Mermaid's Love Part 3

It was nearly 6 pm when both Kyle and his Aunt Marie had arrived at Pier's End.  Pier's End was one of the most popular destinations in the city, both by tourists and locals alike, and people where packing up all the local restaurants, bars, and various entertainment venues.  Looking around, neither could identify the woman they were looking for.  

Marie and Kyle met up again near the base of Pier 1, about 10 feet from the water's edge meets the sandy beach, nearly an hour after they started to look for Arianrhod.  

"I don't know what to do.  She called me up and said she needed me to meet her here.  This whole thing is a little screwy," said Kyle, a little exasperated.  

"Yes, I agree with you Kyle.  This whole thing seems to be a little fishy," said a perplexed Marie.  

"Psssttt," said a low toned female voice.  

Both Kyle and Marie heard it and started to look around.  Not seeing anyone after a moment of looking around they both looked at each other.  Kyle opened his mouth as if he was going to say something when another 'Pst' came again.  Only this time they both looked towards the water's edge.  Taking a good hard look in the twilight of the day they both noticed what looked like a person's head leaning away from behind one of the poles at the shoreline that was anchoring the pier up above them; the person seemed to be lying on their stomach.

Confused and curious, both Kyle and Marie looked at the person questioningly.  They walked towards the person cautiously.  After a few feet Kyle realized it was his mother.  Excited to see his mother for the first time in nearly a day and half he jumped for joy and ran towards her, giddy as a school boy.  But once he got to her Kyle looked his mother over and noticed that there was a fish tale attached to her mother's upper body.  

Kyle just stared, not knowing what to do.  Marie came up next to Kyle a second later.  She just stared, not know how to react.  

"Stop staring and just get me onto the beach.  We can wait under the Pier until later so we can get me out of here without anyone seeing," said Arianrhod desperately.  

Without hesitation, both Kyle and Marie grabbed a hold of Arianrhod's hands and pulled her up onto the beach.  Huffing and buffing, they pulled her to the end of the beach and where the rocks were signaling the man-made roads above.  

Letting go and dropping down onto the sand, a winded Kyle asked, "Mom!  What happened to you?  You are… you are a mermaid, for real."

Giving her son a weak smile, "I don't know sweetie."  She then looked up at her younger sister, who has been silent the entire time they have been on the beach, trying to read her face.  

Marie's facial expression showed concern and awe, but did not show any signs of fear.  In actuality Marie had started to scan Arianrhod's new body with wonder and fascination.  Looking at her sister's human half, she noticed that, besides her she only covering herself with the raggedy strapless push-up bra that she probably had on since her date the other night,  her body seemed to have become more athletically strong and bore the gleam and soft skin of a woman who barely was in her 20's.  Her wet brown hair seemed to have grown too, nearly what would have been her hips.  At where her hips should have been Marie saw that the human half of her sister begins to fade into the scales of what is her fish tail, which by her guess looked to be about 12 feet long.    

Marie was shaken out of her intense scan of the mermaid in front of her when she heard a voice call out.  "Marie,' said Arianrhod.  'Have you heard a word I just said to you?  You seem to be out of sorts today."

"No, I'm ok.  Just this has taken me by surprise and I am just really fascinated by this," responded Marie referencing her sister's new tail.  

"Well it isn't everyday someone turns into a mythological character now is it," Arianrhod said.  

With a smirk Marie said, "You are right.  Just am amazed at this and it happening to my sister! I'm kind of jealous actually."  

"Why is that?" asked Arianrhod.

"Well, because ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to be a mermaid and swim in the open sea but I had accepted that mermaids where just stories told by seamen and cultures to explain unknown things of the sea.  Now that I see you here like this I am feeling confused and giddy again," said Marie.  

"It's not all peaches and cream sweetie.  How would people react to this if they see me!?  I don't even want to think about it," said Arianrhod.  

A cool breeze came through the pier.  Giving Marie and Kyle a chill, Arianrhod just gave a slight shiver from the air hitting her water soaked skin.  "I was never this chilled in the water," Arianrhod said matter of factly.  

"I have a few beach towels in the car,' said Marie, 'Kyle would you please go get them out of the car for your mother please".   Tossing her keys to Kyle he took off before anyone could get another word in.  

Kneeling down next to her sister, Marie took a hard look at her older sister.  "I see that you grown gills too big sis.  I know this seems obvious but how does it feel to breath underwater?"

Reaching up with her left hand Arianrhod felt just under her right armpit.  Shyly smiling she said,  "Yeah these things grew once I was underwater for a few minutes.  It feels tingly when the water rushes through them. Don't tell Kyle about them.  The less he knows the better."

nodding in understanding Marie smiled.


A moment later Kyle started running back from the car with the towels and handed them to his Aunt Marie.  "Mom, what is going to happen now?" asked Kyle, the possibility that this can be permanent just starting to seep into his mind.  

"I don't know sweetie.  We have to get me home first and figure this out there," responded Arianrhod.  

Marie handed one of the towels to her sister and took the other two.  Arianrhod wrapped it around her person while Marie wrapped, as best she could around her sister's tail.  

"That's better," said Arianrhod as she laid there in the warmth of the towels.  

After a moment of silence all three decided that it may be best if they waited there in silence, hoping that no one passed by under the pier or heard them and walked down to investigated.  

The sun had nearly lost its grip on the sky as 6:30 pm came around and the people walking above on the pier never gave the first hint of finding a real live mermaid below their feet.  As the time continued to move forwards Arianrhod naturally started to dry off and as 6:35 came around her hair seemed to be completely dry.  Suddenly, Arianrhod's face became contorted with shock.

"AAAHHH,' said Arianrhod, both her son and her sister looked in panic.    'That felt funny".  

But before either her sister or son could open their mouth to respond, Arianrhod stepped out of the towels with her own two feet and stood up.  

Kyle and Marie looked at her stunned and flabbergasted.  

With one of the towels wrapped around her, Arianrhod stated, "I think it is best that we get going before someone realized that I am a near naked woman on the beach".

With the directions set out the three of them ran to Marie's car and got in.  Quickly, Marie started the car and drove off.  

"By the way, Aria, how did you call your house without a cell phone? And how did you just get your legs back?" asked Marie.