In The Deep

Lila waited until her mother left before she ventured out of the house. Mother would be mad at me if she found out that I was going down to the beach, She thought, after Tristan died no one in the house was allowed to go to the beach.

Tristan was lila's little brother. He had been only 3 years old when it happened and Lila was only 6. they had been playing out in the ocean body surfing with their father when Tristan got caught in an undertow and was pulled out to sea. They never saw him again after that. Soon after Lila's parents got divorced and Lila's mother gained full custody. She never saw her father again.

It had been a full ten years since then so, you would think Lila's mother would have gotten over the events of the past but she hadn't even come close. She still Blamed Lila for everything that had happened. Lila knew it wasn't her fault that what happened, happened. She never has blamed her self and she wasn't about to start now.

She turned the bronze door handle on the door to her sea blue room and walked out the front door of her bright green Florida style ranch.

She walked down the dark asphalt streets of her neighborhood until she came to the familiar sand and shell path way that lead through the sea of tropical trees and straight to the white sand beaches she used to enjoy with Tristan as a child.

She was wearing nothing but her purple bikini and a coverup. her flip flops poised on her gracefully small feet. Despite the fact that she had lived in Florida all her life she had no tan and never will have a tan. She had pale skin with small reddish brown freckles all over her skin. She also had flaming red hair and sea green eyes that seamed to grew brighter as she neared the ocean.

She took off her flip flops as she neared the smooth graceful white sand beach. she dug her toes in the sand and sighed with relief. then she walked to the edge of the white sand where the tide comes in and waded out until she was ankle deep.

The clear call of a child's laughter sprang through the air. She then looked over to see her little cousin Emily, of only about 2 1/2 years of age squealing with delight as she stood in the surf almost being toppled by the waves.

Lila then skipped through the waters over to her little cousin, who wore a pink little one piece suit with a tutu skirt and pink water shoes.

"Hello aunt Linda!" Lila called as she approached.

"Oh, hello there Lila. good to see you!" Aunt Linda said.

"It's nice to see you to!" Lila said coming to a stop in front of her aunt.

"Lila!!!" Emily screeched as she Trotted over to the two of them, "Lila play with me!!!"

"Alright, alright. I'll play with you!" She sighed

"Yay!!!"

Lila then ran after her little cousin and into the lapping waves. she splashed the warm blue water around as she ran after her cousin. both were giggling and yelping with joy as they neared each other.

Then Lila stopped when she noticed the waves were getting a little to high for Emily and scoped her up. the little girl squealed and giggled and Lila poked her belly.

Lila peered out into the distance to she a young man surfing on the bigger waves out in the distance. She strained her eyes to see if she could make out any details of the boy but couldn't. he must have been as old as her because he was quite skilled. he shredded the waves like they were butter and rode them as if riding a wild bull was a piece of cake. But of course right then as she watched him he lost his balance and was over come by the wave and submerged. Lila caught her breath waiting for him to resurface but he didn't. She was over whelmed by the sadness of her own experience with watching people drown that a tear slipped out of her eye and dribbled down her cheek.

"Why you cwy'n?" Emily asked

"I--" but she never got to finish her sentence because she was pulled under the water and out to sea.

***

Lila woke up with the feeling that she was floating in space. She felt completely weightless. her bright red her flowed around her head like she was submerged in some kind of liquid. She then forced her eyes open and found her self in a watery wonder land.

"Wow!" She said before realizing that she was under water. She cupped her mouth shut and started to swim to the surface when she was grabbed around her ankle by a hand.

She almost had a heart attack and only struggled harder before a soothing voice told her, "it's alright! I've made it so you can breath just fine down her!"

"Huh?"she pondered

"Honestly it's ok!"

She then gasped and realized that she could indeed breath under water, but gasped once again when she saw the figure before her.

The same boy that had been surfing a minute ago was now floating in front of her. but where his legs should have been was a long fish tail that shined a kaleidoscope of different colors in the blue water.

"Your a...a!"

"Merman?" He said

"Yeah..." She breathed

"Don't worry I get that reaction a lot."

"Ahuh..."

She studied him intently his bronzy skin meshed perfectly with his multicolored tail. And he wore a shark tooth on a chain around his neck. He had light brown hat that flowed around his head and shimmered in the watery light. His eyes were the deep blue you can only achieve when looking out at the vastness of the ocean.

"Why did you do this to me!?" She asked

"Because I want to set things right!" He proclaimed.

"Set what right!"

"I want to tell you the truth about what happened with your brother!"

"What!?"

"It's true. I know what happened you probably assume that I was the one who pulled him under that day but that was not the case."

"So what really happened?"

"He was attacked by a warrior shark and dragged under as a hostage during the Merland war between the Sharks and the mermen. The Sharks knew that the mermen would never harm a human so the used it to gain leverage in the war, however they did not succeed and were defeated by my noble brother."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because as heir to the throne I feel obligated to tell you the truth and ask you if you will take me."

"Take you where?"

"No. take me as your husband."

"What!? No I'm to young! I'm only 16 I can't get married!"

"Then am I not expectable?"

"No!"

"Then I will bid you farewell fair maiden." and then she watched him swim away and could have sworn she saw tears floating though the water around him.

She then swam for the surface.

***

60 years later

Lila sat in bed in the nursing home and looked out the window that gave her a view of the sea. Here eyes lit up just looking out the window because of the memories it gave her.

"Lila! Your lunch is ready!" A nurse called out.

"Thank you bring it in here!" She called back

The nurse brought in soup and some vanilla pudding. she set up a tray and Lila began to eat her lunch.

"You like that view don't you." the nurse giggled

"Yes I do indeed." Lila replied

"You must have fond memories of the sea!"

"Yes but I also have some tragic ones."

"Oh."

"Worry not my young friend. the positive memories out weigh the negative ones."

"Oh."

"You see I meet my true love out there on that beach."

"Oh did you!"

"Yes indeed. He asked me to Marry him right on that beach as well."

"Oh! My! And what did you say!?"

"I refused him. I said I was to young to marry. I should have known better but I was young and naive. I did not answer with my heart. take it from an old woman who found love but refused to hold on to it."

***

Lila died the next day thinking of her lover: the merman under the sea she had met 60 year earlier.