Third POV.
Savanna stood on the soft, wet sand, the salty breeze tugging at her hair as she gazed out at the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, and she felt a familiar thrill as she prepared for her evening ritual. Collecting sea shells had become her solace since moving to the East Coast, away from her parents and the life she once knew. Being a waitress at the local diner kept her busy, The job was nice and provided a decent income for her. She didn't need much to get by because she got a full scholarship to ECU, East Coast University. She lives for these quiet moments by the shore. Collecting seashells for a self portrait project in art.
As she wandered along the water's edge, bending down, her fingers brushed against the cool, smooth surfaces of shells half-buried in the sand. She loved the way each one told a story, each a tiny treasure from the ocean's depths. Little did she know, she wasn't alone in her nightly adventures.
One evening, as the waves lapped gently at her feet, she caught a glimpse of movement in the water. A figure emerged, and her breath caught in her throat. He was breathtaking—topless, with dark, wet brown hair cascading down his shoulders in thick braids a coral crown utop his thick braid hair. His skin was pale, almost luminous under the fading light, and his eyes sparkled like blue ice crystals. His muscular form suggested he was no stranger to the sea, and Savanna felt a rush of awe.
As she waded past the water's edge the bottoms of her jeans getting soaked, the two of them spoke at the same time, both eager to break the silence. "You go first," she said with a nervous laugh, her heart racing. He cleared his throat, his voice deep and smooth. "I've seen you collecting shells. I brought you a few," he said, tossing a seaweed-woven bag toward her.
Curiosity piqued, Savanna unraveled the string and opened the bag, her eyes widening in astonishment. Inside were the most beautiful shells she had ever seen, shimmering in colors she couldn't even begin to describe. "Wow! These are beautiful!" she exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
"Would you like to walk on the beach with me?" she blurted out, not wanting this enchanting encounter to end so soon. He chuckled, a hearty, warm sound that made her heart flutter. "I would love to, but I can't walk," he said, lifting a shimmering blue tail from the water.
Savanna's eyes widened in shock. He was a merman. The tales she had heard about sirens and dangerous sea creatures flooded her mind, but she found herself captivated by him instead.
To ease her surprise, he laughed again, his playful demeanor breaking the tension. "How about we go for a swim?" he suggested, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
For a moment, she hesitated, the legends of the sea whispering caution in her ear. But as she looked into his icy blue eyes, she felt an inexplicable sense of safety. Maybe it was the way he smiled or the warmth radiating from him that drew her in.
"You can swim, right?" he asked, a hint of embarrassment coloring his cheeks.
With a burst of courage and excitement, Savanna took a deep breath and jumped into the cool water beside him with her long sleeve ECU t-shirt and skinny jeans on, the thrill of swimming with a gorgeous merman igniting her adventurous spirit and forgetting it's hard to swim in clothing . The waves enveloped her, and she felt alive, ready to dive into the unknown.