13 Jun Death of a Mermaid

As Robert laid asleep, he could feel the sharp scent of the swamp. The sound of heavy raindrops hitting the wooden floor was almost covered by the whispers floating around the mist. A dense forest was rising out of the muddy water, clouding the sky. Robert opened his eyes. He just stood there, on his back, becoming aware of the surroundings. Step by step he was pulling himself together. Although he was conscious, his movements were confusing, as if he were drunk. He stumbled to get up only to realize that he was alone, on a boat, slowly floating in dark water in a gloomy setting. Wearing only a ripped pajama and with no shoes on, Robert had no recollection of how he got there.

The river was narrowing and the boat was catching up speed. So was Robert’s heart rate. He could only feel the forest watching as the movements coming from darkness were too fast for his sight. The whispers grew more and more until they became almost understandable. It sounded like a women’s choir murmuring a grief song. Branches were twitching causing Robert’s hands to clench around the sides of the boat. His pulse was now racing. The water was flowing so fast that he could feel the wind hitting his face.

After this terrifying race, the raging river ended in a waterfall. To Robert’s surprise, the boat safely landed on calm waters. Still gasping for air, he reached over to wash his face. The water was so dark that made his pale skin look translucent. He could not see an inch in front of him. The murmurs disappeared. It was almost too quiet. As he was hanging over the boat, big water circles started to form around him. The boat began to tremble and Robert pulled himself in. His hands were clenched once again around the edges. The floor was now cracking under the pressure as if an invisible force was squeezing it. The wooden seat snapped into pieces. A terrified Robert was now preparing for the worst. Minutes passed and nothing yet changed. Although the trembling didn’t stop, nothing else happened. Robert couldn’t tell the time, but it now felt like hours have passed. He had no idea where he was or how he got there and hunger was kicking in. Land was nowhere to be seen so swimming in any direction was not a good plan. He tried paddling with the wooden pieces, but the more he tried, the harder it would get. Robert was now exhausted, hungry and impatient. The only thing he could do is wait for something to happen. Anything at this point… Out of the blue, the whispers reappeared. This time it was one distinct voice; a woman’s voice which seemed to be coming from underwater. A now courageous and more impatient Robert put his head over the boat and into the darkness. The whispers were now clear words. He could hear a soft angelic voice approaching him. He pulled his head out and took a deep breath, trying to keep his heart from bouncing off his chest.

His sight was getting blurry and his stomach was causing great pain. Robert was starving. He turned around and he was stunned to discover a woman resting her head on the edge of the boat.

“Are you ok?” said Robert.

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the woman with firing red hair flinched. She was staring into his soul through her big turquoise eyes. Her skin was covered with pale pink spots. She was a beautiful creature and Robert couldn’t take his eyes off her. After minutes of not saying anything, the woman spoke in a soft, deep voice, accentuating every word.

“Are you lost?”

“Are YOU lost? “Robert replied nervously.

“No.” said the woman gently smiling. “I can help you if you need directions.”

Robert reached out his hand to touch her face. She dodged and dived into the dark water. Robert could see her figure circling the boat. She had a velvet-like smooth translucent fishtail that floated so delicate. She was a beautiful creature resembling both a human and a fish. She began to swim faster and faster causing a small vortex.

“Stop! I didn’t mean to scare you.” said Robert anxiously.

The boat was now slowly spinning in circles. He leaned over trying to stop the movement, but the mermaid tried to pull him over. In the darkness of the water, Robert could see that she looked different. Her beautiful face was now frowned and wrinkled and the pale pink spots turned into a violent purple. The same happened to her clear turquoise eyes. As if she wasn’t frightening enough, sharp long fangs came out of her small mouth. Robert managed to pull himself into the boat, but the mermaid’s hands were still fixed around his neck as if she was trying to bite him. In a flash of inspiration, Robert grabbed the fallen wooden piece and hit the creature as hard as he could. She fell unconscious in a puddle of blood. Curiously, the grim look disappeared, changing back to the mysterious exotic woman. This made Robert’s next decision so much harder. He kneeled next to her. His eyes were cobwebbed, his heart was racing, his hands were shaking, and a trickle of blood was dripping from his nose. Without overthinking it, Robert started biting her. He was so hungry that he was now eating the mermaid. With every bite, he felt fuller, happier, in a surreal state of mind. He closed his eyes and leaned on his back, chewing peacefully. He wasn’t asleep, but he could fell his body heavy and relaxed. It’s not that he couldn’t move, but he simply didn’t want to.

He could hear faded sounds coming closer. At this moment, he was no longer fully conscious. Sirens, screams, hustle around him, but he felt paralyzed. He could sense that someone or something picked him up, but he couldn’t care less. He was having a true psychedelic experience. Voices were now right next to him, but he couldn’t tell exactly what they were saying. Some words were clearer than others, but he could only hear bits of the conversation.

“… some deranged psycho “

“Is she still breathing?”

“What happened?”

“He escaped from Saint Paul’s Mental Institute.”

“… poor woman, he ate her alive.”