The Trap

I turned and fled, swimming as fast as I could. But they were faster. Their laughter echoed behind me, taunting, predatory. My heart pounded as I forced my body to move, every stroke a desperate bid for survival. The river, once my sanctuary, felt like a prison closing in. I could hear them gaining, the water shifting unnaturally around me as they pursued.

Desperate, I burst onto land, my transformation happening mid-motion. My legs felt weak, unsteady, but I pushed forward, gasping for breath. The damp ground beneath my feet barely registered as I ran. The city's lights loomed ahead, flickering in the distance, a beacon of safety. Only then, when my lungs burned and my body ached, did I dare to stop.

I collapsed against a wall, my mind racing. What had just happened? Why had they wanted to capture me? I had thought I found a place among my kind, but they had betrayed me. I was not safe anywhere—not in the water, not on land.

The next morning, I forced myself to return to normalcy. University. Classes. My routine. It was the only thing keeping me grounded. But something was off. William and Daniel weren't in class.

At first, I thought maybe they had simply skipped, but as the day wore on and there was still no sign of them, a gnawing unease settled in my gut. I tried calling them, but their phones went straight to voicemail. A pit formed in my stomach, the memory of last night pressing down on me like a weight.

Then, when I reached my locker, I saw it.

A small, unassuming envelope, tucked inside like an ordinary letter. But when I pulled it out, my breath hitched.

My hands trembled as I unfolded the note. The words were scrawled in sharp, deliberate handwriting:

If you ever want to see your mother and your friends again, come to the misty forest behind the mountains at 9 PM.

Your Mermaid Friends.

My blood ran cold.

Attached to the note was a photograph. My mother. William. Daniel. Bound. Terrified. Their eyes wide with fear, their faces pale under dim lighting. A tight knot of dread curled inside me.

This was my fault.

I should have never gone to that river. I should have never trusted them.

I clutched the paper, my fingers curling tightly around its edges. There was no choice. No hesitation.

I would go to No Man's Field.

And I would get them back