Mermaid
Pain. It is the only entity I can recognize. It courses through my body like a poison. I feel it in my tail, where that bastard snake-like creature pierced me. I can sense it in my wrists, where the ropes bite into my soft human flesh. Such weak flesh compared to my scales.
"Katniss." I hear the hiss of a familiar voice but my mind cannot place it.
I try to lift my head but it is far too heavy. My ears ring with the sounds of the creaking ship, my prison.
"Katniss." The voice is angry now at my lack of response. I try to speak but any response is trapped in my throat.
A set of heavy thumps resounds and steadily increases in volume. It stops nearby and I sense the presence of another being in the room.
"What have you done to her you stupid bastard! She's dying! Are you happy now?" The voice I now recognize as Johanna's growls at the intruder.
"I'm sorry." A masculine voice chokes on the words.
"You're sorry?" Johanna hisses once again, "You gutless piece of land scum, you're not sorry. Your greed and malice overwhelm your senses. All you see is profit! You care not for the fact that you're bringing us to a fate worse than death."
"You certainly are talkative for a mermaid." The masculine voice muses. "I find it a bit ironic that you accuse me of such horrors yet weren't you going to feast on our bones not days ago?"
"We would have made it quick." She spits. "You condemn us to a life of experimentation and torture at the cruel hands of man."
"So quick to accuse, yet you cannot see that I only wish to help you." His voice is exceptionally calm and his words are measured. "I do not wish that fate for you, neither do many of my fellow men. I have medicines and healing herbs here for your friend. I only wish the ease her pain and speed her recovery. If you hadn't so quickly judged me for the actions of my kind then you would have learned that."
The silver tongue of the sailor leaves Johanna speechless.
"You wish to help us?" A soft and gentle voice, which I recognize as Annie's, asks hesitantly.
"Indeed. Captain Snow is a cruel man and I cannot bear to think of what he'll allow to happen to creatures as majestic as yourselves. He would likely keelhaul me for being here, especially since I intend to heal your friend. It is lucky for me though because I have a friend aboard this ship who so desperately loves your kind and believes that none should be allowed power over you that he and a few others are standing guard for me. We will help free you, but I ask that you be patient and trust in us." His low voice is pleading.
"Alright." Annie softly says.
"Thank you." Our masculine companion begins to move about.
I hear Madge speaking to Annie in a soft undertone but I cannot make out their words. I try to lift my head but do not succeed. I try to speak once more but my voice is still lost in my chest.
"Will she be alright?" Madge asks in a wavering tone.
"I certainly hope so. I'll do all I can." His voice is filled with sadness.
"Why do you wish to help us?" Madge's voice is still bewildered.
"I don't think you realize they effect you've had on my fellow sailors. A few of them are quite taken with you." He chuckles, a deep and throaty noise.
"We realize." Johanna snarls quietly, "That is the point is it not? To capture the attentions of your kind, our prey, so we may capture you with ease. Of course we realize."
"No…not that effect. No this one is a lingering effect, attraction and infatuation if you will. Some would even say love. It is far more powerful than the effect of which you speak."
"Has she responded at all?" He speaks to no one in particular, before any can respond to his previous statement.
"No. We've tried calling out to her but there has been no response." Annie's voice is thick with worry. "I think she can hear us though because she has twitched a few times when Johanna has called out to her. It is almost as if she is trying but is trapped within herself."
"Annie…" Johanna hissed. No doubt in response to Annie using her name. Johanna doesn't trust humans, and won't trust these one despite his claims to free us. But Annie is right…I do feel trapped. Exhausted to the point that I am detached from myself. The only feeling I can register is pain as it radiates in my every pore.
"She was stabbed through the fin. The wound is rather small yet she is so weak. May I ask why?"
"Our fin is the most sensitive. Through it we move, and any movement with a wound is indeed most painful. It also houses a large amount of our nerves because through it we feel the changes in the water, the temperature changes or movements and ripples in the water. It is our most important appendage, without it we are useless." Madge explains.
"For her sake I hope she is unconscious." He mutters.
"Why is that?" Johanna asks with disdain.
"Because unfortunately this is going to sting." He replies kindly despite Johanna's rudeness.
Despite being able to hear their words I can barely recognize their meaning. It feels as though my head is in a haze. I hear him pull a stopper from a bottle top and I hear the liquid pouring.
It is a few moments before I feel the sting he had mentioned and I now realize what he had been speaking of. It is minimal at first, just an annoying twinge, but as more of the strange liquid reaches my wound it begins to burn. I feel my body respond as the painful inferno takes over. I feel the convulsions as I try to escape the pain. It is worse than I have felt so far and enough to sober me from my dazed state. I screw my eyes shut as a scream builds in my throat. It starts as a low groan but escalates rapidly.
A large hand clamps down over my mouth, trapping the scream inside. My eyes burn with tears and the pain continues.
…:::…
Man
I entered the brig with hopes that I could gain the trust of such magnificent creatures. It would be necessary if we were to free them.
Finnick has become unusually enamored with the red haired mermaid. I say unusually because he has been known to bed any willing woman without knowing a thing about her and then leaving before she would wake. The sea was his only love and he never showed more than a carnal desire for the opposite sex. To say I was surprised does not do justice to how I felt when he told me he had fallen in love. I laughed before realizing his seriousness. But I had to admit I know I was deeply affected by the injured, grey-eyed beauty now held in the brig. Likewise I had noticed Thom and Gale had started acting strangely as the days passed.
I had no doubt they were under a similar spell. Could there be any man who went unaffected by a mermaid's charm? Finnick had set himself on freeing our fair prisoners. I agreed to join him and, when asked, so did Gale and Thom.
I knew we would have to act fast, and we would need incredible stealth. First mate Cato and Marvel were still shaken by the attack, their rage towards the mermaids who had nearly taken them as victims was now directed at the four trapped in the brig. They claim they were lucky, personally I wouldn't have minded if those mermaids had managed their task, they are vicious and cruel men, following in the steps of Captain Snow.
So Finnick and Gale stood watch as I made my way down here to tend to my injured beauty.
I was painfully aware of the loud and heavy tread of my footsteps and the disturbance they created. I only hoped it would not alert anyone to my mission.
I was not expecting, upon arrival, the accusations thrown at me. They hadn't spoken much before. They refused to speak and I expected that to continue. I was not prepared initially for the angry words.
I was so distracted by my altercation with the angry one that I didn't notice at first the rough condition that the wounded woman was in.
It nearly broke my heart to see her tied to the rafters, her breathing shallow and her skin pale. The once vibrant scales upon her tail had dulled to a sickly green. The ropes had slightly chaffed and cut into her wrists. She looks awful.
"Will she be alright?" The blonde haired mermaid asks in a wavering tone.
"I certainly hope so. I'll do all I can." I try to keep my voice even and hopeful but I know I do not succeed. I hope against all hope that she will be alright but I cannot promise it.
"Why do you wish to help us?" She asks again, bewildered.
"I don't think you girls realize they effect you've had on my fellow sailors. A few of them are quite taken with you." I chuckle, attempting to alleviate the tension in the room.
"We realize." Johanna snarls quietly, "That is the point is it not? To capture the attentions of your kind, our prey, so we may capture you with ease. Of course we realize."
"No…not that effect. No this one is a lingering effect, attraction and infatuation if you will. Some would even say love. It is far more powerful than the effect of which you speak."
"Has she responded at all?" I ask quickly, hopefully.
"No. We've tried calling out to her but there has been no response." The vibrant red haired beauty asks in a voice that is thick with worry. "I think she can hear us though because she has twitched a few times when Johanna has called out to her. It is almost as if she is trying but is trapped within herself."
Well at least that is something rather than nothing at all.
"Annie…" The black haired one, whom I assume is Johanna, hisses. Which would mean that Finnick's red haired enchantress is Annie. Johanna seems very upset by the free exchange of conversation between us, especially the friendliness of it all.
"She was stabbed through the fin. The wound is rather small yet she is so weak. May I ask why?" I remember it being only a rather tiny incision yet she seems to have been affected so greatly.
"Our fin is the most sensitive. Through it we move, and any movement with a wound is indeed most painful. It also houses a large amount of our nerves because through it we feel the changes in the water, the temperature changes or movements and ripples in the water. It is our most important appendage, without it we are useless." The kind blonde haired one explains.
"For her sake I hope she is unconscious."
"Why is that?" Contempt colors Johanna voice.
"Because unfortunately this is going to sting." Despite her obvious hatred for me I will treat her with kindness, I need to gain some level of trust with them.
I pour the liquid into the barrel and watch as the water grows murkier. I hope for her sake that she is unconscious because this medicine stings.
I hear Annie whisper to the blonde haired one close to her, referring to her as Madge. Now I only need to learn the name of my grey-eyed enchantress.
For the first moments she is still and I breathe a sigh of relief. But all to suddenly she starts to thrash and I hear a growl deep in her throat. It grows swiftly and I know she will alert the entire ship if I do not act fast. I lunge around her and clamp my hand over her mouth. I cradle her head against my chest and attempt to shush her with soothing tones.
Her screams of pain are dulled by the barrier of my hand but still the sound wrenches my heart. I know the medicine was the right choice. It will help with her healing and reduce any infection but still I hurt knowing that I am causing her pain. I attempt to comfort her but the effects of the medicine are long lasting. She looks to me briefly and her grey eyes trap me in their depths. The anguish she feels is clearly conveyed and I ache to soothe her pain.
After many pain filled minutes her body goes limp once again.
"Is she alright?" Asks the blonde haired one whose name I do not yet know.
I place my fingers over her pulse point and feel a heart beat, steady and strong but strangely fluttering beneath my fingers. Her breathing has slowed deep and even and her muscles seem to be relaxing. Her heartbeat concerns me but it could be normal. I release her and she slumps once again.
I approach Annie and she looks at me tentatively. I have no doubt if I were to approach Johanna that I would not escape unscathed, but Annie is gentler in spirit, that much is obvious.
"Annie correct?" I ask and she nods. "May I?" I reach my hand toward her neck.
"Okay." She nearly whispers.
I place my fingers over the location where her pulse should be. It flutters as well and my worries cease.
"She seems to be fine." I say before approaching the unconscious mermaid. I lift her chin, gently, but her head lolls back. Her hair moves with it and uncovers her bare breasts, which had previously always been concealed behind her thick locks.
I panic and seek to rectify the situation. I admit I must sound like a bumbling fool. I can barely piece two words together, coherence is an unknown concept as I try to keep my eyes from wandering, or my hands god forbid. I gently move her head back to hang forward and blush heavily when I rearrange her long tresses.
Once she looks peaceful again I take my leave. Promising to return again soon.
"How are they?" Finnick worriedly asks as I make my way above.
"They seem to be doing alright. Their ropes are chaffing fiercely. I spoke with them."
"They spoke to you?" Finnick seems utterly astonished. "You are a lucky man! I've never heard of a mermaid willingly speaking with a human, unless of course it precedes their feast. What did you speak of?"
And so I relate my story to Finnick, Gale and Thom. I tell them what I've learned, their tails and their names. Finnick smiles dreamily as he sighs the name of the fair, red-haired Annie. He caresses her name as if were a most precious gem.
…:::…