Beneath the Courage

It Takes Strength

Just a quick note before the story starts :) All of my stories are in a program on WP that generates ads between some chapters in the phone app. If you would take a moment to glance at them, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. These chapters take 3-5 hours of my time, so please lend me a few seconds of yours as you enjoy the series :) 

Trying something a little different, let's see how this goes :D

Fri-

"Please, Hice. I don't want to stay here again." I begged as I was set down helplessly on the small beach we often frequented before being caught. It had a lot of garbage mixed within its beautiful sand because I had been gone so long and no one else would clean it.

Hice used to help me, but now...

He stalked toward the water as I sat still, needing to wait for my tail to start reforming into legs. I still wasn't feeling that well, but each day I spent being free, I got a little better. Hice had fished for me, beginning almost immediately after we had left the human's small pool of water. I greatly appreciated having my belly full, when I could stomach food, but after he finished retrieving a meal for me, he would always disappear for a span of time.

It didn't bother me, at first, but as the sun rose, then set, then rose again, and Hice's trips became longer and longer, I began asking to be allowed to join him, but he never agreed and would always tell me that I was safer not following him. Also, he started making me stay away from the water unless I needed to wet my skin or drink, as he didn't think I could swim well enough if I got caught in the high tide.

"You will be safer here." He said, restating what he always told me.

But what does safety matter if I am practically caged on this island?

I knew that he likely didn't understand why I wanted to follow him, even if it meant harm to me. I had yet to meet a mer who could understand my way of thinking. Granted, there aren't many of us left in general.

Yet the few I have met always tell me that I think too much like a human. That I know too much useless information.

Sighing, I lay back down in the sand and stretched my aching legs as they finally appeared from amongst my tail. Curling up on the warm surface, my eyes followed Hice's form as he walked into the waves. I thought he would leave again without another word, but he stopped when he was knee-deep in the water and turned to look at me over his shoulder.

I couldn't help my response. I perked up, pushing my upper half up off the sand as a faint inkling of hope welled in my belly. Would he allow me to come with him today? Would he decide not to leave and possibly stay a short time with me?

My hope was dashed like the waves upon the small rocky portion of the island as he turned back around and dove into the water. Not a few moments later, I saw his fin appear above the surf, then slowly descend beneath the waves.

I sank back down into the sand, defeated. This is not where I want to spend my time. Frustration crept into my mind at my body's inability to heal faster. Wait. That man. The doctor.

I knew what a doctor was in general for humans, but my knowledge on them wasn't much. But he helps people. He helped me. The thought that he could possibly speed up the healing process or figure out why I wasn't doing well anymore, brought me back to a sitting position.

"Alright. Gotta get up now." I told myself, knowing that actually doing so was going to be a lot harder than saying it.

Pushing off of the warm sand once I was on my hands and knees had me stumbling forward. A strong pain shot through my weak legs, dropping my weight before I even managed to get halfway up.