Some Thing Called Myself (Complete)

XXIII: something distasteful

Ch. 23: Something Distasteful

It happened too fast.

There was a wet, disgusting sound as Mara was dragged over the trash-coated riverbank. Plastic bottles, broken toys, discarded shoes, and half-melted old magazines, all drenched in mud, were pushed out of the way as she was reeled into the river like the great catch she was. And yeah, the irony of being fished by a fish near the station known as the fisherman's stop wasn't lost in her.

More than trying to free herself, Mara used all her will force to ignore the fact that she was sinking into one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil. As the mermaid dragged her down, she took in one final lungful of air and shut her eyes while her body lost all weight underwater. The river was as cold as a corpse, and Mara was sure it smelled like one, too, so it was a small mercy to know she wouldn't have to bear its stench until Tai and the others rescued her.

Oh, they won't. I'm closing this body of water, meat sack. But, the mermaid said in Mara's thoughts, I think it's disgusting too. At least most of the trash is sedimented in the bottom.

That wasn't as comforting as the mermaid seemed to think.

Mara felt a tug on her waist. She stroked the water and tried to jerk her legs free, but it was useless. The mermaid must've brought her closer to him because the water felt different now. It was charged, denser, and colder as if the mermaid's very existence could impact the world around him. How much time had passed? Maybe ten seconds? The average person can hold their breath for something around 60 when they're calm. That's what Mom used to say during her useless knowledge gushes, anyway, and that's what kept echoing in Mara's head as a big hand closed around her left calf, covering the cut in there.

The gash in Mara's leg burned. She locked a painful scream in her throat.

Now listen to me. If you want to live, you'll answer the questions I have for you, and then, maybe, I'll let you go. Question, meat sack: where is my father?

How the hell should I know that? Mara thought back. Screamed back, more precisely.

Oh, you're learning! Impressive.

He let go of her legs and tugged her down by the loops on her jeans.

Big mistake.

With her legs free, she finally kicked the mermaid and swam towards the surface. The kick connected all right because Mara could feel the supernatural hiss echoing in the water like a sonar. Still, her attempt failed. She outstretched a hand, and the tips of her fingers touched an icy, hard surface instead of finding the air above the river.

There was...a glass lid on the river! What the actual fuck?

I told you I had closed this body of water.

Mara swam up until her forearms were pressed against the glass. She could see Tai and Bernardo right above her, pummeling the surface. Mimi's eyes locked in on hers, and her teary gaze was the last thing she saw before two strong arms brought her down again.

Mara's heart sped up. She shut her eyes and tried hard not to scream—that would involve opening her mouth, after all—while she fought to escape the mermaid's grip. After every boot, every attempted punch, and every stroke...

Wait. Wait!

...All she managed to do was to get wrapped up in some weird, web-like something in the water.

You stupid sack of meat! Calm down!

It was crystal clear that, in a fight underwater, a fish this big and this strong had the upper hand. Thirty seconds. When it was evident Mara couldn't free herself, she covered her mouth with one of her hands. She knew what was coming next.