Hi all. Happy Halloween! This fills prompt 15 for whumptober: magical healing and also features mermaid Tony! Enjoy.

The marsh surrounding her hut was full of noise that morning. The birds and insects called to each other wishing in the sun. Even the trees swayed and danced along with the racing wind. Penny held her cloak tight against her chest and wished she had someone to wish good morning.

First thing she did on her trek was check her lines. The nearly invisible threads were tied from a fallen log and dived into the marsh waters to catch kelp and other water weeds she ate or used for healing medicinals. The one she pulled up wasn't full yet and she tossed it back into the water.

Penny passed around the edges of the marsh watching the water ripple from the wind until the forest swallowed her view. Large trees loomed over her as she quickened her step. Although she loved nature, the forest had always made her fearful. The trunks blocked her sight and the many shrubs could hide any predator from her knowledge until it was too late. But there was no other way to get to the village from here so she soldiered through walking fast enough she didn't have to concentrate on all the creeping noises.

At last she saw the light start to wade through the tress. They began to thin edge of the forest. She took advantage of the fact she could hide for a moment longer and hesitated at the edge of the forest. Penny worried her bottom lip between her teeth while trying to remember everything on her list. It was mostly herbs and a sack of grain. This would be a short excursion. She didn't have to buy anything unnecessary or linger between stalls. She took a deep breath before stepping around the tree and heading in between the worn buildings.

They called her a witch. The cruel jeers and lingering looks followed her every step she took in the town to get supplies and while the trek wasn't pleasant, it had to be done. She couldn't survive on her own though she tired as much as possible.

The market wasn't busy enough to pass unseen. Their eyes stayed on her challenging every to stay in line. They whispered about her as she passed but she also noticed a strange distractedness in them today. Wilson didn't count her coins twice as normal and all the talk wasn't completely about her. The stable boys were all circled together. They whispered about some monster. A beast seen in the waters stirring the waters, spooking the sailors.

Penny was thankful for this bit of news because it offered a reprieve for her. She moved between vendors never raising her eyes and not haggling for price as was custom for normal people. She would cause no trouble and receive none in return. Bag full and list completed, Penny made her way out of town as quickly as possible.

Penny paused once again in the spot at the edge of the forest. She exhaled, straightened out the front of her smock, and tried to stop the trembling in her hands. It was done and she could head for home now.

She heard a twig snap and swung her head around. Then she was flying. Her back slammed against the tree. Bark flew off and burrowed into her hair as she tumbled to the ground. Penny curled her knees in front of her and wrapped her arms around them. The earth spun unchecked underneath her prone body.

"Come on then, you little bitch." A rough voice spoke in her ear. They grabbed a bunch of her hair and pulled. She screamed at the pressure in her scalp. Strands broke off but the grip stayed strong. He was so tall she had to stand on her tiptoes to relieve part of the pain.

"What have you done, witch?"

"I didn't-" She whimpered as they shook her.

"We knowed you were the one who set the monster loose? Don't try to deny it." She cracked open her eye to see the trader's son, Spike, staring at her with hard eyes. His strange blonde hair dirty from days of work. His eyes ran down her body and she shivered. He noticed her expression and grinned. One of the others nudged him. Their leers became too obvious and the blood pounding in her veins was all she could hear. They stepped closer to her and she cringed back into the tree not caring if it hurt her head more.

A reprieve came and she could have wept. The hunters came back from their morning hunt. Their footsteps rang loud and their bags were filled with enough meat to feed the village. Despite herself her stomach rumbled.

Spike and the rest of his group heard and stiffened their backs. No matter how angry they were, it wouldn't appear righteous for others to see them harassing her. Most people weren't as 'brave' as Spike was. Most people thought she would cast a spell on them if they angered her too much. The rest turned and walked back but Spike pulled her head up so her neck was exposed.

"You better not have anything to do with that thing. You hear? And if you do… well, you'll both be dead before you can enchant us. You hear me?" She nodded as best she could and gasped when his other hand closed around her throat. "I'll be watching you, witch. Don't think you're ever safe in that crumbling shack you live in." He squeezed and her hands came up around his wrists, nails embedding in his skin as she tried to pull him away. His strength would have won out had the hunters not came closer.

Elder Bishop eyed them with thin lips. The others passed by with similar distasteful expressions. No one said anything. Spike hit her head against the tree before joining the others. Penny's knees gave way under her and she fell to the ground. Wheezes erupted from her throat. It seemed to take hours for her to breath deep enough to experience an ounce of relief in her lungs. By the time the burning abated somewhat, the spinning in her eyes receded slightly.

Penny didn't bother to look back at the village. She didn't even give herself time to fear the surrounding forest. Instead, she began crawling in the direction of him. Twigs and rocks scraped her knees and forearms. The dirt of the ground stained her smock but she kept going. Penny wasn't aware enough to try to quiet the noise she was making. The resounding sounds of her retreat echoed against the trees haunting her through the leaves. Finally, she managed to pull herself to her feet and started running the rest of the way. She whimpered at the sight of the light through the trees.

The marsh waters were there peaceful in their comforting chaos. She collapsed beside the shore. Penny hid her tears behind her hands and bent over into herself. Her silent cries relayed her distress more than loud sobs would to any onlooker observing her pain. The tears caressed her fingers on their way down, mixing with the blood from her scrapes. The liquid leaked down her palms, gathering in the small divot where her palm and cheek met before, with a silent plop, the salty orb fell through the air and into the water. Though the tear was miniscule compared to the marsh, it sent a wave of ripples outward away from the shore Penny was weeping on.

There was no extraterrestrial wind or any other sign something changed. If Penny had been a witch like the village thought she might have perceived the shift in the air but, as it was, Penny sniffled into her sleeve, wiped her red eyes, and stared into the water. Her reflection stared back, pathetic and weak. She noticed the dirt on her hands and scooched forward so she could wash off the grit.

Penny placed her hand palm down on the water. In slow movements mimicking a wave she let the blood and dirt fall and sink into the depths. So absorbed was she in making sure all the evidence of her weakness disappeared that she didn't realize an unnatural silence fell upon the marsh. None of the frogs chirped or the birds were in flight. Penny sniffled again. The sound was too loud and she froze. Her hand was in the water but she didn't dare move.

Nothing happened and Penny breathed a sign of relief.

A hand struck out of the water and grabbed her wrist. There wasn't enough time to scream or escape. Penny's eyes flew open and she was face to face with a monster. The alien features were too much to take in as a whole. There was a silver sheen to the skin and scales scattered the body. Sharp teeth mocked and the narrow pupils, almost like a cat, narrowed directly at her.

She tried to pull her arm away but couldn't move under its grip. There was a sort of hissing noise that bubbled up from its throat. A warning to her. She went motionless. Everything from her body to the waters and animals she knew were hiding in the wild remained in a kind of stasis. Sweat curled down her back.

Why did she never fight for herself?

The thought slipped through her mind. Maybe she was deficient in some way like the village thought. Maybe she was a witch and this lack of preservation was a way of punishment. Whatever it was she was helpless in the face of this strange being. At least the others would be pleased with her death. Penny held her breath and stopped pulled her arm away. Nothing she would did would matter. Penny had no will to fight.

All was still. Slowly things started filtering back.

The hand, or what looked vaguely like a hand, was wet and slimy against her wrist but it wasn't tugging like she thought. Instead its grip held firm to keep her from running. She noticed the strange translucent webbing between the fingers and long dark nails sharpened to points. Its scales scraped lightly against her arm. With bated breath her eyes worked their way up the arm.

Its chest was covered with some type of bark and sea plants. It covered its torso in crisscrossed and braided designs to create a protective armor. Water dripped down them and her eyes were drawn to the slits in its neck. The gaping holes were almost alive. They puffed out and enlarged before flattening to the rest of the neck when it breathed in again. Penny realized it was breathing! Her mind began to whirl with the possibilities and realities of such a feat. She almost moved forward to observe closer until she remembered the position she was in.

A whimpering growl forced Penny to look up. Dark eyes connected with hers. For what she thought was a creature was more human in mien than expected. The uncanny blank expression blinked with two sets of eyelids. Sharp teeth, cat-like eyelids, long wet hair. All these features were so different from her own features but the more she looked, the more the differences didn't bother her. The being wasn't hurting her besides the initial startle and Penny had this strange wave of calm wash over her.

He made another purring sound again as if sensing her acceptance and moved. Gliding closer along the sand, he released her arm and raised a hand to her face. She flinched back at the hiss. A furrowed expression crossed his face but when he saw the trembling in her shoulders he stopped and a soft rumbled came from his chest.

His hand hovered over her cheek and his eyes flickered back and forth over her face. She held her breath and he made contact. It was cold and slimy but such a light touch. Then heat, almost too hot to stand came from the stranger's hand. Penny almost cried out when the hand dropped away.

She brought her hand up to replace it. The heat was gone and so was the soreness from her attack. Penny glanced, wide-eyed at him and saw a small smirk before he moved back into deeper water. The sand crumbled under him until he jumped back with a splash. The last thing she saw was a giant tale disappearing into the water. The blue scales and winged fins sparkled in the setting sun.

Hope you had a safe and fun holiday. Thank you and let me know what you think.