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The weekend had finely come for Jillisa. It had been a long hard week at the office and she needed a escape for the weekend, so she went to the beach. When she got there she found the beach crowded with people. Turned out that she was not the only one thinking of the beach this fine beautiful day in California. The boardwalk was not so crowded, and long the boardwalk were small shops or vendors with portable stands selling everything from cool pop to trinkets, to jewelry. Bored and disappointed at not finding a good spot in the sand to just lay out and enjoy the sun she browsed along checking out the different sellers, and what they had to offer. Jillisa stood out in the crowd of people walking along the boardwalk. Sure she was attractive with full breast, shapely legs, long brown hair, and soft blue eyes, but what made her stand out was that she was one of those that loved the color pink. It was her favorite color. She wore a 2 piece pink bikini, pink flip flops, and carried a pink purse. Jillisa found a vendor selling ice cold pop. She bought a diet Coke, then went on checking what the other vendors had to offer going into small shops and such. Nothing caught her eye till she spotted a older guy with a cart selling necklaces. He had many different kinds, from silver to gold to some made with shells. Some had crosses, celtic circles, pentagons, dolphins, sea horses, starfish, and even fairies, the seller had about everything. She looked through them, but still didn't find anything of interest. On impulse she asked the Vendor, " Do you have anything that has a mermaid on it ?"  The seller was a older man, in his mid 40s wearing a colorful blue Hawaiian shirt, and tan kaki pants looked at her. She felt that she needed to explain herself. " You see I have always loved mermaids, and I have been looking for a mermaid necklace forever. I have found a few, but they were not quite what I am looking for." The guy looked at her, then thought a moment and said, "I might have just what you are looking for." His cart had the necklaces displayed on top, but on the seller side there was drawers where he kept inventory, cash, small bags to put the necklaces in, and in small one drawer there were 2 black velvet pouches. He open one, put it back, then opened the other. Satisfied  he turned to her saying, "I think this just might be what you are looking for." There was a strange twinkle in the man's eyes when he gave it to her, but it was forgotten when she opened up and took out the silver necklace from the small pouch. It was a simple thin necklace, but on the end of it was one of the most detailed small silver mermaid that she had ever seen. It looked as if she was sleeping, and would open her eyes anytime. It was gorgeous and she knew that she just had to have it. Jillisa couldn't take her eyes off of her. "How much ?" She asked. "$50" he told her. "Would it be OK if I wrote a check ? I don't like to keep much cash on me." she stated to him. "Sure, no problem. I accept cash, credit cards, and checks." he said. Jillisa opened her purse, found her checkbook and brought it out. On the cover of the was Ariel in her full mermaid form. She opened it up and begun writing the check on a check that showed some tropical beach some place. The vendor noticed the checkbook and check and commented," You really do love mermaids and the sea." Jillisa smiled a shy smile at him and said, "I have loved mermaids since I was a little girl. I got hooked on them when I seen Arial for the first time. I some times wish that I could be a mermaid, you know just hop in the ocean and swim away from all my troubles." she sighed and looked out at the ocean before going on, "but while I love the water, love being near it I can't swim. My parents were too busy to teach me or take me to classes when I was young. When I got older I was too embarrassed to take classes, so I never did learn how to swim." "Then why come to the beach ?" he asked. "To lay in the sun, be close to the sea, and dream of being a mermaid. While it could never happen I can still at lest dream." Jillisa said to him. "Well maybe that will change for you someday." he said with a knowing smile. "Oh I doubt that." she told him, then said, "And it looks like I might not even get to enjoy the beach today, just so many people out." He looked at her for a moment then said, "You know if you want a nice quite place just to lay out I know a place. The current is too strong and has plenty of riptide close to the shore, not a good place to swim, but sounds like just what you are looking for. It is not too far from here, but the road to it is on a curb and is easy to miss. I would have to draw you a map for you to get there, but at lest you would be by yourself." She looked at him, he seemed harmless, and she had a gut feeling that she could trust him. "Sure why not." she said. He took out a notebook that he kept track of his accounts on from the look of it, and drew a map of the highway, then of a curb where he drew a road that linked to the highway, but wound back and forth a few times before it ended at a small cove. "It is a old gravel road, so when you get to the curve keep your eyes open. It is easy to miss. That is why so few people know if it, and after a few bend in the road most other people think the road leads to nowhere, so the few that do find it usually turn around and go back. Just keep going and you will find the cove easily enough." he told her as he handed her the map. She took the map and the necklace and put them both in her purse. She thanked him for telling her of this cove, and the wonderful necklace, then turn and walked in the direction of her car. The man watched her go and smiled, then took down and put away the necklaces. He had some place to be in a few hours and he had things to prepare for.

"The old man was right." Jillisa thought when she finely found the tiny gravel road. She had driven by it 3 different times before she found it. The 5 hairpin turns along some steep ravens were also a bit scary, and she  could see why people had turn back, but it was at these turns where she got glimpse of the ocean, so she went on till she ended up at the cove where there was perhaps just enough room for 3 cars to park, yet none were parked there now. It was just as the old man said, only even more beautiful. She looked at it a moment admiring the beauty of the place before she reached into her car and brought out a pink beach towel and a small pink cooler filled with ice and water. Before she left the car on impulse she opened her purse, took out the silver mermaid necklace and put it on. She walked down the steep path to the small beach. It was so quite here away from the crowds and cars. When she reached the sand she found just the right spot and spread out her beach towel, then put on her sun screen. When that was done she looked at the mermaid necklace around her neck. Again she couldn't believe the detail of the silver mermaid. Every scale was finely etched and molded that she felt the little mermaid would suddenly come to life in her hand. Even with it's beauty she became bored with it, and sat on her towel and looked out to the sea. Sure enough she  could see strong currents along the points. This really wasn't a place for swimming, but it was very beautiful. The sound of the waves, the sun gently warming her body was making her sleepy. She doubted that anyone would show up, so felt safe in taking her top off. Jillisa hated tan lines. When she had it off she set it next to her cooler and stretched out, her legs pointing to the sea. The sun heated the little mermaid on her necklace, so instead of taking it off she rolled over to her belly, and put her head on her arms and fell asleep. The sun was so nice and warm she felt as if she was melting, not all of her, just her lower half. It wasn't painful, just soothing. If Jillisa had been awake she would have watched as her pink bikini bottom seemed to flow down her legs, but as it flowed in their wake they didn't leave 2 legs, but one limb. They had become one. In her dream Jillisa felt something pulling on her feet. When the pink material reached her feel it began to spread out, yet also spreading and flattening her feet till when it finely ended Jillisa had a long and beautiful pink tail. In her dreams Jillisa became a mermaid, and she swam beneath the sea. The dream seemed so real that she smiled. She woke feeling very thirsty. Reaching over she opened her cooler and took out a bottle water. She laid there, open the water, then tried to turn over. It felt as if her legs had fallen asleep. She propped herself up with her arms and finished the first bottle of water. Still sleepy she never bothered opening her eyes, and reached in and got a second then a 3rd bottle out, yet she was still thirsty. She would have to put her top back on, then go and find the closest gas station or store and get more. Sleepily she grabbed her top, got it on, then tried to rise, but couldn't, there was something wrong with her legs. It was then that she finely opened her eyes, and when she did they suddenly grew wider. Her legs were now a tail, but not a green tail like in The Little Mermaid, this one was pink ! This had to be a dream ! She thought. Jillisa tried to find the seam where her skin met where her bikini bottom that was now a tail. She didn't find any, what she found instead was tiny flesh scales that began to turn pink, till they became full pink scales. It had to be a dream, it just had to. People don't just suddenly become mermaids ! OK, what was that again about dreams, she thought, then she remembered. In dreams it was said that you couldn't read, so all she need to do was to read some thing. The water bottle ! All she had to do was read the label on the water bottle ! She grabbed the closest one that she had just finished and read the label. Still hoping it was still a dream she read every thing that was printed on the bottle. It wasn't a dream ! Again she calmed herself, she just need to think this through. She was normal before she went to sleep, when she woke she was a mermaid. What had happened between this morning and when she took a nap and become a mermaid. The necklace !!!! It had to be it. If it changed her, maybe it could change her back. She took the necklace off her neck and looked at it. The necklace looked the same as when she first laid eyes on it. Maybe she had to say some thing to change back. "Oh sweet mermaid, make me normal." she said. Nothing happened. She closed her eyes and said it again, nothing happened. "Oh great Neptune please change me back." she said. Still nothing happened. She even asked God, and when she opened her eyes she still had a pink tail. Maybe she needed to sleep with the necklace off and when she woke maybe she would be normal. Maybe she needed to have the necklace away from her when she slept, shouldn't that help ? She thought. She threw the necklace as far away from her as she could, then laid down, and tried to sleep, only she couldn't. Her throat was becoming dryer and dryer, she needed water of some sort. To her answer it dawned on her that she could hear the surf. There was all the water she needed, yet wasn't sea water not healthy to drink ? she thought. She had no choice, her car was too far away and with this tail there was no way she could drive, she had to get to the sea. First she crawled with her hands dragging her tail behind her, then  she held her arms still and brought her tail forward under her moving like a seal. This was quicker and brought her to the water. She went into the sea far enough so that she could cover her head in it, yet the waves coming in flowed over and covered her all the way to the end of her tail. She gulped the water deeply till she realized that she wasn't drinking the water, she was breathing it ! Her head shot out of the water, and she gulped in air. Instead of making her feel better it felt as if she was holding her breath. It didn't hurt, it just didn't refresh her. Once more she put her head under the water. "Im not breathing I'm just drinking." she thought to herself over and over. Jillisa just couldn't bear the thought that she was actually breathing under water, if she did accept it she felt that she would then admitting that she really was a mermaid. When she lifted her head she found that she was 30 feet from shore. She looked to where her beach towel was, and next to it was the man who had sold her the necklace.

While she had been in the sea the old man had pulled up in a old dark green Mazda pickup. He had walked down to the beach, and in the sand found the necklace she had thrown. Looking at it he picked it up, then placed it in his pocket and waited for Jullisa to look his way.

Jillisa just looked at him. She didn't know what to say. She was both mad and scarred at the same time. Before she could even say anything he smiled then said, "See now didn't I tell you that this was the perfect spot. You know on the right days this one also one of the best spots to surf or to scuba dive."

"You ? You ! You did this to me !"  Jillisa exclaimed.

The smile was replaced with a more relaxed look before he said, " Yes, yes I did."

"Why, why did you do this to me, and why me ?" Jullisa sputtered as she began to calm down.

"Because you were worthy. Worthy of this gift." he told her.

"Gift !" the anger starting to rise into her voice. "You made me into a pink tailed mermaid !"

"The pink was of your choice. The magic of the necklace behaves differently for some people. Some times it picks the color or what they are wearing, other time it picks up on the person's favorite color, and for some who also believe in mermaids it some times picks up on the color of tail that they want. For you I would say that pink is your favorite color and just happen to be what you were hearing. I must say you do look rather good as a pink tailed mermaid." he said to her.

'Why change me into a mermaid. I can't even swim. Sure I have fantasized about it, but never dreamed that it was even possible, but why do it without even asking me." she said to him.

"If I had told you that I had a special necklace that could change you into a mermaid would you have believed me. You would have thought me some kind of a nut, and would have never have come to this place. I couldn't have you changing into a mermaid on that beach back there in that crowd. We both know what turmoil that could have brought, but I was willing to take that risk. I was willing to follow you home if it came to it, but a nice day like today how could anyone want to be inside. Now to as for you being a bad swimmer, well you now have a tail instead of two legs, so you don't have to scissor your legs through the water. When you swim just try to relax and do what come natural. You will be fine. You will also find it easier to swim when you don't have to come up for air all the time. Now go and give it a try." he told her.

"Will you change me back ?" She asked.

"We will talk about that when you come back. Now go on. Go and see what it is like to really be a mermaid." she said to her.

When Jillisa had disappeared  beneath the waves the old man walked back up the steep hill, went to the back end of his pickup, and brought out a large blue cooler that had plastic wheels on the back. He knew that she wouldn't be coming back very soon. From the cab of his pickup he picked up a small notebook and wrote a note for Jillisa. That done he pulled the cooler behind him all the way down to the beach till he reached Jillisa's beach towel. There left the cooler next to it, and left the note hanging out the edge of the cooler facing the sea. He picked up what personal things Jillisa had brought with her down to the beach and placed them in her car leaving it unlocked. The old man got into his Mazda pickup up the winding road to back where the gravel road reached the highway. Stopping there at the edge of the gravel road he got out, then went to a gate and pulled it across the gravel road that he had just drove up on. On the gate was a sign that said, " Private Road. Keep Out." Wrapped a chain around the end of the gate. Pulled a padlock out of his pocket and locked it. He got into his pickup, and drove off down the highway.

Jullisa decided to give the old man a chance and listen to his advice. She turned her head and closed her eyes. Without realizing it her head dipped below the surface of the water. She needed to relax. Jullisa began to take deep breaths in through her nose, then out through her mouth. She could feel herself relax, feeling the water support her weightlessly. Something tickled her nose. When she opened her eyes she found that it was just he hair. It had floated around her like a cloud. She went to swipe it away, and notice how slow her hand seemed to move. It was rather cool, she thought. Then it hit her, her breathing, she was breathing, and she was under water. She began to have a panic attack breathing in and out. She was going to drown ! She was starting to bring her head to the surface, when she notice that her lungs were not burning for air, in fact she felt just fine other than her heart was racing. Deciding to risk it she took in a breath of water. Nothing happen, if felt as if she was breathing in air. Jullisa took another then another breath of water, then got excited. She was breathing underwater ! Really breathing, and not breathing through a scuba tank, but really breathing in the water of the ocean !

For the first time Jullisa took a look around her. It looked like she was still in about 5 feet of water, about 2 feet below the surface. Below her was a golden sandy floor were ripples in the sand that seemed like ripples of a pond or lake only unmoving. Made by the movement of the sea and or waves. Here and there small fish swam just above the sand. Light distorted by the waves danced over this golden floor under her. To her it seemed beautiful, yet also calming.

She kicked with her tail and found herself moving smoothly just along the bottom. The sandy bottom lead slowly deeper. Looking up for the first time she found that she was in about 30 feet of water. Just the right depth to see just what she could do with this new tail of hers. Lots of time she had enjoyed Mermaid Hannah's videos on YouTube wish that could he her. One of the things that Hannah did in one of those video she thought was so graceful she thought she would give a try. Jullisa faced the surface, arched her back, then kicked with her tail. The way she did it she made a large O and was able to see the end of her tail. It was almost like the way a dog would chase its tail, only Jullisa was not going round and round side ways, she went end over end. Just of head of her she could see the end of her tail as she in her own was was chasing it. The smooth moment of her tail marveled her. Unlike Hannah Jullisa's tail had not knee bends in it. Her circle was more rounder.

Next she did a barrel roll as Hannah had done in her videos. These were fun. Jillisa found that her hands were not only used for grabbing things, which is what they were mostly used of on land, but in the water her hands and arms helped her to turn  maneuver in the water. The more she swam the more she learned about her new body, and she liked it. In Splash, one of her favorite mermaid movies, Madison after she had saved Allen and went sprinting into the water. While he was turning his head looking for her in the background Madison was jumping out of the water. From the 30 feet of water she began to swim faster and faster, then suddenly turned towards the surface. For a split second she was completely out of the water. This was her first attempt, so she had swam straight up ending up straight out of the water, and ended up doing a belly flop, which she found wasn't all that fun, but was determine to do it again, only to do it the right way. This time when she shot out of the water she turned in mid air, crossed her arms, and let gravity take her. When she hit the water this time it felt has if thousands of pillows cushion her fall as the water wrapped about her. It was fun !  "Could this be the reason why whales  would some time do this very thing, because it was fun ?", she wondered. She did it a few more times seeing how many times she could spin in mid air, then she began doing forward and backwards flips as she had seen performing dolphins had do at Sea World.

From all the jumping and splashing about she began to feel tired and hungry. Jillisa swam to the shore. Now that she had a better ideal to move around on land she went up to where her beach blanket was. A different cooler was there. A note was hanging on the lip of the cover. She lifted the lid, then began to read the note.

"My dear I knew that you would be a while enjoying your new form. I had to run a few errands and could not be where when you came back to the shore. To be a mer-folk is a wonderful thing, so I will give you a week to see what it is like to be a mermaid. I found your work badge  when I went to put away your personal things in your car. On Monday I will call your work place to let them know that you will not be able to come in for a week due to medical reason. The following Monday I will come back to the beach and give you back your phone and let you decide the answer you wish to give your work place.

Every morning at 8 AM I will stop down here to the beach and replace the cooler with a new one. In it will be fruits and sandwiches. If there is something you prefer let me know so that I might add it to the cooler. The sea is filled with food, yet I know right now might not be the time to be eating raw fish.

If you happen across Adam tell him I say "Hi"

Sincerely,
Steve Neptune"

"Neptune's first name was Steve ? Was that old guy really Neptune king of the sea ? Who the hell is Adam ?" she wondered. Jillisa looked with unease up to where her car was parked. In her current form she really wasn't in the mood to meet a human. It struck her how she had want to meet a human, and not another human. Was she already separating herself from human kind ? Wasn't she also human ? The waves whispered to her as she scanned the hill. The water offered her escape from who ever this Adam was, so she turned, and moving like a seal does on land went back into the ocean after she had tucked the note under the left bottom corner of the cooler.

In the way she had moved like a seal on land she moved like a seal when they enter the water. Moving her hands and arms forward, then bring the tail up under her till the water lapped at the bottom of her breast before brought her arms to her side and pushed off with her tail. This time it all felt so natural to her.

Jillisa spotted a sea turtle just swimming along over the sandy bottom. She swam up to it.  Sure she had seen sea turtles before. One year when she was a teen her family had taken her to Sea World. It was there she had seen the dolphins do their tricks, and in one tank they even had a sea turtle, but it was very different from looking at a turtle in a tank than it was to swim around one. Jullisa swam up to it, then around it checking him or her out, for Jillisa had not ideal how to tell a turtles sex. The turtle just swam along just ignoring her. She touched it. Nothing happen, it didn't turn around to try to bit her or anything. The turtle was about 2 and a half feet long. She grabbed the upper edge of it's shell and let the turtle pull her along. She didn't want to put too much strain on the turtle, so she kicked with her fins just enough to keep moving along. The turtle just seemed to ignore her the whole time as if he was minding his own business.

Up ahead the sandy floor met coral and rocks. Here fish of fish swam. Jillisa swam to the head of the turtle and stopped. The turtle stopped too, and seemed to look at her blankly. Jillisa scratched under it's chin. When the turtle lifted its head she scratched under it, then along its neck. The turtle seemed to like it, and she could have sworn it even smiled to her. "Thank you for the ride." she told it, them swam off to explore the rocks and coral. The turtle looked after her for a moment, then swam on going back about its business.

Movement caught her eye. A light brown octopus moved along where the sand met the coral. It had seemed to change its color and form before her eyes to match the color and shape of the coral around it. The octopus wasn't near as friendly as the sea turtle, and she lost it in the coral.

A shiver went through her, as if some one was watching her. She turned her head sharply looking around. Nothing was about but coral and more fish. Jillisa swam on, then suddenly stopped and looked about again. She just couldn't shake the feeling that some one was following and watching her.  Looking at the mouth of a small cave she believe to have found the culprit.  A large moray eel was at the opening watching her. Its mouth open and closed showing it  rather large and dangerous teeth. Jillisa felt that it was doing it just for show. "You might seem all scarry, but I bet you are just a big softy." Jillisa said as she began to move her hand forward to scratch the head of the eel as she had the turtle.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you. That is if you don't want to loose any fingers." a male voice said behind her. Jillisa froze, then slowly moved her hand back away from the moray eel. When she had it to her side she slowly began to back away from the eel moving her hands back and forth in front of her. The eel stayed where he was. When she was far enough away to where she felt safe from the eel she turned around.  Before her was a merman. He had black hair, a black beard and mustache with a tail very much like hers only that too was black. He was muscular, but not too muscular like a body builder or anything. Dark blue-grey eyes that she almost began to feel herself getting lost in.

"I see that you have meet Frank" he said to her.

"Who is Frank, and just who are you ?"Jillisa asked.

"First off Frank is that moray eel that almost had a few of your fingers for supper if you had gotten any closer to him. I call him Frank because he reminds me of this  grumpy old neighbor that used to live above me at my old apartment complex. He could be grumpy, but some times he could be a nice guy if you understood him, and why he was grumpy. This Frank is pretty much the same way. He just wants to be left alone, and waits for a meal to come his way. That is his cave that he is in, and he don't like anyone  getting too close to him and his home. Secondly, my name is Adam. What is your name." he said to her.

"My name is Jillisa." she told him.

"Don't tell me. You were checking out the scuba store along the boardwalk to the south of here when some old guy came up to you, notice that you were checking out some dive equipment, then offer to sell you a necklace that had what looked to be a silver figure of Neptune on it. After you buy it he tells you of this secret spot he know where you can find all the lobsters you want, and how the season just started on them. He tells you to wear the necklace to bring you luck. You come out and find this little hot spot, and it is everything he says. You get you limit. There are so many you can come here any time you like. The next time you come you bring a few beers, a pot, some matches to cook up some nice fat juice lobsters. After you get your limit and your fill of eating these juicy lobsters you have a few beers, then you take a nap from being so stuffed with lobster and beers. You wake yourself with a tail and find the old guy drinking your last beer. He offers to make you a deal, to let you be a mer-folk as he calls it for a week. If you like it you can stay that way. It is just a week, and you can spend it all away from work playing in the ocean, so you give it a try and here you are." he said to her.

"Well that is not quite is what happen to me. I met him at a small stand at the boardwalk selling necklaces, and I asked about a mermaid necklace. He had one, and sold it to me, then told me of this wonderful beach. I don't know why I put it on before coming down to be honest. It felt so good in the sun that I took a nap. I woke thirsty, drank all the water I had, found I had a tail but I was still thirsty so dove into the ocean. When I drank my fill this old guy Steve I think he calls himself see that I have become a mermaid, and tells me to go and try it out, When I come back there is a a cooler and a note that makes the offer, and to tell some one called Adam to say that he says "Hi" she told him. "So you really came here looking for lobsters ?"

Adam looked at her and said, "Yes I really did come here looking for lobsters. Not the Main Lobsters that most people think of when they think of lobsters, but rock lobsters, they don't have the two big front claws like the Main lobsters. Most areas along the coast here get covered pretty good by those of us who look for them, so to find a area that no one knows about is like gold. I also do some spear fishing too, and this area here is incredible. So how long have you been this way ?"

"Oh since around noon I think." she told him. Suddenly it dawned on her that she was topless in front of some guy she had just met. She wrapped her arms across her chest to cover them. Adam laugh a little. Jillisa face turned red. "Its a bit too late for that. Besides, how are you going to swim with your arms across your chest like that. It is not like I haven't seen a woman topless before." he said to her.  "I was so busy discovering my new tail that grabbing my bikini top wasn't a priority. Well, I hope you will enjoy the show." Jillisa said with a embarrassed smile.  A thought struck her, and she remembered the feeling of some one watching her. " Were you the one watching me, just a little bit ago, is was this a chance meeting ?" she asked him. "I was about a mile to the south of here when I heard something from around this area, like a sort of pounding on the waters surface. I came to check it out, and found you swimming along the coral. I didn't know who you were, and wasn't sure how you would react when I swam up to you.  I kept my distance waiting for the right time to approach, till I seen you start getting too close to Frank, and was afraid that you might loose a finger or worst, so I thought I should warn you. There are some creatures in the ocean that you can pet and touch, but there are others you have to respect, and give them their distance."  "Such as ?" Jillisa questioned. Well most sea creatures might just bite you in defense, or fear like seals. They are like people, they too some times have their bad days, and don't want to be bothered. Most sharks are not as bad as you might think. Black tip sharks are OK, but might want to take a taste of you if you are not careful, but no matter what the size you don't want to be about when they are in a feeding frenzy. Nurse sharks are pretty cool, but like seals you don't want to mess with they when they are having a bad day. What we have to keep a eye out for are Great Whites. They roam along this coast and feed on seal, which in a way we sort of look like. Great Whites don't prey on people, but most times when people are attack they some times look like what they feed on, like if you ever look at a surfer  from below, and a seal they sort of have the same outline in the murk of the water. We too have the same problem, only because we don't have legs  we look even more like a rather tasty seal. A Great White to them we are just another kind of seal.  Along with Great Whites we have to keep a eye out for Bull, Tiger, and Hammer Head sharks." Jillisa began to look around nervously. "Don't worry, people, and  seals swim in the ocean every day and don't even get attacked. I have even seen video of sharks swimming just feet  away from people and they never knew it. We just mostly have to be careful when we are close to were the seals hand out, and just keep a eye out the rest of the time. Most of the time you can feel when they are about."  "Feel, what do you mean feel. Don't they just attack out of the blue ?" Jillisa asked. "You know how you said that you could feel like some one was watching you, and it was me. If you ever feel that again either swim to shore or shelter of coral or rocks. It is not some mermaid thing if that is what you are thinking. Experience divers who dive a lot or dive alone get this feeling too, and even other animals. When you notice seals all rushing to the shore means that something is after them. When this happens don't panic and join them in the rush to get out of the sea. You might draw the sharks attention. Do try to get out of the water and in a hurry, but if you must hide among the rocks and coral. If you stay close to me I will protect you." he said and gave her sly wink. "Now that we have that out of the way would you like for me to give you a tour around the neighborhood." he asked her. "Sure." Jillisa said.

They swam together along the coast Adam showing her the different places fish and animals that lived there. Jillisa felt better knowing that she was not alone. That she was with some one who had the same thing happen to her, and that he knew the sea. It also felt like they were on a date, for he was handsome, warm and friendly. They swam for hours, before Jillisa felt her empty stomach growling. "Adam, there wouldn't happen to be a Burger King around here would there ?" she asked. " There is food all around us. I could see about catching a fish or two, or would you like some lobster. We could go and eat them on some spot on the shore I know of." he said to her. "I hope that you don't mean raw. Don't you get a firing going and cook it." she said to him. The ideal of eating raw fish right now really didn't sound very appetizing right now, in fact it sounds a little gross. "Neptune did say that he had left some sandwiches back on the beach in a cool for me. I will share them with you." she told him. "Thank you. It has been a while since I have had human food. Might be nice change  to eat something that didn't come from the sea." he said to her.

When they got close to the area Adam told her to follow him to the surface, that he wanted to check something out before going in. They bobbed on the surface, Adam looked to the shore and smiled. They were about 300 yards from shore and the the surf was rolling in. "You ever body surf ?" he asked her. " I never even swam before I became a mermaid, why do you ask ?" she told him. A large wave rolled under them on its way to the shore. "I wasn't much of a surfer either, but one day while messing around I was on my way in and rode a wave in. It was amazing. It is a perfect day if some one was on a surfboard, but we don't need a board. Because we are mer-people we don't have to worry about drowning if we wipe out. We are going to face the shore and try to be as flat as we can on the surface. Instead of your tail being up and down twist it so that what would have been your right foot points to the bottom, and your left foot points to the sky. With what would have been your legs and hips you twist so you can do this. Don't swim just let it be like that and let the wave carry you. Once we get going use your tail like a rudder and ride the top of the wave in as far as you can go." he told her. She turned and faced the shore along side of him, then twist her tail like he had told her. The first wave just brought them a little closer to the shore, so did the second, but the third. Jillisa felt the power of the sea under  began to lift her. They began to pick up speed as the swell got taller and closer to shore. They were at the top of the crest. Part of their chest were in mid air as Jillisa held her arms to her side. The wave tickle her breasts. She could feel the huge power of the sea beneath her as if she was riding some enormous beast. It thrill and excited her as did the speed in which they traveled. They rode the wave in  till it collapsed under them, and they were once more under water. They surfaced just 15 yards from shore. "That was INCREDIBLE !!!!"  yelled to Adam with joy on her face. "I thought you might like it." Adam said to her also smiling. "Lets do it again !" she said excitedly. "I thought you were hungry." Adam said. "We can eat after we are done." she told him, then darted off back out to sea to catch a wave.

Adam showed her how to ride along the wave as it rolled to shore. The first time she did it filled her with wonder for it seemed as if she was in a watery tunnel. Shooting along it hardly moving her tail, but only to use it to keep her in the right position for the wave to carry her along. When the surfing wore her out Adam and her swam to shore and dug into the sandwiched. They both laid in the sun till the sun started to set.

"Where are we going to sleep ?" she asked him. "Where do mer-people sleep ?"

"I could take you to my place. It is not the Holiday Inn, but it is some place safe from view from people, and  away from anything that might be hungry. Just hope you don't mind dark and damp places." he told her.

"Anything is better than sleeping out in the open like this. Lets go." she said to him.

She followed him into the sea. He moved like she had figured out to move on land, placing her arms forward, then bringing her tail under her, them bringing her arms and upper body forward again till they reach the sea and were able to swim. They swam south then moved along the shore till they reached the mouth of a cave tunnel that was just under the surface at low tide. Just inside the mouth off to one side was a underwater flashlight hidden among some small rocks. Adam got the flashlight, turn it on, then went into the mouth of the opening. Jillisa followed. The  swam for about 40 yards in the tunnel till suddenly the flashlight no longer showed on the stone walls, but disappeared into blackness. They were in a large cavern about 50 feet in diameter. At the other the tunnel continued only was smaller. Adam showed the light to where there was a bit of sand. It played over plastic water tight containers, a fishing net, a spear gun, and a 6 foot plastic pole with one end just a little larger then the rest of the pole. The light settled on a battery power lamp. With the flashlight in his hand he moved over the sand of the cave like he had on the beach with Jillisa right behind him to the lamp and turned it on. "Here you go. Home sweet home."  Adam said. Jillisa could have known that this was a man's place if she had stumbled upon it on her own. Some of the water tight containers and suit cases she could now see were set up to be used as tables. A dive knife with its plastic sheath rest on one of the plastic  water tight black suitcases near the lamp. In the corner were more nets. Nowhere could be seen any sort of decoration, just gear. "Where did all of this stuff come from ?" She asked. "From Steve, the guy who changed us. Some of the stuff here is my own, but the rest Steve gave me. When I had decided to be this way from now on I had him go to my place and pickup a few of my things. The water tight suitcases and containers he got." he told her. "What are those long poles there with the funny looking thing on the end." she asked him. "Those are bang sticks. At the end a 12 gauge shotgun shell is attached. Remember when I said I would protect you. If things get bad and I have no choice you just jab the end with the shell hard against what is after you. The shell goes off, and no more shark. I say to use when you have no choice, because you have to know where to hit the shark to kill it instantly, and when it does connect it puts a lot of blood in the water. You really don't want to stick around long after you do use it with all that blood to draw even more sharks." he said to her.

It had been a long day for her. All the swimming, surfing and explore had wore her out. She yawned. "Where do I sleep ?" she asked. "Which do you want. The soft sand, or the water bed ?" he asked her. Jillisa looked around hoping to see a real water bed. There wasn't a bed to be seen anywhere. "If you have a water bed here you have it hid really good." she told him. "No, I mean do you want to sleep up on the sand over there, or to sleep in a water, bed. Water as in underwater on the seabed of the cavern's floor." he explained to her. " Ohhhh. I don't think I am ready to try to sleep underwater, I think I would rather sleep on land, but won't we have to get back into the sea to breath." she asked. "Take a deep breath. There is so much moisture in the air that we are almost already underwater." he told her.  "Where do you sleep ?" she asked him. He pointed to a corner where the stone wall of the cavern met the sand. There a bowl had been scooped out, with some of the sand. "Over there." he told her. "Where do I sleep since I have decided to sleep on the land?" she asked. "Anywhere you want. My home is your home." he said. Jullisa looked around in the lamp light, till her eyes rested near Adam's sand bed. "I'll sleep next to you then, Now no funny business OK." she told him. "No funny business I promise." he told her, but the light was not shining on his face and she could not see the smile on his face.

They went over to his sand bed, and scooped out a place for Jullisa an arms length away from him. When it was done, and they were both settled in they wished each other a good night before he turned off the light.

Jillisa closed her eyes, yet despite that she was so tired sleep would not come. The soft sand was really not all that soft. She twisted and turned, but could not get or find a soft comfortable position. "Adam, are you a wake?" she asked in the darkness. "Yes I am a wake now." a sleepy voice said. "Can I come and sleep with you. I mean, well not to come and make out, I mean just to come over and sleep." she said. "Sure come on over." the sleepy voice said. He turned on the light, and they made his sandy bowl bigger. When that was done he turned off the light. Jillisa snuggled in close to him resting her head on his chest with her tail covering his. She was finely comfortable when she whispered to him, "You make a good pillow." "And you make a good blanket." he whispered back. They both giggled, then fell asleep for both from tired from swimming all day.

Jillisa had the most amazing dream, or so she thought. She dreamed that she had spent the night with a handsome man holding her in his arms. Sleep began to fade from her eyes, so that she was able to open them. She looked not upon her bedroom of her apartment but instead into the face of the sleeping man she had dreamed of. This startled her, and she jerked a little away. This caused Adam to wake. As his eyes met hers he said, "Morning." "Good morning to you too." Jillisa said to him, then asked, "So what is for breakfast ?" She had not moved to get out of his arms, and he had not unwrapped his arms from about her. They were both enjoying the closeness of each other. "I was thinking about running down to the store, want me to pick you up anything ?" he asked. "A blueberry muffin would be nice, and a cup of coffee." she told him. "I think they are fresh out, how about some shrimp, kelp and to wash it down a nice tall glass of sea water." he told her. She wrinkled her nose. "Is that what you really eat in the mornings ?" she asked. "Naw, I usually skip the kelp." he told her with a grin on his face. "But I do need to get up if you want something to eat." he told her. "I think I will see if Steve brought anything down to the beach. Raw shrimp just don't sound that tasty for the first think in the morning." she said to him. "Ok, you go to the beach, and I will  run down to this kelp forest I know of, round up a few shrimp, and meet you there for breakfast. How is that." he told her. " Sounds like a plan." she said.

Description
The weekend had finely come for Jillisa. It had been a long hard week at the office and she needed a escape for the weekend, so she went to the beach. When she got there she found the beach crowded with people. Turned out that she was not the only one thinking of the beach this fine beautiful day in California. The boardwalk was not so crowded, and long the boardwalk were small shops or vendors with portable stands selling everything from cool pop to trinkets, to jewelry. Bored and disappointed at not finding a good spot in the sand to just lay out and enjoy the sun she browsed along checking out the different sellers, and what they had to offer. Jillisa stood out in the crowd of people walking along the boardwalk. Sure she was attractive with full breast, shapely legs, long brown hair, and soft blue eyes, but what made her stand out was that she was one of those that loved the color pink. It was her favorite color. She wore a 2 piece pink bikini, pink flip flops, and carried a pink purse. Jillisa found a vendor selling ice cold pop. She bought a diet Coke, then went on checking what the other vendors had to offer going into small shops and such. Nothing caught her eye till she spotted a older guy with a cart selling necklaces. He had many different kinds, from silver to gold to some made with shells. Some had crosses, celtic circles, pentagons, dolphins, sea horses, starfish, and even fairies, the seller had about everything. She looked through them, but still didn't find anything of interest. On impulse she asked the Vendor, " Do you have anything that has a mermaid on it ?"  The seller was a older man, in his mid 40s wearing a colorful blue Hawaiian shirt, and tan kaki pants looked at her. She felt that she needed to explain herself. " You see I have always loved mermaids, and I have been looking for a mermaid necklace forever. I have found a few, but they were not quite what I am looking for." The guy looked at her, then thought a moment and said, "I might have just what you are looking for." His cart had the necklaces displayed on top, but on the seller side there was drawers where he kept inventory, cash, small bags to put the necklaces in, and in small one drawer there were 2 black velvet pouches. He open one, put it back, then opened the other. Satisfied  he turned to her saying, "I think this just might be what you are looking for." There was a strange twinkle in the man's eyes when he gave it to her, but it was forgotten when she opened up and took out the silver necklace from the small pouch. It was a simple thin necklace, but on the end of it was one of the most detailed small silver mermaid that she had ever seen. It looked as if she was sleeping, and would open her eyes anytime. It was gorgeous and she knew that she just had to have it. Jillisa couldn't take her eyes off of her. "How much ?" She asked. "$50" he told her. "Would it be OK if I wrote a check ? I don't like to keep much cash on me." she stated to him. "Sure, no problem. I accept cash, credit cards, and checks." he said. Jillisa opened her purse, found her checkbook and brought it out. On the cover of the was Ariel in her full mermaid form. She opened it up and begun writing the check on a check that showed some tropical beach some place. The vendor noticed the checkbook and check and commented," You really do love mermaids and the sea." Jillisa smiled a shy smile at him and said, "I have loved mermaids since I was a little girl. I got hooked on them when I seen Arial for the first time. I some times wish that I could be a mermaid, you know just hop in the ocean and swim away from all my troubles." she sighed and looked out at the ocean before going on, "but while I love the water, love being near it I can't swim. My parents were too busy to teach me or take me to classes when I was young. When I got older I was too embarrassed to take classes, so I never did learn how to swim." "Then why come to the beach ?" he asked. "To lay in the sun, be close to the sea, and dream of being a mermaid. While it could never happen I can still at lest dream." Jillisa said to him. "Well maybe that will change for you someday." he said with a knowing smile. "Oh I doubt that." she told him, then said, "And it looks like I might not even get to enjoy the beach today, just so many people out." He looked at her for a moment then said, "You know if you want a nice quite place just to lay out I know a place. The current is too strong and has plenty of riptide close to the shore, not a good place to swim, but sounds like just what you are looking for. It is not too far from here, but the road to it is on a curb and is easy to miss. I would have to draw you a map for you to get there, but at lest you would be by yourself." She looked at him, he seemed harmless, and she had a gut feeling that she could trust him. "Sure why not." she said. He took out a notebook that he kept track of his accounts on from the look of it, and drew a map of the highway, then of a curb where he drew a road that linked to the highway, but wound back and forth a few times before it ended at a small cove. "It is a old gravel road, so when you get to the curve keep your eyes open. It is easy to miss. That is why so few people know if it, and after a few bend in the road most other people think the road leads to nowhere, so the few that do find it usually turn around and go back. Just keep going and you will find the cove easily enough." he told her as he handed her the map. She took the map and the necklace and put them both in her purse. She thanked him for telling her of this cove, and the wonderful necklace, then turn and walked in the direction of her car. The man watched her go and smiled, then took down and put away the necklaces. He had some place to be in a few hours and he had things to prepare for.

"The old man was right." Jillisa thought when she finely found the tiny gravel road. She had driven by it 3 different times before she found it. The 5 hairpin turns along some steep ravens were also a bit scary, and she  could see why people had turn back, but it was at these turns where she got glimpse of the ocean, so she went on till she ended up at the cove where there was perhaps just enough room for 3 cars to park, yet none were parked there now. It was just as the old man said, only even more beautiful. She looked at it a moment admiring the beauty of the place before she reached into her car and brought out a pink beach towel and a small pink cooler filled with ice and water. Before she left the car on impulse she opened her purse, took out the silver mermaid necklace and put it on. She walked down the steep path to the small beach. It was so quite here away from the crowds and cars. When she reached the sand she found just the right spot and spread out her beach towel, then put on her sun screen. When that was done she looked at the mermaid necklace around her neck. Again she couldn't believe the detail of the silver mermaid. Every scale was finely etched and molded that she felt the little mermaid would suddenly come to life in her hand. Even with it's beauty she became bored with it, and sat on her towel and looked out to the sea. Sure enough she  could see strong currents along the points. This really wasn't a place for swimming, but it was very beautiful. The sound of the waves, the sun gently warming her body was making her sleepy. She doubted that anyone would show up, so felt safe in taking her top off. Jillisa hated tan lines. When she had it off she set it next to her cooler and stretched out, her legs pointing to the sea. The sun heated the little mermaid on her necklace, so instead of taking it off she rolled over to her belly, and put her head on her arms and fell asleep. The sun was so nice and warm she felt as if she was melting, not all of her, just her lower half. It wasn't painful, just soothing. If Jillisa had been awake she would have watched as her pink bikini bottom seemed to flow down her legs, but as it flowed in their wake they didn't leave 2 legs, but one limb. They had become one. In her dream Jillisa felt something pulling on her feet. When the pink material reached her feel it began to spread out, yet also spreading and flattening her feet till when it finely ended Jillisa had a long and beautiful pink tail. In her dreams Jillisa became a mermaid, and she swam beneath the sea. The dream seemed so real that she smiled. She woke feeling very thirsty. Reaching over she opened her cooler and took out a bottle water. She laid there, open the water, then tried to turn over. It felt as if her legs had fallen asleep. She propped herself up with her arms and finished the first bottle of water. Still sleepy she never bothered opening her eyes, and reached in and got a second then a 3rd bottle out, yet she was still thirsty. She would have to put her top back on, then go and find the closest gas station or store and get more. Sleepily she grabbed her top, got it on, then tried to rise, but couldn't, there was something wrong with her legs. It was then that she finely opened her eyes, and when she did they suddenly grew wider. Her legs were now a tail, but not a green tail like in The Little Mermaid, this one was pink ! This had to be a dream ! She thought. Jillisa tried to find the seam where her skin met where her bikini bottom that was now a tail. She didn't find any, what she found instead was tiny flesh scales that began to turn pink, till they became full pink scales. It had to be a dream, it just had to. People don't just suddenly become mermaids ! OK, what was that again about dreams, she thought, then she remembered. In dreams it was said that you couldn't read, so all she need to do was to read some thing. The water bottle ! All she had to do was read the label on the water bottle ! She grabbed the closest one that she had just finished and read the label. Still hoping it was still a dream she read every thing that was printed on the bottle. It wasn't a dream ! Again she calmed herself, she just need to think this through. She was normal before she went to sleep, when she woke she was a mermaid. What had happened between this morning and when she took a nap and become a mermaid. The necklace !!!! It had to be it. If it changed her, maybe it could change her back. She took the necklace off her neck and looked at it. The necklace looked the same as when she first laid eyes on it. Maybe she had to say some thing to change back. "Oh sweet mermaid, make me normal." she said. Nothing happened. She closed her eyes and said it again, nothing happened. "Oh great Neptune please change me back." she said. Still nothing happened. She even asked God, and when she opened her eyes she still had a pink tail. Maybe she needed to sleep with the necklace off and when she woke maybe she would be normal. Maybe she needed to have the necklace away from her when she slept, shouldn't that help ? She thought. She threw the necklace as far away from her as she could, then laid down, and tried to sleep, only she couldn't. Her throat was becoming dryer and dryer, she needed water of some sort. To her answer it dawned on her that she could hear the surf. There was all the water she needed, yet wasn't sea water not healthy to drink ? she thought. She had no choice, her car was too far away and with this tail there was no way she could drive, she had to get to the sea. First she crawled with her hands dragging her tail behind her, then  she held her arms still and brought her tail forward under her moving like a seal. This was quicker and brought her to the water. She went into the sea far enough so that she could cover her head in it, yet the waves coming in flowed over and covered her all the way to the end of her tail. She gulped the water deeply till she realized that she wasn't drinking the water, she was breathing it ! Her head shot out of the water, and she gulped in air. Instead of making her feel better it felt as if she was holding her breath. It didn't hurt, it just didn't refresh her. Once more she put her head under the water. "Im not breathing I'm just drinking." she thought to herself over and over. Jillisa just couldn't bear the thought that she was actually breathing under water, if she did accept it she felt that she would then admitting that she really was a mermaid. When she lifted her head she found that she was 30 feet from shore. She looked to where her beach towel was, and next to it was the man who had sold her the necklace.

While she had been in the sea the old man had pulled up in a old dark green Mazda pickup. He had walked down to the beach, and in the sand found the necklace she had thrown. Looking at it he picked it up, then placed it in his pocket and waited for Jullisa to look his way.

Jillisa just looked at him. She didn't know what to say. She was both mad and scarred at the same time. Before she could even say anything he smiled then said, "See now didn't I tell you that this was the perfect spot. You know on the right days this one also one of the best spots to surf or to scuba dive."

"You ? You ! You did this to me !"  Jillisa exclaimed.

The smile was replaced with a more relaxed look before he said, " Yes, yes I did."

"Why, why did you do this to me, and why me ?" Jullisa sputtered as she began to calm down.

"Because you were worthy. Worthy of this gift." he told her.

"Gift !" the anger starting to rise into her voice. "You made me into a pink tailed mermaid !"

"The pink was of your choice. The magic of the necklace behaves differently for some people. Some times it picks the color or what they are wearing, other time it picks up on the person's favorite color, and for some who also believe in mermaids it some times picks up on the color of tail that they want. For you I would say that pink is your favorite color and just happen to be what you were hearing. I must say you do look rather good as a pink tailed mermaid." he said to her.

'Why change me into a mermaid. I can't even swim. Sure I have fantasized about it, but never dreamed that it was even possible, but why do it without even asking me." she said to him.

"If I had told you that I had a special necklace that could change you into a mermaid would you have believed me. You would have thought me some kind of a nut, and would have never have come to this place. I couldn't have you changing into a mermaid on that beach back there in that crowd. We both know what turmoil that could have brought, but I was willing to take that risk. I was willing to follow you home if it came to it, but a nice day like today how could anyone want to be inside. Now to as for you being a bad swimmer, well you now have a tail instead of two legs, so you don't have to scissor your legs through the water. When you swim just try to relax and do what come natural. You will be fine. You will also find it easier to swim when you don't have to come up for air all the time. Now go and give it a try." he told her.

"Will you change me back ?" She asked.

"We will talk about that when you come back. Now go on. Go and see what it is like to really be a mermaid." she said to her.

When Jillisa had disappeared  beneath the waves the old man walked back up the steep hill, went to the back end of his pickup, and brought out a large blue cooler that had plastic wheels on the back. He knew that she wouldn't be coming back very soon. From the cab of his pickup he picked up a small notebook and wrote a note for Jillisa. That done he pulled the cooler behind him all the way down to the beach till he reached Jillisa's beach towel. There left the cooler next to it, and left the note hanging out the edge of the cooler facing the sea. He picked up what personal things Jillisa had brought with her down to the beach and placed them in her car leaving it unlocked. The old man got into his Mazda pickup up the winding road to back where the gravel road reached the highway. Stopping there at the edge of the gravel road he got out, then went to a gate and pulled it across the gravel road that he had just drove up on. On the gate was a sign that said, " Private Road. Keep Out." Wrapped a chain around the end of the gate. Pulled a padlock out of his pocket and locked it. He got into his pickup, and drove off down the highway.

Jullisa decided to give the old man a chance and listen to his advice. She turned her head and closed her eyes. Without realizing it her head dipped below the surface of the water. She needed to relax. Jullisa began to take deep breaths in through her nose, then out through her mouth. She could feel herself relax, feeling the water support her weightlessly. Something tickled her nose. When she opened her eyes she found that it was just he hair. It had floated around her like a cloud. She went to swipe it away, and notice how slow her hand seemed to move. It was rather cool, she thought. Then it hit her, her breathing, she was breathing, and she was under water. She began to have a panic attack breathing in and out. She was going to drown ! She was starting to bring her head to the surface, when she notice that her lungs were not burning for air, in fact she felt just fine other than her heart was racing. Deciding to risk it she took in a breath of water. Nothing happen, if felt as if she was breathing in air. Jullisa took another then another breath of water, then got excited. She was breathing underwater ! Really breathing, and not breathing through a scuba tank, but really breathing in the water of the ocean !

For the first time Jullisa took a look around her. It looked like she was still in about 5 feet of water, about 2 feet below the surface. Below her was a golden sandy floor were ripples in the sand that seemed like ripples of a pond or lake only unmoving. Made by the movement of the sea and or waves. Here and there small fish swam just above the sand. Light distorted by the waves danced over this golden floor under her. To her it seemed beautiful, yet also calming.

She kicked with her tail and found herself moving smoothly just along the bottom. The sandy bottom lead slowly deeper. Looking up for the first time she found that she was in about 30 feet of water. Just the right depth to see just what she could do with this new tail of hers. Lots of time she had enjoyed Mermaid Hannah's videos on YouTube wish that could he her. One of the things that Hannah did in one of those video she thought was so graceful she thought she would give a try. Jullisa faced the surface, arched her back, then kicked with her tail. The way she did it she made a large O and was able to see the end of her tail. It was almost like the way a dog would chase its tail, only Jullisa was not going round and round side ways, she went end over end. Just of head of her she could see the end of her tail as she in her own was was chasing it. The smooth moment of her tail marveled her. Unlike Hannah Jullisa's tail had not knee bends in it. Her circle was more rounder.

Next she did a barrel roll as Hannah had done in her videos. These were fun. Jillisa found that her hands were not only used for grabbing things, which is what they were mostly used of on land, but in the water her hands and arms helped her to turn  maneuver in the water. The more she swam the more she learned about her new body, and she liked it. In Splash, one of her favorite mermaid movies, Madison after she had saved Allen and went sprinting into the water. While he was turning his head looking for her in the background Madison was jumping out of the water. From the 30 feet of water she began to swim faster and faster, then suddenly turned towards the surface. For a split second she was completely out of the water. This was her first attempt, so she had swam straight up ending up straight out of the water, and ended up doing a belly flop, which she found wasn't all that fun, but was determine to do it again, only to do it the right way. This time when she shot out of the water she turned in mid air, crossed her arms, and let gravity take her. When she hit the water this time it felt has if thousands of pillows cushion her fall as the water wrapped about her. It was fun !  "Could this be the reason why whales  would some time do this very thing, because it was fun ?", she wondered. She did it a few more times seeing how many times she could spin in mid air, then she began doing forward and backwards flips as she had seen performing dolphins had do at Sea World.

From all the jumping and splashing about she began to feel tired and hungry. Jillisa swam to the shore. Now that she had a better ideal to move around on land she went up to where her beach blanket was. A different cooler was there. A note was hanging on the lip of the cover. She lifted the lid, then began to read the note.

"My dear I knew that you would be a while enjoying your new form. I had to run a few errands and could not be where when you came back to the shore. To be a mer-folk is a wonderful thing, so I will give you a week to see what it is like to be a mermaid. I found your work badge  when I went to put away your personal things in your car. On Monday I will call your work place to let them know that you will not be able to come in for a week due to medical reason. The following Monday I will come back to the beach and give you back your phone and let you decide the answer you wish to give your work place.

Every morning at 8 AM I will stop down here to the beach and replace the cooler with a new one. In it will be fruits and sandwiches. If there is something you prefer let me know so that I might add it to the cooler. The sea is filled with food, yet I know right now might not be the time to be eating raw fish.

If you happen across Adam tell him I say "Hi"

Sincerely,
Steve Neptune"

"Neptune's first name was Steve ? Was that old guy really Neptune king of the sea ? Who the hell is Adam ?" she wondered. Jillisa looked with unease up to where her car was parked. In her current form she really wasn't in the mood to meet a human. It struck her how she had want to meet a human, and not another human. Was she already separating herself from human kind ? Wasn't she also human ? The waves whispered to her as she scanned the hill. The water offered her escape from who ever this Adam was, so she turned, and moving like a seal does on land went back into the ocean after she had tucked the note under the left bottom corner of the cooler.

In the way she had moved like a seal on land she moved like a seal when they enter the water. Moving her hands and arms forward, then bring the tail up under her till the water lapped at the bottom of her breast before brought her arms to her side and pushed off with her tail. This time it all felt so natural to her.

Jillisa spotted a sea turtle just swimming along over the sandy bottom. She swam up to it.  Sure she had seen sea turtles before. One year when she was a teen her family had taken her to Sea World. It was there she had seen the dolphins do their tricks, and in one tank they even had a sea turtle, but it was very different from looking at a turtle in a tank than it was to swim around one. Jullisa swam up to it, then around it checking him or her out, for Jillisa had not ideal how to tell a turtles sex. The turtle just swam along just ignoring her. She touched it. Nothing happen, it didn't turn around to try to bit her or anything. The turtle was about 2 and a half feet long. She grabbed the upper edge of it's shell and let the turtle pull her along. She didn't want to put too much strain on the turtle, so she kicked with her fins just enough to keep moving along. The turtle just seemed to ignore her the whole time as if he was minding his own business.

Up ahead the sandy floor met coral and rocks. Here fish of fish swam. Jillisa swam to the head of the turtle and stopped. The turtle stopped too, and seemed to look at her blankly. Jillisa scratched under it's chin. When the turtle lifted its head she scratched under it, then along its neck. The turtle seemed to like it, and she could have sworn it even smiled to her. "Thank you for the ride." she told it, them swam off to explore the rocks and coral. The turtle looked after her for a moment, then swam on going back about its business.

Movement caught her eye. A light brown octopus moved along where the sand met the coral. It had seemed to change its color and form before her eyes to match the color and shape of the coral around it. The octopus wasn't near as friendly as the sea turtle, and she lost it in the coral.

A shiver went through her, as if some one was watching her. She turned her head sharply looking around. Nothing was about but coral and more fish. Jillisa swam on, then suddenly stopped and looked about again. She just couldn't shake the feeling that some one was following and watching her.  Looking at the mouth of a small cave she believe to have found the culprit.  A large moray eel was at the opening watching her. Its mouth open and closed showing it  rather large and dangerous teeth. Jillisa felt that it was doing it just for show. "You might seem all scarry, but I bet you are just a big softy." Jillisa said as she began to move her hand forward to scratch the head of the eel as she had the turtle.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you. That is if you don't want to loose any fingers." a male voice said behind her. Jillisa froze, then slowly moved her hand back away from the moray eel. When she had it to her side she slowly began to back away from the eel moving her hands back and forth in front of her. The eel stayed where he was. When she was far enough away to where she felt safe from the eel she turned around.  Before her was a merman. He had black hair, a black beard and mustache with a tail very much like hers only that too was black. He was muscular, but not too muscular like a body builder or anything. Dark blue-grey eyes that she almost began to feel herself getting lost in.

"I see that you have meet Frank" he said to her.

"Who is Frank, and just who are you ?"Jillisa asked.

"First off Frank is that moray eel that almost had a few of your fingers for supper if you had gotten any closer to him. I call him Frank because he reminds me of this  grumpy old neighbor that used to live above me at my old apartment complex. He could be grumpy, but some times he could be a nice guy if you understood him, and why he was grumpy. This Frank is pretty much the same way. He just wants to be left alone, and waits for a meal to come his way. That is his cave that he is in, and he don't like anyone  getting too close to him and his home. Secondly, my name is Adam. What is your name." he said to her.

"My name is Jillisa." she told him.

"Don't tell me. You were checking out the scuba store along the boardwalk to the south of here when some old guy came up to you, notice that you were checking out some dive equipment, then offer to sell you a necklace that had what looked to be a silver figure of Neptune on it. After you buy it he tells you of this secret spot he know where you can find all the lobsters you want, and how the season just started on them. He tells you to wear the necklace to bring you luck. You come out and find this little hot spot, and it is everything he says. You get you limit. There are so many you can come here any time you like. The next time you come you bring a few beers, a pot, some matches to cook up some nice fat juice lobsters. After you get your limit and your fill of eating these juicy lobsters you have a few beers, then you take a nap from being so stuffed with lobster and beers. You wake yourself with a tail and find the old guy drinking your last beer. He offers to make you a deal, to let you be a mer-folk as he calls it for a week. If you like it you can stay that way. It is just a week, and you can spend it all away from work playing in the ocean, so you give it a try and here you are." he said to her.

"Well that is not quite is what happen to me. I met him at a small stand at the boardwalk selling necklaces, and I asked about a mermaid necklace. He had one, and sold it to me, then told me of this wonderful beach. I don't know why I put it on before coming down to be honest. It felt so good in the sun that I took a nap. I woke thirsty, drank all the water I had, found I had a tail but I was still thirsty so dove into the ocean. When I drank my fill this old guy Steve I think he calls himself see that I have become a mermaid, and tells me to go and try it out, When I come back there is a a cooler and a note that makes the offer, and to tell some one called Adam to say that he says "Hi" she told him. "So you really came here looking for lobsters ?"

Adam looked at her and said, "Yes I really did come here looking for lobsters. Not the Main Lobsters that most people think of when they think of lobsters, but rock lobsters, they don't have the two big front claws like the Main lobsters. Most areas along the coast here get covered pretty good by those of us who look for them, so to find a area that no one knows about is like gold. I also do some spear fishing too, and this area here is incredible. So how long have you been this way ?"

"Oh since around noon I think." she told him. Suddenly it dawned on her that she was topless in front of some guy she had just met. She wrapped her arms across her chest to cover them. Adam laugh a little. Jillisa face turned red. "Its a bit too late for that. Besides, how are you going to swim with your arms across your chest like that. It is not like I haven't seen a woman topless before." he said to her.  "I was so busy discovering my new tail that grabbing my bikini top wasn't a priority. Well, I hope you will enjoy the show." Jillisa said with a embarrassed smile.  A thought struck her, and she remembered the feeling of some one watching her. " Were you the one watching me, just a little bit ago, is was this a chance meeting ?" she asked him. "I was about a mile to the south of here when I heard something from around this area, like a sort of pounding on the waters surface. I came to check it out, and found you swimming along the coral. I didn't know who you were, and wasn't sure how you would react when I swam up to you.  I kept my distance waiting for the right time to approach, till I seen you start getting too close to Frank, and was afraid that you might loose a finger or worst, so I thought I should warn you. There are some creatures in the ocean that you can pet and touch, but there are others you have to respect, and give them their distance."  "Such as ?" Jillisa questioned. Well most sea creatures might just bite you in defense, or fear like seals. They are like people, they too some times have their bad days, and don't want to be bothered. Most sharks are not as bad as you might think. Black tip sharks are OK, but might want to take a taste of you if you are not careful, but no matter what the size you don't want to be about when they are in a feeding frenzy. Nurse sharks are pretty cool, but like seals you don't want to mess with they when they are having a bad day. What we have to keep a eye out for are Great Whites. They roam along this coast and feed on seal, which in a way we sort of look like. Great Whites don't prey on people, but most times when people are attack they some times look like what they feed on, like if you ever look at a surfer  from below, and a seal they sort of have the same outline in the murk of the water. We too have the same problem, only because we don't have legs  we look even more like a rather tasty seal. A Great White to them we are just another kind of seal.  Along with Great Whites we have to keep a eye out for Bull, Tiger, and Hammer Head sharks." Jillisa began to look around nervously. "Don't worry, people, and  seals swim in the ocean every day and don't even get attacked. I have even seen video of sharks swimming just feet  away from people and they never knew it. We just mostly have to be careful when we are close to were the seals hand out, and just keep a eye out the rest of the time. Most of the time you can feel when they are about."  "Feel, what do you mean feel. Don't they just attack out of the blue ?" Jillisa asked. "You know how you said that you could feel like some one was watching you, and it was me. If you ever feel that again either swim to shore or shelter of coral or rocks. It is not some mermaid thing if that is what you are thinking. Experience divers who dive a lot or dive alone get this feeling too, and even other animals. When you notice seals all rushing to the shore means that something is after them. When this happens don't panic and join them in the rush to get out of the sea. You might draw the sharks attention. Do try to get out of the water and in a hurry, but if you must hide among the rocks and coral. If you stay close to me I will protect you." he said and gave her sly wink. "Now that we have that out of the way would you like for me to give you a tour around the neighborhood." he asked her. "Sure." Jillisa said.

They swam together along the coast Adam showing her the different places fish and animals that lived there. Jillisa felt better knowing that she was not alone. That she was with some one who had the same thing happen to her, and that he knew the sea. It also felt like they were on a date, for he was handsome, warm and friendly. They swam for hours, before Jillisa felt her empty stomach growling. "Adam, there wouldn't happen to be a Burger King around here would there ?" she asked. " There is food all around us. I could see about catching a fish or two, or would you like some lobster. We could go and eat them on some spot on the shore I know of." he said to her. "I hope that you don't mean raw. Don't you get a firing going and cook it." she said to him. The ideal of eating raw fish right now really didn't sound very appetizing right now, in fact it sounds a little gross. "Neptune did say that he had left some sandwiches back on the beach in a cool for me. I will share them with you." she told him. "Thank you. It has been a while since I have had human food. Might be nice change  to eat something that didn't come from the sea." he said to her.

When they got close to the area Adam told her to follow him to the surface, that he wanted to check something out before going in. They bobbed on the surface, Adam looked to the shore and smiled. They were about 300 yards from shore and the the surf was rolling in. "You ever body surf ?" he asked her. " I never even swam before I became a mermaid, why do you ask ?" she told him. A large wave rolled under them on its way to the shore. "I wasn't much of a surfer either, but one day while messing around I was on my way in and rode a wave in. It was amazing. It is a perfect day if some one was on a surfboard, but we don't need a board. Because we are mer-people we don't have to worry about drowning if we wipe out. We are going to face the shore and try to be as flat as we can on the surface. Instead of your tail being up and down twist it so that what would have been your right foot points to the bottom, and your left foot points to the sky. With what would have been your legs and hips you twist so you can do this. Don't swim just let it be like that and let the wave carry you. Once we get going use your tail like a rudder and ride the top of the wave in as far as you can go." he told her. She turned and faced the shore along side of him, then twist her tail like he had told her. The first wave just brought them a little closer to the shore, so did the second, but the third. Jillisa felt the power of the sea under  began to lift her. They began to pick up speed as the swell got taller and closer to shore. They were at the top of the crest. Part of their chest were in mid air as Jillisa held her arms to her side. The wave tickle her breasts. She could feel the huge power of the sea beneath her as if she was riding some enormous beast. It thrill and excited her as did the speed in which they traveled. They rode the wave in  till it collapsed under them, and they were once more under water. They surfaced just 15 yards from shore. "That was INCREDIBLE !!!!"  yelled to Adam with joy on her face. "I thought you might like it." Adam said to her also smiling. "Lets do it again !" she said excitedly. "I thought you were hungry." Adam said. "We can eat after we are done." she told him, then darted off back out to sea to catch a wave.

Adam showed her how to ride along the wave as it rolled to shore. The first time she did it filled her with wonder for it seemed as if she was in a watery tunnel. Shooting along it hardly moving her tail, but only to use it to keep her in the right position for the wave to carry her along. When the surfing wore her out Adam and her swam to shore and dug into the sandwiched. They both laid in the sun till the sun started to set.

"Where are we going to sleep ?" she asked him. "Where do mer-people sleep ?"

"I could take you to my place. It is not the Holiday Inn, but it is some place safe from view from people, and  away from anything that might be hungry. Just hope you don't mind dark and damp places." he told her.

"Anything is better than sleeping out in the open like this. Lets go." she said to him.

She followed him into the sea. He moved like she had figured out to move on land, placing her arms forward, then bringing her tail under her, them bringing her arms and upper body forward again till they reach the sea and were able to swim. They swam south then moved along the shore till they reached the mouth of a cave tunnel that was just under the surface at low tide. Just inside the mouth off to one side was a underwater flashlight hidden among some small rocks. Adam got the flashlight, turn it on, then went into the mouth of the opening. Jillisa followed. The  swam for about 40 yards in the tunnel till suddenly the flashlight no longer showed on the stone walls, but disappeared into blackness. They were in a large cavern about 50 feet in diameter. At the other the tunnel continued only was smaller. Adam showed the light to where there was a bit of sand. It played over plastic water tight containers, a fishing net, a spear gun, and a 6 foot plastic pole with one end just a little larger then the rest of the pole. The light settled on a battery power lamp. With the flashlight in his hand he moved over the sand of the cave like he had on the beach with Jillisa right behind him to the lamp and turned it on. "Here you go. Home sweet home."  Adam said. Jillisa could have known that this was a man's place if she had stumbled upon it on her own. Some of the water tight containers and suit cases she could now see were set up to be used as tables. A dive knife with its plastic sheath rest on one of the plastic  water tight black suitcases near the lamp. In the corner were more nets. Nowhere could be seen any sort of decoration, just gear. "Where did all of this stuff come from ?" She asked. "From Steve, the guy who changed us. Some of the stuff here is my own, but the rest Steve gave me. When I had decided to be this way from now on I had him go to my place and pickup a few of my things. The water tight suitcases and containers he got." he told her. "What are those long poles there with the funny looking thing on the end." she asked him. "Those are bang sticks. At the end a 12 gauge shotgun shell is attached. Remember when I said I would protect you. If things get bad and I have no choice you just jab the end with the shell hard against what is after you. The shell goes off, and no more shark. I say to use when you have no choice, because you have to know where to hit the shark to kill it instantly, and when it does connect it puts a lot of blood in the water. You really don't want to stick around long after you do use it with all that blood to draw even more sharks." he said to her.

It had been a long day for her. All the swimming, surfing and explore had wore her out. She yawned. "Where do I sleep ?" she asked. "Which do you want. The soft sand, or the water bed ?" he asked her. Jillisa looked around hoping to see a real water bed. There wasn't a bed to be seen anywhere. "If you have a water bed here you have it hid really good." she told him. "No, I mean do you want to sleep up on the sand over there, or to sleep in a water, bed. Water as in underwater on the seabed of the cavern's floor." he explained to her. " Ohhhh. I don't think I am ready to try to sleep underwater, I think I would rather sleep on land, but won't we have to get back into the sea to breath." she asked. "Take a deep breath. There is so much moisture in the air that we are almost already underwater." he told her.  "Where do you sleep ?" she asked him. He pointed to a corner where the stone wall of the cavern met the sand. There a bowl had been scooped out, with some of the sand. "Over there." he told her. "Where do I sleep since I have decided to sleep on the land?" she asked. "Anywhere you want. My home is your home." he said. Jullisa looked around in the lamp light, till her eyes rested near Adam's sand bed. "I'll sleep next to you then, Now no funny business OK." she told him. "No funny business I promise." he told her, but the light was not shining on his face and she could not see the smile on his face.

They went over to his sand bed, and scooped out a place for Jullisa an arms length away from him. When it was done, and they were both settled in they wished each other a good night before he turned off the light.

Jillisa closed her eyes, yet despite that she was so tired sleep would not come. The soft sand was really not all that soft. She twisted and turned, but could not get or find a soft comfortable position. "Adam, are you a wake?" she asked in the darkness. "Yes I am a wake now." a sleepy voice said. "Can I come and sleep with you. I mean, well not to come and make out, I mean just to come over and sleep." she said. "Sure come on over." the sleepy voice said. He turned on the light, and they made his sandy bowl bigger. When that was done he turned off the light. Jillisa snuggled in close to him resting her head on his chest with her tail covering his. She was finely comfortable when she whispered to him, "You make a good pillow." "And you make a good blanket." he whispered back. They both giggled, then fell asleep for both from tired from swimming all day.

Jillisa had the most amazing dream, or so she thought. She dreamed that she had spent the night with a handsome man holding her in his arms. Sleep began to fade from her eyes, so that she was able to open them. She looked not upon her bedroom of her apartment but instead into the face of the sleeping man she had dreamed of. This startled her, and she jerked a little away. This caused Adam to wake. As his eyes met hers he said, "Morning." "Good morning to you too." Jillisa said to him, then asked, "So what is for breakfast ?" She had not moved to get out of his arms, and he had not unwrapped his arms from about her. They were both enjoying the closeness of each other. "I was thinking about running down to the store, want me to pick you up anything ?" he asked. "A blueberry muffin would be nice, and a cup of coffee." she told him. "I think they are fresh out, how about some shrimp, kelp and to wash it down a nice tall glass of sea water." he told her. She wrinkled her nose. "Is that what you really eat in the mornings ?" she asked. "Naw, I usually skip the kelp." he told her with a grin on his face. "But I do need to get up if you want something to eat." he told her. "I think I will see if Steve brought anything down to the beach. Raw shrimp just don't sound that tasty for the first think in the morning." she said to him. "Ok, you go to the beach, and I will  run down to this kelp forest I know of, round up a few shrimp, and meet you there for breakfast. How is that." he told her. " Sounds like a plan." she said.