Chapter 1: The Beginning
The sound of the waves crashing still rang loudly in her ears. The smell of brine in the air still lingered in her nose. She could still feel the cold stones under her feet. Taste the salt on her lips. She closed her eyes and pictured the rolling waves and the pink sky that she had seen only a few hours ago. Home; where she longed to be. But she could not return. She could never go home. A breeze whipped past her face and tugged on her bronze colored hair. With a sigh, she turned around and began walking, not knowing what waited for her in this world that she was not accustomed to. With a great sorrow perched in her heart, she began moving down the dirt path, past the trees where she had played as a child. The memories pulled on the strings of her heart. How could she leave? Where could she go that would be anything like home? But than again, what is home to a person? A place where they grew up? A room full of people they are close to? Or just somewhere they feel safe? She had never known such luxuries. In a town full of different places, she mainly grew up in the sea. People she was close to? She ran away often. Her family and friends never noticed she was gone. And a safe place? She'd never felt safe in her life. Running from the men her mother brought home, never knowing her father, feeling as a child that she was different. She always hid from the other children, afraid they would notice that she had green eyes that changed colors as the sea would. That there was a thin webbing of skin between her toes and fingers. That she had small scales that changed colors on her abdomen. No, she would never tell anyone of that, for if she did, they would hunt her. Call her "witch-child". Kill her. No, she had to run, as her dying mother had warned her. She took with her only her mothers locket and a dagger that her father had left with her mother for her before he disappeared. Never to be seen by his daughter for even seventeen years. A small sigh escaped her lips. As she felt the dying sunlight fade beyond the horizon and closed her eyes, embracing the night with a sad longing and entered the darkness of the forest, never to be seen in her home again.
"Land Ho!" called out a young sea hand, about nineteen years of age. He grinned a devilish grin and grabbed a rope, jumping and swinging from the crows nest onto the deck of the large ship. He landed in front of the young lady he'd been trying to woo the whole voyage. Emily her name was. All he could think of was her; her eyes that looked like the sea after a storm. Her eyes were what first brought him to talk to her, for he just couldn't resist them. It was as if he was being pulled closer and closer to her just by her eyes. As if her eyes were a strong current and he was a lone swimmer. He couldn't stay away from her, even if he wanted to. Startled, Emily looked up from the book she'd been reading and glared at him. "Honestly Andrew!" She growled, showing her irritation. "It was the best part of the book! Have you no manners?" Andrew laughed and pinched her cheek as an old friend would do. "What? Did I interrupt when the fair prince was about to kiss the lovely maiden?" He laughed and shook his head, strands of black hair falling into his golden eyes. He was filled with mirth as he watched her glare and close her book. She smiled softly, looking at him innocently before grinning evilly and smacking him with her book several times. "Twas not a story of some fair maid, nor a young prince, but a story about forbidden lovers. He was to inherit a great some, and a kingdom. She was doomed to walk the gallows, for she had been involved in piracy." Emily smiled again and tapped him on the shoulder with her book. "You'd do well not to get caught stealing from the captains lodge anymore. Or else you might be sentenced to the same punishment." Andrew stood with his mouth hanging open. Emily stuck her finger under his chin and pushed his mouth up. "H-how did you know about that?" He asked, completely astonished. "I didn't. But now I do." She grinned even wider and flicked his nose. "I must go finish packing my things. I'll see you later." Emily walked away and left Andrew standing there, at a loss for words. He smiled and shook his head after she walked off; thinking about how much he loved that girl. Andrew walked up to captain and smiled a little. "When are you going to do it?" The captain asked. "Soon enough." Andrew answered. "You do notice that you're still under contract and have at least two more years before you can go through with it, right?" Andrew nodded. "I'm aware." "Good."
Emily began docking, taking her few things with her before she saw Andrew run off the ship and up to her. He stopped a few feet from her, breathing heavily. "E-Emily, I have something I need to give you…" Emily nodded and watched him, tilting her head slightly. "Well, what is it?" Andrew looked up at her, smiling a little. He pulled out a chain from his pocket; hanging on the end of it was a small gold ring. Andrew quickly slipped the chain over her head. "I want you to keep this. It was my mothers. When I come back to port in two years, I would like to take you as my wife." Emily stood, awestruck before smiling a little and looking at him with tears in her eyes. "But don't answer now. Wait for me." With that, Andrew smiled at her and turned to run back to the deporting ship, but before he left, her turned around and kissed her lips softly. He smiled widely and ran back to the ship, getting on board right as it was pulling out of the dock. He waved to her before he disappeared from sight. She touched the ring hanging around her neck and began walking. She got to the shore before sitting down. She took the necklace off and looked at it, thinking about things. She raised her arm to throw it into the ocean before lowering it and putting it around her neck. Instead she threw a rock into the ocean, sighing. Small tears fell down her checks. She had to leave. He couldn't love her. No one could love her. No one could ever love a myth. No one could ever love a mermaid. But that couldn't stop her from loving him. He could just never see her again. With a heavy heart, she began walking, holding tight to the ring hanging from the necklace, and thinking of a dream that could never come true for her.