"The Island by Amellie Part 5" by Amellie Forbes

Back to the Island:

Day 16.

At the dawn of this special day for me, I found myself floating in the clear blue skies of an approaching hot day. I cruised onwards unhurriedly enjoying my epic journey. The sea became a little more choppy telling me what my senses had been excitedly informing me for sometime now. I was approaching landfall once more. Seabirds appeared gliding easily and lazily in the warm clear skies above me as I eased ever closer to my destination.

Then finally I saw it. My heart skipped with joy as I took in the view of my much missed haven. A huge thrust from my tail and I simply surged excitedly several feet above the surface of the sea. I bent my back downwards before elegantly diving back below the surface leaving barely a ripple to mark my re-entry. At long last I beached myself on the sandy shore. Waves washed around me as I pulled myself from the seas embrace for the time being. For the first time in two days I became aware of the weight of my breasts and my large tail. I lay on my stomach blissfully happy as the suns rays dried the sand to my skin and scales. My flukes gleefully patted the shore as the excitement and relief of being home brought tears of happiness to my eyes. I breathed deeply of the clean unsoiled air of my own personal paradise. I savoured every emotional moment of finally returning to where I belonged. Back in the environment that I was now undeniably built for.

The sun was at its strongest so I sought some temporary shelter from its heat and began to pull myself across the hot sands to my cave. It was hard work for me I have to say. Given time though I was sure I`d adapt to the cumbersome nature of my large tail on land. All it needed was a little practise and I had plenty of time for that I happily conceded. I pulled myself into the cool of the entrance, panting from my efforts. My eyes adjusted to the light and I looked longingly to my rockpool. To my absolute shock, then fear, I saw the most amazingly beautiful woman I`d ever seen in my life. She smiled, and seemed to relax even more if that were possible. Then without moving her lips, she said, "Hello Chloe! Welcome home."

My mouth fell open in surprise and shock. I finally managed to say, "It`s you..., is`nt it!? You`re the voice who`s been talking to me....?"

"Yes Chloe...., it was me. I am Madchenchja...., I have been watching over you."

Her voice was soft, alluring...., the beauty of it matched her spectacular appearance. Her hair was jet black, her face was soft and her features perfectly sculpted in everyway. Her eyes were a deep dark brown and above them were the most deliciously long and full eyelashes blinking prettily at me. Her skin was tanned but not too deeply, and around her neck she wore a necklace of pearls. It hung down to the deep cleavage of her large breasts that sat perfectly firmly and perkily from her slim body. Her nipples were large and plump and the tips were temptingly open and pouting just like mine had become. From her waist, down into the pool and out again, her body was adorned by a magnificent scale covered tail. The colours were a match to my own right down to her magnificently large and beautiful flukes. She looked the picture of serene beauty. Her presence gave off a magnetism and allure that I couldn`t help but be drawn in by. The woman before me was the epitome of feminine beauty. She literally took my breath away as I stared taking in her vision and aura for what seemed like the longest time. She smiled knowingly, like she knew I`d been taken in and captivated by her the moment my eyes locked onto her. She was a woman who knew the effect she had on anyone in her presence. She knew, and she enjoyed it as well.

"Don`t be alarmed Chloe. You`ve nothing to fear. We are sisters now you and I." She beckoned with her arm, "Please come closer..., join me in the pool...., I know you must be yearning for it after your absence. Share it with me Chloe...., please."

I did as she bid. I pulled myself to the side, and sighed blissfully as I eased into the welcoming and much missed water. She giggled, "Now isn`t that better....? I know how much you`ve missd it. I know much about how you`ve been feeling. Seldom if ever have I known one who has embraced our ways as wholly and as quickly as you have Chloe. You are very beautiful mermaid....! How does it make you feel....? Are you happy Chloe?"

I nodded and smiled. "Very...., I`m a little overwhelmed by things at the moment....,"

"Of course...., that`s to be expected. You must have many questions. I`m here to help you..., I`ll tell you anything you`d like to know...., nothing will be kept from you now. You are one of our kin now Chloe, you are unique..., as we all are. Bound forever to avoid mankind.  At all costs Chloe, you must never reveal yourself to the humans. That is the only restraint ever imposed upon our kind. Our lives..., our ways, must forever remain hidden. In the modern world it is the only way we can survive. Never forget Chloe. Never let yourself be seen! Now please, when you are ready...., feel free to ask me anything!"

"Well...., I guess you could start by telling me how to say your name."

She giggled in that soft, delicate tone of hers. "Of course."

She repeated her name several times to me until I fnally got to grips with it. Well, I`d never been a quick learner. I guess at least some things in life never change! We giggled as I finally managed the exact pronounciation of her name. Now I couldn`t speak anymore it seemed ridiculous that I couldn`t even get her name right in my head. We slipped into silence for a while. I stole several glances at her. That magnificent  tail, her face, her breasts..., they all captivated me. My coyness amused her. "It`s alright Chloe...., you don`t need to hide your curiosity from me. Go ahead look at me. Take all the time you need...., I know it`s not everyday you see another mermaid!"

I shook my head. "You`re so beautiful. It`s kind of unsettling in a way."

"How so? Are you attracted to me?"

I didn`t answer but my cheeks flushed a shade of red. She smiled and moved closer to me. Her flukes lay over mine in the water of the pool. "It`s alright Chloe. What you are feeling is normal among our kind. We are sexual creatures...., but our attractions and our feelings are always directed at our own sex. Thousands of years have passed since mermen and merwomen have procreated. Our different genders are completely incompatible. Seldom are males of our kind born now. I have never known it in my time, and I wouldn`t wish the birth of a male on any of my sisters. Back when humans were leaving the occeans and evolving to live on land, our people remained in the seas. Mermaids were happy and content to stay having nothing to do with the evolving human. Mermen? They were similar to humans in many ways. Aggressive, dominating, and they were driven by material wealth. Over thousands of years the few sons born to us left the sea to live among the humans. They fought in their wars, and being arrogant and foolish most of them perished. It is thought, but not known for sure that they have died out completely now. So you see Chloe, for the longest of times mermaids have sought, and found pleasures amongst themselves. What you are feeling is instinct...., it`s totally natural for you to be attracted to another mermaid."

She smiled and made me feel moist. Trying not to become to distracted I asked, "If there are no males among you...., how do you reproduce?"

"Among us, you mean Chloe. We are the same now remember?"

I blushed..., then smiled, "Okay. Us then."

"Our pregnancies occur without any copulation at all. A mermaid may not bear a child for many, many years. Our cycles are only once in seven human years. If pregnancy is to occur our egg will develop and grow of its own freewill, nothing else is involved. It`s very simple, but it happens more and more rarely for us now. Many of our kind are barren. Our period of gestation is three times that of a human female, but it is only the last seven months that we become truly large. At that time it is hard for us to feed as well as we need, but we manage. Chloe..., our numbers are in decline..., they have been for many centuries now. As mankind has flourished we have suffered. They take much of our food resources and they have dirtied the waters. We have learned to live within our means as time has passed. We take no more than we need, never can we take for granted the world in which we live. Our population will never exceed its boundaries, to do so would be at our own peril. Whether we like it or not, our lives are deeply effected by what mankind does. They are the dominant species but their impact on so much of the planet has been devastating. 

Now their own lives are fast approaching a crossroads. They stand on the brink of catastrophe. They have changed the very nature of the planet both at sea and on land. The weather systems are changing. That in itself though is not bad news for us, for mankind though as their numbers continue to grow it will be devastating. As there crops fail, they will undoubtedly rely more and more heavily on a harvest from the occeans..., and that will be bad for us. They simply have not come to terms with the real problem that is facing them. The planet simply cannot sustain the human population as it is. There will be wars and famine in time. Cruel and terrible ways of reducing their number, but it is too late even for that. They are taught it is a basic human right to have children. And that would work for them if every mother bore just the one child or maybe two. If they were to do that their numbers would fall by a third in five decades. But the madness of it all is that this the most crucial issue of mankinds existence is not even being talked about. There is no prospect of a solution Chloe. Mankind may cut their harmful carbon emissions eventually, but the biggest threat to them will still remain. For decades now their leaders have been weak and spineless, they have turned a blind eye to the suffering their inaction has caused.

Childbirth is promoted and encouraged around the globe. A mother gives birth to a baby in the sweltering barren wastelands on the African continent with no means and no hope of feeding it in such an unpredictable environment, and when it dies it is called a tragedy. We would call that murder. To bring a child into the world under such extreme conditions can be considered nothing else. It never happens amongst our people. We live and have done for thousands upon thousands of years because we know that we must not over populate. We must not take more than the sea can offer. It is the only way we can continue to exist. The only material things I have in the world hang from my neck. This necklace is the sum total of my lifetimes possesions. I need nothing else to adorn my life. It`s in the heart and soul that true riches and wealth lie. Mankind is still young, it still has much to learn, but it`s running out of time."

I listened closely. After a while I said, "How is it that you know so much of what is happening in the human world?"

"Well...., the easiest way to explain that is it all comes down to our longevity as a species. We`ve existed for many hundreds of thousands of years longer than humans. In fact longer than any other species on the Earth. Our minds are far more evolved than those of man. Take for instance the ability you and I share to communicate telepathically. This is merely one example of the abilities we possess. In time Chloe you will develop other abilities. I`ll tell you more of those later, but suffice to say for now you have only just begun to touch upon the gifts and capabilities that are bestowed upon those of us who are fortunate enough to be mermaids. As far as mankind goes they are still in the infancy of their development. But in time and if they survive long enough they to will eventually develop more telepathic abilities. But it`s an extremely fine line between harnessing those powers in good way or a destructive way. Their past and present history of confrontation and warfare does not bode well for them in the future. Unfortunately their knowledge of the harm they are doing to our world at the present and their seeming indifference or lack of will to address it doesn`t inspire hope either."

"I feel ashamed to say I was a part of all that and I had no idea of how....,"

"Chloe. It`s not your fault. The worlds leaders have lied, and smeared all those who have spoken out on the subject. They will not risk unpopularity by doing the right thing. By its very nature human politics attracts the wrong individuals to power. Men and women of low intelligence, who are self serving and ignorant are unfortunately holding the greatest share of power in these times. People have become too distracted by material wealth and consumer lifestyles to notice that they are no longer electing free thinking, great and radical leaders. They`ve turned a blind eye and the world has suffered as a result of this mediocrity in the halls of power."

I was silent for a long while as I thought about all she`d said. She sighed, "I`m sorry Chloe..., I became distracted from what I was meaning to tell you. A lifetime of my worries and preoccupations was not what I`d intended for you to hear today. But now I`ll get back to more immediate matters. I`m sure you have many questions to ask me...., such as how you`ve come to be sat here with me as a mermaid. Well Chloe, now its your turn. You can ask me anything. And I`ll do my best to answer everything as honestly as I can. I promise that I won`t keep anything from you anymore. So feel free when you`re ready my sister."

Of course I had many questions for her. Over the last days when my mind had wandered I thought of little else. What strange forces could have been at work to change me and my life so completely. Where to start? I finally asked, "Madchenchja...., why has this happened to me? Why me? Why not someone else?"

She smiled. "Pure chance Chloe."

"You had nothing to do with it at all?"

She shifted a little in the pool until we sat shoulder to shoulder. "The fishing net that fouled your propellor? I had no hand in that. Fisherman, not all of them, are often negligent. If a net`s damaged, rather than pull it in and repair them they cast them off. Over the years I`ve disposed of many of them. They kill and harm marine life for a long time after they`ve been forgotten. Even mermaids. That your boat found one and became ensnared by it was a random act of chance."

"What about this island? How was it I came to be washed up here? It would`ve been far easier for me to miss it and still be adrift now. But it felt like I was pulled here...., the boat hardly strayed from its bearing at all. I don`t understand that."

"Again it came down to chance. With your boat adrift almost any other time of the year you would have drifted southwards and you would be dead for sure by now. As it was though you were in luck The currents for a very brief time drift westward. They carried you toward the island. By that time I was aware of your presence, and yes I was aware of your predicament."

She hesitated before continuing. "Once I knew the currents were carrying you here I had a decision to make. I had two options Chloe. If you had been a male I wouldn`t have had to make a choice at all. Once the boat entered the mist I would have done all I could to alter its course from the Island. On the rare times it`s happened before that`s what I`ve done. I`ve waited until the crew become so weak from thirst and have been hallucinating or unconscious, and then I`ve steered them from the mist back towards land. It saddens me to say that on other occasions I`ve waited until they died. My help is conditional on the conduct of the crew themselves. If I judge them to be decent competant seamen, I help them. If their conduct and methods of fishing are not to my liking I abandon them to their fate lost in the mists."

She saw my look of doubt, "Don`t think harshly of me Chloe. For reasons I`ll explain to you later it is the single most important rule for a mermaid to remain unnoticed by humans. Helping those who are lost at sea puts us at great risk of exposure. It`s a huge gamble on our part and we have much to lose if a simple act of compassion goes wrong for us. Always remember that."

"I`m sorry....., it`s just it seems so....,"

"Harsh? Yes it is Chloe. But the security of this island is paramount. In time you will see that. The day will come when you to will be faced with decisions like those I`ve had to make. When the time comes Chloe, you must make the right choice. The hard choice if necessary."

I thought on that for a moment or two, then she continued. "As luck would have it though you were female, and that enabled me to let things run their course without my interference. I followed your boat at a distance, and all the time I was forming a judgement of you, trying to decide upon the nature of your character. The chances of a lone female mariner straying into the currents you did at the time you did were so remote that I couldn`t quite believe my good fortune. Then as time wore on and your voyage continued I realised that you were of the right temperament to be of use to my people. Your situation was desperate Chloe, and yet you never panicked. You did all the right things, and you proved yourself to be a strong, competant sailor. I`ve seen ships crews who`ve been in the same situation you were in and dealt with it in a lot less assured way than you did. You were alone as well. It impressed me enormously. My decision to let you continue on towards the island had been the right one so far."

"Why did you let me though? Why did you need me to go to the island?"

"I`ll get to that part later, but for now I want to tell you about the island itself. Once your boat had beached itself, all I had to do was keep my distance and let things run their course. I knew you had no where to go from here. You had no motor to get you away. The sail I knew would be of no use to you until the winds arrived...., and even then there was always the possibility that you`d never be lucky enough to harness a favourable wind direction. It was just a matter of time before you needed to find a constant supply of water on the island. That you found it so quickly didn`t surprise me. You were coping and adapting to the island quickly. My hopes for you remained high."

She took my hand and said, "This is the part I think you`ve been wanting me to get to Chloe. From the moment you started drinking the water from in this cave your fate was sealed. It`s what started to change you Chloe. The more water you drank and the more you bathed within this pool, the quicker your body began to alter."

I sat silently. I think at some point I knew what had happened to me was caused by the island itself, and yes I might have had the faintest notion that it could`ve been the water and the pool. But to hear it confirmed, well in a way it was some small relief to me...., I don`t know why. Maybe it was because it had felt like an itch..., an itch I could never quite reach to scratch. I pondered my next question, then asked, "And you let me drink it and bathe in the pool without the slightest concern for what it would do to me?"

"I didn`t do it lightly Chloe. What else could you have drank? There are no other sources of water a human could survive upon here. This was how it had to be if you were to live. That was the choice I had at that time. Do you think if I`d told you that by drinking the water you would become a mermaid that it would have stopped you drinking it? Of course it wouldn`t! At some point you would have given in to your thirst anyway. The water is the reason the island has been uninhabitated for so long. Many, many centuries ago men came here. Just men. The water made them so sick they left after a short time. There is a mineral of some sort in the rock this island is formed from. It finds its way into the water we both drink, it`s in the pool we bathe in right now. It`s what changed you Chloe. It changes any female that partakes of it. I am born of mermaids, of mermaids who chose not to evolve on land. You Chloe..., you`ve been given a gift. A chance for a whole new life in a whole new world. It`s a better world than the one you`ve left. Everything is better about it. You have a chance of freedom. A freedom that would never have been yours if you remained human. A life far removed from the crowded, greed driven lives that mankind chooses for itself. You have inherited a paradise Chloe. You will soon understand and appreciate the wealths that your good fortune has bestowed upon you."

"But Madchenchja...., I`ve also made sacrifices. I`ve sacrificed an awful lot. My family...., my friend.  They will suffer the rest of their lives not knowing what has become of me. It`s a huge burden for me to carry. I`ll find it hard to bear this. I never would have chosen this life at their expense. Don`t you see that? Don`t you realise that my disappearance will affect the rest of their lives. Not knowing my fate will be harder for them than if they`d known I`d died."

"In time though Chloe, as your empathic powers become stronger you will be able to reach them. You will be able to convey to them you are alive, that you are well, that you are happy and thriving. It will be an enormous comfort to them. It will allow them to move on in time."

Her words comforted me a little, but I still held many doubts. She sensed my misgivings. "Long before I dared to imagine a time when you and I might share of a special time and place like this Chloe, I gave much thought to how you`d cope with everything that you`ve become. I always knew it would not be easy for you. I`m still surprised that you have acted in the calm and accepting manner that you have. But there is still time for you Chloe. If you feel deep within you that you cannot find peace of mind from your anguish over the loved ones you left behind, there is still another option open to you. There is still an opportunity for you to change your destiny."

I looked at her puzzled. "What do you mean Machenchja? What option do I still have?"

She put her arm around my shoulder and looked apprehensively down in to the pool. "You can still return to your old life if you wish it so." I looked at her in disbelief. She shook her head. "Before you get to hopeful let me explain. If you wish to go back you must understand that your life will never be the same as it was before you encountered the island. You will remember nothing of me, the island, or of ever having been a mermaid. In its place you will forever harbour a yearning, a longing to be close to the occean. Yet you will not understand why this is. It will feel like a part of you is missing. It is a hollow, empty feeling that something you have loved has been snatched from you. A dream that will remain unfulfilled. Your character and personality will not be as it was before your change. The Chloe you were is gone. The new one would not be able to see life the way she had. The island has altered you far too much for you to be as you once were. It`s not something I`d wish upon anybody, it`s not living, it`s merely going through the motions of a life. I urge you Chloe to think very long and carefully before making such a choice. Remember...., once you have chosen a path, that choice you will have to live with forever more.

"How...., how long do I have before I must make this choice?"

She smiled. "Fifteen nights from now the moon will be full again. On that night you must make your choice. On the dawn of that day you will waken to discover that you have your human legs once more. That is how you will pass that day. When night falls something magical will happen. There will be a full eclipse of the moon. Its timing is all the more remarkable in view with how it coincides so favourably in terms of the whole time frame of your odyssey. Now you must listen to this very carefully Chloe. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Chloe if you wish to leave the island...., you must do nothing. Simply sit on the beach fifteen nights from now and await daybreak, whereupon I shall return to the island. And if it is that you wish to leave, then you will return to your mermaid form and I will accompany you back to from where you left. Remember...., shortly after that you will lose your tail forever. You will remember nothing of your experiences here. You will resume your old life as best you can manage. But remember also it cannot be as it once was. Much has changed within you." She sighed deeply, "It will not be easy for you Chloe."

I nodded again. I looked at my tail and the conflict within me began again. My mind began to imagine how I was going to come to terms with being normal again after all that had happened. Then Madchenchja interrupted my agonisings. "But now remember this as well Chloe. This is every bit as important as what you`ve already learned. If I`ve managed to reassure you over your loved ones feelings...., and I really hope I have, and you should choose to stay on the island to live your life as a mermaid, then this is what you need to know." She gripped my hand tightly and held it to her chest where I felt her heartbeating strongly within. "Chloe on the first night of the full moon as the earths shadow passes across the face of the moon you need to climb into the pool. Remain there through the eclipse. As the earths shadow begins to pass from the face of the moon again, the cave and pool will be bathed in the glow of the moon. Chloe at that moment...., should you choose it to be so, you will be transformed once again to a mermaid. This time it really will be forever. So you`ll need to be absolutely sure that you`ve made the choice that you can happily live with. The moon and the pool when they are alligned in this manner not only offer you life as a mermaid Chloe...., they offer you immortality...., you will live forever...., and you will remain unchanged and as youthful as you are on the night of the eclipse."

I gasped. I couldn`t believe what she was telling me. But after all that had happened to me who was I to doubt anything she told me? I did anyway though. I shook my head. "It`s not possible. How can that be?"

For once she was at a loss as well. She shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I don`t know. None of us do.... but it is fact Chloe. Don`t make the mistake of not taking it seriously. You will have eternity to ponder your error if you do!"

I struggled to take in the magnitude of all that she`d told me. For a long time we sat there in the pool without communicating. Her flukes patted my own contentedly from time to time as she relaxed free of the burden of the secrets she`d been holding. Finally I spoke again. "So...., you are immortal as well?"

"I am. I was born to it."

"How long ago? How old are you?"

She giggled. "Lets just say I can remember a time before mankind could sail upon the occeans. Back when it was just us mermaids and the occasional merman to worry about!"

My mind boggled. I have no firm knowledge of history, so I could only just vaguely try to guess how old she really was. But could this vision of beauty before me really be more than a thousand years old? It was all well beyond my comprehension.

I sat dazed for sometime. I was finding it hard to cope with all the things I was learning from her. But inevitably my thoughts came back to how it all could or would affect me. And finally I asked, "What will the future hold for me if I choose to stay...., if I choose to live forever?"

She smiled broadly. There was no doubting what she thought and hoped I would do. "It will hold whatever you choose to take from it. You can spend much of your time here if you choose. You can leave and travel the occeans of the world for a time. Many mermaids are nomadic. They choose to spend almost all their lives at sea, they only come to land for the last stages of their pregnancies and birthing. When their infants are old enough they leave and carry on their lives. As with the rest of us though their numbers have declined over the centuries. Their journeys are hampered now by mans many shipping lanes. The noise and disturbance created by the ships takes a heavy toll on their senses and ability to navigate and hunt successfully. You may choose to visit the polar regions, though I`d advise you to prepare well for that adventure. It`s vital that you build up a good reserve of fat before you even think of embarking on that journey. I have spent time there on more than one occasion. As wonderful as it is there I am a warm blooded creature. I prefer my occeans without ice, thankyou!"

I giggled along with her. Then I asked her another personal question. "Madchenchja, are you a mom? Do you have children?"

She smiled happily and showed me her necklace. "Each one of these small pearls represents one of my daughters. They are abundant where I choose to birth each time. I take one for every child born safely."

I counted four pearls. "Where are they now?"

"They all have their own lives. Islands like this one are quite rare. But so are we now.... so each of them are as blessed as you might choose to become. The older two have their own offspring now. I`m very proud of them."

"Wow...., you`re a grandmother?"

"Yes. But that`s not all Chloe. I`m in my seventh month of another pregnancy. It doesn`t show yet, but soon I`ll have another little one to take care of."

I stared at her abdomen. It didn`t show. And I bet she`d look magnificent even if it did."May I?" I asked. She nodded and I felt her scale covered abdomen. As cold to the touch as mine, I gently felt around her tummy for any signs of life.

"I don`t think you`ll feel her move. She`s nowhere near as well developed as a human baby at this stage." Of course Madchenchja knew it was a girl. Mermaids only ever have one gender now. I guess I thought it did take a little bit of the surprise out of giving birth though.

I let my hand linger on her body caressing her soft scales. I felt an intimacy and strong bond had formed between us already. Her presence alone reassured me, and I guess I knew that even in the short space of time we`d spent in one anothers company I was already being strongly influenced by her. I wasn`t  sure if that came from the need within my own persona to have a strong personality beside me, to guide me, mentor me if you will. Or whether it came from the deep and dare I say it sexual attraction I felt towards her so soon.

She brought me back from my thoughts when she asked, "Is there anything else you`d like to ask me Chloe?"

I thought for a brief moment before I summoned the courage to ask the question that had been on my mind for sometime now. "Madchenchja...., if I stay, will I become a mother? Will I have a child of my own?"

She smiled warmly. "Chloe...., you are a breeder. I sensed it from the moment I saw you. It`s the reason I`ve watched over you so closely. Our numbers have become so depleted. The pollution, the over fishing. It`s taken an enormous toll on us. We need more mothers...., we need you, we need you badly. The opportunity that you presented me, it may not occur again for many, many years. I know it`s been hard on you, cruel even. Our kind are a gentle, peace loving people. We seek only to survive. I would never have taken you from your loved ones if our need wasn`t so great. I know how much it has pained you. I can feel it in you. It hurts me what I`ve taken from you. But know this Chloe...., if you should choose to stay, I will spend eternity trying to ease your pain and trying to make ammends for what I`ve done to you."

I rested my head on her shoulder. A tear rolled slowly down my cheek as my mind felt numb and overloaded by all that had been told me. I had so much to consider, but just now I felt too tired to think anymore. Just as I thought I might fall asleep Madchenchja said, "I have news that may bring you some comfort Chloe. At least I hope it will....,"

I looked up at her puzzled by what it could be. "The friend you left behind....,

"Chrissy?" I interrupted. "What of her? Is she alright?"

She smiled, "I think so. You will know better than I do. She is with child. She doesn`t know it yet."

"Nooo! No way? Chrissy having a baby?!" I put my hands to my mouth in shock. "Oh my God no! She doesn`t know and she`s still smoking! Oh no...., that means Brett is the father!"

"Is that bad?" Madchenchja asked.

"How can I put this....? It would be like you finding out your unborn childs father is a merman!" I said.

"Ohh my!" She looked at me and said, "And I thought I was giving you good news."

I shrugged a shoulder and said, "Well...., at least Chrissy`ll be pleased I guess."

"Let`s hope so. And let`s hope it distracts her from her worries for you."

I put my head back on her shoulder. "Yeah, I hope it does."

Shortly after with my head still reeling from the news of Chrissy`s pregnancy I fell asleep. When I awoke Madchenchja  lay as calmly as before brushing her long black hair. "Ahh you`re awake. Are you ready to eat? I need to shortly. My condition has always made rather a glutton of me I`m afraid."

I nodded and followed her as we pulled our large tails from the pools and dragged ourselves as only mermaids can from the cave out into the evening sun. We paused briefly to take in the suns warmth before we entered the surf. We fed together enjoying working as a team, and when we felt full returned to the shore to relax and enjoy the evening turning to night. Below the stars we sat and communicated in our silent way. It felt odd to me to hold long conversations without once moving my lips or uttering a sound. To be so helplessly mute would take a while for me to become accustomed to. But while I was with Madchenchja I felt as if nothing could spoil my enjoyment of being as she was. The way she moved seemed so effortless and elegant compared to my strained and awkward movements upon land. It was still hard for me to comprehend she`d had at least ten human lifetimes to become so practised in her smooth movements. I`d spent the best part of three days with a fishtail now, and it was so much becoming a part of me that I had difficulty remembering what it felt like to have legs and stand upright. The novelty of my new body hadn`t faded in the slightest and this was reflected in the frequent times I spent admiring it. I had to aknowledge to myself that the thought of losing it filled me with horror.

Madchenchja had said I`d adapted easily and readily to my change. It seemed I was continuing to do so. My acceptance of who I now am was such that I wished the option of leaving and staying had never been offered to me. I wanted the decision made for me. I wanted Madchenchja to make it, for I knew what it was she wanted for me. I wanted the burden of responsibility to lay elsewhere. I wanted to remain a mermaid, but I wanted not to have to make the final call. How I longed to be in the pool as the moonlight filled the cave once more to alter me forever. To give me eternal life...., to allow me to spend endless days, months and years with Madchenchja as I eventually became a mom just like her.

I lay close to her on the sand. Our tails entwined as we petted and explored one another. We kissed tenderly, already our bond was exceeding that of mere sisters. I felt safe with her, and in my subconsciousness I realised that she was already taking the place in my life and feelings that Chrissy had occupied for so long. In a matter of a mere human day I had found a new role model, someone I could respect and aspire to be like. Someone who cared and would watch over me, stop me from making the mistakes that I`d always been prone to making. I had found a lover and guardian angel all in one. Life was being good to me.

Day 17.

We spent the early morning feeding. Madchenchja continually offered me different species of aquatic life that I`d not tried. Some good...., mostly good actually...., others I was indifferent to. She taught me how much was on offer to me from the occean should I decide to stay and inhabit the island. My mind still couldn`t come to terms with the dizzying prospect of eternal life that was mine if I chose. To stay as young, healthy and dare I be so immodest to say as beautiful as I was now was temptation of the hardest kind to ignore. I had so much to think about and there was now just the shortest of times to decide. But I couldn`t stop myself from thinking of Chrissy, my parents, and my sister. My old life, its routine and drudgery were easy to dismiss. The people in it were a different matter. A part of me thought the decision was easy. A no brainer. Stay...., live on a paradise island, have a family one day, not grow old and live forever! Put like that it sounded so simple and straight forward. But it wasn`t that easy. Deep inside me I knew I was as torn as I`d ever been.

In the heat of the midafternoon sun I lay on the smooth time worn surface of the large rock I`d first spied from the boat on my arrival that day. Madchenchja sat beside me brushing her beautiful long hair, as I thought of how long ago that seemed to me now. She stopped and began to run her hand tenderly down my back until my human half merged with my scale covered waste and bottom. "Chloe....?"

"Mmmm?" I replied.

"Chloe..., soon I must leave you...."

I turned around quickly to face her. "Why? Where are you going....?"

She smiled, and put her hand upon her abdomen."My pregnancy...., it makes me crave foods that I cannot find here. Very odd foods. But I`m used to that, it`s always been my way when I`m at this stage...."

"But I`d like you to stay here with me...., I need your guidance Madchenchja."

She smiled and shook her head. "No you don`t. After everything that you`ve endured recently, I`m sure you`ll be just fine." She continued brushing her hair as she looked out to sea. "The food I seek is some distance from here. But you`ll still be able to reach me. Mermaids are never alone. I want you to be able to come to your decision on your future by yourself. Whatever you decide Chloe, I`ll always have fond memories of you. I`ve enjoyed our days here together immensely. But it would be wrong of me to stay here and influence you in ways that I might not realise. I`ve said enough. And I`m sure you know how I feel anyway. "

I nodded. Then she said. "The time is right for me to leave now....," She kissed me on my mouth and began to shift closer to the edge of the rock. "I will return on the day after you have made your choice Chloe...., enjoy your time here!" With that she slipped from view and I heard the loud splash of her body entering the sea. Around fifty feet out she surfaced again, turned and waved back to me. I waved to her as she slowly slipped beneath the surface to leave me alone again. Alone with the biggest decision I`d ever have to make.

As night fell I immersed myself in the comforting embrace of the pool. I gazed contentedly over the expanse of my changed body. From my large, firm breasts, to my slim waist where the human me merged so subtly and naturally with the scaled fish half of my mermaids body. Then onto where my scaled hips curved prominently outwards and where my rounded thighs tapered gradually inwards until the rest of my tail narrowed gently until it reached its thinnest point where my ankles had once been. The wonderful colors of my tail reflected the colours of the occean so perfectly right down to my huge flukes that rested languidly and patted the side of the pool from time to time. I sighed with happiness. I played with and explored my body that night. I came to understand the touches and caresses that made me feel so sexually charged that I had my first orgasm as a mermaid. I smiled as I heard the soft giggling of Madchenchja from somewhere deep in the occean and I realised what she`d meant when she`d said that mermaids were never alone. Feeling happy and contented, I pulled my flukes into the water of the pool and slipped below the surface to sleep.

Alone Again:

Day 18.

I spent the whole day exploring the waters around the island. I fed as I went spending very little time above the surface. I built up and memorised a solid image of the underwater landscape surrounding the island exploring the rocks and creeks of the colourful and always spectacular marine world. As dusk approached having satisfied my hunger once more I pulled myself up the sands to my cave before once again immersing my tired body in the replenishing and always welcoming water of the pool. I slipped beneath the surface and dreamt exciting dreams of my day and the sheer joy of living this life.

Day 19.

After the exertions of the day before I spent my time basking in the sun on my favourite rock and suntrap. I slipped from it several times to feed during the day using minimum energy to catch the sealife of my choice. I never took more than I needed, a lesson from Madchenchja that had not been wasted on me, I respected the landscape I was now living in. It was of  paramount importance to my survival after all. I fashioned myself a hairbrush just like hers from the odd shaped corals that adorned the seabed. I collected many small objects that appealed to me as I explored and fed, taking them back to my rock for closer and inspection before deciding whether to keep or discard them.

This was how I spent my time as the countdown to my big day continued. My joy of life here reigned supreme for the most part. But still it was clouded by the thoughts of those I`d left behind. Still they crept into my head. And still I imagined the angst and pain I was causing them all. The thought of them hating me for what I`d done was never far from me, as was the awful thought that they somehow blamed themselves for driving me away. Often as I lay resting in the pool at night I would try to connect with them using the power of my mind. It was of no use though. My powers of thought were simply not strong enough yet, but it was something I would never give up on trying. I desperately wished I could reach them before the moon arrived to make me decide on my future. I suppose all I wanted was one reassuring, approving thought. It was more than that though. What I really wanted was their blessing. And even if I could reach out to them, I knew I might never get that.

A Time to Decide:

Day 27.

The previous days had passed quickly for me. I felt Madchenchja was never far from me as we communicated frequently over the distance between us. I took great heart from her presence, and never once did she try to sway me in the decision I had to make shortly. She`d said what she felt before leaving and had left me in no doubt what she was hoping for me. Over the previous nights I`d watch the moon growing fuller, an ever present nightly reminder that once again I was running short of time and I needed to make up my mind on my future.

As I bathed in the pool as I had every night so far, I tried to reach out to Chrissy. I thought I`d been making some progress. I could sense there was a connection there, just the beginnings of one maybe. But it was a start and I felt that somehow I`d perhaps reached her to the extent that she could sense that in a way I was still with her. I`d left a warm glow and I knew she`d felt it. Tonight I closed my eyes and concentrated hard. This time I could see her. She was home. Our apartment. She was sat on my bed, and she was tenderly rubbing her stomach. She knew of her pregnancy now I was sure. She looked around the room, like she was aware of something or someone, and I knew she could sense I wasn`t far from her. I imagined myself walking up behind her and hugging her. As I did so she smiled and nodded.

I couldn`t hold it though. The image faded in my mind and I opened my eyes. I knew she`d been aware of me. I knew she`d felt my hug and I cried. I cried for my dear friend and for me. I would have loved to be with her right now. To share her joy, ease her apprehensions and just to be able to tell her she`d make a wonderful Mom. I wished things could go back to how they were. We`d have been kicking back right about now. Settling down for a night of quarelling over what channel we were going to watch, sharing our cigarettes, maybe having a glass or two of wine. That was all gone now for sure. Madchenchja had said if I decided to go home then I would not be the same Chloe everybody had known before. Perhaps Chrissy and I just wouldn`t click anymore. And as if that wasn`t enough I would always be tied down by the urge and need to be close to the sea. My life was never going to fit with Chrissy`s anymore even if I did return. Such were my thoughts as I slipped beneath the surface of the pool for the night.

The Decision:

Day 28.

I awoke to the now surreal sight of my legs. My legs were back, but there was huge void within me. The loss of my tail had an enormous psychological effect on me in the way the loss of my legs hadn`t. I felt my bronzed thighs, knees and calves. It was the old Chloe on the outside...., but inside was a different story. I stepped shakily from the pool and walked on infant legs from the cave to the sands of the shore. I gazed onto the occean and felt it  pulling  at me, much like it had done when I`d left the island and returned to my family and Chrissy for that short time. This time the yearning was stronger still within me. I was much more changed and removed from my old life now than I had been even then. The life and the instincts of a mermaid were far more deeply embedded within me. The occeans were like a drug to me. The symptoms I was suffering were withdrawal from the freedom and joy I felt when I was immersed in its comforting depths. The need I felt was too strong. I turned from the sea and walked quickly back to the cave. I stepped inside and collapsed on my knees by the pool and cried.

I missed Madchenchja, I missed Chrissy and I missed my family. But above all of them was the feeling that I knew now where my future lay...., but I wasn`t quite ready to accept that the decision I`d made was so final. I cried for a long time. I`d lost my appetite and stared aimlessly around the cave. I sat outside in the sun with my knees under my chin. I stared off to the distant horizon of the sun and felt truly alone for the first time ever on the island. With the loss of my mermaid body had gone the ability to communicate with Madchenchja. I wanted and needed to talk with her, explain to her how I was feeling. How low, how unbelievably empty and sad I felt inside. Restless I got to my feet and began a circuit of the island. I took in the sights I loved, but today they couldn`t reach the parts of me they normally touched so easily.

The emotions I was feeling reminded me of another painful and difficult time of my life. Puberty. That`s what this felt like, but a hundred times worse. When you`re a teenager, still a child, but not quite, almost an adult but not quite. An emotional no mans land of sorts. Here I was hovering between two worlds. Human and mermaid, each of them pulling me in different directions, each of them fighting for my soul. And here I am in the middle. Desperate to do the right thing by everybody. But the inescapable truth of the matter was that I couldn`t please everyone. Somebody was going to get hurt. Unfortunately who that would be would ultimately fall upon me to decide.

I skirted the shoreline paddling in the surf reminded of childhood holidays. Walks like this one but on packed and crowded beaches where you could barely move for people. Not like here where you wouldn`t meet another soul for a thousand or more years. Eventually I came back to the cave. I sat outside suffering the temptations the sea was heaping upon me. The late afternoon sun beat down on my tanned skin as I scanned the sky for the first sign of the moon. It was still tucked away beneath the horizon, probably for another couple of hours at least. So my vigil continued. My heart felt like lead. My stomach ached from hunger and I longed for nightfall. My worst day on the island.

The day was finally drawing to a close and the sun dipped below the horizon as if cowardly abandoning me to my destiny. The stars began to emerge like an audience filling a theatre, hustling for a good view of the act that would be played out before them. Me in the lead role...., in the throes of crippling stagefright. The moon appeared over my shoulder like it had done a month ago. Its bright light dimmed the stars around it, seeming to push them aside and they meekly complied like little people in the company of greatness. Sometime soon though the moon itself inspite of all its might and grandeur would be overshadowed as well tonight. When that happened, that was my cue. I would take centre stage then. I would be the star of the show tonight.