"Um, for your information," Heather began, displeased with Rah's tone in response to her concern about the type of water. "There are a lot of different kinds of lakes, and some just so happen to be salt water, and the last thing I need right now is being dehydrated."
This guy was really rude. Talking to her like she didn't know anything! Like, obviously she now knew that some fishermen hunted mermaids. And, like, yeah, she had heard of that before, the only thing that was news to her was how common the practice was. Especially since there was nothing to hunt mermaids for, as far as she knew, that was desirable to any land person. And what did he call her? "Toots"?
Finally, they reached the lake, and Rah set her down on the dock. Heather wasted no time in slipping down into the water. As soon as her lower half was moving through the lake, she felt a lot better, like she could finally breathe fully again. The dehydration she had begun experiencing since her capture began reversing itself instantly. She submerged herself completely for a moment, allowing herself to relax and just enjoy being free again. At least Rah had helped her this much, even if he was a jerk.
Poking her head back out of the water, Heather listened as Rah told her about the city under the lake. An entire city? Just for mermaids? That sounded a lot better than where she had come from, and if there were so many, that must mean it was safe to be there. It seemed like her journey to escape from her home had turned out alright after all, even if it would be a while before she could shake the feeling of that fisherman man-handling her. At least she would never have to talk to a land dweller again, if this underwater city was a thing. Good riddance!
As Rah walked away, Heather swam further out into the lake, testing the feel of the water and seeing what the surrounding area looked like. Boats, docks, land people things. The bottom of the lake was probably much nicer, but she still needed some time to rest before she was ready to dive down. She flipped over to float on her back, and that's when she heard footsteps on the dock again. Rah was back.
Why was he still talking to her? It had seemed like he was in a hurry to get away once he dropped her off. Maybe he really did care enough to try and help her out. Reluctantly curious, Heather swam back over to him and listened to what he had to say.
"I probably can't get that far in the ocean, so I guess I'm stuck here," she said with a shrug. She also didn't know, like, anything about the continents, so she wasn't too interested in going so far to an even more foreign place. "But this is better than where I came from, or a tank, so... thanks."
Embarrassed to express gratitude at the end of this awkward situation, Heather sunk down so that only her eyes remained above the surface, and she averted her gaze for a moment. Finally, flushed and flustered, she rose up to speak again.
"My name's Heather."
This guy was really rude. Talking to her like she didn't know anything! Like, obviously she now knew that some fishermen hunted mermaids. And, like, yeah, she had heard of that before, the only thing that was news to her was how common the practice was. Especially since there was nothing to hunt mermaids for, as far as she knew, that was desirable to any land person. And what did he call her? "Toots"?
Finally, they reached the lake, and Rah set her down on the dock. Heather wasted no time in slipping down into the water. As soon as her lower half was moving through the lake, she felt a lot better, like she could finally breathe fully again. The dehydration she had begun experiencing since her capture began reversing itself instantly. She submerged herself completely for a moment, allowing herself to relax and just enjoy being free again. At least Rah had helped her this much, even if he was a jerk.
Poking her head back out of the water, Heather listened as Rah told her about the city under the lake. An entire city? Just for mermaids? That sounded a lot better than where she had come from, and if there were so many, that must mean it was safe to be there. It seemed like her journey to escape from her home had turned out alright after all, even if it would be a while before she could shake the feeling of that fisherman man-handling her. At least she would never have to talk to a land dweller again, if this underwater city was a thing. Good riddance!
As Rah walked away, Heather swam further out into the lake, testing the feel of the water and seeing what the surrounding area looked like. Boats, docks, land people things. The bottom of the lake was probably much nicer, but she still needed some time to rest before she was ready to dive down. She flipped over to float on her back, and that's when she heard footsteps on the dock again. Rah was back.
Why was he still talking to her? It had seemed like he was in a hurry to get away once he dropped her off. Maybe he really did care enough to try and help her out. Reluctantly curious, Heather swam back over to him and listened to what he had to say.
"I probably can't get that far in the ocean, so I guess I'm stuck here," she said with a shrug. She also didn't know, like, anything about the continents, so she wasn't too interested in going so far to an even more foreign place. "But this is better than where I came from, or a tank, so... thanks."
Embarrassed to express gratitude at the end of this awkward situation, Heather sunk down so that only her eyes remained above the surface, and she averted her gaze for a moment. Finally, flushed and flustered, she rose up to speak again.
"My name's Heather."
