Mermaid Goddess: The Unthinkable

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Some things, I can't confess to myself. Many things I wish I could. Somethings I wish I hadn't. And there's some things that I confess too freely.
I prowl at the top of the high ring of cliff faces that comdem El Patron's ancient ship to the deep lagoon. I think of a way to get down without having to jump. As hard as it is to admit, heights terrify me. A rustling sound fom behind me almost makes me lose balance and fall off the cliff. I turn around and sigh with relief. My friend, Vampire, is standing in a run postion behind me. "I could teach you to land on your feet," She says. I shake my head. She shrugs as she runs off the cliff.
Vampire lands on her feet in a way that would make a cat jealous. A gentle hand on my shoulder makes the outlines of a smile cross my face. "Hello, Will," I say. He turns me around. "How'd you know it was me?" he asks with mock disbelief. "Who else?"
"You two loverbirds coming or what?" Vampire calls up to us. I blush, looking down and the ground. Will dives down into the deep waters of the lagoon. He surfaces a few econds later, pulling himself into the ship by a rotting rope.
I sigh, trembling slightly. I take a dive of faith and land in the water. I see a smudge of green at the edge of my vision. I don't surface for a good several minutes while I look for the thing. I then surface, propelling myself up with my tail just high enough for Will to pull me ino the ship. As my tail disappears, Will gives me a towel to dry off. Vampire sits on the splintered railing, playing with a deck of cards. A smudge of green hovers above her head and she appears to absorb it. I see her eyes turn a deeper shade of green. She gets up, drawing her sword towards Will, almost in a trance.
"Vampire, what are you doing?" I yell at her, rising to my feet. She raises her sword, about to strike Will. Just before the blade hits his flesh, his sword clashes with Vampire's, making a ringing sound through the air. Their swords clash again and again. Whenever I try to intervine Will pushes me back. So I watch heplessly.
After several minutes of clashing, Will shows fatigue. He lets his guard down for just a moment and the unthinkable happens. The next minutes seem to happen in slow motion. Vampire impaling Will's torso, Vampire pulling out the blade with a wicked smile, and Will dropping to the ground, hand on his wound.
I run to Will's side, heedless of the red stain growing around him. In the background, I hear a clatter of metal on wood and look to see Vampire lying unconcious on the deck. I turn back to Will, ripping several inches off my sleeve, applying it to Will's wound. I grab some herbs outof my bag and put herbs the under the cloth. I notice my clothes are stained wit the horrible crimson color associated with death.
Will's breathing becomes rapid and pained. I know he is not long from the bony clutches of Death. Salty tears stream down my cheeks. With very great effort, Will pulls a small package with a note attached to it and puts it in my hands, and then he's gone, his heart gives way and his breathing stops. I stuff the package into my bag and cradle Will's corpse.
Vampire sits up groggily and looks around. When her eyes land on Will's corpse, she looks at me for confirmation, and I nod. She looks down at the deck in guilt. I take out the package and loosen the note, reading it.
Dear Mermaid,
If you are reading this, I'm either terribly ill, or dead.
You must know that I would have truely prefered to give you this package in person, though that is obviously not possible.
Open the package, and a simple yes or no in your heart wouldsuffice.
-William
I open the package, to find a ring with a sparkling jewel on top. I look at Will's body and whisper "Yes."
I sit next to Will's corpse, several weeks and it still hadn't started stinking or rotting. I am alone, sitting on the creaking deck of El Patron's ship. I stare at the ring, holding it my hand as I contemplate how long he might have had the note, and if, perhaps, he wrote it as soon as he got the ring, knowing the painfully truth of his dangerous life style.
I sigh, looking down at him. He could be asleep, if it weren't for the crimson blotch in his torso. I sigh and lean against one of the masts.
A white ghost of Will floats above his body, I look at him for a while. Then looking up at the ghost I feel my head. "I must be hallucinating," I whisper to myself. "You're not," says his ghost. I jump as he speaks, trying not to cry. "Will, it's my fault, if I had had the right tonic, I could have saved you..."  he holds up his hands, quieting me. "It was my fault," he says, "I should have let you fight, it would have saved me." I shake my head, holding back more tears. "If you had let me fight I would have gotten killed. I can't fight either of you," I say quietly. Will motions me closer, looking to the tops of the cliffs. I step to a few paces away from him, the planks creaking. "Yes or no," he asks quietly. I nod, and he smiles. "No one else can know," I nod again. He looks to the  cliffs and he dispearses. I look desprately at the air where he was standing and come up empty.
Will's corpse comes up gasping, no longer a corpse I kneel next to him. "Will! Are you alright?" I ask intently. He nods, coughing. I stand, helping him up. I put on the ring, and hug him. "Will, I'm so happy you're alive," I whisper, and he says "Me too."
Category:Fan Stories
Category:POTCO