Welcome To The World
Today was the day.
Aaron could feel it in every single one of his bones; today was going to be the day he would become a human.
For eighteen years he had been forced to stay under the sea as a cursed mermaid. He was sick of it. Ever since he heard about the society above water he dreamed of ‘walking’ amongst the humans. As far as he concerned he had waited long enough for his legs.
He had heard an old folk tale that if he were to kiss a human, he would take their legs and the human would take his fin. Never had he seen proof, and it was a really old story, but any chance to have legs was a chance worth taking. Anything to get out of this water and onto land…
Aaron was perched on a rock, staring up at the surface of the water and waiting for a boat to drive by. This was usually the part of the water where boats frequented, filled with humans laughing and having fun. He couldn’t understand why anybody would willingly enter the water. How could they not be grateful for their land?
He brushed a stray piece of his long blonde hair out of his eyes to see an oncoming boat. His heart pounded in his chest and he raced up to the surface, following it close behind.
To his surprise, not long after he started following it, the boat slowed to halt. Aaron hesitated, grabbing his hair and nervously twirling in in his fingers. He had been planning this all day...why was he chickening out now? No...this was not an option. He had to do this- he had to get those legs.
He swam up and popped his head out of the water. Quietly, he brushed the hair out of his eyes and studied the human on the boat. It was a male human...he had short choppy brown hair and hard features on his face accompanied by stubble.
The man turned around, fishing pole in hand, and jumped in surprise. “Holy- what the...are you okay? What are you doing so far out here?” He looked around for any nearby boats, only to find none.
Aaron breathed out nervously, and grabbed the back of the boat. He hoisted himself up and perched on the side, keeping the tip of his fin in the water.
“What the- I must be seriously tripping…” He muttered, backing away. “No way this is real…”
“No...this is real.” Aaron smiled, hiding the crushing nervousness he felt.. “And the wish I can grant is just as real.”
“Wh-....what?” The human breathed out, his eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve never heard the legend? Kiss a human and they will grant you any wish you desire.” Aaron explained, repeating what he heard a week ago. He really hoped he was pulling this off and the human was buying it. Aaron needed those legs.
“Really?” His shoulders relaxed slightly and he came closer to the mermaid.
“I promise.” Aaron replied, holding eye contact with him.
“All I have to do is...is kiss you?” He knelt by the back of the boat, leveling their eyes together. The blonde smiled and nodded, brushing the hair out of his eyes again.
“Yep, that’s it,” He leaned closer. “Just a simple small kiss.”
The man breathed out, hesitating. After a few heartbeats he closed the space and met his lips.
Aaron pulled away as soon as he felt a shift in his fin. He watched in amazement as his fin painlessly morphed apart into two separate legs. The man however was silent in fear, staring at his legs as they came together and faded into a grey fin.
Thinking quickly, Aaron grabbed the man and threw him over the boar and into the water. He hit the water with a huge splash and sunk under to the bottom.
Aaron sighed in relief and disbelief. Did that really work? He couldn’t wrap his head around it...he finally had legs! Real life human legs that he could run with- jump, dance, spin and twirl with. He stood up and immediately fell back to the floor of the boat.
First things first, he had to learn how to stand and walk. Slowly, he rose again, balancing on the two legs. Walking...one leg in front of the other...left, right, left, right…
He moved his left leg out and put it back down in front of him, balancing. He did the same with the other, and kept repeating until eventually he was walking around the boat like a pro.
Aaron laughed ecstatically, unable to form words over how happy he was. He had spent eighteen years dreaming of leaving the water, and here he was with two legs.
Now he just had to get to land. He could see it from where he stood, not being too far from the shore, but he definitely could not drive there. He didn’t have the first clue how to work a boat.
A groan escaped his lips at the realization they he’d have to swim there. One last time- the VERY last time he would ever swim, he was sure of that much.
He threw on the pants that the man was wearing and leapt into the water.
He reached the shore, tired beyond words, and climbed out of the water onto the sandy dunes of the beach. The sun had already gone down hours ago, but the lights still shone brightly like they always did. He knew this town...it was Los Angeles.
Mermaids raved about this place. They loved the lights and how they reflected onto the surface of the water. Aaron heard about it all the time. Now he was actually here, sitting on its beach. Sitting...with legs...he still wasn't over it.
He curled his toes into the sand and breathed out a soft sigh. It felt even more amazing than he thought it would be. He couldn’t wait to feel everything the land had to offer under his feet.
He was only getting started.
Today was the day.
Aaron could feel it in every single one of his bones; today was going to be the day he would become a human.
For eighteen years he had been forced to stay under the sea as a cursed mermaid. He was sick of it. Ever since he heard about the society above water he dreamed of ‘walking’ amongst the humans. As far as he concerned he had waited long enough for his legs.
He had heard an old folk tale that if he were to kiss a human, he would take their legs and the human would take his fin. Never had he seen proof, and it was a really old story, but any chance to have legs was a chance worth taking. Anything to get out of this water and onto land…
Aaron was perched on a rock, staring up at the surface of the water and waiting for a boat to drive by. This was usually the part of the water where boats frequented, filled with humans laughing and having fun. He couldn’t understand why anybody would willingly enter the water. How could they not be grateful for their land?
He brushed a stray piece of his long blonde hair out of his eyes to see an oncoming boat. His heart pounded in his chest and he raced up to the surface, following it close behind.
To his surprise, not long after he started following it, the boat slowed to halt. Aaron hesitated, grabbing his hair and nervously twirling in in his fingers. He had been planning this all day...why was he chickening out now? No...this was not an option. He had to do this- he had to get those legs.
He swam up and popped his head out of the water. Quietly, he brushed the hair out of his eyes and studied the human on the boat. It was a male human...he had short choppy brown hair and hard features on his face accompanied by stubble.
The man turned around, fishing pole in hand, and jumped in surprise. “Holy- what the...are you okay? What are you doing so far out here?” He looked around for any nearby boats, only to find none.
Aaron breathed out nervously, and grabbed the back of the boat. He hoisted himself up and perched on the side, keeping the tip of his fin in the water.
“What the- I must be seriously tripping…” He muttered, backing away. “No way this is real…”
“No...this is real.” Aaron smiled, hiding the crushing nervousness he felt.. “And the wish I can grant is just as real.”
“Wh-....what?” The human breathed out, his eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve never heard the legend? Kiss a human and they will grant you any wish you desire.” Aaron explained, repeating what he heard a week ago. He really hoped he was pulling this off and the human was buying it. Aaron needed those legs.
“Really?” His shoulders relaxed slightly and he came closer to the mermaid.
“I promise.” Aaron replied, holding eye contact with him.
“All I have to do is...is kiss you?” He knelt by the back of the boat, leveling their eyes together. The blonde smiled and nodded, brushing the hair out of his eyes again.
“Yep, that’s it,” He leaned closer. “Just a simple small kiss.”
The man breathed out, hesitating. After a few heartbeats he closed the space and met his lips.
Aaron pulled away as soon as he felt a shift in his fin. He watched in amazement as his fin painlessly morphed apart into two separate legs. The man however was silent in fear, staring at his legs as they came together and faded into a grey fin.
Thinking quickly, Aaron grabbed the man and threw him over the boar and into the water. He hit the water with a huge splash and sunk under to the bottom.
Aaron sighed in relief and disbelief. Did that really work? He couldn’t wrap his head around it...he finally had legs! Real life human legs that he could run with- jump, dance, spin and twirl with. He stood up and immediately fell back to the floor of the boat.
First things first, he had to learn how to stand and walk. Slowly, he rose again, balancing on the two legs. Walking...one leg in front of the other...left, right, left, right…
He moved his left leg out and put it back down in front of him, balancing. He did the same with the other, and kept repeating until eventually he was walking around the boat like a pro.
Aaron laughed ecstatically, unable to form words over how happy he was. He had spent eighteen years dreaming of leaving the water, and here he was with two legs.
Now he just had to get to land. He could see it from where he stood, not being too far from the shore, but he definitely could not drive there. He didn’t have the first clue how to work a boat.
A groan escaped his lips at the realization they he’d have to swim there. One last time- the VERY last time he would ever swim, he was sure of that much.
He threw on the pants that the man was wearing and leapt into the water.
He reached the shore, tired beyond words, and climbed out of the water onto the sandy dunes of the beach. The sun had already gone down hours ago, but the lights still shone brightly like they always did. He knew this town...it was Los Angeles.
Mermaids raved about this place. They loved the lights and how they reflected onto the surface of the water. Aaron heard about it all the time. Now he was actually here, sitting on its beach. Sitting...with legs...he still wasn't over it.
He curled his toes into the sand and breathed out a soft sigh. It felt even more amazing than he thought it would be. He couldn’t wait to feel everything the land had to offer under his feet.
He was only getting started.