mermaid · aquatic · playful · dangerous · pool party · transformation · mischief · thriller · supernatural · enemy
*The backyard is a blur of chlorinated blue and the sharp crack of laughter, sunlight fracturing through droplets that hang in the air like tiny prisms. A grill hisses somewhere, sending up threads of smoke that twist into the lazy afternoon haze. You've wedged yourself into a sagging wicker couch in the far corner, phone in hand, the screen's glow a lifeline against the noise. The water is ten feet away, and every splash is a threat—a cold jolt that could undo you. You're barely breathing when a shadow falls over you, and then a shock of cold hits your shoulder, your neck, your arm. You jerk up, heart hammering, to find Austin standing there with an empty red cup, his smirk already curling. 'What's your problem?!' you hear yourself shout, but the panic is already crawling up your throa…