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This was just another reason to hate boats. Carmilla’s skin burned as the rope bit into her palms but she didn’t dare let go. Instead, she clung tighter and let the curses falling from her lips be lost to the storm raging around them. Rain whipped her in the face as the small boat rolled under the force of each wave, sky torn apart by streaks of lightning in every direction.
She could do nothing but follow the rope back to the tiny cabin; only recognizing the shape of her brother when she ran into him just outside the door.
“Tied down the catch,” Carmilla shouted between the thunder claps. The deck rolled under their feet and Will lurched forward, grabbing her by the arm to try and keep his balance. They were on a lobster boat of all things. A summer job that her mother had gotten them as a punishment for their less than stellar behaviour the last year.
It wasn’t her fault that girls flocked to her whenever she came home from university. What was she going to say? No? Hah.
Also, her mother said something about learning the hands on work that went into the company.
“Captain said that he’s going to try and outrun it,” Will shouted back.
Carmilla practically growled, “Outrun it? Outrun it where? We’re already inside of it.”
Will shrugged, rain running off his face like a waterfall, “We’ve got to check the anchors. Make sure everything is tied down. You want front or back?”
The boat rolled again, practically tipping over as they were swept up the side of a massive wave. Tilting, Carmilla careened backwards as the deck was suddenly nearly horizontal before it flattened out and slammed back into the water. She did have to give credit to the Captain, if she was driving then they’d definitely already be on the bottom of the Atlantic.
“I’ll take the back then,” she shouted, hoping will could hear her. Gripping the rope, she blindly made her way to the back of the boat with nothing but sheets of rain in her vision. The anchor was a square shaped block of metal, fairly easy to find, and nearly 25 pounds. Unfortunately, it was stored at the very back of the boat which meant that there were no safety rails between her and the sea.
Only the sides of the boat got railings.
Which made perfect sense.
She should have been fine. She would have been fine if there hadn’t been a lobster trap in her way, invisible in the rain. Carmilla stepped directly into the heavy box just as the boat hit another wave, sending the deck in a whole other direction. Before she could even think to shout, the wet rope was ripped from her hands and she was overboard.
#
Carmilla couldn’t hear the storm from under the water. There was a moment of peace where everything was simply still.
Then the panic hit. The lobster trap was heavy on her foot, biting into her ankle and tugging her down. Carmilla fought against the water, first trying to swim to the surface and then bending over to try and yank the trap off her foot. The water was frigid, slapping her in the face with cold and squeezing her in a death grasp. Forcing her eyes open, Carmilla tried to blink against the sting of the salt.
She bent towards her foot as it pulled her farther down. The water pushed against her as the effort stole bubbles from her mouth. Her hands grasped the trap, trying to yank it free.
Something flashed in her peripheral. She ignored it. Sharks. Drowning. One problem at a time.
Her lungs screamed to breath, sending every signal to her head that she needed to exhale. Still, Carmilla held onto the little bit of air she had left as she sunk deeper. Light barely piercing the water to leave her with nothing by hazy darkness. She no longer felt the cold.
Which probably wasn’t a good sign.
She shook her foot, trying to use the other one to pry the trap off. Gathering her strength, she slammed her heel down on to the trap. The trap dug itself further into her ankle, breaking the skin.
Carmilla yelped at the pain. She closed her mouth instantly but it was too late, the final bubbles of air escaped towards the surface. Her heart dropped into the open space left by her empty lungs.
She bent over again, clawing at the trap and ignoring the fact that she wouldn’t have time to swim to the surface even if she could get it off. It just had to come off. The strength was falling from her limbs, every tug less than one before it.
Her every thought distracted by the cry of her lungs. Signals overflowing her brain that she needed to breath. Needed to breath now. Air. Oxygen. Breath. Her lungs seemed to physically hurt, every organ in her body willing them to do something.
She couldn’t over-ride the reflex.
Carmilla took a breath.
Water poured into her lungs. It slid cold down her throat as though it was freezing her trachea. She knew the moment it hit her lungs because the pain doubled. No longer simple pins and needles but the stab of a dozen icicles. She wanted to cough. Get it out.
The smallest portion of her brain reminded her that there was nowhere to cough it to.
There was the faintest flash of gold.
Then there was something soft pressing insistently against her mouth and, without the brainpower to think it through, Carmilla’s mouth opened when a tongue prodded against her own. Lips. Her brain said hazily.
Someone was kissing her.
Which considering she was busy drowning, seemed unlikely.
Clearly a last feeling from a dying brain. As far as brains went, this was a pleasant one. The lips were soft and Carmilla felt small hands on her waist. They were warm against the cold of the ocean, slipping inside her bright yellow raincoat to touch the skin just above her pants. With the last strength in her, Carmilla moved her lips against the phantom. Better make her last kiss a good one.
The lips yelped.
Carmilla pulled back. Shocked.
Pulling back didn’t help. Her hazy eyes took in a beautiful girl, brown hair floating around her head and a golden necklace around her neck. Big brown eyes that looked at Carmilla in shock.
Darkness crept into the corners of her own eyes. Still, she tried to keep looking; all things considered it wasn’t a bad last image to have painted on her brain. Slowly, Carmilla reached out as though she could touch the girl. Her hand felt too heavy, as though it couldn’t move properly.
Her head followed suit, tipping downward.
Her brain gave her one last illusion. A voice, “Wait! Don’t die!”
That would be nice. Unfortunately. Air.
As her head tipped, her blurry eyes caught one last thing and her brain had just enough power to register confusion.
Was that a tail?
The illusion kissed her again but there was nothing Carmilla could do about it.
#
Everything hurt and she was dying. Carmilla flipped over, hacking and coughing as the burning in her throat made itself known by the water dribbling out of her mouth. Her hands clenched at the hard rock underneath her. She was uncertain as to how she’d gotten out of the water but a tad preoccupied by the fact that she could breathe at all.
Quick inhales between the coughs were still far more air than Carmilla had ever expected to breathe again.
Then something hit her hard between the shoulder blades.
Sprawling forward, Carmilla hit the rock chest first. She groaned, choosing to rest her head on the rock instead of looking for whatever had hit her. She’d almost died by the storm. Then by drowning. If whatever this was wanted her, so be it.
“I thought that was supposed to help humans! I’m so sorry!” A voice cut through her groaning.
Carmilla rolled onto her side and her eyes immediately narrowed, “You. You’re that girl from the water.” The same big brown eyes stared at her and as Carmilla watched, the girl blushed under her gaze. Her hands went to her long hair, semi-dry in the cool of what Carmilla quickly realized was some kind of cave.
“Hi,” the girl said, “I’m Laura.”
“Carmilla.” Carmilla took another moment to stare and then said, “You’re a mermaid.”
Somehow, Laura’s eyes went wider, “Nope. Not a mermaid.”
Carmilla looked down at where the other girl’s legs should have been. Instead she had some kind of tarp spread over her lap like a blanket. Regardless, there was very clearly one thick line under the tarp, not two thinner legs. “I know I nearly died but turning a regular girl into a mermaid seems like a lot for even a dying brain to do.” Carmilla said. As she watched, a tiny crab crept up the rock and settled by Laura’s side. She squealed happily and stroked it’s shell with a single finger.
“I don’t think I could have ever made you up,” Carmilla added.
“I’m just a regular old human,” Laura insisted, shooing the crab away “Just plain old boring human person who is really good at swimming. No mermaids.”
“Look flounder,” Carmilla said, “You’re not fooling anyone with that tarp or the unconvincing lies.”
Laura’s hands fluttered in the air and Carmilla absently noted that she somehow had nail polish on. “I’m a great liar,” Laura said, “Besides, I just saved you. You’re supposed to say thank you, not say things like that. Do you know how much trouble I’m going to be in?” Laura shook her head, “So much. Especially if my dad finds out. The least I could get is a thank you.”
“Can’t say I remember much saving,” Carmilla pushed herself upwards, thankful to find that sitting up didn’t make her immediately start coughing, “Granted, the lack of oxygen may have fried my memory but from what I recall, I was drowning and then you just appeared and decided to kiss me.”
“I didn’t kiss you!” Laura said, eyes wide.
Carmilla waved her off, “Oh don’t worry. It was a good kiss. Definitely solid last minute before dying type kiss.”
“I didn’t kiss you!” Laura said again. Then her voice dropped to a low hiss, “If anything, you kissed me.”
“Don’t know what you call a kiss but your lips were definitely on mine first.” Carmilla said. She fought the urge to run her finger over her bottom lip and ran her hand through her hair instead, trying to do something about the saltwater tangles. “I was too busy dying to be doing much of anything.”
Laura was a delightful shade of red. “It was the only way to save you,” she said, “You needed the air and I didn’t. That was the only way to pass it off to you. You’re the one who started moving her lips or whatever. This is totally your fault.”
Carmilla ignored the accusation. “You didn’t need the air but you’re still definitely a human? You do know that humans need air quite a bit right?”
“I have, um, excellent lung capacity,” Laura said. “I do a lot of swimming.”
“I bet you do.” Carmilla muttered.
“I didn’t kiss you,” Laura said, “I saved you. That’s it! If I’d known you were this infuriating, maybe I should have just let you drown!”
“I didn’t ask you to save me,” Carmilla said. She tested her legs, slowly getting to her feet. They wobbled slightly but held. She used the new perspective to look around the cave, hopefully for a way out. Everything looked like it was vaguely damp, the rock a dark colour with bits of slimey molds growing over the surface. Carmilla wasn’t much of a climber but it didn’t seem to matter. The ceiling looked exactly like the floor, just as wet without a window light.
She glanced back at the water even as her stomach curled just staring at it. The water was blacker than the rock, lapping at the edges of the shore. No way to tell if she could swim out.
Carmilla took another look around the cave, hoping for any tunnel or exit that could be explored. Nothing.
Just the water.
Carmilla stripped off her coat, letting the heavy garment slap against the ground. Her combat boots were next. Then her shirt joined the growing pile.
“Um, what the frilly hell are you doing?” Laura said.
Carmilla glanced over, “This can’t possibly be bothering you, flounder. I’m still more dressed than you are.” The fabric over Laura’s chest could probably pass as a bikini. Albeit one made entirely of what appeared to be the strangest material Carmilla had ever seen. Small bits of what she assumed were coral decorating the edges.
Quite frankly, the body underneath it deserved far far more than just a glance but Carmilla tore her gaze away. If she was going to do this. It had to be now.
“It doesn’t bother me!” Laura said.
“Mmmhmmm,” Carmilla said, “Do all mermaids blush that much or is it just you?”
The comment only increased the blush. Laura crossed her arms, “I meant, why are you stripping down? It’s not exactly warm in here.”
“Well unless you know a way to walk out,” Carmilla said, “I’m going to have to swim.”
“You just drowned!” Laura said. She started scooting closer to Carmilla, a frown on her face, but stopped when she remembered the tarp. Laura stopped and pulled it closer. “You can’t go swimming. The water is cold and it’s a long way to swim. Plus, your lungs are probably still traumatized or whatever. You’ll die if you try now.”
Carmilla’s hands went to the buttons of her pants, “I’m not going to sit here and starve either. I’ll be fine, flounder.”
Laura’s glare was somehow incredibly cute, “You most definitely won’t be fine.”
Carmilla rolled her eyes and started shimmying out of her pants. Only to be cut off by a strangled yelp, “Keep those on!” Laura shouted.
“I’m not about to swim in my jeans,” Carmilla said but something on Laura’s face halted her movements.
Laura wasn’t even looking at her anymore, “Just keep them on.”
“You swam in.” Carmilla said. “I’ll swim out. Just not in these pants.” Still, she kept the pants on as she edged towards the water and dipped her toe in. It was really cold. Really really cold.
“That’s entirely different,” Laura snapped, “You and me. It’s not even comparable. You get in that water and try to swim out and it’s basically asking for death. You can’t do it.”
“And why not?” Carmilla said. Pushing.
Laura threw her hands in the air and huffed, “Because I’m a mermaid! Fine! Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Carmilla withdrew her foot immediately, cool air of the shore seemingly relatively tropical to the icy water. She narrowed her eyes at the other girl, “Prove it.”
Laura huffed again but threw the tarp away.
Carmilla’s breath caught. Hazy, near-death memories had nothing on the real thing. Laura’s tail was a vibrant shade of blue, the scales shimmering even in the dim light of the cave. They transitioned between the dominant blue colours to shades of green and back again. Laura shifted slightly, tucking her tail back, and Carmilla caught a glimpse of something else entirely. Tucked between the blue scales was the occasional golden yellow scale. The golden scales shone like metal itself and yet had a somewhat translucent quality.
Vaguely Carmilla noticed that she was holding her breath.
Laura’s hand drifted into her gaze, her palm resting directly on the golden scale that had caught Carmilla’s attention. Hidden from view, Carmilla looked up to find Laura looking surprisingly nervous.
So Carmilla just crossed her arms, “Not bad, flounder.”
Laura’s eyes snapped up, “Not bad? Not bad! You find out that mermaids exist and the best you have to say is not bad?”
“Should I tremble in awe?” Carmilla drawled, “because that’s not really my style.”
Even if it was taking everything in her to not keep looking at Laura.
Laura huffed and Carmilla fought a smile.
“So you going to swim me out of here? Or am I stripping off the pants?” Carmilla asked.
“Leave the pants on!” Laura said. She scooted towards the water and Carmilla’s eyes immediately went back to her glimmering scales. Laura slipped under the water and immediately disappeared; her head slipping below the waves. She popped back up like it was the easiest thing in the world as Carmilla struggled to get her jacket back on.
Laura propped one arm on the shore and point the other one at Carmilla, “You can’t tell anyone. No one. About me. I mean, mermaids. You can’t tell anyone about us because that would be breaking so many laws and then we’d both get in trouble. Actually, they might not even believe you and then they might think that you’re crazy and you don’t want that. So you should probably just pretend that we never met. You know, just forget about me or whatever. And be more careful on boats. Wear a life jacket. I don’t need them but I saw them on tv and people are supposed to wear them. Safety is important.”
Carmilla was never forgetting this. But all she said was, “I don’t know if I”ll ever wear a life jacket again, flounder. Not if I know you’re down there just waiting to kiss me.”
Laura’s mouth dropped open, objections spluttering on her lips, but Carmilla slipped into the water before she could hear them. She mentally swore, the cold water practically piercing her skin. The water made her feel heavy but Laura was at her side in a second. Carmilla moved closer, purely for the body warmth coming off the mermaid. Anything was better than the cold Atlantic.
A hot girl was just a perk.
“Okay. Okay,” Laura muttered as she slid an arm around Carmilla’s waist, “It’ll be fine.We’ll just move fast. He’ll never even have to see. In and out. Drop her on the shore. Just a quick swim. We’re like ten minutes from shore. It’ll be fine.”
“I hope those ten minutes include time for me to breath,” Carmilla reminded Laura. She was slightly preoccupied as as she slid her own arm around Laura’s waist. Laura’s skin was soft and her scales felt nothing like what Carmilla had imagined. They weren’t rough at all. Instead, they were smooth and pliable under her fingers. She jerked her hand back when Laura shivered, returning to the safety of her waist and keeping her fingers perfectly still.
“Sorry,” Carmilla mumbled.
Laura apparently could breathe; her breath came out as a shaky laugh on Carmilla’s neck, “It’s okay. I just. Not a lot of people. It’s fine. Yupp. Fine. You ready.”
Carmilla nodded.
“Deep breath,” Laura said.
Carmilla inhaled, the arms around her waist tightened, and then there was water everywhere. The speed that Laura moved through the dark water was breath-taking. Carmilla couldn’t find a frame of reference but she could feel it whipping over her skin. Occasionally, Laura’s tail would brush against her legs and every time the mermaid would jerk slightly, moving away for the next few beats before brushing again.
Just when Carmilla thought her lungs would burst again, her head burst through the surface of the water. She took a deep gasp, breathing rapidly. Warm fingers touched her face, moving her wet hair out of her face.
“You okay?” Laura asked.
They were drifting in the middle of the ocean, nothing else in sight.
“Because I know that humans can have trouble with water and I really didn’t want to drown you again. My dad always warned me that humans are fragile and even though I think he might be overdoing it a little I really don’t know because I don’t really remember humans so I want to make sure that you’re okay because you really shouldn’t almost die twice in one day.”
“I’m good, flounder,” Carmilla said, “But I might have a little water in my lungs, better kiss me again. Just in case.”
The blush bloomed across Laura’s face again but, for a moment, Carmilla thought she actually leaned closer. The smell of salt water somehow different from the ocean, almost tinged with vanilla.
“You kissed her!” A third voice broke in.
Laura’s eyes widened before her head whipped around. She pushed Carmilla back but her fingers somehow clenched a little tighter.
“Perry…” Laura said, “It’s not what you think. I can explain.”
A curly haired ginger was staring at Carmilla, through the dark water, Carmilla could make out a bright green tail. Unlike Laura’s, Perry didn’t appear to have any yellow scales in the mix. Apparently mermaid tails were as unique as human hair.
“Laura. That’s a human.” Perry said.
“Yes,” Laura said, wincing, “but I had to-”
“And you left Kirsch behind?”
“You know that I hate how my Dad makes him-”
“Did you really kiss this girl?” Perry cut in.
“Okay,” Laura said, “That’s a little more complica-”
“Did you kiss her?” Perry said.
“I didn’t mean to!” Laura said, “Just let me take her home. Dad never has to know. Please. Perry.”
Carmilla chimed in, “Yeah. I’d be okay with just going home. No need to meet the parents, even if Flounder here is cute.”
“Oh no,” Perry said, “Laura, you know I can do that. We’re going to see your father at the court right now.”
Laura sunk deeper into the water, eyes barely above the surface.
“Court?” Carmilla asked into the silence.
“She didn’t tell you?” Perry asked, “Laura’s father is the King.”
Carmilla treaded water just enough to turn and look at Laura. She tried to keep her voice calm, “So that makes you?”
Laura’s tail was somehow drooping under the water as she rose just enough to speak up, “Princess Laura. Heir to the Trident Throne.”
Laura wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Huh,” Carmilla said, “I kissed a Princess. Dying and I’ll still got game.”
“YOU KISSED HER?” Perry shouted.
Still, the shimmer off one of Laura’s golden scales caught the edges of her smile.