December 18th, 1889 The rough waves of the sea rocked the boat as it sliced through the icy waters. It was a typical commoner ship, nothing special about it. But on this dark, moonlit night, a girl leans over the rail of the ship, looking down at the restless ocean. She was the only one outside on this dark night other than the crewsmen. A ragged scarf wrapped around her mouth, her pale blonde hair flying freely in the howling wind. Her dark blue eyes gazed down at the churning waves that threw themselves against the boat. Her skin seemed completely white in the moonlight, her hands clutching the wooden railing. She was quite tall for her age, she recently had turned 17 years old. Not that it mattered, no one was even sure the day was her birthday. An orphan; thats what she was. Basically the birth-date she was given was the day she was found by the orphanage. Now she was on her way to a place where she would be put to work as either a scullery maid or such. "Oi! Watcha doin' out here on a night like this lass?" a scottish crewsman calls to the girl, jerking her from her thoughts. "Hm?" she says spacively, turning. The bearded man had his hands on his hips. ""It's a chilly one yes?" he continued, lifting an orange eyebrow. The girl just blinked and finally shrugged "I'm used to it" she said simply, adjusting her scarf. The Scottsman just sighed and stroked his beard "Well, if that's true, then carry'n" he said, walking off. The girl went back to her daydreaming as she folded her arms on the railing. She had named herself Lydia, she had liked the name when she heard it. A lonely child she was. People called her 'airhead', 'no-good-day-dreamer', 'ghosty girl', and a bunch of other nasty names. She didn't pay that much attention to it though, too busy in her own thoughts. She had woken up that night from a very odd dream, and couldn't go back to sleep. So there she was, wearing an old woolen coat too large for her thin frame and her scarf that she had made herself many a year ago. Lydia was looking out at the ocean when something caught her eye, a shimmer. She perked up and leaned over the rail in excitement. She had seen a scaly tail, a grey, fishy, scaly tail. Yes, she believed in magical things like mermaids and fairies, all the more reason why the others picked on her so much. It was gone then, but she thought...no...she knew she saw it. 'I wonder if I could make friends with mermaids' she pondered thoughtfully, leaning back. She suddenly heard familiar, heavy footsteps and the cold, salty air caught in her throat. She immediately clutched for the pendant around her neck, fear swelling up in her stomach. Lydia took a deep breath, and turned around to face the menace. "Watcha doin' squirt?" Zackary asked her in a snide, mocking tone. "Trying to talk to the fishy's?" he continued, a hand on his peak cap and a sinister grin on his face. Lydia just sighed and rolled her eyes, "leave me alone..." she mumbled, turning around and facing the ocean again. "Hey! Don't turn your back when I'm talkin' to ya!" Zack yelled angrily, before a violent yank on her scarf. She stumbled backwards and was forced to turn to face him. His lip curled into a snarl, as she looked up at him, her breathe coming in short quick spurts. "Well arn'tcha gonna say 'sorry?" he continues impatiently, shaking her, lifting her slightly off the ground. Her legs dangled and kicked in vain, as her hands reached for his. "L-let go, let go!" she pleaded, shaking, his grip only tightening. "Say your sorry" he spat in her face. Lydia looked around desperately for a witness, but no crewmember would be in sight, and of course, everyone else was in bed in their quarters. Or so she thought before 2 or more dreadful sets of footsteps came up from below deck. "Hey chief, that airhead buggin' ya again?" a fellow teenaged boy said behind Zack, wearing the same outfit as him. "Yup, she being an annoying little rat she is" Zack replied, not taking his savage eyes off Lydia. "Well why don'tcha make her pay then! Take her monies or whatever!" Another one suggested. "She ain't go no money idiot!" the first one replied, hitting the second in the shoulder. "Ooooowwww," the second one whined. Zack didn't react for a long moment before grinning at Lydia, making her shudder. "No, but she got that pretty little neckelace" he commented, eyeing the gleaming silver pendant around her neck. Lydia's eyes widened, "no, no please..." she begged as he used his other giant hand to reach out to yank it from her neck. "I think that will do just fine.." he started, and the boys laughed, enjoying the scene. Zack snapped it from her neck. "NO!" Lydia shrieked, startling all 3 of them. Suddenly the boat gave a violent shake, lurching, making Zack lose his balance and his grip, as he stumbled to the railing. The crewmembers screamed at eachother and people ran up on deck, some screaming. "ABANDON SHIP! ABANDON SHIP!" The crewmembers cried in unison. Only Zack and the 2 noticed, and witnessed...Lydia be accidently pushed overboard, and plunge into the icywaters...the silver pendant following her into the water...and the orphan dreamer...was never...seen again...