Prologue

A young mergirl swam endlessly through the ocean, happy and carefree. One day, she saw a fishing boat. She approached it. When she was very close, she stuck her head out of the water. "Hello." The mergirl greeted the humans standing on the edge.

They then spoke for a little while. The mergirl was easily convinced to go aboard.

This would be the biggest mistake of her life.

Chapter 1
Stella

I sat in the dark, secluded corner of my tank, the farthest I could get from the prying eyes of humans. My arms were wrapped around my tail, which was folded in front of me, and my face was buried in my arms.

A few times, I felt vibrations from someone knocking on the glass, disappointed that I was ignoring them.

I didn't care.

Chapter 2
Stella

I floated over to the brightly lit area where the humans would come to look at me, mildly interested in seeing new faces. There was a little girl staring up at me.

"Hello!" She said to me, waving.

I waved back.

She was soon dragged off by her mom.

A few hours later, the little girl returned, alone.

"Are you a real mermaid?" She asked me.

I nodded.

"My mom said you a hoax," she crossed her arms. "I think you're real, cause a person wouldn't be able to hold her breath that long."

I didn't say anything.

"Are you real?" she asked, tentatively.

I nodded again.

"Knew it!" she squealed before running off.

Chapter 3
Stella

"Hello, mermaid!"

I ignored the sound, not in the mood.

"Mermaid?"

I looked up, thinking that I recognized the voice, so I swam away from my corner, and over to the viewing area. It was the same little human girl from a month ago. She wore a sparkly blue dress, and a paper hat with 8 written on it as a large bold double loop.

I waved.

"Do you remember me?" She asked.

I nodded.

"I asked my mommy, and she said that I could have my birthday party here, at the aquarium."

"Emma!" came a shout, "Where'd you go?"

"Sorry, that's my mom. I kinda wandered off. Don't worry I'll be back." She ran off, and I watched her, smiling slightly.

She came again, this time accompanied by friends.

"Guys," she said, "this is my mermaid friend."

"You're friends with the mermaid?" one of then asked in mild disbelief.

"Yeah. She talked to me." Emma said defensively. "We talk all the time."

"No she didn't." The child turned to me. "Did you talk to her?"

I nodded, deciding to back up the human's lie for some reason.

"Ha ha, I told you." Emma laughed.

"Whatever. Lets go look at the seahorses, its not like the mermaid is real."

The other children walked away, and I returned to my corner.

Chapter 4
Emma

"Can I go to the aquarium?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"That's life."

"Well life is stupid." I ran away from my mom to go back to my room. I collapsed in the corner crying. I kept asking her to go nearly every day, but she still wouldn't let me go. I wanted to see the mermaid again. I drew a picture of her and wanted to show her. Well, I drew many pictures but still. I wanted to see her again.

My dad was mad at mom for letting me go to the aquarium in the first place. He said that it was just a hologram and that mom shouldn't be letting me believe nonsense.

What's wrong with nonsense? You can't have sense without nonsense every once in a while... right?

Chapter 5
Emma

It was several years until I was allowed to go to the aquarium again. Well, I say 'allowed' but really I just went there on a date with my boyfriend. My mom at that point had forgotten that I'd been obsessed with her, although I'm sure she still noticed my abundance of artwork of the beautiful creature, and what I imagined others of her kind to look like.

When I went to the aquarium, I didn't go to the mermaid enclosure immediately. I instead spent a while traveling around with my boyfriend to see all the different fish and things. He wanted to watch the dolphin show, but I wasn't interested. I ditched him there, and went to see the mermaid.

Like me, the beautiful creature had grown. She wore a shirt advertising the aquarium's logo, which didn't really fit her. Her long brown hair, though matted, gleamed underwater. Her long greenish-blue tail seemed to have bit of algae growing on it, but it still shined.

"Hello, mermaid," I started tentatively. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm Emma. I came here for my 8th birthday. We talked. Kinda?" The mermaid turned to look at me, then swam over to where I stood. "Well I was just wondering- what's your name?"

The mermaid cocked her head to the side, then in my mind I heard a voice say, "Stella."

Chapter 6
Stella

I don't know what compelled me to talk to the human. Maybe it was because of boredom. Maybe it was because she was interested in talking to me. I don't know.

"I knew it! You can talk!" The human was excited. "My name is Emma."

"Well it's nice to meet you." I thought a moment before jokingly asking, "any chance you can get me out of here?"

"I don't think so." She paused. "You know, I've been a big fan of you since I was a little kid. I always thought you were cool. I'd get you out of here if I could, you know."

"That's good to know." I responded.

The human looked down at her phone.

"Sorry. I'm with my boyfriend now. Talk later?"

She ran off before I could reply.

Chapter 7
Emma

I needed to get Stella out of there. I didn't care what would happen to me if I did that, it couldn't be worse than what had been done to her all this time.

I snuck out at night, and drove over to the aquarium. I broke in easily, thankful of the minimal security that the tourist attraction had.

Making my way to the correct tank, I looked around just in case there was a security guard nearby. Thankfully, there wasn't. I walked up to the tank.

"Hello?" I called out.

After a moment, Stella floated over to me, rubbing her eyes.

"Stay back a bit, I'm going to break you out of here." I held up the hammer that I'd brought.

She swam a bit backwards, and I slammed the hammer into the side of the tank. The glass spiderwebbed and water began to spill out. I hit it a second time, and holes began to form. On the third time, a massive section of the wall finally broke free, causing water and fish to flood the area.

I went and picked up Stella. Luckily, she was much smaller than I. Quickly, I waded through the water, and brought her out to my car. As I was placing her in the front seat, I heard the shout of a security guard. I turned around, saw him, then closed the door carefully so as not to catch her tail. I then ran over to the drivers side, slamming the door as I sat down.

I pulled out of the lot, and headed straight for the pier. About halfway there, I heard sirens. This only caused me to hit the gas harder. I drove as close to the water as I could, then left the car. I went over and lifted Stella out, bridal-style.

I carried her over to the water, and slipped her in.

Chapter 8
Stella

I swam into the water, exhilarated to finally be somewhere that I belonged. There was a problem though - Emma. She would be in trouble for releasing me. I jumped out of the water, grabbed Emma, then landed back into the water, dragging her with me.

I'd created a small air bubble around Emma so that she could continue breathing, and refrain from getting too wet. I swam a bit, then let go of my human friend. I tore off the forced shirt I wore, exposing myself, and then grabbed Emma's hand again. We swam long and far.

Eventually, we approached the area where I remembered my home to be. It was still there. I cautiously approached the area where I remembered my home to be.

Chapter 9
Emma

The underwater world was so beautiful. Somehow I was able to see it all. My body was surrounded by a thin layer of air, protecting me from drowning. I was sad that I was not able to properly feel Stella's body as she carried me through the water, but the experience was still worthwhile.

The water closest to the docs was gross with oils and ships. It was disgusting. But the further we shot out into the sea, the more beauty there was. The more life. I felt out of place, being a human underwater. I wanted to talk to Stella, but she was more concentrated on her destination.

Eventually, we arrived deep under the ocean, far away from land, at an underwater city. You could see most of it from our vantage point, floating so high up. Stella seemed to be searching among what looked like a more rural area with sparser houses. Somehow, that was when realization dawned on me. I never considered how she had ended up here.

I was dragged down to a small house in the middle of what looked like an algae field. Soon, we were floating in front of the door. She was ringing her hands nervously. Before I could say anything, the door opened.

A merman was standing there. He looked old and angry. He glared at me, and seemed to be mentally shouting at the terrified Stella, but I didn't know what was being said. Eventually I saw him pointing towards the city. The door closed.

Stella glanced at me silently, then let me away.

Old Draft

Chapter 1

I sat in the dark, secluded corner of my tank, the farthest I could get from the prying eyes of humans. My arms were wrapped around my tail, which was folded in front of me, and my face was buried in my arms.

A few times, I felt vibrations from someone knocking on the glass, disappointed that I was ignoring them.

I didn't care.

Chapter 2

I floated over to the brightly lit area where the humans would come to look at me, mildly interested in seeing new faces. There was a little girl staring up at me.

"Hello!" She said to me, waving.

I waved back.

She was soon dragged off by her mom.

A few hours later, the little girl returned, alone.

"Are you a real mermaid?" She asked me.

I nodded.

"My mom said you a hoax," she crossed her arms. "I think you're real, cause a person wouldn't be able to hold her breath that long."

I didn't say anything.

"Are you real?" she asked, tentatively.

I nodded again.

"Knew it!" she squealed before running off.

Chapter 3

"Hello, mermaid!"

I ignored the sound, not in the mood.

"Mermaid?"

I looked up, thinking that I recognized the voice, so I swam away from my corner, and over to the viewing area. It was the same little human girl from a month ago. She wore a sparkly blue dress, and a paper hat with 8 written on it as a large bold double loop.

I waved.

"Do you remember me?" She asked.

I nodded.

"I asked my mommy, and she said that I could have my birthday party here, at the aquarium."

"Emma!" came a shout, "Where'd you go?"

"Sorry, that's my mom. I kinda wandered off. Don't worry I'll be back." She ran off, and I watched her, smiling slightly.

She came again, this time accompanied by friends.

"Guys," she said, "This is my mermaid friend."

"You're friends with the mermaid?" one of then asked in mild disbelief.

"Yeah. She talked to me." Emma said defensively. "We talk all the time."

"No she didn't." The child turned to me. "Did you talk to her?"

I nodded, deciding to back up the human's lie for some reason.

"Ha ha, I told you." Emma laughed.

"Whatever. Lets go look at the seahorses, its not like the mermaid is real."

The other children walked away, and I returned to my corner.

Chapter 4

"Can I go to the aquarium?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"That's life."

"Well life is stupid." I ran away from my mom to go back to my room. I collapsed in the corner crying. I kept asking her to go nearly every day, but she still wouldn't let me go. I wanted to see the mermaid again. I drew a picture of her and wanted to show her. Well, I drew many pictures but still. I wanted to see her again.

My dad was mad at mom for letting me go to the aquarium in the first place. He said that it was just a hologram and that mom shouldn't be letting me believe nonsense.

What's wrong with nonsense? You can't have sense without nonsense every once in a while... right?