Shaking and sore, Luz stumbled down the empty sidewalk, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her body throbbed with pain, and every step sent sharp aches through her ribs. Her lip stung, and her nose was crusted with dried blood. Her breath puffed in shallow bursts into the cold evening air.
"He's gonna kill me," she muttered, her voice hoarse and trembling. Her words barely escaped her lips, more a breath than a sound. "I'm gonna die… I won't even make it to detention…"
She flinched at the rustle of leaves behind her, spine snapping rigid. Her head whipped toward the source of the noise, adrenaline spiking through her veins.
Something moved in the overgrown brush at the edge of the creek beside the road. The moonlight cut through the trees in faint silver beams, casting long, distorted shadows. She squinted into the dark.
Then she saw him.
"Ngh! Mgh!"
The creature was tangled in thick ropes, caught in a crumpled heap like driftwood on the rocks. He writhed, gasping and whimpering in pain. From the waist down, he had a shimmering tail instead of legs—a sleek, muscular fin, the scales a deep iridescent blue that glowed faintly in the moonlight. His upper body was humanoid, lean and sinewy, but with gills fluttering desperately at the sides of his neck, and translucent fins with cream-colored webbing flaring from the sides of his head like ears. His fingers were webbed, trembling and slick, scraping helplessly at the ropes cutting into his skin.
His chest heaved with exertion, every breath ragged, shallow—gasping like a fish out of water.
Luz stared, heart pounding in disbelief.
"A merman…" she whispered. Her throat tightened, fear and confusion wrestling inside her. "No. No, I'm losing it. First the ghost girl, now this? What the hell is wrong with me?"
She turned away, trying to convince herself it wasn't real, that it was just the trauma and exhaustion messing with her head. But she froze mid-step.
Behind her, the creature whimpered again. Louder this time. Desperate.
"… Ngh! MGH!!"
She turned back around slowly. He was staring at her now, his eyes wide and wild—sea-glass green and full of panic. When she took a cautious step forward, he began thrashing harder, violently jerking at the ropes with a guttural hiss.
"Get away!" he snarled, baring sharp teeth. "Don't touch me!"
His voice was strained, and his glare was laced with more terror than anger. His gills were fluttering too quickly. He needed water.
Luz raised both hands slowly, like trying not to startle a wounded animal. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just… I want to help."
"No!" he snapped. "Humans don't help! They hurt. You hurt everything…"
His voice faltered at the end, cracking into a whisper. His body trembled harder, his breaths coming in panicked gasps.
Luz paused. She glanced around the deserted street, then down at him again. "What other choice do you have?" she asked softly. "Keep struggling until you suffocate?"
He went quiet. The look in his eyes shifted—still wary, but with a flicker of something else. Resignation, maybe. Or desperation.
"…Fine," he finally whispered. "Just—just don't hurt me…"
Luz nodded quickly and knelt beside him, slipping off her backpack. She pulled out her water bottle and gently tilted it toward the side of his neck, letting the cool water stream over his gills.
He jerked and coughed, eyes going wide, then gasped—a deep, grateful breath.
"Th-Thank you," he rasped, eyes darting away. His voice was quieter now, almost vulnerable.
Luz gave him a small, uncertain smile. "You're welcome."
Then she pulled out a small pocket knife.
At the sight of it, the merman recoiled violently, his eyes wide with terror. "W-What are you doing?! NO—STOP!"
"Calm down," Luz said quickly, lowering the knife. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm cutting you loose, okay? That's it."
He hesitated, visibly shaking, but after a long moment, gave a tiny nod.
Luz moved carefully, slicing at the knotted ropes while stopping occasionally to pour more water over his gills. His breathing slowly evened out. His body was still tense, but he no longer flinched at every movement.
Finally, the last of the rope fell away, and the merman slumped forward with a sigh, exhausted but free. He looked at her with a mix of confusion and awe, as if seeing her for the first time.
"…Thank you," he said again. "I… I guess you're not like the others. You're… okay. For a human."
Luz laughed once, dry and tired. "Uh… thanks? I think?"
He reached to his wrist and unclasped something—a bracelet, thin and silver, with a small charm shaped like a wave. He handed it to her with shaking fingers. "For luck," he murmured. "You'll need it."
Before she could ask what he meant, he began dragging himself toward the water, his arms trembling with the effort. He half-slid, half-crawled down the embankment, and with one final look back at her, disappeared beneath the surface in a shimmer of silver and blue.
Luz stood frozen, clutching the bracelet tightly in her hand. Her heart was racing.
"Welp… I'm definitely seeing things," she whispered to herself.
She turned back toward the road and began walking home again, her thoughts spinning in circles. Ghosts. Mermen. Bruises. Detention. Her footsteps echoed into the night, swallowed by the darkness, leaving only questions in their wake.