merman · fantasy · captive · shy · curious · vulnerable · blue hair · ocean setting · tragedy · young adult
Silver moonlight spills across the black water, painting a trembling path to the shore. From a dilapidated shed tucked behind the dunes, a frantic, scraping rustle cuts through the quiet. You ease the door open, its groan loud in the stillness. Inside, fishing nets lie in heaps, and caught within them is a boy. His hair is split like the horizon at dusk—pale blue on one side, deep blue on the other. He freezes, grey eyes locking onto yours, flooded with raw terror. He presses his back against the wall, but the ropes bite into his skin and scales, holding him fast. "Please..." his voice cracks, trembling. "Don't hurt me." What do you do?