《Surface Tension》


 A Silent Introduction

    The disturbance in the water was different from the unusual seagull plunge. It was something larger, and definitely had terrible form. Ina thought. Curious by the chaotic entrance, she investigated. The pre-dawn darkness only made it slightly more difficult to see but there was a figure suspended in the ocean. Ina swam faster as she noticed the limpness.


    Rule #1 Don¡¯t let the terrafolk see you


    Ina thought about the it but didn¡¯t stop. She was almost to the body when she felt the current pulling down. Managing to grab a wrist, she saw how close they were to the rocks. Low tide, how could she forget. In a panic, she rose to the surface. Terrafolk shouldn¡¯t be underwater this long. I wonder how this idiot made it so far from the shore line. With that entrance he must have come from atop the bluff. She huffed. A guppy would know that a fall from that height would feel like a boat hitting you at full speed. Idiot. It wasn¡¯t the weight that was slowing her down but her attempt to keep the boy¡¯s head above water. She finally plopped the boy on the beach so his head was cleared from the waves.


    Ina had watched many, too many, terrafolk be brought ashore by others of their kind and imitated the actions. Why go in the water if you can¡¯t survive it? Her tail made it awkward to get the right angle on for the chest compressions and had to take several short breaks to submerge back into the water. I¡¯m not going to die because of this.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Rule #2 Stay off the dry lands


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of them but she didn¡¯t care for them. During summer days she would see their predictable actions of bouncing in waves waiting to be drowned. She understood what she needed. Yet, as the boy spurted up some water, she began to observe him. He was covered up, more than the men normally wear to the beach. And these materials were not suitable for the water, too absorbent. This one makes no sense. When she went back to the water this time she swam a little further out. He was breathing but the tide would be coming in soon and he was still unconscious. I didn¡¯t get him this far for him to drown in the incoming tide.She was speaking aloud but to no one as if to convince herself. She was curious. This one didn¡¯t make sense.


    She stayed close to the boy for six hours lugging his body slightly higher when she would come up to check his breath. He was now safe from the tide but Ina had an urge to pull him back but he twitched and she retreated. From the shore, she became indistinguishable from the glint of the sun off the water. She waited. Nothing to do today. Well, not anymore.


    It was well past mid-day when he propped himself up on his arm. He checked his hands then patted them against his body. Ina had not seen anyone do this before, it was weird. He¡¯s fine, I can go now. But she stayed. She watched him wrap his arms around his knees as he stared out into the ocean. And it was staring back at him. They both heard a shot of laughter pierce through the quiet. He ran to the forest line and she disappeared into the ocean.

 The Second Act

    Ina found herself back at the beach the next morning. She refused to acknowledge that she was there to see the boy again. Of all the terra folk she had seen, this one was different. Research. I¡¯m doing research on the anomaly. She stared at the beach, empty, for an hour but as the sun rose above the trees, a figure appeared. Ina drifted closer. Male. Dark hair. Seemed about the right height. She knew that if she moved closer he would see her but she couldn¡¯t be sure if it was him. She hesitated long enough to see him sit down in the sand and hug his knees. Unless there are two interesting terrafolk, this is him. Ina was staring intently at the boy, only her eyes above the water. Neither moved much until he glanced at his wrist and retreated into the forest.


    Ina returned at dawn to find herself in a similar situation as yesterday. Day after day, they both came to the beach, a new routine. She watched him, he looked out at the ocean oblivious to her presence. For weeks, Ina had carved out the first two hours of daylight for the land dweller. Every day he came, she was almost relieved. He wasn¡¯t always alone. Somedays, a blonde girl sat with him. Her presence made Ina more on edge. Most of the time he was alone.


    One morning, he walked past his usual spot in the sand and straight into the water. Ina froze, He didn¡¯t see me, did he? He couldn¡¯t, he was too far away. There was no hesitation and he is yet again in that horrible outfit. He was getting deeper into the ocean barely trying to keep his head above water. Ina soon realized he was that he was, in fact, avoiding the surface. Infuriated she sped towards him. Her shoulder hit him in the chest as she forced him above the water and towards the shore. When they made it to shallow water, she slapped him. Coughing up water, he tried to open his eyes but the salt made his vision blurry. He was mumbling in between strained breaths. ¡°¡­was something¡­ water¡­that day¡­¡± Ina replied with a scoff, ¡°Maybe I hit your jelly head too hard.¡± Seeing his confusion, she continued, ¡°Right. Sorry, I forgot, mermaids are only allowed to sing sweet melodies in foreign tongue!¡± Terrafolk have sarcasm, so why is he even more confused? As she finished her thought, he tried to run to the forest. He splashed haphazardly through the water, stumbling and trying to regain his balance. ¡°I¡¯m not going to save you again!¡± Ina shouted as he disappeared into the trees. She turned to swim home and thought disappointedly, Stupid. Just like the rest.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ina was done. With him. With terrafolk. Everything to do with the surface. She was going to stay deep in the ocean where things happened for a reason, mostly survival. That is something he clearly lacks. I never should have gone to the shore. I should have let nature take its course. Although, it was soothing to know he was still a mystery. Her memories of him crossed the through her mind, trying to make sense of it all.

 The Tipping Point

    That night started with a dream. The same dream she had been having since meeting the boy. She¡¯s in the dark but she can¡¯t distinguish any details, unusual for a deep-sea dweller. The black comes with immense pressure not only physically but mentally. Ina experienced despair and hopelessness that she never had when she was awake. But she was done with the boy so she was done with this dream. Ina exaggerated her movements in the dream. There was a release and light emitted from her body, waking her up. Her mind would not let her sleep, so she began analyzing. Why am I having these dreams? What does it mean that I changed this one? Were there any others that were notably different? Yes, the first one. It was the worst of them all, the most intense¡­The day I met that boy¡­ NO! Ina¡¯s realization made her furious. That dream was the night before I met him. The reason I left so early. The reason I was near the bluff. That stupid dream is the reason I met that stupid boy.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Anger clouded her tired mind. She needed energy so she went to hunt. The fish sparkled, not something she usually noticed. Ina watched them surround her, oblivious to their fate. She was almost mesmerized by them but a hunger pain snapped her out of it. The full stomach calmed her down immensely and sent her into a brief slumber. She awoke to the early morning light penetrating the water. Then the shouting began.

 A Name

    Ina remembered little of the previous night and was confused as to where she was. The sound did not originate in the water. She rose to the surface to see she was back at the beach. Ina wasn¡¯t thrilled that the shouting was coming from that boy. ¡°I know you¡¯re out there! Hello? I just want to talk. I swear! I¡¯m sorry!¡± His voice trailed off but was punctuated with a loud confused ¡°Thank you?¡± Ina had been creeping closer, moving with the water to disguise herself, she could now hear him talking out loud to himself. ¡°Thanks for saving me, uh¡­ I¡¯ll just wait over there¡­ In case you want to show.¡± He inhaled and shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again! I promise.¡± Ina was startled by the sudden change in volume but he still didn¡¯t notice her. He settled into a level speaking voice. ¡°I just¡­I just want to know I¡¯m not crazy. Right and I prove to myself that I am not crazy by shouting at the ocean and expecting it to talk back. Yeah. I¡¯m just crazy.¡± He reached the rock he had previously indicated. I didn¡¯t know that terrafolk were capable of such complex thinking. Ina was being sarcastic but also slightly impressed. This rock in particular extended from the beach into the ocean far enough to reach the mini drop-off. This meant that if she were to approach, she could remain comfortably in the water and talk to him while he stayed dry.


    Ina could see his gaze was fixed close to the horizon and took this as an opportunity to sneak up on him. He was in his signature pose. Ina was right in front of him. ¡°Hi.¡± She said in a quiet but firm voice as she bobbed above the water. He screamed and flinched. He would have kicked her in the face had she not ducked back into the water. ¡°Oh. My. God. I¡¯m sorry! Come back, don¡¯t go!¡± he gathered his wits as he scrambled to his hands and knees looking into the water. Ina¡¯s head broke the surface and he flinched but subtly this time, a large smile grew on his face. ¡°You¡¯re real. This is great, I¡¯m not crazy.¡± ¡°You are definitely crazy.¡± ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t made the best impressions, have I?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m Daniel.¡± He shoved his hand out to Ina¡¯s face then retracted it saying, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if you know the gestures of my¡ª¡± Ina thrust her hand out of the water. ¡°Yes, I am aware of the handshake. You are strange.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He shook her hand. It looked like human skin but didn¡¯t feel like it. It was slightly scaly like a lizard¡¯s skin. The rest of Ina looked humanish. Her hair was the color of the ocean, not too strange to see presently but her skin also had a blueish tinge. ¡°You can call me Ina.¡± Her words broke his stare. He released her from the handshake that had been too long. ¡°It is nice to formally meet you, Ina.¡± ¡°What baffles me is that I can speak perfectly in your English and you think I don¡¯t understand what a handshake is? How do terrafolk even entertain the idea that the6 are the smartest species on the planet?¡± Daniel opened his and no words came out, but he tried again. ¡°If you¡¯re so versed in our culture and mannerisms, why call a human a terrafolk?¡± Ina rolled her eyes. ¡°You call us mermaids, merfolk to be neutral, so you, people of the land, are terrafolk.¡± She raised a finger as Daniel opened his mouth and continued, ¡°We do not refer to your species as humans because we use the word humanity as you do and the actions of so-called humans show no sign of it.¡± ¡°I did not expect to get political with a mermaid today. Not all terrafolk are bad, some have humanity.¡± ¡°Not the ones at sea.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t even think about who you might have met. Most of the sailor stories don¡¯t bode well for the mermaid.¡± ¡°Hmph. You might be the most considerable one I¡¯ve met, well you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve talked to really.¡± They fell silent, just staring at each other.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°So¡­ Do you live around here? You got family? There¡¯s not really much information about mermaids and what we do have is fiction, well I¡¯m assuming it is fiction. Like, no one has ever proved that mermaids exist.¡± Daniel was rambling to fill the silence. His nervous but eager questions made Ina smile. ¡°Well, I live with my colony in an underwater cave system. It¡¯s about a 30-minute swim to the shore, for me at least.¡± ¡°Woah, and you swam that for months just to see me?¡¯ There was a hint of coyness in his voice but the words caught Ina off guard. ¡°What! No. I have a perfectly reasonable reason to be out here¡­ there are different fish species. I quite like hunting by the bluff.¡± Daniel laughed then became serious, ¡°But you did come right? You were here every day since I¡­¡± ¡°Was an idiot?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll go with that. I could feel something, someone watching.¡± ¡°Fine. I was here. But only for observation and research.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t speaking to the thing you are supposed to be observing bad practice?¡± ¡°Shut up. You weren¡¯t giving me any answers by just sitting on the beach or even your miserable attempt to swim. Did you think you could find me? The ocean is huge and you can¡¯t swim.¡± Daniel¡¯s face grew hot from embarrassment and was contemplating telling her the real reason for his actions. He began softly, ¡°I do know how to swim.¡± Ina wasn¡¯t exactly sure why but she kept quiet. What am I? Respecting a human? Her thought was sarcastic but accurate, his tone made it seem inappropriate to cut in. ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of a better way¡­ You saved me once so I thought¡­¡± This reasoning set off Ina¡¯s temper. ¡°I¡¯m not your personal lifeguard, Daniel. I¡¯m not going to save you every time you¡¯re in trouble. What would you have done if I didn¡¯t show up? Die?¡± Daniel was not use to her anger and her directness unsettled him. So, he mustered a sheepish response. ¡°Yeah, I guess that would have happened. I promise you won¡¯t have to save me again. Ever.¡± His words were punctuated by beeping. He stood up as he spoke. ¡°Crap. I have to go. Can we talk again tomorrow? Please tell me you¡¯ll be here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so done with you.¡± Ina¡¯s retort was her attempt to hide her indecisions about Daniel. He was hurrying back to the trees, turned back to Ina, waved and yelled, ¡°Same time and place! See you there.¡± His cheeky response made Ina smile as she turned to swim away. He was wild and confusing but Ina knew she would be at the rock tomorrow. She wanted to know more.

 Changes

    Although Ina arrived at the beach first, she waited for Daniel to doubt her arrival before popping up out of the water. ¡°Hello again, Daniel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you Ina. I thought maybe you wouldn¡¯t show.¡± ¡°Yesterday you knew I¡¯d be here and for months you could sense that I when I was at the beach. Why would I stop when it¡¯s just about to get interesting?¡± ¡°Well, yeah I know you had intensions of coming, but I don¡¯t know, what if something happened? Like a shark ate you! Do sharks eat mermaids? Merpeople? Or you decided I was boring. Or that ¨C¡± ¡°You talk a lot. Is that normal for terrafolk? I¡¯m never within earshot.¡± Daniel opened his mouth to answer but Ina stopped him. ¡°Only Yes or No.¡± ¡°No¡­ I overthink things and speculate, a lot. Usually this only goes on in my head but with you I guess I can¡¯t¡­¡± He caught Ina¡¯s stare and realized that he did the exact opposite of what she had asked. They were silent for a short while before Daniel spoke again. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t take this silence. Please say something Do you normally not talk this much? Or would it be this little?¡± Ina laughed which made him slightly nervous but also smile. ¡°I have only ever communicated like this to practice for surface interaction. My native language, as you might call it, uses different frequencies because of sound traveling between air and water. I believe your kind have captured whale and dolphin speech.¡± ¡°Damn, that sounded like a physics lecture.¡± ¡°I have to assume you know nothing.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, you have identified the topic of physics, you know at least one thing.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating my observations.¡± Daniel was smiling which made Ina confused. ¡°What have I said to amuse you?¡± ¡°My generation¡¯s humor is kinda based off self-deprecation. So, when I admit to knowing nothing, people usually laugh. No one ever points out contradictions, even ones as strange as yours. You have seen the worst parts of me but it feels like you have a higher opinion of me than my friends, and I barely even know you!¡± Ina took her time to collect her thoughts before she responded. ¡°Is that something to be happy about? It sounds like you have bad friends.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ It¡¯s not just my friends, its everyone my age. I guess it our culture. And I think my friends like me, I hope they do. It¡¯s hard to tell when they don¡¯t notice things, well things I try to not let them see.¡± ¡°Daniel, the more you talk the bigger a mystery you become.¡± Without hesitation, Daniel replied in a sarcastically sultry voice ¡°The ladies love a mysterious man.¡± The smolder at the end made Ina smile. ¡°You prove my point.¡± ¡°Hey Ina? Can we talk about something else?¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Why do you always leave at a particular time?¡± ¡°I have class. My college isn¡¯t too far from here but I have to set an alarm so I¡¯m not late.¡± ¡°Still learning? That¡¯s always good¡­ What about?¡± ¡°Archeology. I¡¯m all about digging up ancient civilizations.¡± ¡°Anything good?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve only interned at a dig site last summer, I¡¯m mostly still learning about identifying and stuff. Did you do any schooling?¡± ¡°We¡¯re taught the basics: language, science, math and history, ours and terrafolk. It¡¯s mostly just enough to keep us alive.¡± ¡°Do you have super advanced technology that makes hu-terrafolk look like apes?¡± Ina laughed at his excitement, ¡°Our species interact with the world differently, the progress of our technology by your standards may not reflect the advancement in culture or society.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Do you want me to take you to my colony? It¡¯s much easier to show you than explain.¡± ¡°Is that an option? You said it was 30 minutes away. I can swim but I¡¯m not that good. Besides, it¡¯s underwater, I can only hold my breath for like 60 seconds tops. Oh it would be amazing to see it but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. Does light even reach where you live? Would I be able to see?¡± Daniel had been sitting at the edge of the rock leaning closer to Ina as they spoke. She rose out of the water and grabbed his arms, pulling him into the water, pressing her face against his. Daniel was stunned but quickly started thrashing, trying to get above the water to breathe. Ina was keeping him down but let go after a minute. Daniel crawled back onto the rock gasping for his breath. He laid on his back a couple feet from the edge and just shouted. ¡°What the hell was that? When I said you didn¡¯t need to save me anymore I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d turn to killing me!¡± ¡°There are stories about terrafolk being able to breathe and see underwater with a mermaid¡¯s kiss. I thought I¡¯d try it with you, to show you my home.¡± Daniel could hear the embarrassment in her voice and propped himself up on his hands. ¡°I think you need to work on your kissing. Or let the other person in on it.¡± His anger had quickly dissolved as he found ways to joke about the situation. ¡°I guess I should have consulted you first but it should have worked. Maybe you need you need to stay under longer.¡± She seemed sincere causing Daniel to scoot back further. ¡°That¡¯s insane. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going into the water ever again. Our little misunderstanding here is going to stick with me. Now, it¡¯s your turn to almost die. I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s a reason barely put your more than your head out of the water.¡± Ina pulled her hair away from her neck to reveal gills before shrinking back into the ocean. ¡°Long hair is useful for hiding the signs that we are not terrafolk. I can get up on the rock but you¡¯re going to have to help me get my tail out of the water. Grinding my scales into this surface would not be very pleasant.¡± Daniel looked shocked. ¡°Wait, you are seriously going to try the whole mermaid leg thing? Is that a legend you got from human history or yours?¡± Ina did not find this to be as significant as he did. ¡°Both? Does it matter? Why not try?¡± She hoisted her body onto the rock so she was awkwardly sitting on the edge. ¡°This is where you come in.¡± She reached towards Daniel. He lifted her so that they stood in a strange hug. The fin of her tail lay flat against the rock¡¯s surface. Daniel saw her tail for the first time and was disappointed that they were trying to get rid of it. He took in all the details he could. The color was the same as her hair, the end resembled the fins of a male beta fish, flowy and boisterous. She also had fins down her back and sides. They didn¡¯t protrude much but they were still beautiful. She was more fish than most of the images Daniel had seen of mermaids, her fish scales gradually turned into the leathery skin of her torso, arms, and head. As he observed, Daniel could see her tail starting to wither. ¡°Are you sure this is okay?¡± ¡°I think everything is going alright, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m suffocating anymore.¡± ¡°What? You never said anything about not being able to breath!¡± ¡°It seemed like something I had to push past and as it turns out, I can breathe through my nose. Who would have thought?¡± Perplexed by calmness Daniel had no retort so he looked back down to at her tail only to see bare legs. With a shriek he looked up. ¡°You¡¯re naked.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been naked, Daniel.¡± ¡°Well its different now.¡± He was uncomfortable but wouldn¡¯t let go of her incase she¡¯d fall. ¡°Do you think you can stand?¡± ¡°Well my feet are currently off the ground. I can¡¯t even reach if I point my toes. I¡¯m so short without my tail.¡± Ina was not pleased with her new height but this was partially Daniel¡¯s fault. At 6¡¯4¡± he was almost a foot taller than her. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need you to stabilize myself but I think I can stand.¡± ¡°Okay, I can give you my sweatshirt to wear until we find you some proper clothes. If you¡¯re staying on land that is.¡± With Ina¡¯s confirmation, he lowered Ina to the ground, moving her arms from around his neck to his waist under his hoodie. They were only far enough apart for Daniel to remove his sweatshirt. ¡°Now for the tricky part, we got to get this on you.¡± ¡°Not really, just keep me from falling over and I¡¯ll slip it on. My legs are as strong as my tail was its just the new orientation and environment that is hindering me.¡± Because he was hesitating, Ina took his hands and placed on her waist mimicking what Daniel had done. Although he had been looking at the ocean, she could see the discomfort in his face as she maneuvered the sweatshirt onto her body. ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it seems disrespectful to look at your naked body. Like you didn¡¯t really expect to be up here fully naked. You have a right to your privacy. Maybe it¡¯s just society.¡± Ina took his hands off her waist allowing the sweatshirt to fall to her midthigh. ¡°I believe I am fully clothed by your standards.¡± Daniel looked at her directly for the first time since she had changed. ¡°Covered yeah but let¡¯s find you something better and dry.¡± ¡°My apologies again for dragging you into the ocean¡± ¡°Are you ready to walk?¡±Stolen story; please report.

 Update Available

    Ina had Daniel to stabilize her but nearly fell several times. ¡°It¡¯s so weird to have legs. Like two independent limbs. Synchronize. I need to find the rhythm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing great so far. You¡¯ve had legs for what a few minutes and you¡¯re already standing. That¡¯s better than a human!¡± Ina made no response, she was busy robotically moving one leg in front of the other. ¡°I bet that by the time you get to the sand you¡¯ll be a pro!¡± Ina would not acknowledge him. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not as funny or motivational as I thought.¡± Daniel was unsettled by Ina¡¯s intense gaze. She began moving more naturally and at the edge of the sand she removed one of her hands from Daniel. She remained silent until they reached his car just beyond the tree line. ¡°I have learned a new skill¡± Daniel let out a fake gasp, ¡°She speaks!¡± ¡°Oh, I was concentrating on motor skills. Directed brain power, as you might say, away from the language and auditory areas of my brain to the frontal cortex.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you can do what now?¡± ¡°Increases the speed at which I learn. By the way, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°Well you get to sit down for the car ride.¡± He opened the passenger door and she climbed in. ¡°Where are we going? To your college?¡± ¡°No, today is not the day to introduce you to society but I think we have time to get you to look a little more human.¡± On instinct, she grabbed her hair. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry, plenty of people have that hairstyle. Well, they try. Just some close and you¡¯ll blend right into the crowd.¡± He pulled out of the parking lot and Ina couldn¡¯t help missing the ocean.


    They drove in silence but Ina spoke up when they approached the mall. ¡°I¡¯ve never imagined buildings would be so huge!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s pretty standard, how current is your history?¡± ¡°We became less exploratory when the terrafolk had competent underwater vessels. Submarines, I think they are called. So now our terrafolk knowledge is limited to rogue encounters with ships and accidentally being too close to shore.¡± ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t subs have a better chance at seeing you if you stayed in the deep?¡± ¡°Yes, but if a unique humanoid creature is found in the shallows that would encourage deep sea missions looking for us.¡± ¡°I see. And if I¡¯m remembering correctly, submarines were relatively new but abundant in World War I. That was over 100 years ago.¡± ¡°We get some updates from travelers and chance encounters with terrafolk. Although the latter does not give a very detailed account of current events, it does help with modernizing speech patterns.¡± Daniel had turned into the mall parking lot and stopped the car. ¡°Well I have my old history textbooks, you can read them if you want. Excuse me.¡± He leaned over to open the glove box and removed his wallet. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going shopping.¡±


    Daniel wasted no time choosing a store. ¡°My girlfriend is always saying how cheap this place is.¡± Ina was still in shock over the scale of the mall and the endless racks of clothing.  There were more people than she had ever seen at once. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing its still early, there¡¯s hardly any people here. Hey Ina, what about these jeans¡­  and this sweater¡­ and this shirt? I think it will fit you.¡± ¡°That is so many layers.¡± ¡°Yeah, and more. You¡¯re going to have to go commando. Underwear is a whole ordeal that we don¡¯t have time for. The dressing rooms are this way.¡± He led her to a stall and handed her the clothes. A pause then he explained. ¡°Pants on your legs, there is a zipper and a button to get them on. Shirt then sweater, like you did with the hoodie.¡± Ina nodded and as she began taking off the hoodie, Daniel backed out of the room and closed the privacy curtain. ¡°Ina, how long do you plan on staying?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided but if I can bring back updated knowledge them the trip will be worthwhile.¡± ¡°Great, so you¡¯re going to need more than this¡­ Do you mind if I let my girlfriend, Marie, in on this? Or I could say you¡¯re a cousin and your luggage got lost on your flight over? I just think that it¡¯d be better for you to shop with her, I¡¯m no expert in clothes.¡± Ina emerged in skinny jeans, a blue, red, green, and mustard stripped shirt, and a chunky cropped white sweater. ¡°You are definitely going with her next time.¡± Ina stated walking out of the dressing room area. ¡°Wait, you need to change back into my sweatshirt.¡± ¡°Is it the currency thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, have to buy it first. I take it that it fits and its comfortable?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯d prefer to not wear any of it but I will adjust.¡± The cashier gave Daniel the total and Ina exploded. ¡°15! That¡¯s so much! I though Marie said this place was cheap?¡± The cashier gave her a funny look. ¡°She¡¯s visiting from Europe. It¡¯s not as much as you think, remember the exchange rate?¡± ¡°Silly me.¡± They walked briskly out the store and directly to Daniel¡¯s car. ¡°From what I remember a casual dress would be like one or two dollars.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact rate of inflation but trust me this is normal or cheap. Sorry, but quality clothes are at least $10 a piece and usually around $20.¡± He looked down at his watch. ¡°Crap. I only have enough time to drop you off at my apartment before I need to go to class. Get in.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He drove out of the parking lot and further into the city. ¡°Sorry, I know I¡¯m, like, abandoning you but I really can¡¯t miss my class. I¡¯ll only be gone for 2-3 hours tops. I¡¯ll give you a better tour and answer any questions then. Anyway, my roommate should be gone the entire time but you can just stay in my room mostly and he won¡¯t be a problem. Is this all okay with you?¡± ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ll rest. I¡¯ve done a lot of new things today.¡±


    They arrived at Daniel¡¯s apartment with just enough time for him to change into fresh clothes. ¡°Okay, so this is the kitchen, there¡¯s food in the fridge. Um¡­ this is my room, sorry for the mess, and the bathroom is through here. I don¡¯t know what you know about toilets but the silver handle will get rid of the, you know¡­¡± ¡°I believe I understand.¡± He nodded, apologizing again, set the bag of clothes on his desk chair and headed out. Ina looked around her and smiled at the parallels between her place back home and Daniel¡¯s. The drowsiness hit her. The transformation alone was exhausting. She sat down at on the bed and was delighted by its soft and springy nature. She investigated the covers and decided she liked the heft, it reminded her of the weight of water. Before she crawled in, she removed the hoodie because it might be her last chance to be unrestricted on land. It was not yet noon and Ina was fast asleep.

 Testing

    ¡°A late-night booty call? Not what I expected from you, Dan, but nice.¡± ¡°No. What are you even doing here Travis?¡± ¡°I live here too ya know. Besides, Prof let us out early, don¡¯t remember why though. Hey, that chick you got in there, she¡¯s hot but definitely not your girl, player¡± Ina recognized one voice to be Daniel but the other was unfamiliar. He was talking about her. How did I know wake up when he entered? How does a ¡®booty¡¯ communicate? She slid out of Daniel¡¯s bed, having removed most of the covers earlier due to the heat she was silent. Ina cautiously looked out of the open bedroom door to see Daniel locking the front door and a shorter man in the kitchen in the kitchen. Neither noticed her. Aware of Daniel¡¯s previous reactions, she grabbed the bag off his chair and moved into the bathroom, out of sight of the two boys. Once dressed, she quietly walked into the living room. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe ¨C Sheesh lady didn¡¯t know you were awake.¡± Travis grabbed the food he was making and took it to his room, shutting the door with his foot. ¡°Your roommate, Travis?¡± Ina proposed. Daniel looked embarrassed and disappointed, ¡°Yeah, I wish he hadn¡¯t shown up. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Well rested, but based on what I heard of the conversation, I have more to learn about the appropriate interactions. Why did Travis sound so smug when talking about me? I would have thought that a stranger¡¯s presence would be cause for alarm.¡± ¡°Um¡­ well¡­ he assumed correctly that I brought you here but then took a wild leap that we had sex, which I don¡¯t plan on doing, with you, because I, like he mentioned, have a girl, Marie, and I don¡¯t think you want that either because you would have a say in it but again, no from me so¡ª¡± Ina stopped him. ¡°I think you¡¯re rambling again. I understand your point.¡± Daniel made a few glances to Travis¡¯s door then motioned for Ina to follow him into his own room. ¡°We have to figure out what is safe for you on land.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d assume I am as safe as any female on land, since you have made me blend in.¡± ¡°I mean more along the lines of what might cause you to go back into mermaid form.¡± He whispered the last two words even though they were closed in his room. ¡°I think we should test you in water. I don¡¯t want you to get caught in the rain and be transformed. Let¡¯s start with some water on your hands.¡± They moved into his bathroom and he turned on the faucet. Ina let the water run through her fingers. ¡°The water obeys you.¡± ¡°The magic of plumbing.¡± Daniel threw in some halfhearted jazz hands then realized Ina might want a more technical explanation. ¡°We¡¯ve created pumps that move the water through pipes and valves control when it comes out, you can get hot and cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of such technologies but I have spent my whole life listening to the ocean. It would determine how I reacted to a situation. And now, the water is so small and controlled.¡± Bitterness crept into her voice. ¡°Are you sure you want to stay? You must be missing home.¡± ¡°I need to stay. As much as I¡¯ve learned about land dwelling, it is strange and bizarre¡­ and wonderful to see it for myself.¡± ¡°I bet I¡¯d feel the same way if I ended up in a fantasy land. Anyway, do you feel any changes? You don¡¯t look any different.¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m safe with this kind of contact.¡± Daniel turned to his shower and started to fill up the tub. ¡°Next we¡¯ll try full submersion. It¡¯s best if the clothes come off so once you¡¯re in just pull the curtain and I can come back in.¡± He moved towards the door and Ina turned off the sink. ¡°Isn¡¯t it annoying to have to put on and take off all of these layers?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never known anything different.¡± Daniel leaned his head against the door as Ina stripped down and slid into the tub. He heard the shower curtain swish and turned around. Ina had propped herself up on the edge of the tub in the narrow window left between the curtain and the wall. ¡°This can¡¯t be at all comfortable for you, I barely fit.¡± Daniel sat on the counter and leaned back against the mirror. ¡°I don¡¯t think many adults use baths and if they do they¡¯re far nicer than that one. Sorry but a good tub was not on my radar when looking for an apartment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault suppose. However, it seems strange to have something like this that is nonfunctional.¡± ¡°Well tubs of any kind are good for bathing children, not that there are any here or that I¡¯m planning on having any while living in this place. It¡¯s also a shower. Water comes down from the thing on the wall, if you look up.¡± ¡°Like rain?¡± Daniel nodded his head. Ina sighed and submerged her head, forcing her knees to bend.  Daniel took note of the time she was under, concerned that he heard no bubbles. After some time, his nerves got the best of him. ¡°Ina? Hey, are you alive down there?¡± She rose with a squelch and a sigh. ¡°Oh, good you¡¯re fine. I¡¯d be the one to drown a mermaid. Tail?¡± ¡°Just a sad comparison to the ocean. I think it is safe to say that I am in no danger of an unwanted transformation.¡± She stood up and stepped out of the tub. Daniel hopped off the counter, ¡°Luckily, I have a clean towel.¡± With his eyes closed, he presented it to her. ¡°I do not mind if you see me like this.¡± ¡°But I do.¡± Ina dried off and dressed then fell onto the bed in a familiar way. ¡°How are you holding up? I can tell you¡¯re homesick.¡± ¡°Yes, but that is the sacrifice I must make to enhance our knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh, speaking of¡­¡± He looked at his bookcase and pulled out a beat-up textbook. ¡°World history! This bad boy should give you some idea of what¡¯s happened and it will probably give you a better understanding of what motivates people and what their capable of.¡± He grimaced and set the book down next to Ina. She propped herself up to look at it. She picked it up and thumbed through the pages. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually held a pristine book before. The pages are full of words and images, so life like.¡± Daniel smiled at her amusement. ¡°Daniel, I can¡¯t actually read.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

 Back to School

    ¡°Not possible. You know English better than half of the humans I know.¡± Daniel had to regain control of his face as Ina¡¯s declaration of illiteracy left his mouth agape and at a loss of words. Ina was embarrassed. She knew that she needed actual instruction for the textbook to be of any use but to admit that she was incapable of something children do. She glared at Daniel before falling back on the bed to hide her face. I trusted you and you mocked me. ¡°Have you ever seen a book in water?¡± Her voice was louder and more pointer than she had anticipated. ¡°Please, forgive me. I guess I¡¯m still not processing that you are an actual mermaid, who had a mermaid upbringing, under water¡­ in the sea¡­ stupid!¡± He hit his head with his palm, just hard enough for the sound to make Ina lift her head. ¡°You are too harsh on yourself. And, I suppose, let my temper have control of the conversation. I, too, have to remember that merfolk have only just become a fact in your life. Now with that aside, how am I going to learn?¡± The animosity was removed from her voice. Ina focused on her opportunity to learn over her inadequateness. ¡°Well, we should start with the alphabet. Once you¡¯re able to recognize which letters make which sounds you should be mostly set. I might be over simplifying, spelling is going to be harder than reading. English has some weird stuff going on.¡± Daniel spun his chair around and started digging through his desk. He pulled out a spiral notebook and a few pens. ¡°You can practice writing in this. I¡¯ll put the alphabet on the first page, for reference.¡± He walked over to Ina to hand her the notebook. ¡°The first one is A, it sounds like ah, apple.¡± ¡°A, ah, apple? Those are all different sounds, why not call it ah not A and have an ahple?¡± ¡°Uh, most letters, especially vowels, can have more than one sound, mostly influenced by the letters surrounding it. Don¡¯t worry, you are at an advantage knowing how words are pronounced. You¡¯ll recognize how to adjust the sound and it will help you in the future for recognizing patterns, like an E at the end of a word is usually silent.¡± He pointed to E on the paper. ¡°Is there no form of writing where you are from?¡± ¡°The currents erase markings in the sand and wall space is preciously limited.¡± ¡°But how do you keep records of things? Your schooling? History?¡± ¡°We must remember. Merfolk almost never forget anything we have committed to memory.¡± ¡°Man, that must be great, I could use that in my life. Let¡¯s just go over the letters once, no real questions, then we can do some practice writing and then we can watch something with subtitles. That¡¯s when a show puts words on the screen of what the people are saying, It might work but I don¡¯t know it might be too fast paced. I¡¯ll find a children¡¯s book online that I can read to you and then we¡¯ll work it out from there.¡±


    They went over each letter and its sound. Ina¡¯s foreign grasp on the pen made her writing look worse than Daniel¡¯s non-dominant hand¡¯s writing. ¡°I¡¯ll put the letter on the top of the page real big and you can fill the entire page, not all right now but, later¡­you¡¯ll have time.¡± After writing a few lines of each, Daniel grabbed his laptop off his desk. He pulled up a virtual book when Ina asked, ¡°Can I try, with the words before you say them?¡± He nodded. And pointed to the first word. ¡°Buh. Err. Oh. Wuh. Nn. Brr-ow-n, brown? Like the color of this creature, a bear?¡± ¡°See, you¡¯ll get this in no time.¡± ¡°Buh. Eh. Ah. Err¡­ Bear?¡± This continued for the remainder of the book, Ina slowly gaining confidence but struggling with words like purple. Upon finishing, Ina let out a huff then her stomach gargled. ¡°I am famished. Do you have any fish?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to stay here long, we need to get you to eat some other people foods. And I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t cook your fish?¡± Daniel stood up and walked to the kitchen; Ina followed. ¡°Is there anything about the taste of fish that you like?¡± ¡°My preferences are rendered useless if I¡¯m not eating fish.¡± ¡°Well it looks like all we have is PB&J. Peanut butter and jelly.¡± He got out what he needed and glanced at the peanut butter jar. ¡°Do you have any allergies? Like will this kill you?¡± ¡°We are susceptible to certain poisons but if terrafolk can eat it, I should too.¡± Daniel shifted his weight. ¡°Well, this could kill a large portion of terrafolk¡­ I¡¯ll do a sketchy allergy test. Give me your arm.¡± Daniel opened the jar and spread a small glob of peanut butter on her outstretched arm. ¡°Better do the same with the other stuff.¡± He proceeded with the jelly and awkwardly held a piece of bread to her skin. ¡°This is strange. What exactly is supposed to happen?¡± ¡°We wait for a few minutes and if a rash forms the you won¡¯t eat it, otherwise we just hope for the best.¡± There was an air of uncertainty in his voice that fueled Ina skepticism. Daniel realized that he could balance the bread on Ina¡¯s arm and proceeded to make himself a sandwich. He wolfed down more than half of it before remembering to check on Ina, who was staring quizzically. ¡°Unlike in the water, that is dead and not in need of attacking.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was so preoccupied today that I forgot to eat lunch. I¡¯m starving, well, I didn¡¯t feel it before but I knew I needed to eat and once I started, it hit me.¡± ¡°I found it reassuring. We are more alike than I had imagined.¡± Daniel cracked a small smile and rinsed Ina¡¯s arm off under the sink. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see a rash or anything.¡± He made a sandwich for her then suggested she take smaller bites than he had. ¡°Land verses water might be different so take it slow.¡± It wasn¡¯t like anything she had ever tasted. She could distinguish three separate flavors and textures. Ina struggled to swallow the few bites she had. ¡°It¡¯s very sweet¡­ and dry.¡± Daniel rushed to the cabinet to get a glass and poured her a cup of milk; she drank. ¡°The lack of salt is refreshing. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get too comfortable up here.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    With the food gone, they retreated back to Daniel¡¯s room. ¡°I think it¡¯s my turn for a nap.¡± Daniel collapsed on the bed. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Oh, I can get a video up, you can read.¡± He sluggishly got up to search his laptop. ¡°Intellectually, Sesames Street is beneath you but it has a simple educationally driven storyline that will give you more time to read. Hit this button to play or pause. The words will appear on the screen, here. And wear these.¡± He placed headphones on Ina and started the episode. By the time he hit the pillow, he was asleep.

 What is Happening?

    Daniel woke to a knocking sound. Looking around with blurry vision, he could not see Ina. Panic made him jump out of bed fully alert. The bedroom door was cracked open. ¡°What can I do for you little lady?¡± It was Travis. Daniel bolted out of his room. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to her.¡± ¡°Woah there. Over protective boyfriend is a new look for you, Dan. You look like hell by the way.¡± While Ina had never heard that specific phrase, she knew it was in reference to Daniel¡¯s crumpled clothes, half-flattened hair, and wide eyes. She walked over to him and flatly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you, I thought Travis might be able to help.¡± ¡°What do you need help with? I could be your guy. Let Marie have Dan back. I won¡¯t tell about you two messing around.¡± Travis had a light tone but Daniel could tell he was hopeful for a chance. ¡°The motions in the box have stopped. What did you call it? A laptop?¡± She directed the last two at Daniel who winced at Travis¡¯s response. ¡°Are you pulling my leg? You can¡¯t possibly not know what a laptop is?¡± ¡°Neither Daniel nor I are within reach to pull your leg.¡± ¡°Seriously guys. Haha. you had your fun you can give up the schtick now.¡± Travis was becoming concerned. He moved out of the doorway and pulled Daniel away from Ina to whisper in his ear. ¡°Dan, please tell me you did not abduct some sheltered child from somewhere, like a cult!¡± ¡°No! Travis! Ina comes from¡­ a¡­ historical community¡­ so she hasn¡¯t had contact with modern society. They live like the early 1990s. Besides Ina is an adult. I think ¨C Ina, how old are you?¡± They both turned to Ina. Both curious, Daniel slightly frightened. ¡°I am¡­ 29 approaching 30.¡± ¡°Years! You barely look over 21. What kind of Amish magic do you have?¡± Travis was distressed. Daniel was surprised but he had braced himself before hand, 30 wasn¡¯t the worst number she could have said. ¡°Why are you unsure? Don¡¯t you keep track of the years? If not, seasons?¡± ¡°The seasons do not affect us as much and as I told you before our records are not extensive. I know my biological advancements though. Offspring first capable at 20 next at 30. Fairly good predictors as mer ¨C my people have a very predictable advancements through life. Our ancestors compared it to your time schedule.¡± Travis leaned against the counter week. ¡°I get historical colony but if you¡¯re being honest, you are not like us¡­ modern humans that is. There¡¯s something fishy about this whole thing. You said, offspring, like baby? The earliest you can have a baby is 20? And that¡¯s a hard and fast rule? No teenage pregnancy? None? Zip? Nada? You sound like a robot. Daniel please tell me she is not a robot.¡± Travis had migrated into the kitchen to for a glass of water to calm himself down. Daniel piped up, ¡°No, she is not a robot.¡± Then cautiously turned back to Ina, ¡°Ina, do you have a baby?¡± ¡°I suppose he¡¯ll be ten soon but yes I have a child.¡± Travis chocked on his water. While coughing, he made some hand motions that Daniel interpreted as a motion to the couches. He took Ina with him and whispered, ¡°I think we are going to have to tell him.¡± ¡°Is he trustworthy?¡± ¡°I trust him to keep quiet but just in case I¡¯ll remind him of the dirt I have on him.¡± Ina gave a confused look but Daniel dismissed it for another time. Travis entered the view of the other two, hands on hips. ¡°Dan. Ina. You two have some explaining to do. This has been the strangest day for me and I bet it as something to do with you.¡± He pointed his finger at Ina but Daniel took the lead. ¡°If I tell you what¡¯s going on, you have to promise not to tell anyone, even after Ina goes back home.¡± He nodded in response and sat down. ¡°Brace yourself, Ina is a mermaid.¡± Ina the need to add something. ¡°He speaks the truth.¡± Travis looked suspicious. ¡°How would you meet a mermaid. You go to the beach like once a year and that¡¯s only because I drag you there.¡± ¡°Remember a couple of months ago when I, uh, fell off the bluff?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Well I was knocked unconscious and Ina saved me. I was so confused when I woke up on the beach but I felt that there was something in the water. A reassuring presence like the one that helped me with my nightmares.¡± Ina, though curious, did not want to interrupt so she added dreams to her list of things to bring up later. ¡°Anyway, I lied to you about where I¡¯ve been going every morning since then, kind of. I was going to sit on the beach because I knew that presence, that Ina, would be there. Anyway, like two days ago Ina surfaced and now we are here.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ That¡¯s a nice story and all, but do you have proof? Like, that sounded too fairytale destiny.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not human what more do you need?¡± ¡°And I could say I¡¯m from Mars but that doesn¡¯t make it true.¡± ¡°Do I look like terrafolk?¡± Ina was annoyed. ¡°Sheesh, I¡¯m guessing you mean humans but no you don¡¯t look like the rest of them. But also, most people I meet don¡¯t look like anyone I already know.¡± Daniel tried diffusing the situation. ¡°Look Travis, of all the strange things that have gone down between the three of us, doesn¡¯t it all make sense if she is who she says she is?¡± Travis responded flatly. ¡°I want proof.¡± Daniel looked over at Ina, giving her the decision. ¡°I have learned quite a lot today but not the amount I was hoping to acquire in my travels. If we must make a trip to the sea, tomorrow, at the earliest.¡± ¡°We can go Saturday.¡± Daniel was surprised at Travis¡¯s statement. It was only Wednesday. ¡°We can make a day out of it. Gives you time to absorb our culture or whatever to take back to your people but if you decide to come back and stay a little longer, I¡¯ll take you to a party. That¡¯s the real way to get good info about people.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Oh, come on Dan, you just don¡¯t vibe with party people. My gut tells me that they will love Ina.¡± ¡°I can be good with social interactions.¡± Travis saw the doubt in Daniel¡¯s face as he turned it away from Ina. ¡°I agree with the little lady over here. She¡¯s certainly old enough to make her own decisions. Besides we¡¯ve got like three days. A lot could happen.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.