The Saltwater Elixir

Wendy came sprinting onto the beach nearly 10 minutes later, carrying a bundle in her arms. She had dressed in a rush, having slipped on a pair of black yoga pants, a ratty blue hoodie with Bart Simpson’s face on it that said ‘Eat my dust, not my shorts’ and her favourite pair of lime-green Sketchers. Her short, coral green hair was hastily tied into a small ponytail that stuck out on the sides from too much static electricity.

Wendy Jung was a short woman with a fiery personality; her face was round and child-like, which often made people think she was younger than she was, which was 22. Her slanted brown eyes which she’d inherited from her Korean ancestry were reduced to mere slits from sheer annoyance due to Viv’s unexpected phone call.

“Jesus, Viv, what was so damn urgent that you couldn’t tell me all the details over the phone? And why did I need to bring extra clothes?” Wendy stopped short in her tracks and fixed her eyes on a strange sight. Her best friend was kneeling beside a young woman she didn’t recognize. And the stranger was naked too. Wendy blushed profusely and averted her gaze, a million questions flooding her head at that precise moment. “Viv, what’s going on? Who is this?”

“This is...my friend, Allina. She’s uh...sick. I need you to help me take her to your gym.” The raven-haired girl was breathless after running back and forth from the shallow waves. She'd been bathing the pale mermaid's feverish cheeks with cold saltwater scooped clumsily into her hands while waiting impatiently for her best friend.

“Allina? But I know all of your friends - you've never mentioned an 'Allina' before! And why does she need to go to the gym if she’s sick? Shouldn’t she go to a hospital?” Wendy asked quizzically.

“It’s complicated, Wendy. She has a rare sodium deficiency and needs to immerse herself in salt water.”

“There’s plenty of salt water out here!”

“I can’t leave her outside, she’s too weak.” Viv said firmly. “I know I’m not making any sense, but I need you to trust me just this once and not ask any questions.”

“Fine, but I want an explanation later.”

Viv frowned impatiently when Wendy continued standing several paces away without looking at either her or Allina. “For God’s sake, would you come over here and help me?!”

“I’m uncomfortable around naked people, Viviane! Or have you already forgotten ‘The P.E Locker Room Incident of ‘2015’?”

“Stop being such a wuss and get over here!”

Wendy threw Viv a withering look and knelt down on the sand too. “I brought an old tracksuit of yours.”

“Thank you.”

“How did your friend end up naked anyway?”

Viv palmed her forehead and rolled her eyes. “Ally likes skinny dipping at night sometimes. You work the top, I’ll do the bottom.” Allina stared in confusion at the two humans bickering loudly while helping her put on some clothes. There was still so much about human nature she didn’t understand, particularly the finer points surrounding nudity. “Help me pick her up,” Viv had successfully pulled the tracksuit pants over Allina’s waist.

“Are you serious???”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Why can’t your friend walk on her own?”

Viviane plastered a saccharine smile on her face. “Because it’s so much more fun when people carry you around ‘bridal style’ for no reason whatsoever ― What do you fucking think, Wendy? She can’t walk at all right now!” she snapped irately a second later.

Wendy sniffed indignantly and grabbed Allina’s arms. “There’s no need to take that tone with me, Lauren.”

Viv sighed, knowing she was pushing the limit on Wendy’s patience. Her best friend only called her by her first name when she was pissed off.

“Enough with the lecture on etiquette. Just help me please!” Anyone could spot the three of them on the beach in this awkward position any second.

Wendy groaned dramatically. Then she and Viv picked Allina up and coordinated their steps bit by bit. “You owe me so big for this.”

It took some doing, but they made it to the gym without being spotted by anyone in the neighbouring houses. By the time they got inside, both Wendy and Viv were sweaty and exhausted from carrying Allina to the indoor swimming pool.

With some manoeuvring, Wendy managed to switch on the lights. A multitude of fluorescent beams illuminated the vast room, bringing the massive swimming pool into sharp relief.

“Switch on the pump to get the sea salt moving through the water.” Viv instructed. Wendy helped Viv set Allina down onto the cold tiled floor and jogged to the circuit board at the far end of the room. Viv knelt beside Allina and touched her clammy forehead. “Hang in there, Ally, you’ll be fine soon,” she whispered reassuringly.

Wendy came sprinting back just as the pool pump roared to life in the distance. The water rolled in a lackadaisical motion just like miniature waves.

“Help me take off her clothes.”

“What?! Why does this rando have to get naked again?!” Wendy screeched in horror.

“Just shut up and do it!”

Wendy cursed loudly and acquiesced. She averted her eyes when Allina was nude and Viv helped her lie on her side. “What are you doing now?” Wendy asked wearily.

“She needs to go into the water.” Viv muttered. “Ally, I’m going to roll you into the water now. I’ll be right here if anything goes wrong.”

Viv said a silent prayer and pushed Allina’s body with all her might. Finally, Allina moved and toppled into the pool. She disappeared beneath the water’s surface and it was difficult to pinpoint her location for several tense seconds. Both Viv and Wendy kneeled over the pool and held onto the edges to see where Allina had gone.

Wendy shook her head and got up again. She stood with her hands on her hips facing away from the pool, glaring at her best friend. “Viv, what the hell is going on here?!”

A massive wall of water rose and crashed violently behind Wendy. Both she and Viv stared in consternation at Allina suspended in the air, an emerald green fish tail flapping wildly beneath her before she dove gracefully back into the pool.

Wendy staggered backwards and pointed wildly at the pool. “W-w-what the hell was that? Did you see that?!” She rounded on Viv, who was just as shell-shocked by Allina’s astonishing transformation.

Wendy’s heart pounded erratically in her chest as she tried to understand what was happening. “Your friend...she...a fish tail...human body...M-m-m-mer, mer―”

Her eyes rolled into her skull and she fainted. Luckily, Viv caught Wendy right before she hit the ground. She held onto her friend’s head gazing in amazement at Allina swimming happily around the length of the swimming pool.

“You were right, Viviane. This water’s fine! Can you see how well I’m swimming?” Allina beamed widely at her progress.

Viv smiled weakly at the mermaid before turning her attention back to her friend, who was still unconscious. This was turning into one strange night...