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Candle on the Water
The ocean had always fascinated and terrified Thomas. It was vast, deep and endless. There was no way humans would ever be able to search the entirety of it. It offered up many beauties but also horrors. That didn’t mean he didn’t find it beautiful. He just preferred to enjoy it from the beach, not on a boat.
Boats made him nervous. Being an engineer, he could appreciate the beauty of a design but he didn’t think humans were meant to float. Plus, he got seasick. Why had he agreed to this forsaken cruise? Lucille was nowhere to be seen but he honestly preferred to be alone right now. Her presence had become smothering. He had known that sooner or later this farce of a relationship would have to end and he could see the end in sight. Avoiding her wasn’t his best strategy but he still needed time to think. How could he tell his sister that he was done with her?
I'll be your candle on the water
My love for you will always burn
I know your lost and drifting,
But the clouds are lifting
Don't give up you have somewhere to turn
Thomas lifted his head, scanning the ocean. Singing, someone was singing. It was a song he had never heard but it was the most melodic thing he had ever heard. But he was confused. The voice was coming from the water. That was impossible unless it was a really talented manatee. There were no islands for miles and they weren’t even remotely close to the shore. Was this a trick?
I'll be your candle on the water
Till every wave is warm and bright
My soul is there beside you,
Let this candle guide you
Soon you'll see a golden stream of light
Confusion was replaced with curiosity. Thomas scanned the ocean, desperate to find the source of the song. He walked along the deck, his eyes never leaving the waters. Then, he spotted it. Sitting on a rock, he saw a woman with her eyes up to the sky and her mouth opened.
A cold and friendless tide has found you
Don't let the stormy darkness pull you down
I'll paint a ray of hope around you
Circling in the air, lighted by a prayer
The boat was getting closer and Thomas gasped when he got a better look. It wasn’t a woman, it was a mermaid. She had no legs but a dark, blue tail of scales. Her long hair was in a braid with seashells and starfish. Around the rock were a group of fish and a few other sea creatures, all listening to her song. He wasn’t sure why he did but Thomas stood on the railing. Her voice was so pure and rich, he had to hear more.
I'll be your candle on the water
This flame inside of me will grow
Keep holding on, you'll make it
Here's my hand so take it
Look for me reaching out to show
As sure as rivers flow,
I'll never let you go
I'll never let you go
I'll never let you go
Her song was done and Thomas’ heart felt heavy. Then, she looked away from the sky and their eyes met. Thomas wanted to say something, anything but at that moment, he lost his footing and fell into the water.
You dove right into action when you saw the human hit the water.
Humans were not born natural swimmers like mermaids were. They had to be taught how to swim and some of them never learned the skill. They also didn’t possess gills or any means of breathing underwater. This human could drown without your help and as you dove under the water, you could see him struggling. The poor thing was terrified.
You swam to him and when you reached him, you saw the fear in his eyes. Instantly, you felt bad. He had been listening to you, that was why he was standing on that large, metal thing and he had slipped. How foolish were you? Without wasting a moment, you grabbed him and swam back up to the surface. He gasped for air, desperate to fill his lungs.
“Easy, easy,” You rubbed his back.
The humans on the metal contraption were in a tizzy; they were searching for him, you suspected. There had to be a way to get him back to where he belonged without you getting spotted. As you thought, you felt the human’s eyes on you and you turned to face him. His fear was gone and was replaced by adoration. It was odd but you felt a bit shy suddenly.
“You’re a mermaid,” He said.
“Yes,” You said. “And you’re a human.”
“You’re beautiful.”
You felt your face flush. Other merfolk had told you that you were beautiful, you were the king’s daughter after all. So, why did this human make you feel weak? The thought was pushed to the back of your mind when you came up with a solution to your predicament.
“Oberon,” You said.
“What?” He asked.
Around your neck was a shell necklace; in the middle was a small, blue conch shell with holes drilled into it. You placed the tip of it into your mouth and then blew into it. The human watched you, entranced by everything you did.
“What is that?” He asked.
“It’s how I call my friends,” You said. “Oberon should be here any minute.”
“Is he a friend of yours? Is he a merperson like you? How did you meet him?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” You said, smiling.
“I’m sorry but---I thought mermaids were a myth,” He said. “And I’ve never met such a captivating creature before in my life.”
Again, familiar words but your heart swelled at this.
“Do you have a name?” He asked, his eyes scanning every inch of your face.
“Y/N. Do you have one?”
“Thomas. Thomas Sharpe.”
Before you could ask anymore questions, a large tentacle poked out of the ocean. Thomas screamed but you quickly covered his mouth.
“No, it’s okay,” You told him. “This is Oberon. He’s going to help you back onto your---floating island.”
“You can talk to a giant octopus?” Thomas asked. “That’s incredible I---wait, you mean you’re leaving?”
He sounded disappointed. Guilt returned to you but you knew you were doing the right thing.
“I have too, it’s too dangerous,” You said. “If someone else were to find me, they’d gut me like a fish or worse.”
“Will I ever get a chance to see you again?” He asked.
“It’s probably better to forget about me,” You gave him a sad smile. “Goodbye, Thomas.”
You placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and dove back into the water. Oberon wrapped a tentacle around Thomas’ waist and soon, he was gone. Sighing, he delved deeper into the depths towards your home, thinking he’d forget about the experience completely.
Thomas didn’t forget.
When Y/N had swum away, he was ready to go after her He was no match for Oberon though; the massive octopus placed him back on the boat as if it was nothing. He watched as the tentacles receded into the water, leaving him behind. He wanted to throw himself back into the water to swim after her but it was a foolish idea. Y/Nwere faster than him, how would he catch up to her?
Lucille had found him and she was furious, blaming everyone from the captain to the cook. Thomas let her fret over him but his mind was elsewhere. A mermaid; he had met a real life mermaid named Y/N. The fairy tales he had read as a child hadn’t done Y/N justice; she was a million times more beautiful than anything in any book. The rest of the trip felt like a blur to him. Lucille didn’t let him out of her sight. This would have annoyed him but he was more focused on finding Y/N again. Each day was spent on the deck, praying and hoping he’d hear her golden tone again. Lucille pestered him, asking him what he was looking for but he never told her. Would she believe him? Who cared about that, he was worried about Y/N’s safety.
“If someone else were to find me, they’d gut me like a fish or worse.”
Lucille was the or worse. Thomas longed to see Y/N again but he couldn’t stand the thought of Lucille discovering her. She would take such joy in destroying the beautiful maid. Even if he ever saw her again,he would do all in his power to make sure Lucille would never find out.
They returned to land two days later. Lucille was doing everything in her power to get Thomas’ attention back.
“Thomas, you need to stop daydreaming and focus again,” Lucille nagged. “I don’t know what happened that night but it seems to have affected you more than you’re letting on.”
“I’m fine,” He lied. “I wished you’d believe me.”
“You know I can tell when you’re lying,” Lucille grabbed his hand. “I know you too well.”
She was right but that didn’t change anything. Thomas couldn’t remember how or when he realized the relationship he had with his sister was wrong. No, not wrong; twisted. Loving his sister in that way had been wrong but he hadn’t stopped it or even tried until now. Meeting Y/Nh had just made him want to distance himself from Lucille even more.
When they reached home, Thomas still found himself distracted. He tried to work on his machine but it was impossible. He was dying to see Y/N again. The only issue was he had no idea how to find her. He felt hopeless; would he ever be able to find her again? Thinking of being unable to reunite with Y/N filled him with dread. For days, he felt aimless. Two weeks after the trip, he decided to take a ride to clear his mind.
Thomas found himself drawn to the beach. It was hopeless but he thought that maybe he’d be able to spot a glimpse of her again. He had the carriage stop and he popped out, surveying the land before him. He stopped when he saw something on the beach; a body. Confusion filled him as he headed down on the warm sand and walked towards the unmoving person. His heart nearly stopped when he realized who it was.
“Y/N?”
Carefully, he turned the woman on her back. Yes, it was Y/N. He caressed her face and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw him, she managed a weak smile.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to forget,” she replied.
Thomas wrapped you in his coat and helped you walk towards his carriage. You stopped when you saw the two huge, black creatures.
“What are those?” You asked, scared.
“They’re just horses,” Thomas said. “They’re beasts of burden we use in our day to day life.”
“They’re so big,” You said. “They look like they want to eat me.”
“It’s alright,” Thomas assured you. “Watch.”
He made a clicking noise with his tongue and the horses looked his way. He reached out, rubbing the snout of one. You watched with awe, amazed that such large creatures would bend to him. The horse noticed you and you shrank away but Thomas took your hand in his. Then, he carefully placed it on the horse’s snout.
“It’s soft,” you said, “I thought they would vanish. They look like they’re made of shadows.”
Thomas chuckled at this and you smiled. You ignored the looks of the driver as Thomas helped you into the carriage. Fascinated by this new mode of transportation, you sat down and ran your hands over the cushions of the seats. Thomas sat down next to you, watching you as you felt the fabric.
“Y/N?”
You looked at him.
“How---how are you here?” He asked.
“It’s a rather long story,” You said.
“I’d love to hear it.”
So, you told him. You told him about how after meeting him, you kept thinking of him. No matter what you did, you couldn’t forget him and it was driving you mad. Your sisters had noticed and asked what was wrong but you lied, telling them you were thinking about how you wanted a new seashell necklace. After two weeks, you decided enough was enough and you had to do something about it.
You had to see Thomas again.
Under the cover of night, you snuck off into the deepest, darkest waters to the home of Morwenna, the sea witch. After explaining your problem, she told you she would help you but she warned you it was dangerous.
That part you didn’t tell Thomas. You didn’t want him to know what giving up your tail would potentially cost. Or that if he didn’t feel anything for you, you’d turn into seafoam.
Morwenna had one of her anglerfish take you towards the surface along with a potion and a sack full of jewels. According to the witch, humans had to ‘pay’ for things. The jewels would help you do so. Once you drank the liquid, your tail started to split and you felt imessnese pain. It was so bad that you blacked out. You think the angelfish pushed you towards the shore but you weren’t sure. As you told Thomas this, he never took his eyes off of you.
“I’m so happy to see you again,” he said, “These past two weeks have been such a nightmare.”
“They have?”
“I’ve done nothing but think of you,” he admitted.
“Then I made your life miserable.” You felt awful.
“No, don’t think that! I can’t explain it but meeting you--it’s changed me,” Thomas turned your face to look at him. “You have no idea how happy I am that you’re here.”
“So you’re not upset?”
“No. Although I wish you had been able to contact me,” Thomas smiled. “I could have brought you a dress.”
“A what?”
You soon learned what a dress was. The carriage arrived in town and once you saw other people, you pressed your face against the window. There were so many people, dressed in such odd fabrics. Thomas stopped the carriage and told you to wait for him. You pouted at first but he promised you’d be able to leave the carriage soon. Not wanting to upset him, you agreed to wait. A few minutes later, Thomas returned with two women.
“Hello!” you greeted them happily.
“Oh you poor thing!” one of them said, “Look at the state you're in.”
“I’m not poor or a thing,” you said but they ignored you.
“Come here dearest, we’ll get you cleaned up and we’ll find something proper for you to wear.”
You were confused and looked at Thomas. He gave you a small nod. Well, if he trusted these humans, you trusted them. They helped you out of the carriage, making sure Thomas' coat covered all of you and ushered you into a building. They took you towards the back and gave you a simple ‘dress’ to wear. You stared at it, wondering what to do with it. It was such an odd thing, why did humans wear them?
“Here dearie,” One of them said. “Let me help you.”
You were thankful for the help. Once you were dressed, they began to ‘measure’ you. Measuring involved some long, yellow thing and a lot of notes. Curious, you grabbed at the yellow item and tugged at it.
“What is it?” You asked, holding it up.
“A measuring tape dear. Poor thing, your amnesia must be terrible. You don't remember anything.”
“I do remember things! I remember my name, it’s Y/N,” You said. “And who are you?”
“I’m Miss Chatterly and this is my daughter Elizabeth,” The elder of the two said. “Now stand still darling. We’re going to get your measurements and find you a dress.”
“Must I wear a dress?”
“Of course dear, you want to be a proper woman, don’t you?”
You thought about this for a second.
“If I’m a proper woman, will Thomas like me?” you asked.
“I think he already likes you, my sweet,” Miss Chatterley chuckled. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, he’s obviously smitten.”
Smitten: you liked that word. You tried to be obedient and not move but everything was so interesting! Thankfully, Miss Chatterley and Elizabeth were patient as well as they were kind. After taking your measurements, Elizabeth went to start working on some dresses while Miss Chatterley found something for you to wear in the meantime. It was a gorgeous deep blue with white pearl buttons and black, lace detail on the back. While you didn’t understand the point of dresses, it was pretty.
“It’s beautiful!” You said. “I love it!”
You needed some help walking out to Thomas. Walking was already hard enough but the dress made this difficult. Why did the women on the surface torture themselves like this? But you had to be proper. Only a proper lady could win Thomas’ heart. Thomas smiled when he saw you.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“I feel beautiful if not a bit strange,” you replied. “The colors remind me of the ocean.”
“Now be careful dearest,” Miss Chatterley said, “It seems like you’ve forgotten how to walk too.”
“I’ve never walked before! I can’t forget something I never learned,” you said.
“You were right, Sir Thomas,” Miss Chatterley tutted, “That bump on the head must have really scrambled her noggin.”
“Indeed it has,” Thomas said, taking your hand, “I found her passed out and naked on the beach. I have no idea what happened to her but I vowed to make sure she was taken care of.”
That wasn’t a total lie but you were confused. Why did everyone keep talking about your head? You took the bag of jewels Thomas had been holding and reached into it. You pulled out a large sapphire and placed it in Miss Chatterley’s hand.
“Thank you for my first dress,” you said, wrapping your hand around hers. “I’ll cherish this forever.”
“My dear, this is too much,” she began to protest.
“Please, take it,” you smiled, “I cannot let your kindness go unrewarded.”
“Oh goodness, thank you love,” Miss Chatterley grinned at you.
Thomas led you back out of the building, keeping a firm grip on you as you tried to walk. This was frustrating; Thomas made it look so easy.
“Here, watch my legs,” he said. “It’s one foot in front of the other.”
“It still feels peculiar,” you said, “It’s not like swimming at all. How come it’s so easy for you?”
“Well, I had to learn as well,” Thomas said, leading you back to the carriage. “You see, when humans are babies, we can’t walk at all. We start off by crawling, then we push ourselves up and start to toddle.”
“That’s fascinating! Tell me more,” you said. “Please? I want to learn more about humans. And I have questions too. Why did you tell Miss Chatterley I bumped my head?”
“Into the carriage first and then I’ll tell you more,” Thomas said.
You obeyed and got back into the carriage. It started again but instead of staring out the window, you leaned against Thomas. He tensed a bit before putting an arm around you.
“I remember you said that it was dangerous if anyone were to find out that you’re a mermaid,” he said. “So in order to not arouse suspicion, I told them you had bumped your head and gotten amnesia. It’s a condition where people lose their memory. That way no one would think you were odd for not understanding certain concepts.”
“Like dresses?”
“Yes, like dresses,” he chuckled, “Do you really dislike it?”
“No but it’s hard to move in,” you said. “But it’s what a proper lady does so I must wear one. What else does a proper lady do?”
“In all honesty, I prefer you just the way you are,” he said.
His words made your heart soar. There was so much you wanted to tell him but you remained silent. Was it proper for a woman to declare how she felt for a man or should she stay quiet? This was all confusing; why couldn’t relationships be easier?
“But what do proper ladies do?” you persisted.
“I suppose I’m the wrong person to answer that,” Thomas said with a smile. “But I suppose we could find someone to help you learn.”
“Like Miss Chatterley? She was so kind. And her daughter,” you said, “How sweet of them to make me dresses!”
“I suppose you could ask them your questions,” Thomas said as the carriage. “Alright, so this is where you’ll be staying.”
You looked out the carriage to see a large building. It was bigger than the other one and there were so many more people. As Thomas helped you out, you couldn’t stop looking at everything. Thomas led you to a human behind a large piece of wood who greeted you both.
“Hello good sir, I was hoping you would have a room for rent,” Thomas said. “I’ll be paying upfront and it’ll be for this young lady.”
“Of course sir,” the man said.
You were given a key and led to a room. Instantly, you were drawn to a large item in the middle of it. You walked over to it and touched it. Oh, it was soft. You got on top of it, finding it was also bouncy.
“What is this?” you asked Thomas.
“A bed,” Thomas said, “You sleep on it.”
“But it’s not made of coral,” you said, “And where are the fish?”
Curious, you crawled over to the edge of the bed and looked down. No, you didn’t see any fish.
“Do mermaids sleep in coral reefs?” Thomas asked.
“Yes and the fish keep us company,” you said, turning back to him, “Will I like a bed?”
“I think you will,” Thomas said smiling, “Will you be content here?”
There was something about his tone that felt off.
“You aren’t going to stay here with me, are you?”
Thomas’ smile vanished.
“I want to stay with you but--I need to keep you safe,” Thomas said, “I can’t explain it right now but there is someone in my life who wouldn't like you.”
“Why?” You asked.
How could someone dislike you if you hadn’t even met them yet? Surely you couldn’t have made this person angry without having done something to them. You waited for Thomas to say something, growing a tad frustrated. Crossing your arms, you sat on the bed and turned your head away from him.
“Y/N,” he said gently. “I have to keep you safe. I promise, I’ll come to see you every day but for now, please stay here. Where it’s safe.”
“Fine,” you said, not looking at him.
Were you being petty? Maybe, but you came all this way for Thomas. You were risking everything. There was a chance you’d never see your father or sisters again. If Thomas didn’t love you, you’d turn into seafoam and never be able to swim again. Why couldn’t he understand that?
“You can leave now,” you added, still feeling angry.
Thomas walked to you, getting down on his knees.
“Y/N,” he said, taking your hand, “If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself.”
You stole a glance at Thomas; his blue eyes were shining with sincerity. It was hard to stay angry at him when he looked at you that way. While you wished he’d stay with you, you had to trust him. Thomas was the only human you knew.
“Alright,” you said, “But you’ll come to visit me right?”
“Of course,” Thomas said with a smile, “I promise to come back later for dinner but for now, stay put.”
“Okay Thomas.”
Thomas was enamored and worried at the exact same time.
Of course, he was enamored with Y/N. She was so different from the women around him. She was sweet, friendly and so curious. Constantly, she was asking questions. Other people seemed to fall under her spell as she became interested in everything around her. When he was with Y/N, all she did was talk about the wonderful things the surface had to offer. Thomas was thankful that he could answer most of her questions.
He was worried because he knew it was only a matter of time before Lucille found out. Lucille’s anger was terrifying. Thomas had never been on the receiving end of it thankfully but he had seen it. She was also a possessive woman; if Lucille saw him with Y/N, he’s not sure what he’d do. Run? Hide her? All he knew was that protecting Y/N was of the utmost importance.
“Thomas, what are they doing?”
It was a nice, sunny day and the pair were walking along the busy streets of England. Y/N stopped to point at a four-piece band, playing some music.
“They’re playing music,” He said.
He should have realized she would have been interested and Y/N walked towards the men, completely engrossed. But then she started to sing.
Ah Danny boy, the pipes,
The pipes are calling
From glen to glen,
And down the mountain side
People stopped what they were doing and started to listen to Y/N’s melodic voice. It was amazing how one voice held such power. Thomas beamed as people surrounded her to listen to her perfect voice, his heart almost bursting with joy. The more time he spent with Y/N, the deeper in love he fell. He wanted to tell her so badly how he felt but he kept stopping. He’d have to deal with Lucille first, then he could tell Y/N
Applause rang out once she finished singing. After thanking the musicians, Y/N ran back over to Thomas.
“Oh Thomas, wasn’t that wonderful?” She asked.
“Of course it was,” Thomas said. “Anytime you sing, it’s wonderful. But how did you know the words?”
“I just do,” she replied smiling, “Mermaids have the ability to know all songs but we each have a special one.”
“Like the one you sang the first night we met?” Thomas asked.
“Yes,” she smiled again, making his heart giddy. “We’re each born with a song in our heart. Candle on the Water is mine.”
“It’s a beautiful song,” Thomas said.
“Well,” she blushed, “It’s also a special song. You see---oh nevermind.”
“What? Don’t become shy now,” Thomas teased, “Tell me.”
“Merfolk find their soulmates through song,” she continued, “Our special song is supposed to connect to our soulmate and lead us to them.”
Thomas felt his heart stop. He took hold of Y/N’s hand and she stopped walking.
“By any chance, does the song work on humans?” he asked.
“I---I don’t know,” she replied, fidgeting slightly, “Is there a reason as to why you’re asking?
Thomas swallowed, staring into her eyes. He felt heat course through his body as Y/N closed her eyes and inched closer. Thomas was about to do the same when someone called his name.
“Thomas?”
Thomas’ blood went cold as he turned to see his sister. Lucille said nothing at first, staring at Y/N with a cold, calculating look. Lucille was analyzing Y/N, seeing if she was a threat. Thomas prayed that Y/N would appear weak and helpless; that was the only way she’d be safe. With a tight lipped smile, Lucille looked back at Thomas.
“Who is this?” she asked.
“Oh, this is just an old acquaintance of mine,” Thomas said, laying a protective hand on Y/N. “Y/N, this is my sister Lucille.”
“A pleasure,” Y/N said curtly.
Maybe it was because their romantic moment had been ruined or she sensed Lucille’s venom but Y/N’s usually sunny dispotiston vanished. Thomas wasn’t sure if Lucille bought Thomas' lie but she continued to smile, acting as if everything was fine.
“You’ve never mentioned her before,” Lucille continued, “I would think you’d mention such a good friend of yours.”
“I’m sorry, I must be going,” Y/N said suddenly, “Good day.”
Thomas watched as Y/N bolted down the street. His heart told him to chase after her but his brain told him to stop. If he made a scene, Lucille would realize Y/N was more than a friend. It hurt him to do so but Thomas let Y/N slip away. She looked back once but her eyes were sad.
“Thomas,” Lucille said, “I thought you said you had a meeting today.”
“I did,” Thomas lied, “But the meeting ended early and as I was heading back home, I happened to run into Y/N. We were just talking, remembering the old days.”
“Thomas,” Lucille stepped closer to him, “I know when you’re lying to me. Tell me, who is she?”
“No one you need to worry about,” Thomas said. “Let’s go home.”
Thomas had mentioned Lucille to you before. She was his sister but Thomas didn’t talk of her lovingly, and there was something off about their relationship. Thomas hadn’t stated it outright but you weren’t going to push him to talk about it. If he wanted to tell you, he would. Meeting Lucille confirmed your suspcions about her; she was evil. There was a bad aura around her, you could feel it. Thomas had tensed up when he had heard her voice.
It had been two days since you had last seen Thomas and your heart was heavy. There was only one day left before you’d turn into seafoam. You were standing by the window, looking out towards the ocean. You missed Oberon and regretted not saying goodbye to him when you had the chance. The shell you used to call him was still around your neck, but you hadn’t used it in days. Maybe you could go say goodbye tonight. With another sigh, you grabbed your coat and headed to the door.
You were shocked to find Lucille standing there.
“Lucille,” you said, stepping back.
“Y/N,” Lucille’s voice was icy, “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
“Oh,” you touched the shell around your neck, “I’ll be leaving town soon. I was going to say goodbye to a friend.”
“How quaint,” Lucille smiled but there was no warmth to it, “And what of Thomas?”
Your heart clenched.
“I don’t want to bother him,” you said, stepping past Lucille, “Excuse me.”
Lucille grabbed your arm, twisting it and making you wince.
“Yet you’ve been bothering him,” Lucille sneered, “Instead of working, he comes here to visit you, doesn’t he? I knew he was hiding something. I know him better than he knows himself, you see. I’ve been with him since the beginning.”
“Lucille, please let go,” you said.
“He needs me,” Lucille continued. “I’m the one who has always protected him. I protected him from mother and everyone else. They tried to take him away from me but we’re meant to be together.”
“What are you talking about?” you tried to get free, “Let me go.”
“You’re a distraction, a commodity, something to entertain him,” Lucille’s eyes looked mad, “But he always comes back to me. No one loves him the way I do.”
Realization hit you like a ton of bricks.
“That’s disgusting!” You managed to get your hand free. “You’re his sister!”
“Who are you to judge us?” Lucille stalked towards you, “You’re a little nothing with no name, no family, no title. You’re just a mysterious whore who has bewitched my brother. How long do you think you’d hide?”
“I’m leaving,” you said, trying to get to the stairs, “I’ll forget about Thomas and never come back.”
“That’s not good enough!”
Lucille grabbed you and turned you around, a knife in her hand. Fear seized your body as she pointed it towards your neck.
“You’re coming with me.”
The streets were barren as Lucille marched you down towards the pier. Tears streamed down your face as you obeyed, your heart twisted and body hurting. Tomorrow would come and you’d be no more. Your father, your sisters, and Oberon; you’d never get to see them again. It all hurt but what hurt the most was not being able to see Thomas again. What a fool you had been; all this time and you hadn’t been able to tell him.
You stumbled as you reached the docks. Lucille grabbed you by the hair, forced you up. Your legs felt weak as your bones began to fade. Tears continued to roll down your cheeks as you marched towards your fate. Even if you jumped into the water, you couldn’t swim for long before you transformed into seafoam. How you wished you could call Oberon but with Lucille at your back, you were afraid to make a move.
“You’re going to jump into the water and drown yourself,” Lucille commanded, “In the morning, I’ll tell Thomas that you’ve left. Saddened and heartbroken, he’ll be mine once more.”
Anger filled you; how dare she treat Thomas like an object. This wasn’t love, it was an obsession. Maybe you’d die or turn into foam but you wanted to take one more risk. Just one more. Sighing, you opened up your mouth and began to sing.
I'll be your candle on the water
My love for you will always burn
I know your lost and drifting,
But the clouds are lifting
Don't give up you have somewhere to turn
“What are you doing?” Lucille pressed the knife to your back, “Stop that.”
But you didn’t stop. You kept singing. IF the legends were true, Thomas would hear you wherever you were. Even when Lucille pushed the knife into your back, you continued to sing through the pain.
“Lucille, stop!”
You turned around to see Thomas standing behind the two of you. You smiled but Lucille pushed the knife in deeper, making you cry out.
“I won’t stop until she’s dead!” Lucille shouted, “You swore you’d never fall in love with anyone else.”
“I’m sorry Lucille,” Thomas took a step forward, “I---I heard her song.”
It was true. Thomas was your soulmate. Your song had reached him and he had used it to find you. Lucille looked confused but only for a second. Enraged, she took the knife out of your back and you slumped down, unable to stand. The loss of blood and your body changing was too much to bear.
“Are you saying you love her?” Lucille asked.
“Yes,” Thomas got closer, “Lucille, I fell in love with her the moment I heard her song.”
Lucille stared at Thomas, bewildered. Her grip was still on the knife and you realized something; once you were dead, she’d kill Thomas. With what little strength you had, you grabbed the shell and placed it to your lips. Lucille knocked the shell out of your hand and raised the knife to stab you again. You heard Thomas shout her name but it was no use; she was in a blind rage.
“This is all your fault!” she shouted.
Closing your eyes, you braced for impact. Then you heard bubbling in the water. The knife fell from Lucille’s hand and you opened your eyes to see a familiar tentacle. Lucille backed away, terrified as Oberon came out from the depths, his golden eyes filled with anger. The octopus lashed out and grabbed her by the waist, tossing her up like she weighed nothing. Thomas ran to your side, watching as Oberon broke Lucille’s waist. Once she was dead, Oberon threw her into the ocean and got closer to the dock.
“Oh, Oberon,” you said sadly, “I missed you. I’m so sorry I didn’t say goodbye.”
“No,” Thomas grabbed your hand. “Y/N, please don’t talk like that.”
“I’m sorry Thomas,” you said, pressing your head to his. “I’m too late. I never told you that I love you.”
“Too late? What do you mean?”
“She’s talking about the price for her legs,” a familiar voice said.
You turned around to see Oberon held Morwenna the sea witch on one tentacle. The crab woman stepped onto the dock and walked over to you.
“Morwenna?” you asked.
“You see,” Morwenna crouched down, “For a merfolk to stay on the surface with their human love, they must confess their feelings and those feelings must be reciprocated. If not, they turn into seafoam.”
“What? Y/N, why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Thomas asked.
“I didn’t want you to fake your feelings,” you said, “But it’s okay. I made peace with what is going to happen to me.”
“Oh, you needn’t be dramatic dear,” Morwenna reached into a pouch around her waist, “You won’t be going anywhere. Here, eat this.”
Morwenna offered you a pearl and you popped it into your mouth. It burst, releasing a bitter liquid into your mouth. You gagged.
“What was that?” Thomas asked.
“For her wound,” Morwenna said. “Now, stand up dear.”
Your confusion was growing but Morwenna seemed so calm. Thomas stood up and offered his hand. You took it and found your legs were working. In fact, they felt firm.
“I don’t understand,” you said, “I was too late.”
“No, you weren’t,” Morwenna grinned, pointing to Thomas, “His confession saved you.”
“It did? So, can I stay?” you turned to Thomas, “With you?”
“Y/N,” Thomas caressed your face, “From the moment I saw you, I adored you. I’ve been wanting to tell you how much I loved you for days but I was too afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” you asked.
“Afraid of rejection, afraid Lucille would find you,” he said, “But now she’s gone. Please Y/N, stay with me. I love you.”
Oberon suddenly burbled, his big, round eyes tinged with sadness.
“Oh Oberon,” you smiled at him, “I’ll never forget you, how could I? You saved us both. I will visit you, I promise. But my home is on the surface now.”
Oberon reached out his tentacle and rubbed your face. He then playfully grabbed Thomas' hat, pushing it down on his face.
“He’s saying he trusts you,” you told Thomas.
“Well then,” Thomas fixed his hat, “Thank you Oberon. I promise I’ll keep her safe, no matter what the costs.”
“Happy endings all around,” Morwenna said, “I’m so happy things worked out for you dear.”
“But it wouldn’t have been possible without you,” you said, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“No thanks are necessary,” Morwenna walked back towards the sea, “I’ll tell your father you're safe. He’ll probably come to visit so be on the lookout. Farewell you two.”
You waved goodbye as Morwenna climbed onto Oberon’s head and they departed. When they were gone, you turned to Thomas.
“I love you,” you said.
“I love you too,” he returned.
And finally, you kissed him.