Alright, here's the other mermaid au. I think I like this one the best, it's gonna be really fun to write. I have part of the next chapter written, but I'm going to get the rest of my update up before I update any of my new stuff. So Sharing is Caring has an chapter coming and then I have a Clexa one shot. I think that's it. Once those are up I'll start writing and updating everything again. With all these stories, the updates will probably be farther apart but I'll try to get into a routine. Once school starts back up for the kid it'll be easier to write. But for now we're just enjoying the summer, she finally learned how to ride her bike without training wheels yesterday! 6 1/2 years old and she just refused and refused, but I talked her into it and bribed her with a new bike and Monster High dolls lol.
Anyways, I hope you like this one as much as I do! And there will be another AN at the bottom :)
"I'm 17 now. This is my choice."
There's a tradition in this world. When a merperson turns 17, they had a choice to make.
They could either stay where they were, where they grew up, with their families and what they were used to. Or they could go to the sea witch, who would give them legs and send to the surface.
This tradition has become controversial in the past 30 years. One boy went up and got murdered. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Merkids surfaced less and less until nobody did at all. Fifteen years went by with no surfacing. Parents had grown weary over time until the parents who had known the boy had kids and were too scared to let them go.
Wayne and Pam Fields were two of those parents.
And Emily Fields wanted to surface.
She knew she had to. She's always known. Felt it in her gut.
Emily tried to talk to her parents about it a few times. Once when she was 6, once when she was 10, and once a few years ago when she turned 15. But they shot her down right away, every time.
Today is her 17th birthday. Her parents can't ignore it any longer.
"Why are you so adamant about this Emily?" Wayne asks sighing.
"I just have a feeling. I have to go." Emily pleaded.
"A feeling? You want to be the first kid to surface in 15 years, risk your life...because of a feeling!?" Pam exclaimed.
"Oh mom, don't be so dramatic. I honestly think this whole thing is ridiculous." Emily threw her arms up in frustration. "The tradition is 100s of years old. One kids dies before their decision day and everybody flipped. The only reason we knew he died was because it was before his decision day when he was still linked to the witch. I'm sure others have died prematurely." she breathed deep after her rant. "I'm going." she finished confidently and swam away.
"This isn't over!" Wayne yelled after her.
"Whatever." Emily mumbled under her breath. She went to her cave and gathered a few things. She wouldn't need much up there. She found some seaweed and ink to write her parents a note.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sorry. I know you don't understand. But, this is something I need to do.
I love you so much,
Emmy
She left it on her bed before grabbing the map she'd been hiding for 6 years after finding it with some of her dad's old things.
She swam out and peeked around a boulder to take one last look at her parents. "I'm so sorry." she whispered and swam away leaving her home behind.
Emily didn't know what would happen on the surface. She didn't know if she would decide to stay or not. She would have a year to figure it out. On her 18th birthday she would either stay up there, or go home.
Emily looked at her map, after swimming for 3 hours she was about halfway there. It was getting dark. She knew her parents had probably figured out she was gone and had everybody looking for her. So instead of of the obvious cave she saw, she swam away from the path a bit and found another more hidden one to spend the night.
She felt confident nobody would find her though. She was sure nobody knew the way to the sea witch anymore.
After another couple hours the next day Emily reached the sea witches place.
She proceeded cautiously up to the entrance of the massive cave.
"Hello?" she called out nervously. Hearing no response Emily swam in further. "Hello?" she called louder this time.
"Can I help you."
"Ah!" Emily spun around with a hand over her heart. "You scared me." she said to the mermaid who had appeared behind her.
"I'm sorry sweetie. I was just out gathering ingredients." The witch said sweetly. Definitely nicer than Emily was expecting.
Emily wrung her hands together nervously before realizing she didn't need to be nervous. She knew she was doing the right thing.
She cleared her throat, "Yes, you can help me. I turned 17 yesterday. I want to surface." she said clearly and confidently.
"You do, do you?" the witch asked with a smirk. "Nobody's done that in years. Are you sure? You're not scared?"
"Absolutely sure. And only a little scared." Emily smiled faintly.
The witch laughed. "Well alright then, come on." she waved Emily further into the cave where they came upon shelves and shelves of the weirdest things Emily had ever seen.
The witch started throwing things into a cauldron and stirring it.
"Hand."
Emily held her hand up, "Ow!" she looked down and saw a deep gash across her palm with blood dripping down her wrist.
The witch pulled her arm and held it over the cauldron to let a few drops of blood fall in.
"Sorry sweetie." The witch said when she let Emily's hand go. "I've found it best to do that without a warning."
"Makes sense I guess." Emily say, cradling her arm to her chest in pain.
After the mixture is stirred more the witch ladles some into a cup and holds it out to Emily.
"Now since it's been awhile I'm assuming I have to explain more?"
Emily nods quickly.
"Ok, you'll drink this and fall asleep." the witch points to a flat rock at the edge of the cave, "When you wake up you'll be on the beach in front of a house. The person who lives there surfaced 60 years ago and will help you adjust and get on your way."
Emily took the cup and as she's bringing it to her lips the witch speaks again, "Oh, and you'll be in a place called Long Beach, California. That's probably important." she laughs and motions for Emily to drink up.
After she's done she lays down on the rock and looks over at the witch, "Thank you." she smiles.
"It's my pleasure sweetie, I'm glad someones finally had the courage to surface after so long. And don't worry, I'll make sure your parents know you'll be just fine."
"How...?" Emily asked in confusion.
"Sweetie, it's been 15 years. These merpeople are so paranoid about it now, no kid was coming here with permission. Besides, usually the parents come with." The witch said with amusement.
Emily laughed softly, "Right." She closes her eyes starting to feel the potion take effect. "Tell them I'm sorry...no, I'm not sorry...just tell them I needed to, I felt a pull, tugging at my chest, telling me the surface is where I'm supposed to be. I couldn't ignore it." she rambles as drowsiness overtakes her.
"I'll tell 'em."
That's the last thing Emily hears before she drifts off.
Paige McCullers leaves the apartment she rents just down the street from California State's campus where she goes to school.
She would rather be on her boat another couple blocks away. But she made a deal with her dad. He'd pay for her apartment and slip at the yacht club if she agreed not to live on her boat. She knew he was just being protective, he thought it would be dangerous, but she felt more at home on her boat than anywhere else. She agreed though. She wouldn't have been able to afford a slip by herself to even be able to stay on her boat. Not one this close to campus anyways, and she never liked being too far away from the water, or her boat. Besides she got away with spending a night there every once in awhile. What her dad didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
She walks down the hall looking over the fliers she just printed off and stopping to tape one up on the bulletin board in the lobby.
She was in her junior year of college and loving every minute she spent obtaining her Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Biology.
School didn't start for another week, but she had earned a grant for a project she was going to start and needed to hire someone to help out.
As she walked and taped up fliers, she went over the plans in her head.
The project was going to focus mainly on the ocean life in the bays around Long Beach. What lives there, how many, what's the pollution like, how to make it better and things like that.
It wasn't anything crazy exciting, but she needed it to graduate in place of an internship. She would much rather work for herself from her own boat.
She was planning a much more exciting side project once everything started moving along. Something she's only mentioned to her best friend because she knew if she said anything about believing mermaids exist to anyone else they'd think she was insane.
All she needed right now was someone to help with her research for the school project. To record findings, take pictures, and any other small tasks to help out.
Paige knew she could probably find someone from her program to help her out. But the competitiveness in her didn't want her classmates anywhere near her project.
Safe to say Paige didn't have many friends there. Only ones she didn't share a major with.
She sighed to herself and shook her head. She loves her friends deeply, but having one who would actually be interested when she went on and on about her major would be nice.
Paige walked through the door of the boathouse.
"Hey Henry." She waved at the guy sitting at a table in the corner. He was a groundskeeper of sorts. Took care of everything having to do with the docks and boats. Paige liked it in the boathouse way more than the yacht club's main building. She didn't fit in there, but she did with Henry.
"How's things." He asked.
"Great, getting ready for school. Do you mind if I put one of these up by the door?" Paige asked holding up her now smaller stack of fliers.
"Not at all. What's it for?" Henry questioned.
"Looking to hire someone to help with a research project. Keep an eye out will ya? I need someone by the end of the week."
"Sure thing Cull." Henry answered with a smile.
"Thanks!" Paige called over her shoulder on her way out the door towards the docks.
She breathed in the ocean air and found her way down the dock leading to her most favorite place.
Running her fingers along the side she greeted her boat as if it were a living thing.
"Hey Bay, how are we today?" Paige laughed knowing she was ridiculous.
She thought she was pretty clever though. It's not her fault "Bae" became a thing a few years after she named her boat "Seize the Bay". She sighed. I crack myself up.
Her and her dad fixed the boat up all through high school. They got it cheap, and it's a decent sized boat at 47', with a couple beds and small kitchen, and a big enough living space and deck area for research purposes. She loved it.
Paige threw herself down on the couch and took out her phone to call her best friend.
"I hate you."
"You love me Hanna."
"I know, but why are you calling me so early." Hanna whined.
"It's 10 am!" Paige laughed. "Get your ass out of bed, I want to plan a party."
"I'm sorry what? I must still be sleeping. Only in my dreams would Paige McCullers willingly throw a party."
"Shut up Han. I just thought it would be nice before school started. Nothing huge. Just a few friends on 'The Bay', some drinks, just relaxing before everything gets insane." Paige explained.
"I'm so proud of you." Hanna mock sniffled, "I'll meet you there in 20 minutes...hmm better make that 40, I'll stop and grab food."
"You're amazing." Paige sighed.
"Hey, I told you not to fall in love with me P! I have a boyfriend." Hanna teased.
"Ha Ha you're hilarious." Paige replied flatly.
Paige and Hanna met their first year at Cal State. Hanna had been telling Paige not to fall in love with her since the second time they hung out when Paige told her she was gay.
"You don't think that jokes getting old yet?"
"Never! Bye!" Hanna yelled and hung up.
Paige laughed to herself and settled down to wait. The idea of having a party was random, she knew this. Not her thing...ever. But she decided with everything happening this year, maybe she could do things a little differently. Starting with having a little more fun.
For anyone interested, this is the boat I pictured for Paige: listing/2001-BAYLINER-4788-Pilot-House-Motoryacht-102787547
the interior might be designed a little differently since Paige did it herself and everything, but this is what I was thinking of when I wrote her on the boat :)