Takes a different approach but comes back around to the classics.

“There was a time when life was simple; Waking up in my bed on a typical weekday, hearing my cat purr constantly at my feet. Taking the time to make a cup of coffee and going to work. Coming home to do the dishes and running errands. It was mundane, day in and day out. Not much excitement. What I had to do was change it up, take an adventure and make some memories to last a lifetime. I did more than make memories, I made a new life. A life that took me beyond my understanding of the world I once knew. This is my story, whether you believe it or not, I speak of my experiences. Perhaps this message will find someone, maybe it won’t. I can say I tried to explain my disappearance. Thank you to any who read this, these are the last words of Hayley Borja. “

4 months ago…

“Jordan! Hey, I’m over here dude!”

I shifted my jeans and glanced over my outfit one last time before my friend would join me for breakfast. I shrugged at the fact I didn’t look as cute as I planned to be, but I was content with my outfit. A simple gray Nike windbreaker with some boot cut jeans and Nike shoes. I enjoyed the ‘sporty’ look. It was comfortable and easy to put together. My hair is simple and pulled into a straight pony. Jordan on the other hand was looking cute as always; black leggings with knee high boots and a jean jacket to cover a v cut top that showed her chest off nicely. She was a cute woman, dark brown hair with streaks of natural blonde. She always pulled her hair into a half bun half down style and she rocked it.

“It’s about time you got here. I’ve been waiting for 10 minutes, what took you?”

“I had to say bye to Anton before he left for Canada today.” She said with a frown. “Where are you going for your trip?” She drank her water in large gulps and tried eating some of her eggs with little accomplishment.

“It’s either Greece or Norway. I haven't decided which is better. I’ve always had a love for Greek mythology and the temples would be amazing to see. Norway is my ancestry roots, it would be cool to see my heritage alive and thriving. It’s been hard trying to nail it down to just one.” 

“Norway sounds better, you can check out the old folklores and legends.” Jordan said bluntly.

“I don’t know much about Norse mythology. I think I will go there then. Thanks Jordan.”

I placed cash on the table and was getting ready to leave.

“Where are you going? I’m not finished eating.” She glared at me until I responded.

“I’m going to see a travel agency and get my trip around. I want to leave as soon as I can. I’ll call you later, ok?” I gave her a hug and was on my way. She gave a rather loud sigh and said goodbye.

My first stop was the Lofoten Islands, more local towns and shops that wouldn’t be over burdened with tourists. I wanted to dive deep into the culture and atmosphere. The bars were simple and very friendly to newcomers. Several lagers later, a group of young adults came into the bar raving about their adventure from the day. Three men and two women came close to the bar and one of the young men gave me a wink. He had handsome, blonde hair with smooth blue eyes. He came over after receiving a drink,

“Hello. Why is such a pretty girl by herself tonight? You need some company.” His accent was somewhat thick, but I vaguely understood. He whistled to his friends and they all came over to sit by me.

“Oh that’s nice of you, I’m actually just visiting. Are you locals?”

“Yes. This is Bjorn, Kodiak, Caryn, Anja, and I am Erving. What brings you to our fine country?”

“America is boring. Adventure runs throughout the world, so why not start here?” I drank slowly from my beer.

“Ah! I like it! You must come with us then, we have many adventures. We are going tomorrow, you must come. We search for mermaids!” His friends snickered a bit

“Mermaids? Hmm didn’t know they lived out in such cold waters, thought they were tropical or something.” I rolled my eyes a bit, looking down at my nearly empty glass.

“Bah! No, they thrive in the frigid sea. Please say you’ll come, we won’t disappoint.” He gave a sly smile I couldn’t say no to.

“Okay, I’ve got nothing better to do tomorrow anyways.” They gave me details for tomorrow’s trip. Pack waterproof and warm clothes.

The seagulls squawked rather loudly at the docks, screeching for scraps of food. I saw Erving and his boat, decent size that would fit the six of us, maybe a bit cramped. We set off making our way towards the east. We sailed for what seemed like hours until we reached a spot with nothing in sight. Erving cast his fishing pole.

“And we wait,” he said bluntly.

‘What… you’ve got to be kidding me’ I thought to myself.

“So why would a mermaid be fooled by a fishing rod?” I asked skeptically. I shivered at the cold gust that whipped at my hair and face.

“They enjoy playing with humans, you see. They are intrigued by us and can't help but wonder what we do. The fishing pole is like a cat-mouse game for them. Today we have good luck, they come during storms. Look there.” He pointed into a black mass of clouds that I could only describe as apocalyptic. It was brewing something fierce; high above you can see the faint flashes of lightning cutting through the sky.

“Oh sweet Jesus…” I whispered under my breath. I’m not a huge fan of storms or the open ocean. The two of them together is a no-go for me. The wind picked up and it's blowing gusts that could push me over. The rain was pelting my face so hard it began to sting; thunder was rolling above our heads. I was frightened and wanted to turn around immediately. Erving's friends were smiling and laughing at the elements pounding them. Erving was still sitting, waiting for his hook to catch. He stared so intensely into the water. He didn't dare blink in case he missed any sign of the "mermaid". The boat was being thrown around by the growing waves cascading into the sides, making the boat creak and moan as the waves crashed against it, one after another. The group began dancing and singing a song I couldn’t understand. They looked so joyous and unaware of the real danger they were in.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK! YOU PEOPLE ARE NUTS!” They weren’t fazed by my yelling. I was frantically looking for a life vest in case we capsized. 

I made my way to the lower deck of the boat, but I was thrown to the right with such tremendous force I went flying into a cabinet and hit my head. I felt the trickle of blood run down the side of my head. I thought we hit some serious debris in the water. I staggered to the deck to see the group was gone, no trace that they were even on the boat. Erving was gone too, nothing left but his pole firmly planted on the deck ledge.Clutching the side of the boat and scanning the water for bodies, any sign of these people, I saw it. The sea was dark but whatever I was seeing, was big and cast such a shadow down below it was impossible to miss. It was huge, almost 40ft long, I saw the back end. It was very similar to a shark’s tail, curved and sharp at the end. The top half though was disfigured and large, like a deformity. A bolt of white lightning lit up the surrounding black environment, highlighting the sea serpentess with a predominate silhouette. For the solid seconds of lightning  I clearly saw the outline of her upper body, her head to the shoulders, to her hips that then shaped into her fins. She circled the boat slowly; she was as long as the boat! In a long wide turn she suddenly darted to the starboard side, ramming it hard. The boat tipped over effortlessly, throwing me off the deck and away from the vessel. I hit the ocean falling deep into its abyss. The storm currents were pushing and pulling at me while I tried to resurface. Beneath the water I saw multiple lightning bolts split the sky open. I hear the muffled thunder claps through the torrent water. My lungs were building with pressure, my heart beating so hard in my ears. I feel her skim my legs and I kicked frantically, hoping it would discourage her pursuit. My arm breaks the water tension but before my head breaks through I was bound tightly; losing what little air I had left in my lungs. I felt the rush of cold salt water run down my throat, the choke that held its grip on my throat disappeared.

'This is it. I die now, and like this. What a way to go…’ I thought.

I felt my body breach the surface violently. Now I feel the cutting wind on my numbing skin. I coughed intensely and puked what seemed like buckets of water. My eyes burned with salt water. My naive and useless hope was that the coast guard rescued me but that was not the case. I was encompassed in a clenching force. It was obviously a hand, very human by the touch, only much larger. Her fingers were wrapped around me and provided little warmth. A large finger caressed my head from where I was bleeding. I shrunk back and covered my face. I cowered, I won’t deny that.

“Poor thing…” I heard a faint feminine voice say. I felt us moving through the water, being blasted with the storm. I curled into her hand to shield myself. She positioned me close to her body, which brought sweet warm relief. She cupped her hand around me, guarding me from the harsh outside world. I shivered a bit more and her hand came down  closer, giving me more pressure against her body. I could hear her heartbeat. It wasn't a typical heartbeat. It was a surreal calmness that brought ease into my hypothermic body.

To find myself on a beach with the ocean so peaceful I  had to believe I died. My eyes still burned a bit from the salt water, I rubbed them harshly. Then I realize the beach isn’t white soft sands and blue skies. It was gloomy with gray clouds above and dark pebble sand. As far as I can recall, I may have been drugged, hallucinated, the boat sank, and I float ashore on a God forsaken island. Why couldn’t it have been a warm island, with warm sand and clear blue waters? NO, it’s a gray dismal place with not much life besides birds and crustaceans. Behind me laid thick green trees lush with foliage that ran up toward a mountain.

 The ocean parted as something large was coming out of the water. A beautiful naked woman emerged with a small net filled with fish. Her steps were slow and delicate as she stepped through the shallows, careful not to splash any more than needed. She gazed in my direction with a soft look, her eyes a stunning green and dark auburn hair down her shoulders. She was exposed head to toe, her chest curving into a wide and generous pair of breasts, while moving down into a simple hourglass shape where her hips spread vastly apart from her waist. Her thighs are firm with muscle but not the least bit unfeminine. Her stride was long, only taking a few short moments before stepping on the dreary sand. Her footsteps shook the sand lightly, with dull thudding becoming heavier. I sat there astonished with the sight of her. She stood above me and casually looked down at me. She tied the net into a knot and allowed it to fall from her hands, she began to sit down in front of me. I blushed deeply seeing her womanhood as she crouched down. She crossed her legs which did little to hide much but enough that eye contact was possible. Her breasts were full and hung ever so sweetly, nothing over the top but a lovely pair that suits her. She was combing her hair with her fingers looking down at me with a small smile, not saying a word. She hummed lightly while playing with her stunning hair. After doing a small braid to tie it back, she collected the net of fish and stood up. She looked down beside me and gestured I get up. I stared blankly at her. She gestured again and I refused. She bent down and nudged my back forward. I sat motionless, just staring. I wasn’t sure what to do. I curled my legs to my chest and hugged myself tightly. With a sigh of frustration she came close and pushed apart my legs from my chest and proceeded to push me down, making me lay flat on the sand. She then picked me up. She had a very soft touch and a loose grip, which I was nervous she would drop me. I clutched to her hand and heard a faint giggle. She put a little more pressure onto my body until I felt secure. Raising further up, past her body and into view of her I saw just how breathtaking she was.

Her eyes were sharp with green and golden specks; her nose a button nose with sleek edges, a heart shaped face with cheeks round and blushed. A jawline that could cut marble, lips full and a solid dark pink, they pursed ever so slightly. I felt I couldn’t look at her because she was so beautiful, I felt my face turn hot and looked down at her fingers. They were solid, like tree branches off a strong oak tree. Her skin was smooth and warm, like a comforter off a bed. Her nails were even with her finger tips, at a perfect length in my opinion. I stared at her feet, holding her hulk of a body up in the plush sand. I couldn't look at her directly... it was too embarrassing how flustered I am. She made her way towards the mountain, with a look of determination. Watching her stride from her point of view was amazing itself, easily covering the ground with her feet. Her toenails were painted a turquoise green with a glassy finish. How odd that her nails are painted….

Every now and then she would stop to catch her breath. The mountain wasn’t an easy hike. At some point she threw the fish net above a ledge that was 230 ft. above her. She eyed me closely before bringing me to her mouth. I was convinced I was her afternoon snack, the fish was dinner. But instead she grabbed my clothes with her teeth and I dangled in front of her mouth. Her breath was hot, blowing down on me. It smelled just like ocean salt air. It wasn’t bothersome thank goodness. She stretched out her arms looking for a place to grip the granite. She made several adjustments and began to climb and look for further grip points. When she was high enough off the ledge, her breath quickened. She looked down at her feet carefully to see where she could place them. She turned her head slowly so I wouldn’t swing too much, regardless I was swinging. I gripped at her lower lip. It was plush and a bit moist, but enough that it made me feel more secure. She was near the top when her foot broke off a piece of a ledge it was leaning into. She gasped loudly and I was sucked into her mouth.

The damp confined cavern was humid and it was difficult to breathe. She held me pinned to the roof of her mouth as we fell. Her salvia was coating me and I wanted to gag. The titaness slipped along the mountain, free falling as she dug her fingers deep into the rock face hoping to catch something. As she caught a ledge her teeth clamped down unto each other. I was thankful I wasn’t near them. I could see down her throat, into the dark abyss that followed down to hell itself. I tried finding something to grip so I wouldn't fall closer to the dark hole, plunging to her stomach.

She was shaken, I could feel her mouth quivering; she gingerly opened her mouth and pushed me out with her tongue. I landed in her hand. I saw her other hand was bleeding from where her nails broke off against the wall, she didn’t seem fazed by it. She gave a detailed look over to me searching for injuries. Her eyes were close to tears. I stood and wiped off the thick liquid on me. I touched her cheek and said I was fine. In honesty, I was scared shitless. I was still wondering if I had all my fingers or limbs attached. She held me in her hand for the remainder of the climb, being very careful where she placed her feet. Close to the top again, she reached high above her head and placed me about the flat surface. I saw the net with fish and stood beside it. I backed away from the net, giving her room to crawl up. Both hands were on the ledge and I realized just how really large she was. She lifted herself up, throwing her upper body into the air with ease, after that she threw her leg up and proceeded to stand to her full height. She stepped away from the ledge and looked down at me. She gave a small smile and a quick nod, she reached down and instead of picking me up she laid her hand out flat for me to climb onto. She curled her fingers around me and we began the trek towards oblivion once again. A little ways into the hike the awkward silence was getting too much, I didn’t understand why she wasn’t saying anything, and it was bizarre.

“So, thank you for keeping me safe. For both times, out at sea and just now.” I gazed up and she was looking down too, she smiled but still said nothing.

“How did you have fins in the water but legs now?” I continued. “Why did you decide to help me and not the other people I was with? Do you not speak English? Do you have a name?” I looked at her for a long moment, with no reply. I slouched into her hand, pouting. “My name is Hayle.”

The giantess stopped in her tracks and brought me close to her face, she examined closely. Her face was blushing a bit and her teeth slightly showing in a large smile. Her lips were coming into my personal space rather quickly and I prepared for the worst once again. Instead, it was a light kiss upon my face. She pulled back and smiled again while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Brimeira.” She said sweetly. “You may call me Bri if you like.” 

I was speechless. Her voice caught me off guard so quickly I forgot how to speak. Her voice was soft and sweet. Very gentle and ringing in my ears. I was immediately attracted to her voice...

“Nice to meet you, Bri.” I said dryly. “Where are we going? Will you answer all my questions too? I’m confused and would like some answers.”

“Yes, of course, little one. For now we will call it a day and look for shelter for the night. Does that sound agreeable?”

“I suppose so.”

It was starting to get rather chilly with some rain starting to sprinkle. I didn’t want to get wet again, now that I’m finally dry and somewhat warm. We came to a split in the mountain side, where it was carved into a deep canyon, looking below there was a crevasse opening that looked large enough for Bri to crawl into. She was easy to climb down and found the cave to be smaller than originally thought. She knelt down and let me drop softly on the ground. She crawled in on all fours to squeeze through the entrance; it got wider and taller towards the back but not much. She laid her enormous body down and pushed up against the wall, allowing a little more space for me. I was outside waiting for her to get comfortable. She waved at me to come in. I heard a deep growl. My eyes were wide, concerned about what was around. I hear it again to the side and down below some boulders to see a mountain lion glaring at me down with teeth hissing at me. I slowly back into the cave only to have the large predator come inching closer. Bri pounded her hand into the ground and shook violently, the cougar hissed at her with hateful eyes, it wasn’t going to back down, it came closer to the cave and myself. Bri’s arm came over my head and held the animal down with her hand. She pinned the beast down. She took her index and thumb and simply snapped its neck. I did feel a bit sorry for the poor thing; we were probably taking its home… Bri picked up the carcass and placed it beside the net with the fish collected from earlier that day. I looked in shock and was nervous to get close to her. I would hope she wouldn’t hurt me but she hasn’t made that promise yet. She patted the ground in front of her chest, gesturing to me to come over and lay down. I did so, slowly and watching her intimately, her breasts were beyond close and provided body pillows. I lay close to her body again and it reminded me when I almost died. Except now, I can enjoy the sight I’m seeing. If only she wasn’t so large she wouldn’t mind sleeping with her. An idea for another day.

“You are seeing my village tomorrow. Do not fear, you will be with me at all times.” She nuzzled into her arms and began to drift asleep. However I was worried what that would entail, what the hell was in the village? Were there more mermaids?

In the course of the night I could feel Bri fidgeting in her sleep, becoming restless. Her breath was uneven and heavy. “NO!” she yelled and suddenly tried sitting up only to smash her head on the low ceiling of the cave. I ran out from under her and stayed close by the cave entrance and squinted trying to see her face. She held her head for a moment before looking up at me.

“Are you okay?” I asked genuinely.

“I’m fine, it will be just a bump tomorrow. I’m sorry if I startled you."

“Can I ask what you were dreaming?” What could possibly scare her that she has night terrors?

She was hesitant to answer but she finally spoke, “My sister… she isn’t the kindest...she has a dark soul.”

She paused a moment before continuing, “She was the one who attacked your boat with your friends aboard. She killed them.”

I was quiet for a minute trying to relive that night, trying to remember the details.

“There were no bodies in the water. Did she pull them down and drown them?”  Her expression was grim.

“Not all of them. She is particular with humans. Sometimes she likes them alive, other times tortured and alive, or simply dead. She eats them….”

The silence that followed was for eternity. I wasn’t sure what to say so I remained silent, Bri went on. “I saved you from the ship because my sister was greedy with taking 5 humans at once. I wasn’t allowing her to take another. You may or may not see her tomorrow, but if so, you will be safe with me. She has no ownership over you… You see mermaids are allowed one human per year. It is a tradition we withhold for many centuries. Alsea shouldn’t have broken the code of our people. Hence, I tried saving you. I’m assuming the group you were with has been eaten. Her greed and lust for violence is abnormal to our kind. But there’s one like her in every generation. I’m sorry for the loss of your friends.”

She reached her hand over and cup behind my back and allowed me to fall into her hand like a chair. She cuddled me close and hummed slightly; she stroked my head a few times. I was beginning to feel more like a pet than a human being with free will.

“Could you not? I’m not an animal. I’m fine with you carrying me and all, but I don’t want to be stroked like a dog.” I glared and with irritation in my voice.

“I’m sorry, little one…” She removed her hand from my body and the chill of night crept in rather quickly. She rolled over, her back facing me and hair rolling over her shoulder blades. I walked near her neck, following my hand up her neck to the back of her head. I unknowingly started caressing her hair while moving towards her forehead and face. I skimmed her face till I felt something wet across her skin, she was crying.

“Please turn over, I want to see you.” I whispered. She did so slowly, keeping her eyes down on the ground. I stepped near her lips, holding my hand on her cheek.

“I’m sorry… I was quick to take my anger on you. This is all overwhelming. I’m seeing things that weren’t supposed to exist, people I knew are dead, and I’m standing beside a beautiful mermaid… I think.” I trailed off. “I still have some questions about that. The legs thing, I thought mermaids couldn’t leave the water?’

“Well, in some other races of mermaids, yes. Our specific kind can manage between land and sea, depending on the migrating season. Certain seasons we leave the water to stay hidden from the world, but the water always calls us back. We manage on land, we’ve learned to be graceful with our legs but prefer the water.” she finished with a small blush.

“Are other mermaids your size?”

“No. Some are taller than others. The shortest of our kind would be around 15ft-20ft or so. While in the water we could be prey to other sea creatures, our size keeps our populations in order. The smaller are often picked off by colossal beasts. The ‘kraken’ as humans call it, is a fierce predator that eats mermaids. Though only snaring 2-3 in a year so not a horrible loss of our people. Sometimes if a certain ecosystem is lacking food resources, a mermaid will give herself up for the life of the ocean. We are protectors for the sea, as only we could protect more. Humans outnumber us but a laughable amount, including technologies that would kill us rather quickly. There were times when we had arrangements with humans. We would coexist and benefit well with each other's resources. But alas, that was long long ago; we cannot do such a thing now.”

“What about Atlantis, is there such a place? What about people who reported seeing mermaids and lived to tell the truth?’

“There are many creatures in the vast ocean. Some come from the depths below to surface for food or sunlight for a moment. I shall call them distant relatives… They take on the appearance of a fish or mammal. Depends which part of the ocean you are in. They are more primal and fearful of humans, they stay away as best as they can. The abyss is where they like it; a chance encounter with them is few and far between but it does happen. Perhaps a dead carcass finds its way to the surface, but by the time it does reach, it is probably ravaged by other sea life, making it unrecognizable, making it believable that it was a hoax. As for Atlantis, it does exist however; it is not for the faint of heart. It is more like a prison for the undesirables and cruelest creatures; a prison for many creatures, not just the ones that live in the ocean. It’s called other names too… Tartarus, Barzakh, purgatory. How it became known as our kingdom beats me. Atlantis houses a lot of evil creatures. The ocean can hide anything, but knowing where in the ocean to put it. Shall we go to sleep now?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” I stared blankly out the cavern, trying to process all the information Bri has described. I had quite the pounding headache after that conversation; I curled into the crook of Bri’s neck. Tomorrow would be a new day and new experiences.

           The sun rose high, casting shadows on top of the jagged rocky mountain. I stretched my body and rubbed my eyes to see Bri stirring from her slumber. She blinked heavily a few times and focused her attention on me. She hid her face in her arms and let out a deep sigh. “Time to get up already? fine." She slowly raised herself, careful not to hit the ceiling.

"Would you mind stepping out first? I don’t want to crush you against the wall or anything.” I did so, walking outside. I waited a moment before turning around and looking back at Bri, my timing wasn’t the best. Her breasts were swinging side to side as she shimmied her way out the narrowing entrance. Trying to stand up before she was completely out she ran her lower back and butt into the limestone and scrapped them rather hard. She frowned deeply while trying to see the damage, she turned and asked,

“How bad is it?”

I looked hesitantly, but it sure was the best ass I’ve ever seen. It defied gravity it seemed. It was scratched with several lines running from the top of the lower back down to the middle of her butt cheek. Some blood was coming out, but not much. Almost looked like road rash if you could compare it to anything that size.

“You may not survive that scratch.” I winked at her. I blushed immediately not knowing why I did such a thing.

“Oh shush! Let’s get going, we have some ground to cover before we're there.”

           She carried me for a long while before we reached the edge of the actual mountain, towards the top it dipped into a valley. A small river ran through, cutting through the NW side of the valley. Large trees thick as New York buildings stood, full of foliage; following unique birds soared through the sky, squawking high above the trees. Bri made her way down the valley where she let me down on the ground to stretch out my legs for a while. She walked slowly and carefully not to leave me behind or bump her legs into me. She was overwhelmingly large, in such a way that was hypnotizing. Her legs just kept going and going, leading their way to a canvas of beauty. The shock of her being naked was gone but now there was trying to get over the lust rush when seeing her at certain angles. She was simply enticing, my wildest dreams couldn't produce anything close to her divine beauty. She would push tree branches away from her path while stepping forward, easily snapping what seemed to be a sturdy tree limb. She was careful when breaking them, being sure not to let the debris fall on me. I was keeping a fast walk trying to keep up with her strides. Her footsteps had a gentle finesse with a small thump each step she took. She was deliberately placing her weight to make less tremors.

I was working up a sweat and beginning to fall behind. Which in all wasn’t bad, I had a lovely view of her curvaceous body. I was breathing harder than I should’ve been. Bri heard my difficult breathing and stopped. She waited patiently for me to reach her. I caught up but held my weight against her leg. I was shaking and was losing my grip on her leg, falling to the forest floor with a thud. I collapsed with embarrassment steaming inside me, hoping she wasn’t judging my pathetic body.

           She casually scooped my limp body and rolled me over to look at my face, she smiled and continued walking. For an hour or so we were both silent. I was nervous to meet other mermaids possibly. Bri stopped abruptly at the edge of the trees, she whispered to me,

“We are here. Do not look scared when you see the others. As for my sister, let me do the talking okay? I’ll deal with her.”

She cautiously walked forward into a clearing, there were huts tall as old circus tents, larger even. There were hordes of stunning women, all equally beautiful as Bri. They had small animal skins covering their private parts and chest, some had it tied in their hair having it pulled back in a loose ponytail or braid. They looked over and smiled and waved at Bri, one came over and gave her a kiss on the check and welcomed her. She continued walking and we hit a small market, where all kinds of goods were being sold. There was petrified sea life, baskets, large loads of fruits and vegetables, distinct animal skins dyed in bright colors, and lastly humans in a cage. I stared in disbelief at the dozen or so stuck in a thick wooden cage, they all sat close to each other. Their clothes (if any on some) were ripped and torn, ragged from their survival. They kept their heads down and didn’t look up when a mermaid came close to glance at the selection available. I was very grateful that Bri had found me and treated me so well, so far anyways. I hope she won't try to sell me to a merchant. We passed the market and still being in shock, I didn’t notice Bri stopped and her breathing stopped. I glance over to see a woman with dark hair, almost black with deep brown eyes and a face that could kill on sight. She was slender with a small chest but made up the lack of one with her ass. Within her hands she held a human, a young man. I stared closely and realized it was Erving!

“ERVING! ERVING! OVER HERE!”

           Alsea heard my screams, she squinted her eyes and made a dark smirk on her face and began walking over to Bri. Bri became rigid and squeezed my body a little tighter than normally, making it a challenge to breathe. I could feel her hand trembling a bit. Alsea was right in front of us, Erving raised his head a bit and his eyes got wide and frantic.

“HAYLEY!” He reached out his arm to me, but as quickly as he did that, his upper body was hidden inside Alsea’s mouth. She gave an evil look at me, directly making eye contact at me then to Bri. She closed her mouth tightly and the cracking of his bones were apparent. Alsea lifted her head and pulled Erving’s body apart at the torso, leaving a bloody and gore mess in her hand.  Distinct loud snapping noises while she smiled. She swallowed and brought her attention back to me,

“Did you know him? That’s too bad, he was really charming.” She dumped the rest of his body in her mouth and walked off. Looking over her shoulder with a devil grin and a wink towards her sister.

Bri was shaking now, she brought me close to her face. She was looking at me with such serious concern. “Hayley…..” she said softly. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. Are you okay?”

I stared back at her with no emotion, just horribly numb to my core. Seeing something so vicious and gruesome in mere seconds and seeing a life end in such a brutal way… how else can I react? I knew I wasn’t blinking… I was staring aimlessly into Bri’s face. I moved my eyes down to her lips. I lingered intently on the grooves of her lips and the softness they proved. How alluring they were and yet such a haunting thought of how disturbingly cruel those lips could be. I was inside her mouth at some point… I felt that fear of dying… that horrifying dread of facing oblivion.

It was so vivid still, seeing the blood, smelling it, feeling his fear before his death. I don’t want this…. I want to go home. Bri may be gentle but who is to say these other monsters won’t try to kill me? Or accidentally hurt me? I snapped back to Bri’s warm breath blowing on my face, she was still waiting for me to say something.

“I… I don’t know. Please… I need a minute to think. Can we go somewhere quiet?”

“Of course, little one.” She coddled me close, keeping a firm grip on my body.

At this point I was disassociating with reality and I felt like I was still in my bed at home dreaming all of this. I felt the warmth of my blankets and my morning birds chirping sweetly and my cat purring softly at my feet. I wasn’t aware of being carried by a 40 ft giantess. No, I was home and I will wake up from this nightmare. It could’ve been a nice dream, it could’ve been an awesome dream! By the time I wake up, I won’t remember any of this anyhow. I always forget my dreams the next morning. But… it was real. I wasn’t ‘waking’ up, no my mind came back to what appeared to be my new reality. Bri was silent and walked calmly to wherever we were going. We stopped eventually, and some old stone ruins appeared. There were some stone houses that were decimated over time and the elements, a partial wall here and a collapsed roof there.

Random stone structures that wouldn’t make do for any kind of shelter if needed. Bri was slow, she kneeled down and tried letting me walk off her hand, I didn’t want to move honestly. I remained in her hand and held her thumb close like a body pillow. Bri adjusted herself and crossed her legs with her hand and myself in her lap. She was quiet. Everything came together at that point and I started crying, I can’t process all of this calmly. I cried hard, sobbing into my arm, tucking my face to hide it. I felt humiliated and pathetic. I continued crying, I could hear Bri sigh deeply. I felt her other thumb come gently placed on my back, she held it there while I sobbed. I was tiring myself out and had a horrible headache from crying so hard. I needed some sleep, so I laid back into her hand and stretched my legs out and curled them back close to my body.  I was comfortable and I think Bri was too. She was lying against some stone ruins and allowed herself to relax for a moment.

We sat there for a long while enjoying the sounds of the island's life. Bri was comfortably dozing off and I admired her body intently. A typical human can be captivating but something about the sheer size of Bri and a mysterious allure made a hypnotic pull at my attention. She was blessed in every way. Her skin was smooth and supple, her hair gleamed with a healthy volume. The most captivating amongst her body though was her hands. Upon first seeing them, they seemed menacing and ruthless but on closer inspection they were graceful and elegant. Her palms had deep lines that I traced with my fingers and stretched from one side of her hand to the other, carefully feeling the grooves. Her fingers curled gently in her relaxed state, I trailed my hand over her knuckles to her nail and back down the side into the wedge. Such power and force just within her hand.. It was surreal. I placed my palm into hers and stared heavily at the differences. Her hands were more appealing than mine. My nails were short and stumpy with semi-long fingers that were too skinny to wear any rings.

Bri stirred awake when I began tracing my hands along her thigh.

"That tickles you know." she whispered, smiling with her eyes still closed.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I didn't say to stop" She readjusted her thigh to bring it closer within my reach. It was an innocent thing really, I touched her softly with my hands and tickled in various spots and admired the warmth. Bri had a small grin on her face and was content with the moment. 

"Should we go home soon?" She asked quietly.

I was shocked thinking of dirty deeds we could attempt but I don't think she meant it like that. I nodded and walked towards her hands, climbing into her palm.

Bri came across a tree canopy that shared space with huge boulders leading into a cavern. Her door was made of several hundred trees tied together with thickets of foliage covering the boulders. It was a cozy home, comfortable for 1-2 people. There was a carved out rock face that held wood and a fireplace with several shag-like rugs spewed across the floor. Her bed was on the back wall littered with pillows and blankets with various soft textures. She boiled some tea leaves and made a tincture. She slipped softly from a granite mug and offered some to me, I politely sipped from the edge of the mug. My eyes were growing heavy with the warm tea in my stomach. Bri could see my struggle of staying awake and placed me at the top of her bed next to a mammoth pillow. I curled up instantly beside it waiting for Bri to get in bed next. She settled in carefully watching if I moved at her weight in the bed. She coddled me closer, beside her cheek. It was rather close for my comfort but I was too tired to move or care. I wondered if this would become a regular thing or if this was temporary. 

I peeled my eyes open to an awfully bright room with blankets swallowing me beneath their softness. Glancing around, Bri was gone. For someone as large as her, she was nimble enough without waking me up... rather impressive actually. I walked towards the door to peek outside, hoping not to be noticed by the native mermaids. They all came in such unique and colorful bodies and shapes, it was like looking into a kaleidoscope of beings. All ranged in height from 10 feet-80 feet, some had small horns protruding in the sides of their head, others had almost feather-like markings that vibrated with color.

They all had their own version of piercing eye colors, enough to make a man stare into them forever and die from thirst or hunger... consuming them and losing their minds. The allure to interact with them was tempting but fear kept me in check. I waited patiently for Bri to return but I was becoming restless. I wanted to go back to the beach where I first arrived. Without Bri’s help and direction, I was stuck. I went back to my lake of blankets and sank into them, taking in Bri’s floral and oceanic scent.

I was startled to be forcefully pulled upwards in a rather harsh motion. Bri’s eyes were wide eyed and chipper she said, “Good morning! How are you?”

Her index finger ran across my back and along my shoulders, up to my neck. It felt so enticing, I melted into her touch. She continued to stroke my neck as she saw me lean into finger, favoring that spot. There was a comfortable silence between us. She stepped over to her bed and sat her back against the wall and held me in her hand, taking her time with each stroke, hoping to make each one last a lifetime. I sprawled myself out into her hand with my leg hanging over the edge of her palm, waiting to see if she would accept my invitation. She continued her way down, but rather than go to my chest or stomach she moved along my arm, gingerly grasping my forearm and hand between her index and thumb. She held it for a few moments, as if memorizing the touch. I could feel her pulse in digits and it soothed me. She used her thumb to run up and down my arm to my neck and swayed to and from. When she grew tired of my arm she moved to my legs. My right leg hanging over her palm she grasped so lightly it could’ve been the wind lifting it up. She meticulously touched my feet and examined them closely, counting the toes on my foot and trying to touch each individual one without touching them all at once. She tried with a sigh of fluster, moving on to my shins and distinctly feeling for my shin and knee. She continued rhythmic patterns on my legs.

“Please don’t stop,” I muttered.

Unknowing if she heard me or not, the tender touches didn’t stop. It was an innocent thing really, but I felt my excitement growing. I wanted more touch... more pressure.. more of this feeling.

My body began to move on its own. My hips pushed upwards grazing Bri's finger, a flood of sexual ache ran through me. Within the limits of my temptation and thirst of touch, I snarled her fingers into my legs and clasped them gingerly, guiding them to their destination. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before following my cues. I sat up, repositioning myself to sit on top of her middle and index fingers, slowly gyrating on them. I brushed against her delicate digits, focusing more on my movements. I sat on her middle finger grinding my body intensely. I couldn't look at her while doing this, I had to finish what I started. Her finger lay there gently while I danced my body against it, thrusting harder using her knuckle as a means of leverage. Bri's other hand was beside me, its touch caressing my back softly. Grinding furiously in my haze of lust, I failed to notice her thumb was on my chest, kindly touching my breast. A ghost like touch that inarguably was there and making itself known. I kissed her thumb, grasping at it intently. I pulled it closer to me, pleading for more pressure on my body. Bri took my initiative and squeezed me within her fingers, keeping her other hand still for me to continue my sensual goal. My body curved and rocked continuously, reaching its highest potential in mere minutes. 

"Yes, yes, yes.." I whispered. 

Sweat was dripping down my back and I was aching for release. I hugged Bri's fingers closer to me, begging for more. She didn't changed her grip, I wanted to feel her. I clenched my legs tighter around her finger and pulled her thumb harder on my chest. What happened next was indescribable. The weight against my body was immense, causing my lungs to shudder and a small gasp of air to come into them. My spine crackled with her fingers pushing me into her thumb, thrusting me tightly between her. My grinding hips stopped and my body became restricted. There was a surge of fear... but it changed to an aphrodisiac warmth as I wanted to test my confined space. I used the weight of her fingers to my advantage and rubbed my chest into the pad of her thumb. I moved her finger to stop my butt, giving me more momentum to continue grinding. Her middle finger I was riding trembled with urge to act on its own. My breathing was swift and labored, intesifying my sexual actions. Bri leaned in close to my body, listening to my sounds of ecstasy. Her hot breath breezed on my skin, giving me goosebumps. Her face was eerily close, I dared to look at her in my moment of lust. Her face was flushed red with eyes lingering at my body contouring to hers. Her breathing was shallow and fast. She inched closer with her lips within my reach. Her mouth was slightly ajar, waiting anticipation... her tongue emerged and caressed my face. 

"mmmh" a throaty moan rattled through her chest. It was like a giant cat purr, vibrating my core. It triggered a desire I never thought I knew existed. I got up close to her throat, feeling along her skin for a strong pulse.

"Speak." I said in a shaking voice.

"What do you wish for me to say little one?" She said in a low hushed voice, deep to make my knees tremble.

She moaned again as I ran my hand along her throat and jawline, feeling for tempting skin. She stretched her neck into the air making me reach for her chin and lips. She crook her head to the side and glanced down at me. My hand is still upon her throat, waiting for her to speak again. She teased me with her silence as I waited for a sound to escape those precious lips. She squinted her eyes and smiled deviously. A soft chuckle was contained and rumbled against my hand. I shuddered at it. 

"My my, aren't you a surprise. So adventurous." she said with a coy smile.

The soft vibrations against my hand was a magical sensation. She tilted her head down and nudged her nose into my body making me lose partial balance. I stepped back to see her readjusting herself. She flipped onto her back and lay her head close to me once again. She patted her chest, inviting me to her. I eagerly accepted that invitation. I climbed onto her body and her chest was covered with a soft fabric. I saw her breasts outlined through the fabric and snuck closer to her nipples. I placed the palm of my hand onto her, her body shook softly beneath me. She breathed in deeply and I could feel the rise and fall of her chest. Her heartbeat was a dull thump that began to quicken under my touch. I traced around her nipple, seeing it harden and become perky. It was like grasping a large apple but it was so plush and warm. Its pulse was strong and throbbed in my hand. A small moan rumbled in her chest again and my body felt its presence. Her body was reacting to the smallest of touches.. a dainty and miniscule touch like mine, made this statuesque creature shudder with excitement. 

"You're cute." she giggled. She placed her hand on top of me, leaving a dead weight on my body and leaving me struggling to move underneath it. 

"Let's save this for another day okay? We can just chill today and no more funny business." She winked at me but kept her hand on top of me. 

"Okay. Am I allowed to move then?"

"Of course, little one."

She lifted the weight of her hand off my body and I crawled out to have her hand hover over me to reposition. I flipped onto my back and lay in the crevasse of her breasts, enjoying the comfortable silence between us. We took a small nap together. I was drifting into a dream of endless loops and swirls of flesh and ocean waters. Brimiera's heartbeat kept me grounded from being trapped in potential nightmares. However, I saw Alsea appear in my dreams, hiding patiently in the background. Unsettled and lucid dreaming, I nuzzled further into Bri's bosom. 

*Bri stared blankly at the ceiling with furrowed brows and a sour frown. She knew tomorrow was going to be a difficult day and would present problems. Being back on land was a nice break from the sea but it also meant catching up with her community, which is a cursed blessing from her perspective. She stroked her human to calm herself.

“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.

Brimiera kept me cupped within her hands, shielding me from the cold rain coming down. Her face was still stone cold with a serious look in her eyes. I was meek and stayed silent on our walk towards her folks' house. We had to cross through the market to get through the other side of the small island. The market was slow today, a few mermaids here and there but not like the first day I saw. We passed the humans before that were trapped in the cage, for sale to other mermaids. They looked dreadful and soulless beings, begging for death. Bri quickened her pace as she saw me stare onwards at the poor people. She clenched her hands closer to me, enclosing my space more so than it already was. 

"Bri" I called out. "Can I have some room to breathe please? I feel like you'll smother me if you close your hands any tighter."

"I'm sorry Hayley, I'm just nervous. I haven't seen my mother in a long time. She will be very callous to me."

"What should I do while you're speaking with her?" I asked sheepishly.

"Stay silent and very still. Act obedient."

"Yes ma'am" I said with a wink. Bri didn't smile back at my gesture. 

We came upon a wooden hut structure with huge tree branches functioning at the roof. It seemed like a sturdy building with basic and simplistic features. Bri stood before the house and took a deep breath in and exhaled rather forcefully. She glanced down at me and nodded her head with a small smile, also rather forced. she strode into the house and announced herself in,

"Mom? Dad? It's Brimeira." She called out.

A large woman walked into the entry hall, standing over 60 feet tall, a considerable height difference between Brimeira and the woman. Brimeiria was around 40 feet I assumed..she stood a whole head taller than Bri. However, her mother was stalkier in physical features. Her face was narrow with sleek purple-ish eyes with streaks of black interwoven in her iris. Her hair was black, strictly black. She was wearing a dress of gray colored fabric and barefoot. Her right leg however had a horrific burn mark beginning on the shin and going down to her foot. The burn mark was a deep red, almost purple that left the skin wrinkled and leathery. The look on her face was creepily welcoming and cold at the same time. She squinted her eyes at Bri and hesitated a moment before saying anything. She crossed her arms and stepped forward,

"WELL, hello there Brimeira. How nice of you to stop by. Your father isn't here right now, he went off hunting for whales for dinner. Do you plan to stay for dinner?" she said bluntly.

"Hello mother, it's nice to see you. I haven't decided yet, maybe some tea first and catching up?" Bri grasped at me gently.

"Will that monstrosity be for a light snack then? You do know how much I love eating humans, you're father won't buy anymore this year." She pouted devilishly.

She was very keen with me, eyeing me closely. Bri tucked her hand under her arm and kept me close to her body.

"No, mother. This human is mine. I captured her out at sea and I plan to keep her for a while. Killing them right away isn't satisfying anymore. It's rather boring."

"You? Take a human from the sea? That's a first... what made you so malicious for this human season? Finally over your charity phase for those wicked beings?" Her mother rolled her eyes and walked away into the kitchen to prepare a pot of tea. 

"Can we not get into this already? I haven't been here for even 5 minutes. And just so you know, Alsea sank the humans' ship and gorged herself with a handful of them. I took this one so she wouldn't have another for her grotesque desires."

"Well then, it seems you should take lessons from Alsea. She knows how to treat them properly. Let me see the thing since it's here, in MY house." Her frightening eyes were glued to me, waiting for Bri to set me on display for her mother to gander at.

"Fine, but under NO circumstances are you allowed to harm her. Do you understand? She is MY property."

Bri was slow bringing me to a rough marbled counter, she gently nudged me off her hand and onto the lifeless slab of rock. Her mother was immensely bigger... I craned my neck to look up to her face. I immediately regretted it. Her face was fierce with disdain, she looked down with eyes of hate and rage, I could feel it emitting from her. She brought her hand onto the counter next to me. Her hands were rough and dry with strong fingers that walked further than they should've. She tapped her fingers intently, making the counter shake lightly under my feet. She stared insistently waiting for some kind of reaction out of me. I stood up straight, challenging her.

"KNEEL" Bri said firmly. I looked up at Bri to see searing eyes, striking at my core from the outside. My stomach dropped like a rollercoaster.

"I said, KNEEL!" She flicked the back of my knees forcing me to fall to my hands. It was like experiencing a whiplash from a tree trunk. My legs were bruising immediately, I could already tell. I tilted my head down and remained motionless, waiting for further instructions.

"Good to see you have her trained, somewhat. She needs to obey you by just looking at you, you needn't speak to her. Your voice is too precious to be heard by a pathetic creature. Still, you picked out a decent human. She's cute and bold, I'll give her that." Bri's mother began pouring some tea into sea shell cups.

"She's still learning, she'll know her place soon enough." Bri said emotionless. 

"Hmm I'm sure. How is Alsea anyways? She hasn't stopped by for a long while either. I wouldn't mind seeing her soon, OH! Even a family dinner would be lovely wouldn't it?"

"I don't speak to her as much, you know that. We live very different lives. As for family dinner I have to pass on that. Work has been very busy patrolling the Atlantic waters. Can't be too careful."

"Ah! Yes! I do love what you do for a living honey, makes me proud to be your mother! Too bad you haven't had the chance to really do proactive measures during patrol, it's quite thrilling! I miss those days..." She trailed off, staring into her tea with a blank sorrowful look. 

"I know mother, you used to tell me all the time about your adventures in the Sea Guard. Maybe one day it will be more exciting, but I'm content with boring maintenance patrols. Alsea keeps me on my fins enough of the time."

"She always was the trouble maker." She chuckled. I could feel her glare on my body, inspecting my features.

"If you can call blatant disregard of our secret existence 'trouble' then I would love to see your version of the black dolphin in the family." Bri was agitated and fidgeting with her cup of tea. 

"There's nothing wrong with attacking humans! Let her have her fun, she's providing a service to those miserable parasites! Let them all die, I say."

"She can do what she wants with humans, I don't care about that! But she can't be allowed to take large numbers of them every year for her selfish needs! Everyone is regulated by a standard of humans each season and she ALWAYS goes well beyond that. Bringing unwanted attention into the seas and the humans speculate we are real! There is danger in her playing her little games." Bri pushed her teacup far across the counter, refusing to drink anymore. I remained still in my crouched position, fearing if I looked up I would see my swift death.

"Well... that will be addressed when we cross that current. For now, she is fine. The council hasn't summoned her yet there's no need to be angry. If you'll excuse me I'm going to make a seaweed salad for dinner. Are you joining us or not?"

"No thank you, I'm not hungry. I'll be on my way then. I'll talk to you later, mother." Bri reached for me blindly and grasped me in her hands in an awkward position. I was still crouched and pushed further into an uncomfortable ball in her hand. Bri turned to leave for the door, but before leaving right away, she turned her head to the side,

"Love you mom."

Bri's mom stopped what she was doing and stood for a moment of silence and replied, "Love you too sweetie.".

 "Tell dad I love him too and sorry for missing dinner."

With that Bri left without another remark from her mother. She walked briskly towards her house, shedding a tear and it rolling down her face. She looked forward trying to stay focused on getting home, her face stern with containing her emotions. I curled into a ball and sat in silence, allowing Bri to process her feelings and unresolved issues with her family. Mermaids were just like humans... they're complicated and have relationships and emotions so deep that the Mariana trench seems like a puddle. This was a topic best left undiscussed. Bri has a heart, for both humans and her family. She wants to live her life the way she wants to but it seems from every angle from her society and culture it seems it isn't that simple. Amazing the differences between mermaids and humans and yet so very similar. 

I hugged her thumb tightly, giving her some comfort if she wanted it. She opened her hand widely, allowing me to stretch my cramped and bruised legs. I swung my legs over the side of her palm and looked up at her angelic face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying but had sincere kindness behind them.

"I'm sorry for flicking your knees. I didn't hurt you too badly did I?" She asked gently.

"I'm okay, a little bruised but nothing too serious. Can we go to the beach? It sounds like a nice spot to be, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does." She smiled sweetly.

Her mood turned around for the better, striding with a bounce in her step. She had a small smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye every time she glanced down at me. We arrived at the beach within minutes and the same dreary gray sand was there. But this time it didn't seem as gray, there were specks of white thrown in. Bri placed me on the beach and we walked (almost) side by side. She slowed her pace for me so I could walk comfortably next to her rather than jog to keep up. The waves were breaking against the sand and the scene was picturesque. Time to be bold and make a move.

"Can I see your tail? I don't quite remember what it looks like since the first night I met you. Frankly, I don't remember much of that night either. I'm sorry if that's a weird request." I was embarrassed now and looked down at my bare feet, wiggling my toes deeper into the sand.

"Yes you can see it" She chuckled. "Let's find a nice tidepool to hang out in ok?"

I smiled harder than I should've, but I was definitely excited! We walked further down the beach and found a deep tidepool that could fit half of Bri comfortably and we settled on the spot. It was secluded beside some rocky cliffs and shoreline, away from prying eyes.

"Okay, before I show you my tail I should warn you that my true mermaid form is hypnotic. Like it's supposed to lure people to the watery death.. and places most humans under an annihilating spell of lust. I won't take advantage of you or try any tricks, but know you will feel immense emotional waves of various degrees. Mermaid tails give off a unique magic that affects all life in one way or another. For humans it's irresistible and insatiable love/lust."

"Should I do something to protect myself from doing anything dangerous or.. embarrassing?"

"Haha no, you should be fine. Okay, here goes."

Bri placed both her feet into the tidepool water, they instantly turned into a dark green and deep blue metallic color. Her feet began to merge together forming a blob for a moment and moving up her legs they were merging with each other and further up into her thighs, stopping right at the base of her nether regions. Her legs had become a colored stump of flesh. Watching closer her flesh began growing scales, sprouting all over her lower body, while what used to be her feet were turning into a makeshift fin shape. Collectively forming more sleek, sharp fins that resembled a marlin's tail fin. Where her knees would've been smaller fins formed covered in the deep sea colored metallic scales. Her waist flicked with scales as well, covering her previously exposed womanhood. And there she was in all her glory as a legitimate mermaid...

It seemed like she glowed, her body emitting a radiance that was undeniable. Her beauty multiplied by a thousand and her eyes were as striking as jewels, freshly polished. She had yet to say anything and I waited impatiently for her voice. She pointed towards her tail and held her hand out, inviting me to touch it. I stepped forward feeling me knees shake with intimidation and eagerness. My mind was flooding with so much beauty from so many aspects of her being, I began to cry. I felt the tears run down my face as I stepped closer to her. She was a goddess.. a true goddess. Before I realized it, my hand was already touching her tail and caressing the scales sensually. They weren't slimy like I was expecting. Instead they were soft with a smooth gloss that slid beneath my fingers. 

"Do you like it?" Bri asked quietly.

I gasped as I was startled at the sound of her voice. I stared at her face, looking hard to see if this was the same person as before. Was this the Bri I knew on land or someone else? Her voice rang in my head, her words were a melody of charms teasing my heart to go closer to her. I stepped closer to her body, running my hands along her tail, unblinking at her beauty. Tears filled my eyes as I was beside her waist looking up at her, staring into the divine being of a mermaid. 

"Am I going to die?" I whispered. I felt like I could have. My heart was pounding so hard and my breathing felt like it stopped. Time felt frozen and my life feel meaningless before this moment. I forgot who I was staring at this creature, I lost myself in her beauty and was willing to do ANYTHING to be with her.

"No little one, I won't let that happen" She reached her hand out and wiped a tear away from my face. "You are my pearl and I plan to keep you for a long time."

My body couldn't handle this much intensity, my mind was going blank and my vision blurred. I felt my body give way and fall into Bri. She held her hand out and caught me and I nuzzled into her warmth and tried opening my eyes to see her one last time. Her warm smile destroyed what was left of my conscious self. My eyes rolled in the back of my head and I blacked out.

I was startled awake, gasping for air. Anxiety pulsed through my body, panic struck. I glanced over and saw Bri with a concerned face, her eyes analyzing my reaction. I couldn’t look at her. I ran… I ran away from the beach and towards the thicket of trees. Call it survival instincts or fight or flight instinct, I was genuinely scared for a moment. The absolute control Bri had over me was too much, it felt dangerous. No wonder sailors plunged to their deaths, it was alluring and easy to fall to such temptation. I ran faster, fearing Bri would be right behind me soon enough and snatch me away. It was bizarre to feel this way, to doubt her kindness and tenderness. I questioned her true nature with moments of her mythical body. Who was she really? Could I honestly trust her? My arms and legs were scratched with thorns and bushes, a tree branch hanging low sliced a mark across my cheek; causing intense stinging and a stream of blood to run down my face. I didn’t care, my body screamed at me to “RUN, HIDE”. I saw a tree, glancing upwards and finding a nook of forked branches.

I lunged at the tree trunk with a thud, not slowing my momentum and hauling myself into branches and climbed further upward. I was roughly 35 feet in the air and felt relatively safe for the moment. My chest burned with lack of oxygen, my head throbbed with pain. It felt like withdrawal from alcohol, sickening my stomach and lurching with dry heaving. I rest my head against the bark, gasping for breath. I didn’t hear or see Bri coming, but I remained vigilant. Logically it makes sense why I would react like this. Seeing her behave coldly around her mother, experiencing the true power of a mermaid, it only makes sense to fear for my life. I really didn’t know anything about her, her true self. Was she really cruel to humans like her sister? Her mother clearly taught her to hate humans… When did Bri decide to be kind and gentle? Was I the first?

I heard and felt her footsteps, she was coming, searching for me. I tucked closer to the tree trunk, praying she wouldn’t be angry with me. (Thump, thump, thump, thump… thump, thump). 

“Hi there,” Bri muttered softly. Her head was level with the branches and her face hovered near me, I could sense it. I slapped my hands over my face hiding my cowardice and embarrassment. I peeked through the slits of my fingers to peer at her sorrowful face. My heart felt extremely heavy.

“I’m sorry… I…” I couldn’t speak, my voice dropped and I felt a lump in my throat. I was beginning to tear up. 

“No, I’m sorry. My magic is powerful and I forget what it can really do to humans, it's too much too soon. Are you afraid of me now?” She brought her hand up to caress my back, but I shuddered before it could reach me. She recoiled her hand slowly and gently, hovering for a moment before letting it lay on the branch further down the end away; Leaving it close but not too close to me. 

“I see…”  She said quietly. “What can I do, how can I help?” Her eyes pleading. I sat, staring at her large digits. They were truly massive, as long as my legs and easily powerful enough to snap me. Violent thoughts of how she could kill me rip through my imagination. Her fingers quivered as she noticed me staring at them. I traced her fingers to her hand, leading to her thin wrists, up the forearm guiding its way to her biceps. They were quite large, toned and muscular but feminine. I zoned in on her muscles that seemed to pulse with every miniscule movement. Her breath was fastened and short, anxiously waiting for my reply.

“Can we just sit here for a moment? I honestly don't know what to do right now.” I curled my knees to my chest and just sat there, wondering how to interact with her until my fear subsided. 

She stood there silently and motionless to ensure I wouldn’t be frightened of her movements. I looked again at her hand, resting so elegantly on the thick tree branch. She was becoming more human to me the longer I stared at her. 5 minutes later I could feel my tension releasing and more relaxed. I glanced towards her eyes, they were fixated on me, waiting for a sign she could touch me again. I shot my eyes downward, unable to look at her again, but not because of fear. Just her beauty was enchanting, her size mesmerizing and teasing me. 

“I think I’m okay now…” I squeaked. “Can we go home?”

“Sure, but I have to stop at the market first. There’s something I want to get for you that I think can help us become closer and trust each other.” She smirked shyly, placing her hand next to my legs and caressing them softly.

“What is it? A human bed” I chuckled.

“No, it's called whale wax. I think we need to better understand each other and…” she hesitated. “It's something I've wanted to try for a long time. I want you Hayley” She blushed looking down at her feet.

I could feel my face turn red, flustered and speechless. I stood up slowly and waited for her to carry me. I was intrigued but cautious, what and how were we going to do this?

Bri lit a small fire within her marbled home. She lit candles to brighten the atmosphere for the evening. She remained quiet as she was picking up the place and creating space to move around more freely. I sat on her shoulder waiting patiently for something to happen. Bri lifted me gently off her shoulder and placed me on the floor on top of a large blanket. She patted my head and caressed my face with her index finger. She gave a small smile, holding back a concerned look. She sat next to me holding her hand behind my back and stroking me with her thumb.

“I'd like to be the same size as you and do it properly.? I could feel my face blushing as I spoke to her.

“You’re sweet... I'd like that one too. However, the process for that will be painful for you, so I?ve been told. The whale wick will bring you to a certain height. You may be taller than me or shorter, there?s no definite height change as the potion is used. It varies from user to user. So... are you still up for it??

“Yeah I am. How long will it last for? Few hours at best?”

“Usually yes, but that can change. Again it varies person to person. The longest documented was over a week long. Depends on the potency of the wick and the amount used in the initial use. Well let's begin then. Go ahead and lay down on your back.?

I did as she instructed. The candle was lit and burning slowly, the scent was sickly sweet. The wood wick crackle and snapped as it burned away at the waxy potion. Bri held the candle close and examined the liquid wax pooling in the cup. She brought it over to me and tilted the jar over my body. I was expecting the searing pain of boiled wax but received ice cold wax dripping onto my body. Each drop that hot my body was a sub zero cold, taking my breath away and stinging my bones. As the wax cooled and hardened I was encased in wax and becoming claustrophobic. She continues dripping the wax on me, over one leg and moving unto the other, slowly moving up my torso and chest. My arms was covered and she hesitated at my head.

“Hold your breath for this part.”

I took a large breath in and waited for the wax chamber. The drops that hit my face stung with such freezing energy I thought I was enduring frostbite to the furthest degree. My body freezing within and wax trapped on the outside. It felt like a personalized coffin. It was silent, my heart beat slowed and my body was no longer there. I lost any sensation in my body. I felt only my thoughts with me. This didn't seem so bad, yes it was horribly cold but not unbearable. Until the wax became warm and warmed up quickly.

The wax was melting into my skin, sinking below the surface. Absorbing into my muscles, nerves and bones. The coat of wax forced its way into my body, creating a sharp burn throughout. The cold coffin was now a liquid lava pit, swallowing me whole.

“GAAAAH.... eerrhhh. FUCK”

I withered and twisted with the pain in my body, unable to lie still. I rolled over to my hands and knees, clenching at the blanket beneath me. I ripped the cloth to feel the cool stone beneath me and felt no relief. My body was truly burning on the inside. I could feel my muscles ache with growth, my bones stretch with strength.

My jeans cut tightly on my waist and legs, trying to contain my flesh. The seams stretch and rip within seconds. My button and zipper broke with such aggression there was no grace in growing out of them. My bra broke with ease as my chest swelled and my shirt ripped along my back and arms and my muscles protruded. I was sweating profusely and ripped the tatters of cloth off my body. I needed water. Ice water. I looked up to find Bri?s door slightly ajar and crawled towards the entrance. When I tried to stand I slammed my head into the ceiling. I pushed my way outside the door, having to squeeze through by exiting sideways due to my breasts and butt being too large to fit through normally. I got outside and tried catching my breath but couldn?t. The deep burning was stabbing me again and again, flushing my skin.

“AAAAH!”

I wheezed hoping to think of a place to find relief.

“Bri... water! Where... where is a lake or river?? I ask angrily.

She came outside and saw me suffering, tears filled her eyes. She grabbed my hand and led me into the forest. Five minutes of running and I collapsed to the ground.

“I can’t... It hurts too much. “ I wheezed.

“It rights there, just a little bit longer!”

My legs felt like ash about to collapse on themselves. But the burning hasn't subsided. I forced myself up and walked further until I saw the edge of a river. I collapsed on my knees and crawled to the river, falling face first. Plunging my body in the current, washing over my pain. I sank deeper, hitting the river bed. I held my breath and let the waters sweep over me. I opened my eyes and saw Bri staring down at me. I sat up and the water came to my hips. My legs were still under the water thank goodness. My body was settling down and adjusting. I looked at Bri and realized just how big I had become. As I sat in the river Bri was shorter than me by a head or so. She looked short in comparison. Like average women of 5’3 or 5’4. Still beautiful as ever though. I reached for her face and she threw herself unto me. She sat in my lap within the river and caressed my face moving her hand behind my neck. She lightly gripped my hair and kissed me passionately.

She forced her tongue into my mouth, dancing with mine. Her hands moved quickly around my neck and chest, holding her fingers gingerly over my nipples. Playing with them while they became erect and firm at her touch. She lowered her mouth and hovered over my nipple teasing me with her breath. She licked gently at it savoring the taste, kissing it and biting. Her hand fondled my breast and her other hand fled down south to my womanhood. She inched her way into my labia searching for my clitoris. Her hands trembled with excitement. I took the invitation well. I lifted my lover onto my hips and carried her out of the river bank, walking into the grass. I laid her down and could see our size difference now. She was smaller than me, my hand larger than hers as I kissed her palm. She was laying below me, waiting for me to make a move with a lustful look in her eyes. She reached for my clit once again and I held her hand and poised it above her head. I held her wrist down and kissed her sensually along her neck moving my way down her smooth body. Her wet scent was becoming apparent. I kissed her once more before going down on her. Her moans were quiet until I licked at her swollen clit. Nudging it with my nose and making her shiver. I licked her more and her thighs clamped around my neck, urging me to pursue further.

I began my magic with her. Twisting, turning, and jabbing my tongue into her, lapping at her juices flowing.

“Ahh.. yes. Yes there, there.” She whispered.

I got stronger with my pursuit. Forcing my fingers into her while creating a whirlwind with my tongue. Her hips bucking into my rhythmic pushes. Moaning into each thrust I put into her.

“More... more,” Bri pleaded.

I placed my vagina on her knee and humped her to relieve my own aching pleasure. This was it. This was enough for her.

“AHH... OH MY GOD!!”

I was sliding on her leg trying to reach my own climax while Bri was peaking into hers. She arched her back so high and let out a squeal of pleasure, slowly laying back down breathing heavily. Bri was content and that’s what made me happy. I kissed her thighs, her stomach, her neck, and finally her lips.

“Wow... I wish you were a mermaid. You’re great small but wow this size is wonderful too!” She smiled with a flushed face.

“I don't mind being this big. Doesn't feel any different really.?

“Just wait till we see some humans, then you'll feel it. Being out here you won't feel it. But that was heavenly, thank you little one." She kissed passionately.

We walked back to her home and made ourselves cozy for the night in her bed. I apologized for smashing part of her doorway. I must have been 55 feet tall or so. With Bri being 35 feet or so we made a perfect little spoon and big spoon situation. We cuddled together and our dynamic changed. I felt like a protector. She was mine and I'd keep her safe. Why does height make that kind of change? When I was small I didn't feel like this. And Bri melted into my arms, moaning softly and contently before drifting off to sleep.

I woke up to see Bri staring at me patiently, with a smirk on her face. 

"Good morning love" She giggled. 

"Good morning to you too." I smiled back and gave her a peck on the cheek.

She laid her head down on my chest and I caressed her hair enjoying our quiet moment together. Her fingers traced around my collar bone and down my sternum, following back up the same path, to and from. Her fingertips were light and soft and tickled me in a pleasurable way. My heart was beginning to race as I thought of the night before and our indulenges we shared together. She adjusted her head so her ear was above my heart, she was taking notice that I was becoming aroused. There was a comfortable silence between us...

She moved her hand over my right breast and squeezed softly, probing over my nippple. Playing with it, feeling its reaction to her touch. I moaned quietly hoping she didn't hear me. She did.. she pinched at my nipple, teasing it to become harder. She moved closer to me... moving her mouth over my left nipple and using her tongue to dance around erotically. Her hands gliding along my neck and jawline, as if trying to memorize my skin's softness. She was sensual and deliberate where she placed her hands. She climbed on top of me, looking down at my face with desiring eyes and passion. She was gyrating her hips against me, slow motions pulsing into a alluring dance. Delivering pressure to the right places and floating her softness equally. I was mesmerized, stuck in a trance at this elegant beauty before me. I reached my hand towards her but she forcefully held it back over my head and continued her enchantment. Her hips swayed and pushed on me. She was wet and getting faster with her gyrations. She kissed my neck and inched her way down my body. Kissing each section of my body with determination to leaves marks. She hovered over my nub, breathing heavily on it. I shivered violently... my anticipation was building. I would let her take revenge on me. Her tongue twisted and withered around me. She lapped at me continuously. I held back my cries, leaving them trapped as deep moans in my throat. She inserted her fingers in me and I couldn't help but cry out in pleasure. She was slow and thoughtful with her fingers, tracing my insides. She wadelicate at first and quickly shifted to more rough play. She thrusted deep into me... in and out, curling her fingers tickling my G spot. I was almost there, just a bit more, a bit longer, and bit harder. 

"Go.. harder.. deeper. please" I whispered desperately.

She followed my orders and did so exceptionally well. My orgasm flooded me, burning my body in delicious pleasure. I clenched my body to hold onto this feeling, I held my breath to savor the high of cumming. I let go finally and relaxed. I was flushed and sweating. Bri giggled and came onto me during my orgasm, I hadn't noticed until she was climbing off on me. She laid beside me again, resting her head on my chest. Again there was a comfortable silence. We didn't need to say anything to each other. Our bodies spoke for us, confirming we had deep feelings for each other. Mutual feelings that developed into a content bond.

I wish I could remain this size. I want to stay by her side like this. The idea of going back to being small and frail compared to her was a discouraging thought. I admired her when I was small, her features were a different kind of beautiful. But this.. this felt so natural. It felt normal, it felt like a human relationship. I couldn't be selfish and wish this permanently. She was a mermaid... a being whose life isn't spent on land or being lovers with a human. She would live her life according to her people. I would eventually go back with humans. My mind was wandering into the future and the "what if" scenarios. I rolled over to my side and thought deeply. Bri took notice and probably understood what I was thinking. She curled behind me and hugged me. We linked our fingers together tightly and held hands for a long while. The silence was less comfortable now and the atmosphere was getting a little tense. I was too scared to say anything, so I simply remained quiet.