text: "Mermaids "reproduce" by turning human women into their own. A female pirate captain has a run-in with a mermaid who intends to transform her." **Story synopsis:** The Story: Eleanor is the captain of a pirate ship with a well-run crew. That is until she meets an unlikely creature on the open water. *** *** #Chapter 3.1 The brightness of the sun changed the world around the ship. The water was translucent, the life below it visible upon inspection. The light blue seemed to change perspectives from dark to optimistic. For Eleanor, it seemed a double-edged sword. It was a new day, separated from the monstrosity that she had encountered last night. But it was also time for her to wake the crew and formulate a plan. She had moved away from the creature, yet towards what was coming. There was no doubt in her mind that Isabelle was coming when the moon peaked later that night. She turned away from the water and moved toward the places her men slept. She had spent very little time resting the night before. She wrote down her experience and moved on, back to the wheel. Real sleep was not an option. Before she reached the door, it swung open. Eleanor and Nathaniel had a near miss, almost colliding with each other. "Good. You are awake. Please get the rest of the men. I want all of you out here," she commanded. She was expecting a round of questions. To her pleasant surprise, he raised a single wide eyebrow and turned back around. When he came back up again, the men were single file behind him. "Good morning," Eleanor said after they were all on deck. She stood in front of the entire crew, arms crossed against her chest. Her feet stood on the spot where Isabelle's tail had been the night before. "I know this is unexpected," she continued. "We had talked of one more day of leisure, and I'm not one for formal meetings. But things have changed. We have very limited time, and I have something important..." she hesitated, shifting her weight. "...and strange to tell you," she continued. "While you all indulged last night, I stood on deck, as Nathaniel can attest. I saw something where I stand that has threatened to come back for me and threatened every man who fights it." "What do you mean by 'something,' captain? There were no other ships last night." one of the men in the back spoke. "That is the issue, John," Eleanor shifted her weight onto the other hip, arms still crossed. "I need your trust. Trust that I was awake. Trust that I was sober. After all, the barrels were down below with you." "Elle was up here when I rounded up the game dice. I attest," Nathaniel's voice boomed. His small testimony was all she had to back up her claim. She did not know how much value it would hold in their minds. He was the first mate but also close to her. It could sway them in either direction, but Eleanor saw it as better than nothing at all. To her surprise, Nathaniel continued. "The air felt different on deck when I came up and saw her. It smelled saltier and made my skin prickle. Believe our captain, all of you." Eleanor took a deep breath, giving the rest of them a moment to ask any questions before she dove into the story. With no objections or remarks, she began. "I am just going to get on with it. While alone up here last night, a creature of the sea made her way onto the ship. She had a long blue tail like that of a fish and a body and face of a human. On the surface, she looked like the mermaids you see on ships' masts and in old texts. This would be hard enough to see and share with you all had she not dark eyes and dangerous teeth. She was not a maiden. She was a monster curled in front of me, breathing our air." She stretched out her arms and shifted her weight back to both hips. The lack of sleep and adrenaline had her jitters coursing through her. "A mermaid, captain?" a voice asked, accompanied by a snort. "That's not a creature. That's a myth. Are you sure you didn't fall asleep standing up? For a moment?" "I thought I had fallen asleep at first, Isaac. I thought it over all night long," she said. She knew her men would obey her, but they had every right to question her sanity at a time like this. She needed them to push through it, though, and fast. "But it kept going," Eleanor continued, "and if it was a dream, then I am still dreaming. Yet, I cleaned up a sticky pool of ocean water from our ship after she had gone. "I know this is not easy, but it does not get any easier. You have all followed me onto this boat. You have followed me onto enemy boats and foreign shores. Now you must choose again. The mermaid who came last night, the creature that landed on the wood of my ship, told me she would return. She called me by name and gave us 24 hours' notice. "She told me her name was Isabelle as if it were appropriate that such an abomination had a human name." "A mermaid named Isabelle is coming back to our ship?" Isaac asked. The doubt rang clear in his voice. He was not digesting the story easily. He likely spoke for more of the men, even though there were not even murmurs among them. "Yes, Isaac. She sat on this spot I stand on and threatened to slay us all if we fought her to keep me above the water. This is the decision you all must make. If you choose not to believe me and mutiny instead, I will stand on deck at the full moon and keep you all safe. If the creature is true to her word, she will leave you alone if you stay away. If you choose to believe me and choose to keep me, she will fight. If she fights, then we all must fight. And that means preparing, and fast." Eleanor walked back over to the helm of the ship as she finished her speech. "I will give you all a moment. Send Nathaniel when you have decided. It's all or nothing, men. We all fight, or none of you do," She said and took the spokes of the wheel. She dared not look back. If they decided not to believe her and questioned her sanity -- she wanted them to at least know she wasn't desperate at the end.