Chapter 21- Gianna

I woke up coughing. I rolled myself over to get the water out of my throat, and coughed some more. Did I die? Was this heaven or hell?

"Gia?" I heard a familiar voice say.

I quickly rolled back over to see Ollie staring down at me.

"Ollie? Ollie, is that you?"

"Yes, it is me," he answered. I could feel his hands stroking my hair. I tried to sit up, but he said, "just lay here for a minute."

I obliged. Trying to sit up was a huge mistake. After I got my bearings and felt better I asked him, "How did you find me?"

He sat quietly for a few moments looking down at the sand.

"Perhaps, it would be better to show you…" he said.

He sat me up. I looked at his face, his arm reached out and touched my face and I looked down. Where his feet should have been, was a bluish-green fin. He was holding himself up with his one muscular arm.

"Ollie… I think that I'm hallucinating…"

"You are not hallucinating. I am a merman," he said simply.

"What…." I said looking at him.

"Well, it's kind of a long story…" he said.

"I've got time."