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The sun hung high in the bright blue sky. Meanwhile, wispy clouds drifted by to cushion the sun’s slow descent towards the ocean’s horizon. It’s rays bounced along the gentle waves that lapped at the pebbled beach. A small summer beach house sat up the hill to watch the scenery dance by.
From inside the simple beach house, a small boy with a mop of cocoa brown hair nudged open the screen door that separated him from the outdoor paradise. The screen’s hinges let out a squeal of protest at the sudden motion. Without hesitation the pale boy stepped past the threshold and let the screen door clap shut. The boy pulled in a breath at the near-magical way the ocean reflected the sun, how it beconned him closer.
Before he could step further, the kind voice of a mother called after the boy, “Be back before dinner George! And don’t you dare go swimming in the ocean without your father or me there to watch!” The warning rang through her words, leaving no room for argument.
George let out the breath he held in a groan of protest, “Okay mum!”
Stomping across the front porch, the little boy hopped down onto the dirt path that led towards the beach. Tall grass lined the way and thinned out as he approached the shoreline. The flip flops covering George’s feet didn’t do much against the smaller rocks, so the boy chose to make a game out of jumping from one big rock to the next.
He kept his eyes peeled for pretty beach glass or other interesting rocks that garnered his attention. Soon enough, the pockets of George’s shorts began to grow heavy with his findings.
Without him realizing it, the sun had dropped further into the sky.
A flash of light caught on something out in the water. George curiously climbed the rocks that led out a fair way into the ocean. Along the way, he kept an eye out for another glimpse of the shiny object in the sea. Sure enough, when he had reached where the water would be about his dad’s height deep, another flash of what looked to be purple or bright blue scales caught George’s eye. His head frantically turned towards the swatch of color, but pouted to himself when it looked like it had vanished.
After a while longer of looking, the disappointed boy decided to start the climb back to shore. He didn’t get more than a few steps before a voice hesitantly called out for him to wait.
Turning on his heel faster than he ever had in his young life, George lost his balance and tipped into the sea with a shriek.
Water hungrily swallowed his small figure and the weight of the rocks in his shorts dragged him below the surface faster than he could take in air. He frantically struck his arms out to grab anything to keep his form up. George only panicked further as he only fruitlessly clawed at the water around him. His eyes, blurred by saltwater and weak from lack of air, slipped shut blinding him to the world.
Just as he thought his burning lungs would climax and explode, he felt arms wrap around his chest.
Suddenly, he was out of the water so fast he feared he had whiplash. The strong but tiny arms that pulled him from the water tugged him back over to the rocks. George focused on expelling the water from his mouth, as the figure hauled him up onto the flat of a rock low to the water.
Once secured on the rock, he hacked up the last of the water in his lungs and greedily breathed in fresh air. Relishing the solid ground under him, George flopped over onto his back. His body exhausted from the near-drowning. Slowly, his breathing returned to a normal speed and the pounding in his head dulled to a throb. George cracked his eyes open slowly and as he did a sigh of relief released to his right.
“You’re alright!” A sweet voice pushed closer to him, along with a splash of water.
Flinching slightly at the reminder of the mere existence of water, George turned his head towards the voice. His eyes widened as deep green eyes met his own brown ones. Bright pink hair reached the shoulders of the girl half in the water. She had her elbows rested on the rock as she leaned in to check on him.
“I’m so sorry for scaring you there… I just thought you were maybe going to leave?” She lowered her gaze in shame and nervously poked a little pebble around to distract herself, “I-I just didn’t want the game to end.”
Game?
Had he been playing a game before the water pulled him under? His brows furrowed on his small face and his nose scrunched up in confusion. George was pretty sure he had never seen this girl before, so how had they been playing a game?
“I haven’t had that much fun with someone else in sooooo long!” Her embarrassment seemed to be forgotten, as she eagerly leaned up on her hands. “You see I’m on vacation with my family, but they didn’t let my best friend come with us,” she said with a pout on her lips.
“Really? I’m on vacation too my mum and dad,” he croaked out through his sore throat.
She winced slightly at the poor boy’s tired voice. However, her dark green eyes just seemed excited to talk to someone else her age, and George found that he didn’t mind obliging her.
Slowly sitting himself up, George did a double take as he caught sight of... scales? No, those weren’t freckles. There are actual light-purple scales on the girl’s face. They shimmered in an iridescent manner and lay splattered over her cheeks to her ears. Though they weren’t human ears. Fins seemed to be growing from under her hair where human ears would be. Her smile grew as he moved to look over her further. Something swishing by in the water behind the girl set off an alarm in George’s head for a moment. Glancing over her shoulder, George’s jaw dropped as an honest to god fish tail swayed back and forth behind her. The same purple scales that speckled her face, also covered a mermaid tail and thinned out at her waist. The tail was framed beautifully by translucent lilac fins that mirrored other fins stemming from her elbows.
“W-what… Wait are you a mermaid?!” George didn’t even register his voice cracking in his disbelief. His eyes stuck on the shimmering tail before him.
The girl let out a fluttering laughter at George’s shock, “yeah I am! Have you never seen one of us before? My name’s Niki!”
George closed his mouth and blinked rapidly just to assure himself that Niki was real.
“Uhm… No, I haven’t seen a mermaid before,” George frowned softly. “My name is George. Uhm what game were you playing that nearly led to my death?”
“Hide and Seek of course! You were trying to find me and I was hiding from you. Wilbur and I play it all the time, but he always wins,” Niki giggled softly. “I am really sorry though. For scaring you that is, but you’re okay now right?” She looked up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m okay now. You did save me, but don’t startle me like that again!” George huffed, as his arms crossed in front of his chest.
Niki’s pink head bobbed eagerly, “Okay I’ll be more careful I promise. Hey, do you think… We could be friends?”
George scrunched up his face, pretending to think it over before he quickly agreed, “Okay. I’ve never had a friend like you before. Will I see you again Niki?”
Niki paused for a moment. Then, she reached back and carefully plucked a scale from her tail. She placed it gently in the brunette’s hand and gave him a knowing smile.
“Maybe someday we will meet again.”
“Until that day comes, stay safe George.”
His vision seemed to blur slightly, as the world around him became disconnected. The last thing he saw was a shimmering tail disappearing into the sea before him.
The dream faded out before a shrill shriek pierced the darkness.