His golden curls softly fell on his forehead, shining luminously under the light. His god-like profile was intense, focused on something nobody else could see. He had a hard grip on the deck of the ship as his shirt silently ruffled against his chest. All of this, she did not miss – her gaze concentrated on him, heart beating fast in half the fear that he might discover her being down there, and half the fear that he may never see her. Oh, she had been waiting so long. So many sunrises and sunsets and moonless nights, she waited and waited – until she finally caught a glimpse of him again. She dared to swim closer, trying to ignore her strong desire to jump out and forcefully wrap her delicate arms around his neck. She swam to him silently.

He had eyes the colour of the surface of beautiful sea under the light sky – perfect aqua with green hues, clear and intelligent. How beautiful humans could be! He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. If only she were one of his kind, she could be standing there right now, beside him, on her two legs.

But the reality was too far from that dream. She sighed, and her rumble of deep sorrow sped down the depths of the ocean, vibrating almost too quickly.

"Justin!" a voice rang on the deck, and an older man appeared, also with similarly light curls, now a shade between silver and yellow - dressed well in robes. "Son, what do you ponder so deeply about?" he asked. Just then, more men appeared, bowing their heads deeply. "Your highness, we are ready to give the prince his gift." One of them said.

He, Justin, turned around to his men and smiled. "Of course." He replied.

Was it just she, or was he hiding some sort of loneliness behind that stunning smile of his? She swam closer, her dark hair camouflaged against the midnight pools of the ocean.

There was a great painting of him presented in black and white. Men cheered and applaused. She did not understand what it meant, but she felt joy as she watched her favourite human prince embrace other men, laughing and speaking to them. His face was rosy, and she felt warm inside her chest. How she longed to be up there!

After hours of more drinking and merriment, Justin broke apart from the party, alone again. He rested his tanned arms on the deck and sighed. Just like how she had before.

"Oh, how nights crawl by so idly…it bores me to tears. Such as the days that drags by like years of eternity…" He murmured, almost as if he were whispering into the sea. He gazed down to the blackness that was enveloping the mermaid's fragile body.

He spoke again. "How I love thee, for I would be the happiest man spending an eternity being part of you – but I'm afraid today is the last night…"

Last night. She heard him. So tonight was the last night she was ever to see him again.

"What wonderous enchantments and secrets do you hide down there? Why so mysterious and so beautiful? Why must you lure me like that?" He said more, his angelic turquoise eyes now filled with loneliness.

"You are my only friend." He barely whispered. The sea seemed to echo his voice, in its own sadness.

She stared up at him, her eyes intense with curiosity and overwhelmed. He loved the sea like she did. She couldn't believe it. Poor prince! Poor Justin! Why must he go away? Where was he going?

"Arranged marriages – such a strife of an unfamiliar bride. If I could marry you, I would." He said, as if he had read her questionable mind.

Her heart felt cold, and she felt a strong desire to comfort him and lay his head in her arms.

Then, there was a giant thunder – ripping menacingly across the cloudy dark sky, in thick lines of bright white. It roared, and she felt the sea shake in response.

Soon, there were more thunders. The rain had started to fall from the sky. This was an interesting experience for her, for she loved to ride the waves when the sea danced wildly to the roaring. However, for the men on the ship – Justin – she saw that it was the terrifying sign of danger, or even death.

The ship caught bright, redness, extremely hot as it quickly consumed up the wood – she stared at it in horror as she felt her cold face grow hot. It grew larger and larger.

"Fire!" one of the crew yelled. At the corner of her eye, she saw several men fall into the water. The ship cracked and made noises of pain – more men fell into the water. For a striking moment, she rejoiced - for she could finally hold her prince in her arms. Then she realised. Humans were different; the only way Justin would come down with her to her home would be dead, unbreathing.

Panicking, she searched for any trace of golden, curly hair and the youthful appearance. She swam through debris, sharp and threatening to cut her soft, delicate skin. She felt blind pain – she saw strings of blood on her arms but did not feel them. She felt her heart beat against her chest, like beats of thunder.

She dove deep, searched through wood, and did not see him. Her heart beat even more loudly as time passed. She caught a glimpse of the man who had called Justin a prince, eyes closed and floating eerily on the water. She did not dare imagine her prince like that. She knew she had to find him.

And then – just about she was to get hit by debris falling on her head, she saw the golden curls, and his face. His mouth was half open, and he fell deep into the water. She dove instantly, and grabbed his torso. He was not lean – she found it difficult to hang on tightly onto his muscled body and arms, but she did. She was willing to die for him even. She lifted his beautiful face faced towards the sky, desperate for him to breathe air. She swam as fast as she could from the explosion of the ship, never being this much frightened in her life. But she held him tightly, and to her passionate relief, she felt a faint beating heart underneath her palm as she held on to his chest.

The shore must be close by. She swam for a long time, delayed due to the added weight. She swam until rain stopped falling and the sky began to clear, now a colour of muddy blue.

Then she saw it- golden sand. Dry place. The land. The place where he came from. She rested his body on the ground, her hands embracing him still, unable to let go. Only if he could embrace her back, she thought sadly. She stared into his face, pale and his eyes closed as if in a deep sleep. Most importantly, his heart was still thudding. She prayed to God for thankfulness, and kissed him on his lips. They were cold, but she felt hints of dry air coming out of it. The sun finally broke, and everything became warmer. She did not take her eyes off of his closed pair, and she laid there beside him, embracing him tightly and her fin beside his human legs.

She felt movement. He was trying to awake. Suddenly scared and excited, she did not know what to do. Until she heard a voice nearby, of a woman's.

"It's the prince!" she screamed.

Just in time, the mermaid splashed back into the water and hid behind a giant rock. She watched painfully as the woman wearing a giant petticoat with a pretty face embraced the prince just like she had, and kissed his forehead.

Justin opened his eyes, gazed longingly into the woman's, and finally smiled.

At that moment, she knew she was to return to her home – her heart permanently shattered into tiny, invisible pieces that were now dissolving in water.