Mermaids Persist

I found her. Entered the name Jamie and the town, and tah dah, there she was. The profile picture was her smiling against a cup of coffee and was so painfully staged I honestly considered just going with my first plan for her.

Unfortunately, I also had to take care of the woman I loved.

I saved her number in my contacts, putting her under the name Richard. Just in case Ariel was so self-centered as to look at my phone when I eventually invited her over, I wouldn't raise any suspicions. Instead, I'd look like an honest, handsome, and silent young man. And technically, that was all true.

I smiled to myself. Soon my Ariel would be enamored with me, and I would be able to finally own a mermaid.

All I needed was to be patient. To feed Attina like you would water a plant, not too much, and not too little. Just enough to keep her alive, but not enough to thrive.

Little did I know, the universe had different plans. That much was apparent when I opened the cellar.

(To be continued in next chapter.)