I thought it was you who saved me, as you did before. I didn't mean to depend on you like that, but when I saw your face for the first time, I knew you were something I wanted to become.
Brave, Strong, Resilient, everything I wasn't, and when I woke up back in the ocean, it reminded me why I wasn't all those things.
"Serina! Serina!" A little version of me yelled, excited to see her after having my skin nearly burnt to a crisp.
Her small face scrunched up, and she carefully touched my face, making me wince, "Ouch", little me replied as little Serina shook her head, "Were you out here all day?"
Little me nodded, thinking I did something good, as little Serina grabbed my hand with irritation.
"You could have waited for me inside, or at least put on some sunscreen; now you look like a crispy tomato."
She was pulling little me away from the beach, and even though she was upset, I couldn't help but smile, "I was okay, plus aren't crispy tomatoes good?"
Little Serina rolled her eyes, "Usually, with rice and egg on the side, but that's not the point, the point is you did a stupid thing. Now, I have to take you to my mom to help."
"I like your mom, she's nice, she's better than mine."
"Don't bash your own mom, Li."
Little me pulled away from her grasp, folding my arms with a crease to my forehead, "You don't know her as I do!"
"Li."
"No, you don't get it, it's like she doesn't care if I get hurt, like she could fix me anyway, both her and my dad are just some losers sometimes!"
"Lillian Dusk Thatcher!"
The name caught little me off guard as I saw anger pool in little Serina's face, "Don't ever talk about your parents like that, especially to me! It's disrespectful! They are trying their best, and if you are still here, then they are doing some of a good job!"
My little hands balled that day, and I turned in the opposite direction of where we were going. I had a little salt water in my eyes, running til I hit the seawater. Pushing my face under until I couldn't see any more, and even though it stung, I didn't care. I just felt so angry and so stupid that I didn't even want to see my own face anymore.
I know Serina had good intentions, but I just felt she didn't understand what I felt; her parents cared where she was because they loved her. Not because she had money attached to her name, and that made me jealous. Made me wish I were born as her sibling or at least adopted by her family. It was unfair that I got the short end of the stick just because my parents didn't want children. Hell, they only had me for the inheritance, and some heir I turned out to be.
"Hey, wake the fuck up!"
I heard a loud bang, making me zone out of the memory I had, realizing where I was now.
"Huh?"
"Don't huh me, injured fish, wake the hell up!"
There was another bang that made me jump, an unknown, deep rustic voice sending chills down my spine as I heard them laugh.
"There you are, injured fish, thought you were dead at first."
The scenery was mostly dark, but the appearance of the unknown voice poked through the dim light.
They look to be a siren, some sort of angler fish-like one with navy-blue hair and sharp teeth. Not to mention an arm missing?? Not really sure, but their yellow illuminated eyes were throwing me off.
"What kind of siren are you?" I question, while rubbing my sore forehead, making the siren come closer.
"What kind of siren am I?" They laughed again, this time louder, so that it might form some sort of echo.
"You are funny, injured fish, ha ha, I would say I like you, but then I would be lying."
Their tail hit the cage, and I flinched as the unknown siren gave me a big, toothy smile.
I shivered, "Okay, funny game, but I'm creeped out now, and as much as I like whatever style is going on with you, you're not exactly my type, so..."
The unknown siren scoffed, "I don't give a fuck, is that supposed to make me upset or something? I literally have you right where I want you."
I tried to play coy, biting my lip, "And where is that?"
I could see the unknown siren get visibly upset, grabbing at what seemed to be coral bars, "If you continue to do that flirting shit with me, I might just let the creatures eat you before he does."
My sly persona dropped, "He?"
The unknown siren nodded, "You will see him soon, if you're lucky." They hit the coral cell and let their nails run down the sides, "You ignorant fool, you don't know the trouble that you've got into, or what you've done."
I grabbed at the bars, attempting to keep calm, but the panic slowly started to seep through, "What did I do!? All I have been doing is trying to survive out here! You must know something about that, right?"
They tilted their head to the side, letting their long hair spill over their shoulders, "Of course, I know about surviving longer than you've known, injured fish. You think being out in the ocean is hard? Try the military. I've had memories come to me in dreams about my time on the surface, and I was always at battle with myself, except for the few times I wasn't. Then this happened to me."
The unknown siren pointed to the area where they lacked an arm, "I got my arm bit off as soon as I got deep into the ocean, and I can still feel that pain every day echo into my mind. You think you have it hard? Try growing back an arm in the wrong fucking place!"
Their anger was heated, and I could feel it from inside the cage, my hands tight on the bars as I watched the unknown siren ball their fists.
If something tore off their arm out here, what is the real danger lurking in the sea, and why am I nervous that I might find it soon?