The Merman's Woman

A Diving Trip Goes Wrong

ARIEL

Today was the day that my father and I are going to the diving spot. According to his resources, we should be able to find these mysterious plants and creatures that they told him about. Right now, we were on the boat and we were heading to the diving spot. I looked around and I smiled at the scenery. Dad noticed the look on my face and he asked me.

"Enjoying the view?"

"I'm loving it, look! a dolphin!" I shouted as a few dolphins jumped out of the water as they followed the boat.

Dad got his waterproof camera and he took the picture of me sitting next to the dolphins as they leapt out of the water. I giggled a little and I took a picture of my dad with the dolphins. We took a few pictures of the crew and the landscape of the ocean view. The boat slowed down and then the crewmen dropped anchor and they started to get the diving gear ready. 

"Now remember what I taught you, Ariel?"

"Yes sir, but, there aren't really any sharks out there?" I asked as I looked around to keep an eye out for any signs of a fin.

"Hahaha! don't worry about them, they won't bother us. Sharks don't attack scuba divers, they leave us alone but if you were surfer that'd be a different story. Sharks don't attack unless they think you're a seal or any other animal in distress that causes a splash on the surface of the water."

I understood that part and I also told myself not to panic as long as I stay close to my father when we're underwater. I put on my wetsuit which is black with blue stripes and it showed off my legs. Dad spoke to the crewmen what they should do while we're underwater but, I couldn't help but feel like we're being watched. After I put on my wetsuit, I looked around to see who was watching us but, I decided to shrug it off since it may have been my imagination. I put on my flippers and then my dad asked me after getting ready.

"Nervous, honey?"

"A little, however, I have nothing to worry about as long as I have you."

"That's the spirt."

Dad said to me before spitting into his mask and wiping it before dunking it in the water to make sure it didn't steam up underwater. I did the same with my mask before putting on my oxygen tank. Suddenly, I heard a splash behind me and my dad had gone into the water. Once I was set and ready to go, dad surfaced and he waited for me for a few seconds before I went into the water with him. I surfaced and then dad asked me.

"Ready?"

"Ready when you are."

"All right, let's go and stay close and be sure to take some pictures."

"I will."

I spoke with a smile before putting on my oxygen mask and submerging underwater.

Once we were underwater, I slowly kicked my legs so that my flippers helped me swim alongside my dad as we went deeper and deeper into the water. We got closer and closer to the ocean floor and then we spotted the reef. While we swam towards it, I used my underwater camera to take pictures of the sea creatures. I saw a sea turtle swim by and I took a picture of it. I swam alongside my father again and I took a couple of pictures of him examining the plants and other stuff that he found on the reef. I took a picture some of the bright and colourful fish and then my dad signalled me to come over. I swam alongside him and we found something shiny attached to the reef. The shiny stuff was some scales from a fish and they looked as if had melted onto some of the rocks. I got my scraper from my pouch and then I handed it over to dad and he started to take them off of the rocks.

Dad examined them and then he puts some of them in his bag so we can take a better look at them later. I decided to help him by looking for more shiny objects like this. Just then, I spotted a dolphin and it sawm over to us and I noticed there was a hook and a fishing line stuck to it. The poor thing was having a hard time moving properly and it was practically asking for my help. I swam towards it and then the dolphin moved over to its side so I was able to untangle the poor thing from the fishing line and the hook. I got my knife and I carefully cut away the line from its fins. Dad watched the whole scene and he got my camera from me and he started to take pictures of me trying to help the dolphin. I looked at the horrible hook that was stuck in its fin and I carefully removed it while it was trying to swim away. I got the hook out and then the Dolphin swam upwards to get some air. 

I looked dad and he gave me a fist bump for doing a great job. We took one last look at the reef to see if there was anything else that we can examine before getting back to the mainland. We found some more of that weird shiny stuff until I saw a fin from behind the rocks. I swam over to investigate but, there was nothing there. I got back to my dad and then we continued to look around some more. 

ADRIAN

Earlier, I followed after the woman in her boat and then I watched her and another human dive into the water. I watched them swim to the bottom of the ocean and then I hid behind some rocks to watch them carefully. I noticed them picking up what's left of our shed scales and they started putting them in those weird-looking bags they've got attached to their belts. I was a little worried they were going to learn about us until I spotted Flipper swimming past and he was swimming very slowly for some reason until I realised there was a fishing line and a hook stuck on his body. I was about to help but, Flipper decided to swim over to the humans. I watched the woman gently running her hand on Flipper's body and then I watch her bring out a small knife and then she started to cut away the line.

I smiled a little as I watched Flipper swim to the surface. I sighed in relief but then, I had to hide again because I was afraid she and the other human would have seen me. I hid behind another rock and I watched the woman look around for me but, she swam back to her friend. I raised myself up a little and then I watched the two humans swim back to the surface. I sighed in relief and then Flipper came back and he started to communicate with me through the mind-link.

"Did you see that!? that human helped me!"

"I sure did, I always thought humans were evil but, I guess there are some kind-hearted souls after all."

I smiled a little and then we swam up a little but, a bit of a distance away so the humans didn't see me.

ARIEL

We got back to the boat and then the crewmen helped us onto the boat. I took off my diving mask and my oxygen tank. I sighed a little and then I began to dry my hair while my dad looked at the pictures I took.

"Wow, these shots are amazing Ariel, you've got your mother's photographer's eye."

"Hehe, thanks, dad."

"Hang on, what's that?" Dad asked me before I looked at the picture.

It was the picture of the sea turtle but, in the background, there was a tail of some kind of big fish in the distance.

"Hey, I've seen that tail, after I finished releasing that dolphin, I spotted something behind the rocks but, I thought it was the ocean playing tricks on me but, it looks like it wasn't my imagination at all."

"I've never seen anything like this before, I wonder if it's new species of some kind of fish."

"Only one way to find out, we did collect those scales maybe they belonged to that fish."

"Maybe..."

My dad has that look on his face again. I watched him getting the diver's pouch from his belt and then he got his microscope at the ready and he also got the monitor ready as well. I watched him take a closer look at the scales and to my surprise, they looked like they belonged to a fish but, none that we know of. 

"Incredible, they're some kind of scales from a rainbow fish."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking but, take a closer look."

I looked at the monitor and then the cells transformed into some kind of human cells.

"What the?! what happened?!"

"I don't know, it might be a metamorphosis."

"Are you crazy? that kind of thing can only happen with the butterflies."

"I know, except this is in reverse, look."

Dad took another one of the scales and he puts them at separate to show the difference before adding water to one of the scales and then it changed into a fish scale.

 "What the?! how did that happen?"

"I told you, it's got to be a metamorphosis but, only in reverse."

"You mean whatever this creature is, it lives on both land and water?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, I can't figure out what this creature is yet but, my guess is it probably lives around here."

"What do we do?"

"We'll come back here again tomorrow to try and trap it or place some kind of tag on it so we can keep track of it's movements."

"Just like what we do with the sharks?"

"Exactly!" My dad spoke with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, the radio started up and then Sam's voice appeared.

"Captain! captain! do you read me?!"

"I'm here Sam, what's up?" My dad asked him.

"We've got a problem, remember that storm that we were told that was gonna come in a few days? well, I looked at the satellite readings and it's not good, the storm is coming closer than we inspected! it'll be here in a few hours!"

We heard a few gasps of shocks from the crewmen. I rushed over to the side and I looked in the distance and he wasn't joking the storm was coming in fast.

"He's not kidding dad! we need to get back! now!"

"You're right! start the engine! we're heading back to Costa Rica! now!"

Dad commanded the crew and then they wasted no time starting up the engine. We had to speed our way back to the island but, not fast enough, the storm came quicker than we expected. First came the rain and then the waves started to get out of control. I held onto the railing of the boat for dear life and then dad shouted.

"Hang in there Ariel! we'll be home soon!"

"Can you tell where the island is?! I can't see with the heavy rain and angry waves!"

"Don't worry! we'll be fine!"

Suddenly, we saw smoke coming from the engine and then one of the crewmen said to DAD.

"Boss! she's can't take anymore! we're taking on too much water and the engine has overheated!"

"Dammit! Ariel! call for help!!"

"I'm on it!!"

I told him as I struggled to get to the radio and I sent out the distress call.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday! this is Ariel of the Williams Research vessel! we're...god knows where out in the ocean from the island of Costa Rica! we've taken on too much water and our engine has overheated! we need help fast!"

I waited for fifteen seconds and then I repeated the sentence until I finally got a response.

"We've got your distress call, Miss Williams, we're sending to the coast guard to your location."

I sighed in relief and then Dad said to me.

"Well done, honey! you did well."

"Thanks, Dad," I spoke with a smile.

Suddenly, the waves crashed into our boat. We held on for dear life and then Dad shouted.

"She's not gonna hold! get the life rafts ready! now!"

The crewmen nodded their heads and then they started to get the liferafts ready. Once they were ready, each one of the crew got onto the liferafts and then my dad got on.

"Ariel! hurry!"

I nodded my head but, before I could reach my dad and the liferaft, a huge wave appeared and then it capsized the boat and me underwater. I held my breath and then I was forced underwater. I watched our boat sink to the bottom and then I tried to swim to the surface but, my foot got caught on some ropes and then it started to drag me under. I looked at my foot and then I got my knife from my leg pouch in case of emergencies and I cut away the rope from my ankle but, it started to bleed a little. I put away my knife and I started to swim to the surface. However, the current started to drag me away from the location where the liferafts were and I went deeper and deeper in the water. I covered my mouth since I was starting to lose air but, I had to keep trying to reach the surface.

Suddenly, I saw something from the distance and then a huge fish came towards me and then another one and another one until I saw at least three tiger sharks coming my way. I didn't know how I was going to defend myself since I was running out of air and I had no spear gun to stop them. The sharks swam around me since they were checking me out but, I knew they could smell my blood since I was bleeding from cutting away the rope that nearly dragged me down. I looked around and I tried to keep an eye out for anyone of the sharks coming towards me. I watched as one of them started to come towards me, I braced for the impact but, it didn't come. All of a sudden, a group of dolphins started attacking the Tiger sharks and then they swam away. I was surprised by this because I've heard stories about dolphins rescuing humans but, I've never seen it or experienced it until now.

I tried to swim to the surface but, had just about run out of air and then my body started to fail me. I started to see black dots and I began to slowly descend into the water. I slowly closed my eyes but, then I felt someone or something grab my wrist. I saw a shadow figure with the body of a human and a tail of a fish. I figured it was just my mind playing tricks since I was gonna drown and I was never going to see my dad or family again...