[ WP ] The young sailor went up on deck to retrieve a piece of gear . When the ship rolled , he lost his balance , falling over the railing . When he came to the surface , the ship was steaming into the distance . No one had seen him fall .

Everything around him is dark and cold. He is disoriented, trying to get his bearings, but he can ’ t tell which way is up with the dark water surrounding him. His lungs begin to scream, desperate for a new breath of air. 
 
 The sailor surfaces at last, gasping and sputtering. The ocean water is cold and his legs have started to feel numb in the short time that he has been in the water. 
 He looks around for his ship, expecting the crew to be nearby, life jackets in hand, ready to haul him back on board. His stomach drops when instead he sees the ship on the horizon, continuing on course as if nothing had happened. 
 
 “ Shit, ” he mutters under his breath. “ Shit! No! ” The panic settles in and he can ’ t help but yell at the top of his lungs. “ Wait! Come back! ” 
 
 It ’ s a futile cry that no one can hear. The ship is only getting further away. He wonders how long it will take until they notice he is gone, but he knows by that time it will be much too late. 
 
 A splash nearby startles the sailor out of his panic, and fresh fear fills his veins. “ What was that? ” he wonders aloud, his muscles tensing as his body prepares to defend himself. He treads water in a circle, assessing his surroundings, when he sees the eyes of a young woman peer curiously out of the water a few feet in front of him. Her skin is pale, almost translucent, and she has dark black hair that has a shimmer, almost as if it was reflecting the water around her. Her eyes are a deep, enchanting blue, and they look at the young sailor curiously, mischievously. 
 “ Why did you want me to come back? ” she asks. Her voice is so melodic, it sounds like she is singing. He hears a splash again and he realizes that it is not a fish he heard before. It was a mermaid. 
 
 Her long, deep green tail flutters powerfully in the water as she keeps herself afloat. The sailor is speechless, unsure how to respond - he is completely enchanted by her. 
 
 “ Perhaps you wanted to join me? ” she asks playfully, holding her hand out for the sailor. He takes her hand and she smiles at him before disappearing under the water, taking the young sailor down with her. 

