Kymari Burke was only 13 years old when her father, Aiden Burke, passed away. it's been two years, but the memories of her father getting swallowed up by the depths of the lake stayed clear in her mind. she could still hear his cries for help, the thunder and lightning ringing in her ears, waves crashing up the sides of the boat. but deep in her mind, she knew something wasn't right. though her mother didn't get a chance to see it, she sworn that for a split second, right before her father died, she saw him being sharply pulled down into the water, and that was the end. so was it really an accident? or was there something more sinister going on? 

I yawned, the morning sunlight softly filtering in through my window. in the narrow beam of sunlight, i could see a swarm of tiny floating dust particles. i sat up in my bed, taking off the heavy blanket that covered my legs. i stood up and stretched my arms, then yawned again.   though tired, it was a saturday, reminding me that there was no school today. happy to be free of schoolwork, i decided to start off the day with a nice, hot shower. i walked into the bathroom, the tile feeling cold under my feet. after getting in the shower i let the warm water relax my muscles. but suddenly, the side of my neck started feeling itchy, so naturally, i scratched it. but then it started burning. 

 Panicked, i immediately got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around me. i turned off the water, and turned to the side. the side of my neck was extremely red, as if the skin was irritated. i bit my lip; the burning sensation was like a thousand needles piercing the skin at once.  shivering, i walked back to my room. after putting on a hoodie and black leggings, i turned on my phone. i searched up what i saw on my skin, but it said that it was probably just an eczema rash. i sighed. after looking for the last bit of information, i gave up. it couldn't possibly be worse than just some stupid rash, right? i brushed my hair with my fingers, and walked to the kitchen. there, i found my mom at the stove. 

The pan was sizzling; on the pan was scrambled eggs. "hey, mari. i'm making eggs at the moment. how 'bout you sit down and have a bite?" "no thanks mom. i'm going to bike around the city. maybe another time?"  she looked hurt. "not even a glass of orange juice? you can't possibly be leaving without eating something." i sighed. "i'm fine mom. i'll be back by lunch, promise." "wait." she said. "what now?" i said quietly. "what's that on your neck?" "i don't know mom. but i'm pretty sure it's just a rash. it'll probably heal in a couple weeks anyway. now please, no more questions." "are you sure? well, okay then. have fun." i ran back to my room, and pulled on my shoes, and pocketed my phone.

Then i rummaged through the closet until i found my helmet. i pushed open the front door, and ran to the side of the house, where my bike was resting in a pile of leaves. i sat on the seat, and began fastening on my helmet. then, steadying myself, i pushed off and began riding down the sidewalk. the crisp, october air cooled me off as i began picking up speed. as the wind rushed through my hair, i began feeling energized and alive. i then rode down the hill where there was a busy street waiting for me, and everything was a blur; but i had done this millions of times, and i was in control. i let my bike's speed stay the same, but a few seconds later, i slightly pressed on my brakes and began to slow down.

Then, i skidded to a stop, right in front of the street. i felt my heart pounding against my chest. my adrenaline had increased drastically. i sighed, smiling to myself. if i couldn't take a decent shower, the least i could do was take a ride around around my neighborhood. deciding to take it slower, i calmly rode to the beach, which was right next to a lake. i stopped when i reached the beach. everything was peaceful. the only sounds that i could hear was the gentle waves crashing against the shore, and seagulls squawking, occasionally diving into the water. i parked my bike and took my shoes off, placing them next to my bike. then, i began walking along the sandy shore. the soft, cool sand crunched under my feet.

I walked farther and farther until i came across a wall filled with flat but huge rocks, moss growing around the cracks. i ran my hand across the surface, which to my surprise was damp. rubbing my hand briskly on my leggings, i decided to come closer to the lake. the closer i got to the lake, the wetter the sand became. i was close enough that as a wave formed, it washed over my ankles. i was gladly enjoying the experience. i imagined taking the boat out with mom and watching the sunset with her, laughing happily and telling jokes. but then i remembered what happened to dad, and the horrible realization swept over me like a hawk. there was something in these waters and i knew it.

But nobody believed me. not even my own mother. even the police thought i was just imagining things. but how was i supposed to carry on with my life knowing that most likely, someone, or something, had killed my father? i felt hot tears roll down my cheeks. i was no longer enjoying the view of the lake. there was something in the ocean, and i had to find out what it was. i wasn't just going to ignore it. i needed to give my father the peace he deserved. everyone, including me, deserved the truth. from now on, i would have no choice but to dedicate my life to finding out the truth, because i had faced reality, and it had slapped me in the face. 

I began running down the shore, feeling sick and miserable. I wiped away my tears with my sleeve, running faster and faster, until i found where i had parked my bike. i pulled on my shoes and strapped on my helmet, then began peddling back home. i pushed open the front door, hoping that i didn't look like a wreck. "sweetie, are you alright?" my mom asked me, a concerned expression on her face. and before i could stop myself, i ran up to her and hugged her, crying so much i thought i would almost run out of tears. i told mom about my feelings, and she apologized for not helping me cope earlier. for once in a lifetime, i couldn't wait that it was sunday tomorrow, a day before school. 

When i woke up, i almost fainted at the sight of the side of my neck. it had formed what looked like to be a set of deep lines carved into the side of my neck. which had to be... gills. was i turning into some type of fish? i knew i had to tell mom. but how would she react when she found out that i had gills on my neck? would she look at me like some type of freak? i planned to go to the library to do some research. as i changed into new clothes, i knew that i had no choice but to hide my new feature. i looked around my room, trying to find something to cover up my neck. i managed to find some leftover concealer and a scarf, so i decided that putting on both of them was a good idea. 

 After, i said bye to my mom and left to the library, telling her that i was going there to study for an exam.  there was only a few people there, as not many people went to the library on the weekend. i powered on one of the computers, and went to the search engine. i spent about five minutes searching up if it was possible to have gills if you were, well, human. it said that humans who had gills were probably mermaids in disguise, and that it was a known myth. big surprise. but that wasn't possible. i couldn't be a mermaid. it was just a myth. i then began searching up myths related to the ocean, and the screen began popping up different myths and articles. had an evil mermaid killed my father? was i a mermaid? 

After searching up the last bit of information i could find, i gave up. it was time to test the theory to see if it was true. after school, i rode back to the beach, i had no choice. i was wearing my swimsuit under my clothes, so i took off my outfit and put it in a pile a few feet from the lake. i took a deep breath, and began slowly walking in the water, where it was still shallow. as i walked, the water became deeper and deeper. at one point, the water reached up all the way to my chin. and i knew that if i walked a few more steps, i would no longer feel the bottom. about a minute later, i could no longer feel the rocky bottom scratching the soles on my feet, but only the freezing water engulfing me.