How to be a Mermaid: A Falling in Deep Collection Novella by Erin Hayes
Authors: Erin Hayes
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were supposed to spin, I executed the quadruple spin. When we backflipped, I made my circumference bigger, relishing the water supporting me.
The music drew me into a frenzy. I made my movements bigger and bigger, not realizing what I was doing until I dove down to the bottom of the pool, touched the slippery concrete, and then sped back up to the surface, breaching it like a dolphin. I went so high up, I could see the crowd in the arena gasp, the flashes of their cameras hitting me in the air. I bent forward, entering the water hands first, and swan dove into the pool.
The music ended and the crowd erupted into cheers that I could hear underwater as well as I could out of the water.
Only when I surfaced did I realize that I had dropped my air hose somewhere along the way. And then I couldn’t remember when I had used it for the entire performance.
I hadn’t needed it. I did the entire show without taking a single breath.
Christine, Alaina, and Jordyn looked at me like I had literally become a sea monster in front of their eyes. Cthulhu could emerge from the ocean and they would have the same expression that they had now.
Christine mouthed something to me, her expression a cross between shock and worry as the crowd went wild, the uproar deafening.
I closed my eyes. I didn’t know how any of it had happened. Suddenly, the air that was filling my lungs now threatened to throw me into hyperventilation. I took a deep breath and retreated, heading back to the other side. I took off my mermaid tail as I did so, and doing that didn’t even slow me down. I reached the ledge, surprising a volunteer and an aquarium worker. Neptune was jogging on the other side, saying something to me.
I didn’t care.
I sprang to my feet, bringing my mermaid tail with me.
“Tara!” It was Christine. She spluttered, farther away, unable to catch up to me. “Tara, wait!”
I ran back to the dressing room, thankfully not running into anyone who could have stopped and asked me what I was doing. I needed to be alone.
What had happened?
I stopped in front of the mirror. Through my tears, I could see that I looked the same. Same dark hair, same green eyes with turquoise flecks, even if they were the color of the sea that day. Then I noticed that the spider web of bruising was gone from my temple. Come to think of it, my headache had been gone for a few hours now. I touched around my face, feeling to see if there was any part of my head that was tender. I lifted up my chin, inspecting to see if there was anything on my neck.
Then I gasped. The first second of a scream escaped my mouth before I could clamp a hand over it. My eyes were wide with terror, a fresh stream of tears falling from them.
Gills. I had gills. Just like Nereia had shown me, I had two slits on either side of my jaw.
Oh my god, it had been real. My dream with Finn and Nereia really happened. Up until now, I’d been willing to believe that it had all been a dream.
The world tilted and I grasped the edge of the vanity, trying not to pass out.
How in the world could I have gotten gills? I wasn’t a mermaid—I was human! A girl who had plans to go to college next year and become a marine biologist. Sure, I’d always wanted to be a mermaid; I just hadn’t realized that I didn’t really want to be a mermaid. Not a real one, at least.
Maybe it was only temporary, and that was how I was able to breathe last night. Maybe it would go away. Or maybe I’d start sprouting a fin for real and I’d have to live under the sea. I had no idea what I’d do with my life if that happened.
“Now that you’re a merwalker, you should come back and visit.” That’s what Nereia had said before I passed out after drinking whatever she had given me. She had called me a merwalker. What the hell was a merwalker?
I needed to think, somewhere where I wouldn’t be bothered.
Without a second thought, I ran into the shower and locked the door. I turned the water on high and huddled in
The music drew me into a frenzy. I made my movements bigger and bigger, not realizing what I was doing until I dove down to the bottom of the pool, touched the slippery concrete, and then sped back up to the surface, breaching it like a dolphin. I went so high up, I could see the crowd in the arena gasp, the flashes of their cameras hitting me in the air. I bent forward, entering the water hands first, and swan dove into the pool.
The music ended and the crowd erupted into cheers that I could hear underwater as well as I could out of the water.
Only when I surfaced did I realize that I had dropped my air hose somewhere along the way. And then I couldn’t remember when I had used it for the entire performance.
I hadn’t needed it. I did the entire show without taking a single breath.
Christine, Alaina, and Jordyn looked at me like I had literally become a sea monster in front of their eyes. Cthulhu could emerge from the ocean and they would have the same expression that they had now.
Christine mouthed something to me, her expression a cross between shock and worry as the crowd went wild, the uproar deafening.
I closed my eyes. I didn’t know how any of it had happened. Suddenly, the air that was filling my lungs now threatened to throw me into hyperventilation. I took a deep breath and retreated, heading back to the other side. I took off my mermaid tail as I did so, and doing that didn’t even slow me down. I reached the ledge, surprising a volunteer and an aquarium worker. Neptune was jogging on the other side, saying something to me.
I didn’t care.
I sprang to my feet, bringing my mermaid tail with me.
“Tara!” It was Christine. She spluttered, farther away, unable to catch up to me. “Tara, wait!”
I ran back to the dressing room, thankfully not running into anyone who could have stopped and asked me what I was doing. I needed to be alone.
What had happened?
I stopped in front of the mirror. Through my tears, I could see that I looked the same. Same dark hair, same green eyes with turquoise flecks, even if they were the color of the sea that day. Then I noticed that the spider web of bruising was gone from my temple. Come to think of it, my headache had been gone for a few hours now. I touched around my face, feeling to see if there was any part of my head that was tender. I lifted up my chin, inspecting to see if there was anything on my neck.
Then I gasped. The first second of a scream escaped my mouth before I could clamp a hand over it. My eyes were wide with terror, a fresh stream of tears falling from them.
Gills. I had gills. Just like Nereia had shown me, I had two slits on either side of my jaw.
Oh my god, it had been real. My dream with Finn and Nereia really happened. Up until now, I’d been willing to believe that it had all been a dream.
The world tilted and I grasped the edge of the vanity, trying not to pass out.
How in the world could I have gotten gills? I wasn’t a mermaid—I was human! A girl who had plans to go to college next year and become a marine biologist. Sure, I’d always wanted to be a mermaid; I just hadn’t realized that I didn’t really want to be a mermaid. Not a real one, at least.
Maybe it was only temporary, and that was how I was able to breathe last night. Maybe it would go away. Or maybe I’d start sprouting a fin for real and I’d have to live under the sea. I had no idea what I’d do with my life if that happened.
“Now that you’re a merwalker, you should come back and visit.” That’s what Nereia had said before I passed out after drinking whatever she had given me. She had called me a merwalker. What the hell was a merwalker?
I needed to think, somewhere where I wouldn’t be bothered.
Without a second thought, I ran into the shower and locked the door. I turned the water on high and huddled in
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