As the evening neared, we all got tired and restless, our focus constantly pulled towards the creature screaming from a cellar down in the ship. It was merciless, purely evil to capture a mythical being and force her under her current circumstances. The others thought different about it, as her fellow companions had managed to pull three of our men underneath the waves to catch their last breath with their pale lips.

I shuddered at the thought. High above us, the moon was starting to rise, big, round and full. Again, my thoughts went down the bottoms of the ship where the mermaid was imprisoned. It was Paulina herself who announced the end of the day as we dropped our anchor in the plain sight of a tiny island. Everyone was going inside without another complaint. A good night's rest was appreciated after the long hours both the Captain and Paulina had required from all of us. My eyes averted to the latter.

She was sitting on the railing, her feet dangling over the edge towards the water. Her head was tilted so she could see the moon climbing higher and higher. I didn't notice I had been staring at her, until I was met by the loneliness of the deck. Everyone else had gathered inside, unmistakable pouring another glass of rum. I felt pulled towards her. I hadn't been alone with her since the day I decided to empty a bottle of rum all by myself. I stalked towards her, but as I could have known she wasn't surprised by my presence.

However, she didn't acknowledge me except for the fact that she patted the wood next to her, indicating me to take a seat. I looked at the dark waters underneath her bare feet and quickly got rid of the suggestion. Instead I leaned on my elbows and watched the moon with her. The silence was comfortable but there were so many thoughts racing through my head, so many questions I wanted an answer to. She started whistling, startling me a bit as the song was quite familiar. She giggled as she noticed me staring at her instead of the waters or the moon. « Mermaids aren't the only ones who know that song, » she decided and watched her tiny feet dangle above the darkness below.

« You're full of mysteries, aren't you? » I cocked an eyebrow and watched her closely. I wasn't sure if it was life at sea but whenever I was close to Paulina I was well aware of the ocean. Its smell, its movements, even the silent life passing below us. She gave me a grin and returned her eyes to the moon. « You want to hear a secret? » She said, leaning closer. A fresh wave of a salty breeze rustled through my hair.

« I always wanted to be like the ocean. Wild, untamable, beautiful, free and... mysterious. » Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she pronounced the last word, mocking my accent. I had yet to discover where hers came from. « Seems to me that you've already succeeded. » I said and looked away from her burning eyes. Like always, I felt so comfortable yet so exposed when Paulina and I were alone. When we were alone, she wasn't as annoying as always. She had offered me glimpses of her inner thoughts, her weaknesses but never had we had the time to really get to know each other. This was the first time in a while she actually put my mind at ease a bit. That was until a screeching sound disrupted our peaceful moment of silence. « Are you saying I am beautiful? » Paulina cocked one eyebrow as her eyes glanced at me from the sight. As I refused to answer, she let a laugh escape her lips, a gull joining in soon after. The soft breeze was howling between the sails.

« Do you happen to know why we've captured her? » I asked to change the subject and immediately Paulina's face turned stern again, her lips pressed together in a fine line and a frown between her bushy eyebrows. « It. Why we've captured it. » she emphasized. « And yes, I do and no, I won't tell you. »

I let out a frustrated sigh. « I understand you want to be mysterious but what harm could it do to tell me, a clumsy nipper, about a detail of your plan. » She got that wicked look in her eyes again as if she understood more than I what I was saying. « Perhaps you're right, Handsome. Let's keep it on the fact that we need her in a further stage of the plan. » She returned her eyes back to the moon.

She was obviously very pleased with herself. I shook my head and returned back inside. As I went down the stairs, I heard another ear piercing scream and decided to take a look. Apparently, they did not fear the mermaid's escape as no one was on watch. I quickly ducked and dove between the trunks until I found a cellar similar to mine when I first arrived here. The sight of the mermaid made me hold my breath. A puddle of water was keeping her from dehydrating but it was only a bare minimum. Her wrists were bound together in thick metal cuffs leaving her skin red and bruised. Her hair that used to flow underwater, now stuck to her back and bare chest as she slumped to remain as close to the water as possible.

As she noticed me, she looked up, her silver eyes filled with distrust and fear. « Are you here to mock me? » she bit.

I immediately felt the need to apologize « No, not at all. Excuse me, it's that I have never seen a mermaid before. » I blurted out and sat down, far enough from the bars that separated us. She gave me a sceptic look. « Look all you want. It's not like I'm going anywhere. » She said and she let her head drop back to watch her hands in her scaled lap.

I felt sorry for her. I felt as if it was because of me she was stuck on this ship. Just like I was. « I'm a prisoner too, you know? » I said as I inched closer. She looked at me from underneath her white hair. « I don't see you on the other side of the bars, pirate. » she sneered and pulled her head away from me.

« No, I'm not a pirate, no... I'm actually part of the Island's Elite, but here those titles have nothing of value. I was captured, just like you. Well, sort of. I don't think they actually wanted to catch me. » the words tumbled down my lips as her silver eyes focused on me and only me. « Captured? You think they've captured me? » a spooky grin was plastered on her beautiful face. « Silly boy, you have no idea who you're traveling with, are you? These people are no friends. It's a wonder you're still alive. You must have a further purpose then. I know what mine is. Believe me, they won't grant me the freedom they grant you. » she huffed and her shoulders slumped down even more, the ends of her hair dragging along in the puddle at her bottom.

« You know what they want from you? » I asked in disbelief. Paulina wouldn't tell the mermaid what she was planning, right? She didn't invite me in those secrets. The mermaid huffed, and held her chin high. « That sea witch told me, now, didn't you see? They are going to sacrifice me. All for her. » Immediately, as soon as her sentence was finished, her eyes shot open in panic, her hands frantically scraping against the wooden surface of the floor of her cellar where the water was slowly retreating. She was panicking, breathing deeply and screaming for help, altered with excuses. As if the sole intend was shock, the water slowly returned to the cellar. Relieved and shaking, the mermaid pressed her hands inside the salty liquid. I frowned upon the display in front of me.

« Her? Who are you talking about? » I asked, getting closer to the bars that separated us. « I have said too much. Didn't you see? » she pointed back at the water that licked the edges of her figure. « She's gaining power, there's no stopping her right now. » I got up. It was clear that I would get no wiser from both girls who were tormenting my thoughts today. Before I left, I wanted to know one more thing. « What's your name? »

The mermaid looked at me in shock, her hand still touching the surface of the water that was slightly following the waves outside.

« Marina. »