My face was pressed against the wood floor, my arms scratching the wood with every move. The scales protruded out of my skin sharp like razor blades. My legs stuck together in what was now a majestic fin covered with just as many sharp scales. I felt my bare skin against the floor as I tried to push myself up to look around. My fingers webbed together making it difficult to do my normal functions.

"Okay, Gage lets get her to the bathroom." My heart jumped as I heard Sammy's voice. Her sneak attack leaving me immobile in my most vulnerable time. I wanted to scream, but my mind was in panic mode, my voice caught in my throat. Whatever was happening, I didn't want Sammy near me. I couldn't even remember what she had yelled before she poured the water on my face. I tried to speak, to say anything, the scales on my face catching making it difficult to talk.

"Uhh," Gage stumbled over thoughts, rushing over to grab my fin. His hand sliced by the scales protruding from the fin. "Shit!" He jumped back immediately regretting his decision to touch me. Once I was finally able to get my arm in the right position, I flipped my body over, now laying on my back. I pressed myself up, dragging my fin across the floor until my back was against the island.

"Why did you do that?" I screeched, my normal voice now replaced by a screechy shrill. The words different tones and squeals, like a fish out of breath. Sammy and Gage jumped back cowering in the living room. I watched their every move. Sammy took a quick step forward before stopping once more, inching her way closer to me. Gage held a paper towel pressed firmly against his hand. My body filled with anger. The more I thought about it, the more my scales moved, lifting themselves from my fin creating even more tiny knives. I was angry, no I was furious.

"I'm sorry, I thought we could practice your transformation." Sammy's voice was near a whisper, hardly audible from so far away. I lifted my webbed hand folding it the best I could, telling her to come closer with my index finger.

She shook her head not wanting to come near me. Gage took a large step towards me, his hand held against his chest. My mind clouded with anger. I wanted to slash them, to hurt them, and then it hit me.

"No, stop." I tried to speak quietly, so my voice wasn't so unbearable. Both immediately stopped dead in their tracks. I leaned my head against the island behind me, closing my eyes. I tried to breathe, to calm myself down, thoughts of betrayal sneaking back in.

I tried to think of my parents, how amazing they were growing up, how understanding they were when Sammy and I moved out, even how helpful they were taking Sammy in when her parents died. I realized I hadn't called my mother back and all anger slowly slipped away from my mind, the empty emotions replaced with sadness. The scales on my fin flattened themselves hiding their sharp edges. I rubbed the scales, taking in their colors.

"I need to call my mom," I whined, my voice returning to its normal tone. I hadn't talked to her since the first night we were here. Since then everything had been flipped upside down, everything was wrong. Nothing was like it was when I was a child growing up in the comfort of my family home. I craved a little bit of my childhood.

"What? You can't tell her." Sammy shook her head, her eyes threatening me. I wasn't going to talk to my mother about my sudden new abilities, this was all about just needing a sense of sanity.

"No, I just need to talk to her." The guilt rising in my throat, my stomach wanting to turn. Sammy knelt down beside me, she watched me intently. I searched as far as my eye could see for my phone, my eyes drifting over the white marks on the wood floor.

"Call them once you change back." She suggested, I shook my head. I wanted to talk to my mother now, what if something had happened. I lay my head back against the island letting out a resentful sigh. What had happened in my life the last few weeks? How was one supposed to be happy when they are hiding a secret as big as mine. I would never find love this way. There was no one you could go on a date with and blurt out, by the way, I'm a mermaid and they would stay for the main course. Would It be wrong to eat fish? Was that now something I wasn't supposed to do? Or did mermaids normally eat fish? It's not like they have steak under the sea. I shook my head. I needed to get a grip on things.

"Okay." I mouthed staring at my fin. It should be changing soon, my hair was nearly dry. The scales on my face disappeared. I appeared like those mermaids in the children books, human with just a fin. My skin as clear as it had ever been. The fin began to melt away leaving me completely naked in the middle of the kitchen. Gage rushed over to the living room grabbing the blanket off the couch. He threw it at me, as it hit the floor just a few inches away from me. I quickly grabbed it wrapping it around myself. I jumped up rushing to the coffee table where I had left my phone before hurrying to my bedroom.

Once the door was shut behind me I collapsed on my bed. My mind racing a million miles a minute. What was I going to do? I obviously wasn't graceful enough to hand a secret like this. There was nothing I could do to hide it, the whole world would find out and I would become some freak that they keep captive for circus shows. Like a bearded lady or a lion tamer. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes before a knock sounded against the door.

"Can I talk to you?" Gage spoke, his voice soft and caressing like a gentle hug.