Beatrix's long black hair and black tail swished gracefully through the water, drawing gentle arcs in the waves.
She had genuinely started loving being a mermaid. The water was always quiet, only disturbed by schools of fish and the sway of seaweed. It was peaceful, as if a perfect place to let go of her mind and just focus on swimming.
She loved the sensation of water sliding against her tail as she swam and the way her hair flowed around her.
And she loved the power this body had.
She loved how fast she was able to swim, causing raucous waves behind her. It was an exhilarating feeling to dart around various water structures and rocks, and she loved being able to effortlessly catch fish and grab them with a single strike of her hand, easily getting her dinner.
And Beatrix didn't like to admit just how much time she had spent looking at herself in the mirror, watching her teeth and nails sharpen and retract. It was an incredible ability, and she felt a bit ashamed of how exhilarated it made her feel.
Beatrix enjoyed feeling powerful.
But she tried not to get attached to the feeling. All she had to do was get her task over with and move on, it's not like she'd be in this body for long.
Beatrix neared a conspicuous boat, slowing down as she reached it. She felt that familiar presence there, an unmistakable assertive aura.
Now she just had to get to it.
-
Dominic tidied his space, fighting a losing war with his various clutter. The boat rarely stayed orderly, but he tried his best.
He had been on the ocean for a while now, just for one chance to get his hands on new research. A friend of his told Dominic that he had spotted a new creature in the water, unlike anything he had ever seen before. While his friend wasn't the most trustworthy source, he couldn't give up even the smallest chance to get what was potentially life-changing research material.
And he had seen it, he swore he did. He saw what looked to be a person with light brown hair and a glistening blue fish tail. It was amazing.
But before he could get a better look, it was gone.
And now he wondered if he had seen anything at all. Days passed without a single glimpse of the creature, and he was starting to doubt his memory. Maybe it was a flash of light, or his eyes playing tricks on him.
Dominic walked to the edge of the ship, a bit disappointed. He would have to leave soon, empty-handed.
But as he looked at the ocean, he spotted it.
It had black hair and a black tail, and its fins looked longer and sharper, unsimilar to the one he had seen before.
But this was it, he was sure of it. This was his chance.
Dominic hurriedly gathered his materials, frantically trying to prepare everything before it left. But every time he looked, the creature was still there.
As he reeled in the net he had thrown, anticipation was eating away at him. His whole career was about to be transformed. He was about to uncover something no one ever had.
His whole life would be changed forever, just because of this one moment; he could tell.
Dominic was stunned as he dragged the creature onto the boat. It was a person, sort of. It had the upper half of a human and the lower half of a fish.
'A mermaid?' Dominic thought to himself. Giddiness took over him, he had surely just made the discovery of the century.
He watched it struggle in the net, taking in all of its minute movements, observing its reactions.
But as the creature turned its face towards him, Dominic froze.
It was beautiful. Its black eyes looked at him with an emotion he couldn't identify, and its long black hair draped over the creature's sharp features, as if out of a painting.
It was wheezing, its breath getting rapid and hoarse. The creature's face was getting red, and it was obviously losing its strength.
Dominic snapped out of it, rushing over to the tangled mess. He berated himself in his mind; of course the creature breathed in water, it was suffocating! He had a tank prepared, he had just been so enchanted with the creature that he didn't move fast enough.
Just as he approached the creature to haul it into the tank, it lunged at him, claws aimed at his heart. It was faster than he could keep up with, darting after him with malice.
He stumbled backwards, dodging the attack. He quickly reacted, rushing to get the restraints he had prepared. When he was told the creature would be humanoid, he made sure to be ready in case of a situation like this.
His breathing was fast and disordered; he was scared. If the creature hadn't been weakened by the lack of water, he surely would have died just then. It had so much power, so much killing force, it was terrifying.
He shook his head and rushed back to the now-unconscious creature.
He didn't expect mermaids to be like this.
-
Beatrix awoke to a sterile laboratory, floating in a small tank of water.
She was restrained and muzzled; Dominic had obviously learned his lesson.
She knew what to expect, but it was still uncomfortable being locked up like this. The restraints were digging into her skin and scales, and her tank was cramped.
The lab was clean and orderly, for the most part, and it was quiet. In the book, Dominic was so rich that he could afford to fund his own private lab for quenching his personal curiosity. Judging by her surroundings, that's where Beatrix had ended up.
Beatrix struggled to turn around, trying to completely get her bearings.
Since her first attempt failed, she'd have to quickly figure out another way to kill Dominic, she'd rather not be in this position for long. Besides, who knows what sort of things he'll put her through.