1. Surrounded
I couldn't believe it. After all this time, I was caught.
There was no escape.
The water around me turned icy as my heart thudded painfully in my chest. Panic fluttered through my stomach. I closed my eyes to try to block out the horror. But the searchlight stayed pointed right at me. The lights blinded me, even with my eyes closed. I tried to breath, but every inward breath of air was a needle piercing my chest.
From memory I could see buoys of the nets dotted around me in a circle, floating gently closer as my captures closed in. This was it for sure.
The end. This was the end for me.
How could I have been so stupid to get caught as a mermaid?