The water hit me like a slap in the face, and I sank to the bottom like a stone. My dress felt heavy and alien against my body, and my remaining sandal was stuck to the fin of my tail which had now returned.

I couldn't believe what was happening. Again. Betrayed by a man that I loved and cared about. My mind raced with a thousand questions. How did he know? How did he find out? Why didn't he tell me? What was he going to do with me? I shuddered at that last question. I knew I had to escape. Desperate, I swam over to the ladder going in and out of the pool. I reasoned that maybe I could haul myself out of the water just enough for my tail to be transformed into legs and I could run away.

I was so afraid. What if he had a camera waiting? I'd be exposed to the entire world, and I'd have nowhere to go. Even worse, what if he had a trap set up? What if he sent me to some science lab to be studied and dissected? Or a circus freak show to be stared at? What if he had locked the doors and slashed the tires to my car and I had no escape?

My fear was amplified by the feelings of hurt and rage at Dusty's betrayal. I had thought that he loved me, and secretly I had hoped that if he ever did learn the truth about me, he would still love me. I guess I was wrong. Suddenly, a thought flashed into my head. Maybe Dylan was right all along. I had decieved Dusty, so why should I be so shocked that he had decieved me? I deserved my fate. Slowly I approached the ladder and prepared to haul myself out.

Suddenly I heard a splash behind me. As I reached the surface and grabbed hold of the ladder, I my eyes darted about, searching for Dusty. He was nowhere to be seen. I whipped around, afraid that he had dived into the water to grab me. His head broke the surface, his dripping dark hair hanging in his eys, a wide smile on his face. Maybe finding out I was a mermaid had drove him crazy or something.

"Dusty, I can explain. Please, don't hurt me. I love you. I thought you loved me too." I cried.

He smirked, and there was a strange look in his eyes. "Of course I love you, Michelle. What made you think I didn't?"

My mouth dropped open. "But you . . . you looked so angry, and . . .I lied to you, so I thought - "

"Well, Michelle, the truth is, I haven't been so honest myself."

And that's when I noticed the deep blue tail trailing behind him in the water.

"Surprise."