Out to Discover
She's Out There
Eric brushed his hand along the wooden railing of the ship, looking out at the moon. She was beautiful tonight, that moon, and she was rare; it was the second full moon of the month, a blue moon. Ironically enough, she even looked blue that night. It was the perfect night for what they were doing.
“Mermaids? Are you out of your mind?” Grimsby had asked when Eric first brought up the idea.
“Sometimes,” Eric admitted with a chuckle, “but not today, no. I saw one, when the ship exploded on my birthday last month. I saw a woman swimming away, but she had a fish tail for legs. She was a mermaid, and I’m going to find her, kill her, and mount her on my wall.”
“Good heavens, child,” Grimsby replied in response to Eric’s plans for the mermaid. Not that he really believe they existed. In fact, when they found Eric in the water muttering to himself about mermaids, he’d accused Eric of going temporarily mad due to swallowing too much sea water. “That is totally barbaric.”
Eric laughed. “You approve of the mounting of deer and elk, even a bass, but when it comes to a mermaid, of whom you don’t even believe exist in the first place, you accuse me of savagery?”
Grimsby swallowed in defeat. He knew of Eric’s temper, and despite the fact that Eric had been left in Grimsby’s charge when Eric’s father had been killed on the battlefield and his mother killed herself over it (not wanting to be without her husband), Eric wouldn’t have hesitated to punish Grimsby for angering him.
Eric stared off at the water, searching desperately for any evidence of the mer-woman he’d seen just a month before. They were almost to the exact location they had been when a storm erupted and the gunpowder on board had been struck by lightning. Eric knew she’d appear soon; he knew it in the depths of his soul. His right hand fell to play with the handle of the dagger sheathed at his waistline. Soon enough, he’d be close enough to dig the blade of it deep into her neck – a place that can be easily hidden by her hair once she’s mounted, but will kill her instantly – and he’d take his prize back to shore.
“We’re out to discover, Grimsby,” Eric called, not turning from the sea, “it’ll be the start of the hunt of a new game; the fishing of a new breed of sea creature. There will be mer-people everywhere, stuffed and hung above the mantelpiece or near the fireplace. My name will go down in history as the first to discover these beings – and the first to kill one of course!”
Grimsby just sighed at the man’s arrogance. If Eric heard it, he’d chosen to ignore it. Eric just stared out into the sea, unmoving for hours, determined to find this woman.
***
Everyone aboard had fallen asleep, except for Eric. Eric was still standing there at the rail on the port side of the ship, still not moving except to cover the large range of sea before him, scoping over every inch of water to find the mermaid. He knew she was out there, and he knew she’d be there. She looked so fascinated with the ship before.
Eric felt a tug at his trousers and looked down, his gaze setting upon wide, beautiful brown eyes. She had brown hair, wet and wavy from the water. She wore nothing but seaweed to cover her breasts, and had a long, green taile that barely reached the water. He was staring at the mermaid for which he had waited hours.
“Eric,” she said. Her voice was high and sweet, and whisper-like.
“How do you know my name?” Eric asked, reaching for his dagger. He hesitated when his fingers neared the cold handle of it, and after a brief moment of hesitation, dropped his hand to his side. Instead, he crouched down to the floor of the deck and leaned closer to the woman, trying to get a better look. He unknowingly muttered, “Beautiful.”
She smiled at him and held out her hand.
“Come with me, Eric. Take my hand, stay with me. Be with me forever, Eric. I need you,” she begged. Eric went cold, his heart and breathing slowed to a calm, steady rhythm, and he stared at her long, thin fingers. There was something he was going to do when he saw the mermaid, but he couldn’t remember what. Reluctantly, he gave up on remembering what it was and surrendered to the beautiful fish woman.
“Okay,” he agreed quietly, taking her cold hand. She gently pulled him with her as she lowered herself to the sea. When they both were in the water, Eric tried to pull her close. She smiled at him, took him by both hands, and started toward the ocean floor. Eric hadn’t had time to take a breath, and she was going much too fast; her grip was much too tight. Spell broken, Eric began to panic. A searing pain broke through him as he breathed in the water, desperate for air. It hurt so bad he couldn’t help but scream, which in turn only made him take in more water.
“Stay with me, Eric,” the woman chimed happily.
The water was only getting colder and he was choking. Screaming, choking, screaming again. He couldn’t stop, it was too late. He felt numb, except for the pain in his chest that he found himself clutching. The cold was too much. The water in his lungs was too much. He was almost at the bottom, still being dragged by the mermaid.
“You’re mine, now.”
“Mermaids? Are you out of your mind?” Grimsby had asked when Eric first brought up the idea.
“Sometimes,” Eric admitted with a chuckle, “but not today, no. I saw one, when the ship exploded on my birthday last month. I saw a woman swimming away, but she had a fish tail for legs. She was a mermaid, and I’m going to find her, kill her, and mount her on my wall.”
“Good heavens, child,” Grimsby replied in response to Eric’s plans for the mermaid. Not that he really believe they existed. In fact, when they found Eric in the water muttering to himself about mermaids, he’d accused Eric of going temporarily mad due to swallowing too much sea water. “That is totally barbaric.”
Eric laughed. “You approve of the mounting of deer and elk, even a bass, but when it comes to a mermaid, of whom you don’t even believe exist in the first place, you accuse me of savagery?”
Grimsby swallowed in defeat. He knew of Eric’s temper, and despite the fact that Eric had been left in Grimsby’s charge when Eric’s father had been killed on the battlefield and his mother killed herself over it (not wanting to be without her husband), Eric wouldn’t have hesitated to punish Grimsby for angering him.
Eric stared off at the water, searching desperately for any evidence of the mer-woman he’d seen just a month before. They were almost to the exact location they had been when a storm erupted and the gunpowder on board had been struck by lightning. Eric knew she’d appear soon; he knew it in the depths of his soul. His right hand fell to play with the handle of the dagger sheathed at his waistline. Soon enough, he’d be close enough to dig the blade of it deep into her neck – a place that can be easily hidden by her hair once she’s mounted, but will kill her instantly – and he’d take his prize back to shore.
“We’re out to discover, Grimsby,” Eric called, not turning from the sea, “it’ll be the start of the hunt of a new game; the fishing of a new breed of sea creature. There will be mer-people everywhere, stuffed and hung above the mantelpiece or near the fireplace. My name will go down in history as the first to discover these beings – and the first to kill one of course!”
Grimsby just sighed at the man’s arrogance. If Eric heard it, he’d chosen to ignore it. Eric just stared out into the sea, unmoving for hours, determined to find this woman.
***
Everyone aboard had fallen asleep, except for Eric. Eric was still standing there at the rail on the port side of the ship, still not moving except to cover the large range of sea before him, scoping over every inch of water to find the mermaid. He knew she was out there, and he knew she’d be there. She looked so fascinated with the ship before.
Eric felt a tug at his trousers and looked down, his gaze setting upon wide, beautiful brown eyes. She had brown hair, wet and wavy from the water. She wore nothing but seaweed to cover her breasts, and had a long, green taile that barely reached the water. He was staring at the mermaid for which he had waited hours.
“Eric,” she said. Her voice was high and sweet, and whisper-like.
“How do you know my name?” Eric asked, reaching for his dagger. He hesitated when his fingers neared the cold handle of it, and after a brief moment of hesitation, dropped his hand to his side. Instead, he crouched down to the floor of the deck and leaned closer to the woman, trying to get a better look. He unknowingly muttered, “Beautiful.”
She smiled at him and held out her hand.
“Come with me, Eric. Take my hand, stay with me. Be with me forever, Eric. I need you,” she begged. Eric went cold, his heart and breathing slowed to a calm, steady rhythm, and he stared at her long, thin fingers. There was something he was going to do when he saw the mermaid, but he couldn’t remember what. Reluctantly, he gave up on remembering what it was and surrendered to the beautiful fish woman.
“Okay,” he agreed quietly, taking her cold hand. She gently pulled him with her as she lowered herself to the sea. When they both were in the water, Eric tried to pull her close. She smiled at him, took him by both hands, and started toward the ocean floor. Eric hadn’t had time to take a breath, and she was going much too fast; her grip was much too tight. Spell broken, Eric began to panic. A searing pain broke through him as he breathed in the water, desperate for air. It hurt so bad he couldn’t help but scream, which in turn only made him take in more water.
“Stay with me, Eric,” the woman chimed happily.
The water was only getting colder and he was choking. Screaming, choking, screaming again. He couldn’t stop, it was too late. He felt numb, except for the pain in his chest that he found himself clutching. The cold was too much. The water in his lungs was too much. He was almost at the bottom, still being dragged by the mermaid.
“You’re mine, now.”