“We’re going to see my parents today.” Bri stated bluntly.

She didn’t look up from what she was doing, fiddling around with what to wear from her closet. She seemed rather distant and unfocused or perhaps hyper focused.

“There’s some things we need to talk about before we leave. They don’t know I have a human... alive. They are traditional in the sense that humans are kept as slaves or abused pets. So... I’m going to have to fool them. They don't know I treat you kindly.”

Bri was avoiding eye contact with me. I stayed silent and began sweating at the idea of what it means to fool her folks. I need some answers first though.

“Why do mermaids treat humans so horribly? I saw some in the market when we first arrived in the village. They were scared and helpless, almost dead... why be so cruel to them?”

Bri stopped her routine and stood for a moment, glancing down at her hands and curling them into a gentle fist. She took a deep sigh and turned to face me.

“Because humans are vile creatures. They attack blindly and have little compassion. Not all of them but most. When I was a girl my mother was attacked by sailors, they wanted to harvest her body and become famous. She escaped with her life but she was horribly injured and lost her tail because of it. She can never go back in the water... she’s been on land for nearly 320 years.”

“Have you harmed humans before me? And why are you so kind to me?”

“Yes, hundreds of them,” she said coldly and without hesitation.

“I’ve spent many years toying with them, torturing them, and killing them in various ways. It’s sweet justice to see their pain. They’ve hunted mermaids for millennia, so we take handfuls back. They go missing and that’s that. It’s how our system works. As for you... I need a change of pace. Making a connection with a human isn’t a bad thing. Just odd in my culture. I plan to keep you.”

“I don’t know if I’m okay with that. Is that a good thing or bad thing you keep me? And back to your folks, I’m sorry about your mother. How do you plan to fool them? What will you do to me?”

“Just remember what I do is pretend and I don’t mean any of it. It will be a facade for my parents. They can’t know I’ve gone soft for a human.”

“Okay...” I looked at her face, it was rather expressionless. Not at all the warm gentle face I’ve come to know.

She turned away briskly towards the door, looking outside to see what the weather would be like. She frowned as she saw low dark clouds coming in from the coast line.

“Let’s go, we can’t be late.”

She came back near the bed and let her hand fall in front of me, waiting for me to step on. I didn’t want to go, I didn’t want to go. I don’t want to experience whatever was going to happen with her folks. My gut told me not to step onto her hand, it screamed at me with ferocity. I felt sick and light headed, my body was heavy like lead and I shook trying to stand on my feet. Brimeira waited patiently, glancing at me and back at her hand. I tripped taking a step towards her hand, I caught myself on her palm and thumb. She nudged her other hand and pushed me into her palm, securing me by curling her fingers around my body. It was a firm grip, a little too firm. I didn’t feel safe at the moment. This wasn’t a safe spot, I felt like I was going into the lion’s den. I prayed Bri would be gentle and not hurt me. I pleaded with God that I wouldn’t be dealt with something worse than death. I’m going where I shouldn’t go. I hoped for the best knowing it could be the worst.