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.