"The Call Of The Sea"
"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft close embrace. - Kate Chopin
Merbruna, a powerful, telepathic sea demon could not believe her luck! "Finally", she drooled with anticipation, "finally, I shall get the recognition and respect I deserve!" She had really hit the jackpot this time. That arrogant wind bag Moloch would owe her big for this. The whole thing was so serendipitous, she had to laugh. Her afternoon swim at the lake at the Sleepy Hollow pier had yielded a true prize this time! A Witness, a true Apocalyptic Witness. Listening to the thoughts of humans was a favorite pastime of Merbruna, their trivial problems and ridiculous laments filled her with glee. What pathetic fools they were!
Sometimes (though rarely) the cares of life would become too much for one of them and they would throw themselves in the lake. She ate well then. Seldom, however, did her daily constitutional have such monumental results... until today!
Abbie Mills had come to the pier for some quiet time, alone. No Jenny, no police business, and most importantly NO Ichabod! She really needed time to think. The pier had been a special place for reflection since her high school days. She, Andy and a few other friends would sometimes cut school to come out and have a swim in the lake. One day, after having too much beer, she had kissed Andy, perhaps a little too deeply. She'd always regretted that, it seemed Andy thought that kiss held the promise of something more. Abbie, however, never saw Andy as more than a best friend and confidant. She sighed as she thought about Andy's fate. She wondered if she had somehow driven him to his doomed alliance with Moloch. She would sometime come to the pier with Luke when they were dating. They both enjoyed picnics by the lake and swimming afterwards. Abbie wistfully remembered the evening, just at twilight, when she and Luke made love on the grass by the lake. Luke hardly looked at her anymore, perhaps it was just as well. Abbie knew the truth, there was only one man who held her heart. Regretfully, it was her fellow Witness and best friend, Ichabod Crane. Abbie thought it would get easier. Katrina, Ichabod and Jenny all worked together to rescue her from Purgatory. It was Ichabod who ran to her when they discovered her location. It was Ichabod who embraced her tenderly and gently placed a chaste kiss on her forehead when they were reunited. It was Ichabod who would not let go of her hand even when they were safely back in the forest and Purgatory was only a memory. She thought seeing him with his wife would help her fight her love for him. She thought seeing he and Katrina together would make her want him less, she was wrong. She had fallen, caught like a fish in a fisherman's net. She was unhappily trapped by a love she could not deny. Ichabod had not made it easy for her. He would gaze at her a bit too intensely whether Katrina was there or not. Abbie began dreading the times they were alone in the Archives. Ichabod had taken to touching her more often. Brushing against her hand to pass her a book, standing a little too closely when he drew her attention to an illustration or ancient incantation. Abbie hated the fact that his touches caused her skin to tingle and seemed to make her temperature rise. She wondered if he knew what he was doing? She knew it had to stop. They were best friends and partners, that's all. He was married for God's sake. That day, she swore she would put her foot down and force herself to face reality. Ichabod Crane was off limits and that was that! "Stop crying Mills", she scolded herself as the tears fell, That's when she saw the girl.
She could not have been more than 11 or 12, she screamed as she struggled in the water. Abbie had always been a strong swimmer,She always put the needs of others before herself. She did not hesitate, and quickly dived in to help the young girl. She swam to her, "It's OK, I've got you now., Abbie said reassuringly.
"No sweetie, I've got you!, the voice Abbie heard was not human. .Realization hit Abbie, she was trapped. Abbie stared in horror as Merbruna reverted back to her true form. Miniature sea serpents writhed on her head, her green scaly skin glistened in the water. She held Abbie with a viselike grip so tight, she could hardly breathe.
"Now, now stop struggling. Don't you know no good deed goes unpunished?" Merbruna cackled. Abbie passed out. Merbruna pulled her down to the bottom of the lake.
"Sleep now, when you awaken you will have no knowledge of your old lovelorn life. You'll be Abigail the mermaid, lovely maiden of the sea. Hey, you might even hook up with one of the mermen down here. They never appealed to me, but with your track record with human men, anything has to be an improvement. Believe me sweetie, I am doing you a favor!" Abbie underwent an amazing transformation. She now had a beautiful shimmering fish tail where her legs had been. Her hair was slightly longer, she wore a pearl encrusted bra made of sea shells. She was truly a vision of loveliness. Merbruna placed the sleeping mermaid on a rock formation and left her to her fate. "Wait until I inform Moloch I've rid the earth of a Witness, he'll probably kiss my feet-if I had feet." Merbruna was not greedy however, she'd settle for a seat on the Demonic council. It would be the first time a Sea Demon had been given such an honor. "Yes", Merbruna thought, "Things are definitely looking up!"
To be continued...
Notes: This is a 3 chapter Fairy Tale. Yes, those relentless Plot Bunnies are plaguing me again. I don't mind so much this time though, I like mermaids. I hope to have the other 2 chapters up in a few days.. What do you think Abbie's fate will be in this one? As always I love to hear what you think. Thank you for reading.