprised to hear her own voice again. Aria jumped.
“Your tail will disappear when you are dry,” the girl explained, looking at her feet uneasily. Alice moved herself up further on the beach.
“This is the Caraway mansion,” Alice said, looking up at those dark empty windows.
“Y-yes,” replied the little girl, twiddling her thumbs.
“Shouldn’t I be getting shot?”
The girl gave her a wide eyed stare in response “Y-yer onea us.” Aria said, as if that answered all questions.
It didn’t answer any questions for Alice, and she stared astounded as her tail melted into her legs. The pressure of what she now knew, and how much she didn’t know, began to pound at her head. She looked up, only to see the little girl launching herself into the ocean and swimming away.
The night
Alice stopped as the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern. In spite of herself, her mouth gaped again. It was a grotto as large as a football field, filled with marks, drawings, names. She couldn’t even see where the roof of the grotto lay, but inside the cavern sparkled. Misa was smiling at her knowingly. Alice swam along the walls, ignoring the three other mer in the room to look at some of the drawings. She touched a carving of a mer that had to be countless years old.
“The water can destroy but it can preserve as well.” Misa was right next to her, Alice hadn’t even noticed. “Your name.”
Alice looked up at the woman’s kindly face. She put a tolerable distance between them as she noticed the gap mouthed stares of the other mer in the room.
“Alice Bailey”
“Ah. I’ll have Aria take you home.” Misa began to sing and several other mer took up the call. Alice listened to the song echo around her, it was as if it was calling to someone. When she turned around, the wide-eyed little mer was staring at her.
She was a little girl with a strong tail and wide brown eyes. Her small gangly hand reached out to touch Alice’s face. Alice jerked back before forcing herself to let the girl touch her. She smiled a sweet little smile before moving away so fast that Alice could hardly keep up. The girl swam back and motioned for Alice to follow her with a huge smile on her thin little face.
Alice had so much trouble keeping up with the little girl in the water, and she was so weary. She didn't want to think about any of this now. She didn't even want to be a part of her own people, let alone a whole new society. Alice's world had just gotten a bit more complicated, and she really didn't need it. The little girl was way too happy, and by the time Alice broke the surface again, she landed on a soft beach, breathless.
The little girl was already running into the large mansion on the beach, her quick little tail transformed into quick little feet instead.
The mansion loomed huge over the beach in the moonlight. The storm had strewn debris all over the beach, but the worst of it had petered out. Her tail flopped in the surf. She had followed the girl, she knew where she was, but not what to do, and the mansion was extremely imposing. It felt like the giant windows looking out on the ocean were staring at her. They were so dark and she couldn’t see through them. All Alice wanted to do was lay her head down, close her eyes, just…
The girl poked at her with a towel, looking at her insistently. “What am I supposed to do?” Alice demanded a little too strongly, surprised to hear her own voice again. Aria jumped.
“Your tail will disappear when you are dry,” the girl explained, looking at her feet uneasily. Alice moved herself up further on the beach.
“This is the Caraway mansion,” Alice said, looking up at those dark empty windows.
“Y-yes,” replied the little girl, twiddling her thumbs.
“Shouldn’t I be getting shot?”
The girl gave her a wide eyed stare in response “Y-yer onea us.” Aria said, as if that answered all questions.
It didn’t answer any questions for Alice, and she stared astounded as her tail melted into her legs. The pressure of what she now knew, and how much she didn’t know, began to pound at her head. She looked up, only to see the little girl launching herself into the ocean and swimming away.
The night
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