Sorry, Darling

When the river became the only thing that chattered, Ren said, "If sudden trust is so dangerous, then why would you put so much trust in me?" She smiled a little and said, "But I'm not defenseless this time. I'm not the one that can be cursed." 

When he said, "True." his voice was trusting, but his eye trailed off as though he were searching for an escape route. She quickly said to keep him at her side, "Oh don't worry, though. I have no interest in cursing you. I need someone to protect me while I'm traveling back home, and I don't mind the water much anymore. In the water, there's no ignorance that I have to cope with, just peace." He chortled at the last sentence, then he asked, "Is everything you said true?" She nodded, praying that he believed. Pearl didn't know at the time that she would forever remember his genuine smile when he said, "Alright then. I trust you."

  By the time they reached the town they had to cross to reach Pearl's home, the sun had said goodnight and the moon had taken the sun's place. Ren said to the siren, "There's a lake down that way. I'll rent an inn room for the night and come back in the morning." He turned around to head to the town, but she caught his attention again when she said, "Wait.. you may want to take this back first." She unbuttoned the vest and handed it back to him. Ren took the vest, said thank you and goodnight, then headed for the closest inn. Pearl watched the Elf leave, then she walked in the direction of the lake. 

  She let herself sink to the bottom of the lake as her legs turned back into a tail. As she sighed, little bubbles flowed from her mouth and rose to the top of the water. She watched the surface morph and disfigure the moon above as she got comfortable. She sighed again as she thought 'I don't know if I can keep my original plan. Those roguish eyes… that little grin- if only I could get rid of that winsome smirk! And he listened to me…' Then she was reminded of the one that broke her heart, and the siren that gave her the wretched curse and left her to drown in her own tears. 'But I can't be taken advantage of again. Of course he listened. It'll just make it easier for him to hurt me if I'm entranced by his ability to listen rather than talk.' His smooth, warm voice seemed to surround her as she recalled the words she's never heard before. "I trust you."

She tossed to her side. Then she flipped on her stomach and rested her chin on her crossed arms. She sighed again, letting the bubbles flow up again. 'No. I must stay strong. I must harden my heart and stick to my plan so I can be Human again and have a purpose again. Romance is fake. Love is a lie. Sorry, Darling. But you may be my only chance. And I'm willing to take the chance.'

The next morning, when Pearl woke up and broke through the lake's surface, she found Ren waiting there. He still had a long sleeve shirt on, but it was dark green instead of grey; he had mended the vest well and kept it. He also had in his arms a maroon cloak, and some violet and white clothing. 

  When she came out of the water, he said with a smirk, "Took you long enough to wake up." She recalled her own words as she grinned back and said "Hardy har. What's with the cloak?" He gestured the cloak and the clothes towards her and said, "This is for you." She was taken by surprise because she never asked. "For me?" He kept the smirk when he said, "Well, of course. Unless you'd rather see me in this outfit." Pearl looked down, took the clothing, and said, "I'd rather not, actually." He chuckled and said, "Alright then. I'll wait a distance, and you can change in the forest. Is that ok with you?" She scanned the trees and bushes for the most seclusive place while saying, "I guess."  They separated, then Ren waited patiently for Pearl. 

  When the siren came out of hiding, her beauty remained unfaltered. She wore a pretty white blouse, a violet skirt that reached her calves, sandals colored like the sand on the beach, and a thin, elegant maroon cloak. He quietly stared at the stunning figure until she reached him and said, "Did I do it right?" She smiled when he smiled, and Ren said, "Of course you did. You look perfect." Then when her smile faded, his did as well. "Is something wrong?" She shook her head a little. "No… this just reminds me of my Human days…" Then she brushed the thought away and said, "But nonetheless, I fully embrace and accept the water. The water is my home now, and I'm fine with that." He could tell that her last two sentences and smile were forced, but he only knew half of the truth that she was keeping to herself. 

  As the two approached the town, Pearl slowed her steps and said, "Do we have to go through the village…" Ren replied, "The town will protect us more. If you don't want them to know you're a siren, you can put your hood up." She sighed. "Alright."

  The sun was not so merciful that day, and the hot, humid air shared the sun's anger. Pearl tried to stay in the shade as much as possible, but the wide, treeless roads didn't offer many shadows. Eventually, she didn't mind the judgement so much and took the cloak off. Ren asked as they walked, "Do you need a drink? There's a well nearby." But she shook her head.

She barely noticed the distrusting glares and the looks of suspicion anymore. She was too focused on trying to stay awake. Her head throbbed as her vision blurred. Every step was harder than the last step. Ren finally said, "I don't care if you want a drink or not. Come on, the well is this way." She said "Ok." And she turned around with him. But she couldn't walk with him; she lost consciousness before she made the third step.

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R.I.P. Pearl 😬

QUICK REMINDER: There will be a Q&A at the end! Ask me and/or the characters any question!

And sorry about the bad grammar in the first two chapters... I noticed it AFTER I had already posted. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I'll be checking grammar before posting now!

Thanks so much, y'all!!!

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