Once, when I was very young
A child of perhaps seven
I saw a mermaid
At a lake that was so nice
We called it a beach
There were even tiny shells
Littering the sand
Which I liked to collect
In my little, plastic bucket
I had been warned to stay off the pier
The end which dropped off into deep water
But I didn't listen
I was a stubborn child
Too curious for my own good
And recklessly brave
I snuck along the pier
Passing sunbathers
Who basked in the sun
And old men with fishing poles
Trying in vain just to catch one fish
I reached the end of the pier unnoticed
I descended the ladder into the water
But just a few rungs from the bottom
My foot hit something slippery
Algae perhaps
I grasped at the ladder, but I fell anyway
As I fell, my face hit the rung in front of me
Knocking my jaw jarringly
On the unforgiving iron
And breaking open my lip
With my own teeth
I was plunged into murky water
Sinking fast, like a bullet
It was as though a stone
Had been tied around my ankle
Several feet of water
Rushed over my head
Crushingly
I was terrified
But then I felt something
Colder than the cool water
Brush my skin
I reacted in fear
Trying to propel myself upward
Toward the surface
But I continued to sink
My vision blurred
I felt strong hands clamp
With sureness
Around my waist, lifting me
I was propelled upward
Faster than I had sunk
I broke the surface spluttering
Trying to clear the water from my vision
A soaking mass of dark, wet hair
Was nestled close against my neck
I was cradled in a woman's arms
Like a little baby
She looked scared and concerned
She shoved me, unceremoniously
Up onto the pier
And as she turned and dove
Back into the depths
I caught a glimpse
Of a shining, silvery fish tail
About the Creator
A. R. Ambrosi
I like to write, if that makes me a writer, then rock on!
I started writing as a child because I ran out of stuff to read. So, I only write stuff that I like. If you like it too, awesome! Enjoy! ^_^
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