The Merman

~{3}~

"What in the ever-loving f-" Birdie breathed, her pulse skyrocketing.

A voice, so smooth and silky like the tidal waves came from the water. It was not human, that was for sure. An accent so unusual, so unearthly dripped from the words and pooled on the tongue. 

Birdie plucked up the remaining strands of her tattered courage and craned her neck. A head of unkempt raven curls and onyx eyes surfaced the sea, staring unblinkingly at her aghast frame. 

It was him. Without a speck of doubt that was the man of myth - the cornish Casanova. He cocked his head to the left and continued his intrigued stare at Birdie, unfazed by the fact that she was human. Teddy, wisely sensing the thick tension clinging to the air, made himself scarce in a small cavern towards the end of the beach. This was a matter for the adults. 

"Hello." he repeated.

Birdie's jaw was now brushing the particles of sand and the leather lead slipped from her outstretched palm. No. No. No. There was insanity and then there was this. It was impossible! All laws of nature strongly went against the mere thought of a merman - it was inconceivable and fit for the worlds looneys to drool over. She made no move to talk, walk or blink. All attention was zoned onto this collection of uncoordinated cells treading the water no less than 20 meters away from her. 

His brow furrowed in confusion. Were humans mute? For this particular specimen wasn't making any noise in the slightest. Perhaps it was bewildered. It wasn't every day such a fine example of merman species exposed himself on this stretch of beach for the eyes of one young lady. 

The distinctive pearlescent tail was flicked up into the air, causing a halo of luminescent droplets crowning the fins. The way the rays of the sun caught each curve was dazzling for some - preposterous for most. Especially Birdie. 

She screamed like the hounds of hell were hot on her ankles. 

The merman covered his sensitive ears with lightly webbed fingers as the woman was capable of wailing like a banshee. Even Teddy whimpered at the sound of his owner in distress but still made no effort to leave the safety of the cavern.

"You are not bloody real!" She spat at the freakishly animate 'mutation' cringing in the water. 

"What do you mean?" he retaliated, raising both his sickly pale arms in the air and showcasing a set of three gills.

Was there something in her tea? There must be.

"No, no, no!" She seethed and tore her eyes away from the mysterious boy looking at her like she was the psychotic one, "This can't be true. How, why...what?"

"You seem stressed. It's not good for humans." he stated and watched with his inky depths as Birdie crumbled - her jeans sinking into the gently baked beach. 

"I know!" She shot back and covered her eyes, "Just...what are you, really?"

"The homo maris or what you people called mermen. Does that help?"

"Not really." She muttered and kept her head tucked tightly in her lap.

What drove her to continue this abnormal conversation with a half-man, half-fish was beyond all the capacity left in her remaining brain cells. Why couldn't he disappear under the turquoise depths and never resurface, leaving time for Birdie to recuperate and forget?

Because that's not how life works, sadly.

"I'm simply interested in you and that small, furry horse which you travel with. Humans - they're such strange creatures. I suppose I should offer you my name, too. It's Demetri." He mused and continued to stare at the disgruntled figure on the beach.

"Birdie. My name is Birdie." She sighed and forced her head up, the sun gently warming her reddened face. 

"Pretty - I suppose. Does that thing have a name too?" Demetri shot one long nail in the direction of Teddy who was finally emerging. 

"Yes, he does. It's my dog, Teddy. An Irish Wolfhound."

"Looks like a horse." Demetri grumbled so low his thick accent entwined round the words and squeezed every drop of understandability. 

"A what, sorry?" Birdie enquired and clapped her thigh loudly, indicating to a discontented Teddy to come over. 

"Horse. I see them sometimes walking along the cliff face, they're also very strange indeed."

The Irish Wolfhound bounded up to her and stuck it's warm tongue in the crook of Birdie's shoulder, letting out a strong cloud of dog food from his breath.

Taking in a deep breath, Birdie spoke the words she never thought would leave her mouth.

"So, you are a merman of all things and real. Definitely, absolutely, without a doubt real?" 

"Yes."

"Bloody hell."

It's short I know :/