Optional: As this whole story is in a setting of a beach at night, you may want to  listen to this as your bgm to set the mood while reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f77SKdyn-1Y

Let's get started!~

 

With the city lights glimmering in the far distant horizon, the cicadas singing a lullaby around the both of you, realizing the only thing separating you both from civilization was the soft yet strong crashing waves of the sea.

 

Tae Yong and you stood by the coast, enjoying the gentle night breeze caressing your faces. If you were not put off by the thought of fine sand particles sticking onto your hair and clothes, you would have lied on the shore there and then.

 

“Its really nice here right?” he smiled, head turned towards you while keeping his hands in his pockets. The shadows falling on his face makes his features look even more sculpted than they already were.

 

“I love it.”

 

Although born a city boy, you had always marveled at the wonders in nature. You loved the idea of how small and insignificant you were in the eyes of Mother Earth, what’s more those nitty-gritty problems of yours. Environmentalist was on the top list of your dream course to attend for about three years before you decided graduating with the license to dispense medications was better suited for you because sometimes dreams can only remain as nothing but one.

 

Even so with the switch in career prospects, your interest in nature never wavered. You were glad pharmacy not only paved the future for you but it also forged new friendships with your co-workers, like the one with Tae Yong. Pestering him to join you in your almost weekly hobby was something he never turned you down for. As much as he loved exploring the wild, your companion as a little brother made every of those trips even better.

 

This evening Tae Yong brought you to this beach, a gem hidden in the outskirts of the city. The serenity was comfort to you, something you wished you could keep in a bottle like a snow globe - those pretty little delicate ornaments girls would shake and daydream about as the faux snow cover the miniature town like a blanket.

 

Your thoughts got disrupted when Tae Yong broke the silence in asking if you wanted a drink from the nearby dispensary. Noticing the dryness at the back of your throat, you agreed to his offer, sending the older male to run off in purchase of soft drink for two.

 

You looked at how the waves hit the shore before receding back to its source a few seconds later in the same rhythmic pattern as your breathing. Unsure if it was the purplish sky that was scattered with stars looking like flicks of white paint on a canvas, or the dark blue sea that seemed to be calling out to you, you knew this place was more than what it seemed.

 

When there were no signs of Tae Yong’s return, you decided to stroll along the beach alone. Counting your footsteps with quiet murmurs, you hoped your friend would appear by the time the number was 30. As your eyes were fixated on the white foams forming on the shore, a bright twinkle caught your attention a few meters ahead. Curious as to what it was, you quickened up your pace and soon found yourself admiring the shiniest seashell you had ever seen. With the iridescent trinket shimmering when tilted at an angle, you held it by the end of the chain which looked like the material of weeds and iron, admiring at your prize as it swings to and fro like a pendulum.

 

“Hey?”

 

What was that?

 

Words of your mother’s nagging about picking up things from the ground that were not yours flashed in your mind. Those Chinese old-wives tales have been in drilled and brainwashed into your mind since young and you knew if your mother was there she would have screamed in your ears to put back your new found treasure. But that seashell was way too beautiful to be returned.

 

“Hey, excuse me?”

 

This time you freaked out, certain you heard a faint call that sounded like a female’s. Cursing under your breath; you thought you were done for. You had picked up a spirit and it would demand to be your ghost bride with no exceptions.

 

Accepting to your ill fate and silently apologizing to your mother for not listening, you scanned your surroundings, only to be greeted with a slim silhouette which seemed to be dipped in the shallow waters.

 

“Excuse me, is that a seashell you’re holding?” she spoke, voice a little too gentle to your expectation. It was like the sound of wind-chimes, soft and magical.

 

Taking a careful step forward, your eyes widened when the mysterious stranger came to view.

 

She had sleek black hair cascading all the way down to the waters, with tiny seashells as bright as the one you were holding decorating the crown of her head. Her eyes were a midnight blue, thin slits of supposed gills were present on both sides of the neck, her pale skin smooth like the porcelain vase you had at home. Exquisite artifacts often have one or two cracks in them, signifying history, appearing even more beautiful for surviving its past ordeals. It was the same for her; a long fine scar drawn diagonally from her left temple to the cheekbone. It was faint and would have gone unnoticed if you had not been observant. With the moonlight shining from above, she was glowing into a faint hue of aqua green.

 

Wow. You found yourself staring at this exotic sea creature before you.

 

“Who... Who are you?”, your voice trembling from awe and disbelief.

 

“Please return it to me.”

 

“Whoa alright alright, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to keep it,” your blurted out, guilt washing over you like how the waves were slapping around her back.

 

You knew your lie was futile for she was now frowning, lips pressed into a thin line, “Give it back.”

 

Afraid to incur the wrath of a sea creature you knew nothing about, you did as told. You were certain the whites of her eyes disappeared for that brief moment, showing only two big orbs as dark as the black hole, staring straight into you, the living soul out of your shivering body.

 

“Thank you,” the mysterious stranger smiled, reverting back to the same composure when you first met a moment ago. “This necklace means a lot to me, I apologize if I had startled you earlier.”

 

“You’re a mermaid?” You were already crouching before her, taking in every detail you could find from this unusual yet strangely captivating stranger. You were confident your guess was right but a soft “Ah” still escaped your lips when she confirmed your question which had sounded more like a statement instead.

 

Realizing your knowledge of such legends was far too limited in this vast world of mysteries, you found yourself bewildered at the fact that these mystical creatures do exist and you were nothing but a mere, boring human. We would never know what lies beneath the ocean nor what lies outside the universe. Noticing your silence, the mermaid propped herself up with her elbows, narrowing the distance between the both of you.

 

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” eagerness obvious in her tone, looking at you as if you’re another kind of species in the human race.

 

Your gazes locked, her silence an indication for your reply.

 

“The day does not understand the darkness of night,” you sang this favourite line from your most-liked Chinese ballad song. “But the day is also unaware of the beauty of it.”

 

You were as equally surprised as her, for the second line was an ad-lib, just as though your heart spoke on behalf of your mind. You swear your heart was b with joy when you knew the smile on her face was the effect of those words you said. Seeing how her face lit up like a kid who had just received a surprise birthday present, you thought you were probably the only human who had made known of his appreciation for the living magic before you right then.

 

You could never understand how would someone be afraid of such an alluring beauty. And you would never expect the appearance of her to give this favourite song of yours a second meaning to it.

 

Just like how the confession of yours had amazed her, what she did next was as unexpected for you. You froze when she whispered a few peculiar words, reckoning it was the language that her kind spoke, before leaning in to plant a soft peck on your warm cheek, the heat spreading like fire up to your ears. While your blush was slowly dissipating, the slight tingle present at the very spot her cool moist lips grazed a few moments ago remained persistent.

 

“Its… its how mer-people express their thanks!” the flustered look on her face sent you chuckling away. “I didn’t mean to scare you off, I’m sorry!”

 

“I-”

 

“Si Cheng!”

 

A loud shout from the back startled both of you, causing her to dive back into the comfort of her wet habitat. Tae Yong was waving the 2 cans of Coke in the air, signaling for you to join him.

 

“Your name is Si Cheng?” she whispered, as if Tae Yong could hear her meters away.

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“I’m afraid I have to go, Si Cheng. Your friend is watching.”

 

“... but I don’t want you to.”

 

She ducked further into the sea, leaving just a head bobbing above the dark waters, with eyes fixated carefully on something behind you. Turning behind to see what caused such panicky actions, you found Tae Yong walking towards your direction.

 

“I can’t be seen by humans, it’s… dangerous.”

 

Part of you was feeling guilty for impending a possible harm onto her without even realizing. Not that you and Tae Yong would do anything but it may not be the same if someone else saw you talking to a mermaid. Another part of you was relieved to know you had earned the trust of her, something that was very precious and intimate.

“It was wonderful meeting you-,” you stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing you have not gotten her name yet but continued with your point, “and I wish to stay longer but I guess I’d better go.”

 

“What’s your name?” you added, aware of Tae Yong’s approaching footsteps.

 

“Ozelreia.”

 

“And when can I see you again?”

 

“When the moon is at its brightest and the tide at the lowest.”

 

“Hey dude, what the heck were you doing? Swimming?” You swung around to be greeted by Tae Yong who was now looking quizzically at you, a tinge of sarcasm prominent in his joke. Checking yourself, you realized your jeans and shoes were soaked.

 

Remembering if your secret friend was still there, you turned back to discover she was already gone.  

 

Gone just like the wind, you smiled.

 

You had to come up with a lie when Tae Yong claimed to have seen you talking to something like someone with a loose screw in the head.

 

“I uh… I saw a sea otter and went over to play with it.”

 

“Sea otter? Wow that’s lucky of you to spot one in the open at night. Wished I saw it too,” Tae Yong shrugged, handing you your canned drink that had tiny water droplets already forming around the body. “By the way I received a call from Yuta earlier, there’s some problem in one of our slides for Friday’s congress presentation. Wanna pop by his house to discuss?”

 

~ ~ ~

 

And so, the both of you made your way back to the car, with your mind full of thoughts that were still having a hard time piecing them together.

 

She was so different from the other human girls you knew, she was like the moonlight; enchanting and mysterious. You were drawn to her, starstruck, just like how the sea waves are pulled by the moon’s gravitational force. She was like the yin to your yang.

 

You knew you were playing with fire the moment you let your guard down but what is the meaning to life if you forfeit the bet that could win you the happiness you wished, even if it was temporary. It was clear not all fairy tales would end with happy endings, but you were willing to get your hands burnt if the touch of her skin could make you feel more alive than ever.

 

The screams from your mind to forget this incident was loud but the pleas from your heart were even louder. Muting the former, you chose to embrace this insane decision of yours.

 

Winding down the window, you stuck your hand out, feeling the cool night breeze slapping against your palm. The sound of waves crashing up the shore at the distance reminding you of the face you were already missing.

 

See you soon, Ozelreia.

 

What just happened at the beach was something you would never believe if it was told by someone else. It was a beautiful encounter, a secret you would never reveal.  

 

Making a mental note, you promised to visit again when the moon was at its brightest and tide at its lowest.

 

 

~ The End~

 x fantasy!au , one-shot completed x