A/N: For the Pocket Morty Competition (Mermaid Morty: mermaid!au) and the Social Media Competition (vlog: set your fic in an alternate universe of your choosing)
Alice bursts through the door of her home, panting, sweat beading her forehead. "Alice! Slow down!" her father says, grabbing her by the arms to steady her. "You look like you've seen a ghost, child!"
"Not a ghost! A mermaid!"
Her father sighs and shakes his head, releasing her. "We've talked about this before, Alice. You're sixteen now, much too old for this little fantasy world that you seem to live in."
"I saw her, Dad! She was beautiful! Dark hair, dark eyes, and a tail. Just like in the books!" she insists.
"That's enough, sweetheart. You've missed dinner, you know."
Alice slumps slightly, defeated. She hadn't expected her father to believe her, of course. Mermaids are the things of fantasy, little stories to tell eager little girls at bedtime.
But the mermaid is real. She had seen her, lounging on a rock near the shore.
And the mermaid had seen Alice. She had smiled and beckoned her closer with a crook of her finger.
Alice wonders if there is some magic to mermaids. She had felt a tug in her chest, like she had needed to venture into the water and get closer.
The mermaid is waiting for her again when she returns to the shore to collect seashells. Alice stares, mesmerized. She reaches for her camera, but the mermaid shakes her head.
She wants to capture this picture, show her father that she hasn't gone mad. But she feels that same pull in her chest, an overwhelming desire to obey the beautiful creature.
Alice drops the camera in the sand and takes a step closer, the water lapping at her bare feet.
"What's your name?" the mermaid calls out, and her voice is like nothing she could have ever imagined.
Beautiful, like everything else about her, but not the kind of beautiful that humans are.
"Alice," she says.
"Come closer, Alice."
"I'm afraid of drowning," Alice admits.
"Sweet little Alice, so close to the sea, but so afraid of the water," the mermaid taunts, a wicked smile curling her lips. "Come closer, little Alice."
Alice can't resist the pull. She feels the water slowly rise around her as she ventures farther and farther out. When the water reaches her breasts, she is at the rock.
"My father won't be happy I've gotten my dress wet," Alice says, frowning.
"Do you always have to listen to your father?"
"He says you aren't real."
The mermaid laughs. "Am I real? Feel for yourself."
With trembling hands, Alice reaches out and touches her arm. It looks like normal skin, but it feels so slick. "Can I-?" she asks, blushing as she gestures at the green tail.
Another laugh. The tail swishes, resting before Alice. "Go right ahead."
It's just like touching a fish. Alice draws back in surprise. "You're real," she says.
"And you've stated the obvious," the mermaid teases, leaning closer. "Such a silly trait for such a beautiful girl."
Alice's face feels warm suddenly, and she knows it has nothing to do with the overhead sun. "What's your name?"
"I'm called Bella," she answers.
"Bella," Alice repeats, and though she has never liked the name before, she finds herself thinking that it's such a lovely name.
Bella reaches out, caressing Alice's cheek. "Still afraid of drowning, little Alice?"
"Yes."
"Pity. I could show you the most amazing kingdoms beneath the water, things no mortal could ever dream of seeing."
"I must be getting back," Alice says, suddenly nervous. "My father will worry."
She almost expects Bella to stop her, to drag her beneath the waves. Instead, she simply shrugs before diving and disappearing into the water below.
"You're drenched!" her father says when she returns.
"I fancied a swim."
He pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out an exasperated groan. "Then you ought to have taken proper swimming attire, Alice."
"It was the mermaid! She wanted me to join her, and I couldn't help it! She has magic, Dad!"
"Why do you have to be so strange, child?"
Alice frowns. She doesn't want to be strange. "I'm sorry."
Alice never hears her parents argue, and the unfamiliar sound of raised voices draws her from her bed and to her parents' door.
"She's not mad," her mother insists. "Alice has an overactive imagination!"
"She went into the water with her dress on because a mermaid made her do it! You can't tell me that's normal behavior!"
Her father's words hit hard, and Alice recoil as though she's been physically struck.
"We can't send her away, darling. She'll be okay. She's just eccentric."
"She needs help. She's my daughter, and I love her, but it's not normal to be that strange. Augusta mentioned a hospital in London. They'll look after her."
Alice staggers back, realization hitting. She bites her knuckles to keep from crying out.
Her own father thinks she's insane. And her mother won't be able to stop him. She'll be sent away like some loony. She'll never see the sea or the mermaid again.
Though the moon is high in the sky, Bella is waiting for her, as though she someone knew that Alice would return.
"You said you would take me away," Alice says.
"I will."
"You'll show me the sea?"
"Yes." Bella raises her brows. "Still afraid?"
"No," Alice says, and though her voice trembles, she means it.
Bella pulls her closer, grinning. "You trust me?"
"Yes."
"Seal your trust with a kiss."
Alice obeys without question, kissing her without hesitation. It's clumsy and tastes of salty water, but Alice doesn't mind, and Bella doesn't seem to care.
"My full name is Bellatrix. Did you know that Bellatrix means warrior?"
Alice shakes her head, confused.
"Do you know what warriors do, little Alice?" Bella laughs. "They kill."
Before Alice can even scream, Bellatrix grabs her, pulling her deep into the water.
As the waves crash above her and water fills her lungs, Alice finds herself thinking that drowning is more peaceful than she had thought.