Blue, deep endless blue, all I've known. But what I really craved was the surface the sweet air, sunlight and everything else that was up there.

That's all I ever wanted, was to know. Know what's around me, to know what's above the surface, to know everything. Learning is the one thing I loved.

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I've heard things from people, from my family, legends about surface dwellers but that wasn't enough for me, I had to see them for my self, I had to know. So I went.

It was against all the rules, I wasn't aloud to see them or let them see me but I didn't care. I had to know what they where like.

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I went up at night; I'd heard they can't see in the dark, I thought it was the safest time to surface. I found on of their ships I was told they where called, they use them because they can't swim. I've watched ships from afar, seen them catch fish and take them on board before taking them away but not around here, all they do here is catch whales.

Seeing them catch the whales is horrible, hearing them scream and smelling the blood. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. I'd seen it happen once, never again.

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The night I went up, that was what I found, a ship that was looking for whales, thankfully it hadn't found any yet.

I had a close look at the underside of the ship, I recognised it, it had been here many times, killed many whales but that didn't change a thing, I had to know what was aboard, I had to see humans.

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Slowly I surfaced, bringing just my eyes up into the air, still making use of my gills for the moment. I couldn't see any humans, so I came out the water a bit more, filling my lounges with air and purging the water from them. It felt so good to breathe like this, it was so strange but nice.

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After studying the stars for a while I turned my attention to the boat. I looked up at it, I could see where the people would be but I don't know if I could get all the way up there. I really wanted to see so I gave it a go. I ducked under the water then swam up fast, sending myself up out the water with a bit of a splash. I don't know how but I managed to grab the edge.

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I listened for a moment and didn't hear anything so using all mu strength I pulled myself up, looking onto the deck. It took me a while to spot him there, a man, sitting against the opposite side of the ship. I could see him rather well in the dark, one of the first things I noticed was his legs I think they're called. People told me that was the one big difference between us. No wonder they can't swim, they don't have a tail.

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The man had his eyes closed, giving me a good chance to look at him but even then I could tell how small the eyes were, not like mine. He had this strange, extra layer of skin, by the looks of it, it came off, making me wonder why he wore it in the first place. His hair was all strange and spiky looking, not silken like my own or any other person's I knew, it looked strange to me but it may have just liked like that because it was dry.

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I moved up a little to try and get a better look at him and I froze, his eyes were open, staring at me. My own eyes widened, reflecting the moon light, it took me a long moment of staring to snap out of it. I let go of the deck and fell back into the water with a splash, ducking beneath the surface to hide.

From the shadow of the ship I watched.

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The man had moved to the rail and looked into the water. This was the first time I'd seen a man but I could tell his expression was shocked. He looked in the water but nowhere me, he couldn't see me.

I took the opportunity to watch him. Slowly I surfaced again, just high enough to see him without the distortion of the water. He had a bottle in his hand, I didn't know what was in it but I'd seen them before, I knew what the bottle was at least.

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I ducked below the water again and he must have seen the movement because he looked towards me. He couldn't see anything past the shimmering surface.

I'd been here too long, I knew I would get in trouble as it was. I hesitated for a long moment before darting away beneath the waves.

I glanced back at him, over my shoulder and to my horror, his eyes were following me. Then I realised, the light was reflecting off my scales. I quickly dove, disappearing into the darkness.

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My heart was pounding. I was in trouble, so much trouble.

I really wanted to stay and learn more but I had been seen already, I couldn't stay here. With that I dove and headed back home. This would be my secret; no one else had to know about this.

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The day had been long and uneventful. We had spotted no whales at all that day, not one. The day's hunt had been a huge waist of time but better luck tomorrow ey? After my work was done for the day I headed up to deck with a bottle of rum. I didn't have a watch at all that night so I thought I'd enjoy a drink under the stars.

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I greeted the man on watch with a nod and took a seat against the railing. I looked up at the stars before I took mouthful of my rum. The hot liquor burnt deep into my core, warming me from the inside out.

With a smile I studied the stars, working my way through the bottle. The stars here were so familiar to me unlike the ones at home. I never look at the stars there, only when I'm at sea.

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After a long while of staring at those sparkling wonders and humming a little tune I knew, I fell asleep there against the railing. I'd gone through more of the bottle then I intended. My mind had clouded up and I didn't even feel the cold past the warmth of the alcohol buzzing through me. I was happy, all was right in the world.

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I heard a splash and roused slightly, turning my head to face the other way. I didn't even bother to open my eyes simply trying to get a little more sleep. Soon enough I found myself unable to sleep so I let my eyes slowly open. It took me only a moment to notice the thing at the opposite rail, a person, no, can't be. Something wasn't right.

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Its eyes where huge, almond shaped, I couldn't see any whites either they where all black. The person had long dark hair that clung wetly to its skin and reflected the light. As I watched it moved up a little, trying to get a better look at me that's when I noticed them. Lines on the sides of its neck… they looked almost like gills. What the hell was this thing?

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At I watched its eyes connected with mine and widened, they looked yellow as the moonlight reflected off them, much like a cat's eyes would. The thing quickly let go of the railing and fell from my view with a splash. I knew I wasn't imagining things.

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Quickly I jumped up and ran to the railing, looking over the side into the dark ocean. My eyes searched the water looking for something, anything that may tell me what the thing had been. I saw something out the corner of my eye moved and I quickly looked there, seeing only ripples left behind but then a dark shape caught my eye. It moved out the shadow of the ship and into the light of the moon, the scales on its back half lit up like lights and I watched it. It swam like a shark or fish, moving it's tail from side to side but the shape wasn't right for either.

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My eyes widened as it looked back at me, over it's shoulder, that's when it all clicked, the body structure, bottom half fish, top half human. It was a mermaid! When it saw me watching it disappeared into the depths, the water was much too dark for me to see it now.

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I watched for a long while, all drunkenness had left my body. I searched the surface, looking for any reflection that could be bouncing off its scales but the mermaid didn't return. A sigh escaped me, I knew I wouldn't see it again that night. Looking down I studied the wet hand prints left on the wooden deck, the where small, much smaller then mine and they had webbing it seemed.

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After one last look out into the ocean I turned away, heading back inside the ship, I knew I would need a proper sleep for the long day ahead of me. Even after I'd lay in my bunk for a long time I couldn't sleep, all I could think of was that mermaid and how I could see it again.

All I wanted was to see it once more.

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A/N: little story i did, it was me kinda trying to get into the swing of the characters, i was planning on writing a full story about these two but it didnt end up going anywhere further then this. ohh well, i'll give it another go later ^^