Act 5 – The Mermaid
Three months later
Sarah was swimming lengths of the pool and staying in the water as the weather was particularly warm today. Sarah was also preoccupied with the significance of the day: it was her one-year anniversary since she was kidnapped and turned into a big-titted mermaid. She was swimming as fast as she could trying to distract herself from thinking about the importance of the day, and she was sure that Robert had concocted some new form of humiliation or punishment to inflict upon her.
Sarah had been on her best behaviour since she had served her month in bondage. She still thought of escaping and was always on the lookout for an opportunity should one present itself, but she was infinitely more cautious. She never wanted to be put back into bondage again. She remembered her arms kept seizing up for days after they were released from the armbinder, Sarah had had to swim lengths of the pool as a form of physical therapy. She was glad the nipple clamps and bells were gone as well; her nipples had healed perfectly in the intervening months. But most importantly she was glad to have that penis gag removed from her mouth so she could at least breathe properly again.
Sarah swam over to the edge of the pool and stared out at the village. She still couldn’t believe that she had spent the last year as both a mermaid and sex slave stuck in this villa. Apart from her brief escape attempt she had spent three-hundred and sixty-five days stuck in the compound. Sarah found her mind starting to wander to thoughts about her family and friends. She wondered how her parents were coping with the loss of their daughter, how Rachel was dealing with the bereavement of a sister and how Hunter was coping with the death of a lover. She didn’t think that Hunter would ever be able to move on from Sarah which made her sad but also a tiny part of her was happy, at least someone would remember her.
Sarah tried to remember what it was like to have been a woman. She remembered being able to walk, something that seemed so incredibly alien to her now. She recalled that her breasts used to be small and pert, she didn’t even need to wear a bra back then. Now she should be always wearing a bra to give support to her vast chest as it bounced and jiggled on a daily basis, putting stress and strain on her back.
Sarah decided to go back swimming to try and alleviate the anxiousness that her wandering mind was causing her. She started to swim from one end of the pool to the other as quick as she possibly could. Sarah was surprised with how comfortable and proficient she had gotten with her mermaid’s tail over the past year. She knew she would never accept her body, but she was struggling to remember her old body; each passing day brought further erosion of the muscle memory of her old body. She could no longer recall how the action of walking occurred or how someone would run, she could imagine it, but she was no longer able to explain it. Instead, she could explain to you how it feels to swim with her tail.
Sarah surfaced at the far end of the pool and stared at the security gate. It was hard to believe that a short combination of letters and some electro-magnetism was the only thing standing between her and freedom. That wasn’t strictly true though either she thought, there was a bevy of burly security personnel who were constantly on patrol to make sure that Sarah never left the compound. By all accounts, Robert had made an example out of Patrick for his failure, Sarah had heard differing accounts and rumours from the guards as they whispered amongst themselves. She hoped what she heard was not true and that Patrick was okay. Even though she understood that ultimately it was Robert’s fault for taking whatever punitive action he undertook against Patrick, she still felt that it was her fault. She had specifically targeted Patrick and used him in her escape attempt from the compound. She hated Robert even more for making her compromise her morals and become an accomplice to the lies and deceit that he fomented and spread.
Sarah ducked her head under the water and let herself sink to the bottom of the pool, her hair in a tangled mess around her as she sank. When she hit the bottom of the pool tried to relax. Recently she had started swimming under water and seeing how long she could hold her breath. She was trying to gradually increase her breath hold time each day just in case the opportunity arose that involved escape into the ocean. She scanned her underwater environment, the chlorine slightly stinging her eyes. She had to give Robert credit for how incredibly clean he managed to keep the pool. The water was crystal clear, and the water was always just the right temperature, never too hot and never too cold. The temperature of the water seemed to auto-adjust depending on the conditions of the Greek weather. If it was an especially warm day, the water would be cooled, and if it was a cold day the water was warmed to account for that variable. If only Robert had spent more time using his wealth and intelligence to help humanity instead of turning a woman into his own personal sex-toy just so he could get his rocks off, the world would be an infinitely better place. Sarah stayed at the bottom of the pool for a few minutes before deciding to resurface. She kicked her tail and with a few powerful strokes she broke the surface of the water and resurfaced. She wasn’t surprised to see Robert standing by the edge of the pool waiting for her.
“You’re getting better at holding your breath underwater, I knew you didn’t need gills,” joked Sarah.
“Yeah, well, it’s not like I have a lot else to do but practice anyway,” replied Sarah somewhat sarcastically.
“Come over here,” instructed Robert.
Sarah swam over to the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of the water. Robert had a towel in his hand and gave it to her to dry herself off.
“You know what day today is,” asked Robert curiously.
“Today is the anniversary of my imprisonment,” replied Sarah. “Today was the day, one year ago, that I woke up to find I had huge, great big tits and a blue mermaid’s tail.”
“It sure is,” said Robert. “Today though is important for a different reason though too, it will all become clear to you. In the meantime, there is a woman here who I believe you have met, the very first night you spent as a mermaid.”
“There were a lot of men and women that night,” replied Sarah. “I should know as I either blew or fucked all of them,” she said somewhat bitterly.
“Anyway,” said Robert, changing the subject as he picked her up in his arms and took her up the spiral staircase to the upper levels of the villa. There was a black, leather chair situated in the atrium surrounded by sinks, hair dryers etc. It looked like it was a makeshift salon. Robert placed Sarah in the chair, and she leaned back into it. She had to admit it was a comfortable chair. Sarah heard high heels striking marble as a woman approached them. The woman came around the chair and stood in front of Sarah. Sarah recognized her immediately, it was Rebecca Astor, the woman who had done her make-up the night of her first Slave Games.
“Well, hello darling,” said Rebecca excitedly.
Sarah didn’t acknowledge her greeting and instead looked at Robert.
“The last time you brought her over to give me a make-over I ended up fucking half of the Forbes Top One-Hundred rich people’s list. What are you planning for me? I haven’t tried to escape since the last time, why am I being punished,” asked Sarah.
“This isn’t a punishment, Sarah, but it is necessary for what’s to come so just sit back and try to relax,” said Robert reassuringly.
Robert left the room and Rebecca started to comb Sarah’s hair with a brush.
“How have you been, I haven’t seen you in a year,” asked Rebecca.
“About as well as you would expect from a woman that was given an involuntary boob job and turned into a mermaid to be kept as an exotic pet can be,” said Sarah sarcastically. Rebecca laughed at her response, as she brushed her hair.
Rebecca started to section Sarah’s hair into four separate parts, down the middle, and then from ear to ear across the crown.
“I did try to escape during the year,” said Sarah. “If it wasn’t for a dumb-as-shit detective I would have been free and not sitting here in this chair.”
“That’s my girl,” said Rebecca. “Maybe I was wrong about what type of woman you are.”
Rebecca then started to dye Sarah’s hair from the roots. Sarah sat in the chair for ages, and she was so tired from her vigorous swimming she fell asleep in the chair. Sarah felt someone shaking her awake.
“Sarah, Sarah, wake-up, we are finished,” said Rebecca.
Robert was also standing next to her. He gulped as he stared at her.
“You look amazing,” he said as he handed Sarah a mirror.
Sarah looked in the mirror and didn’t recognise the person staring back at her. Her hair had been dyed a bright red colour, gone was her blonde hair.
“What the fuck,” said Sarah. “Why do I look like the little fucking mermaid,” she demanded.
“It will become clear soon,” said Robert. “You should also know that we used an experimental dye on your hair, the colour is permanent, it will be as if you were always a redhead,” said Robert.
Sarah grimaced at another violation of her bodily autonomy. She didn’t even get to keep her blonde hair.
“Thank you for your services,” said Robert to Rebecca.
“My pleasure,” Rebecca replied to him.
“See you around fish,” said Rebecca to Sarah as she left, her heels making noise once again on the marble floor as she left the villa.
Robert walked into one of the spare rooms and came back with a bag of clothes and a wheelchair.
“Put these on,” said Robert.
“Where are we going,” asked Sarah.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Sarah slipped into the blue skirt that covered her tail, put on the black sports bra and then put on a baggy pink jumper. Robert lifted her into the wheelchair and wheeled her out of the house to the van.
“One more thing, you need to wear this for the time being so I can trust you,” said Robert as he produced a big, red ball gag.
Sarah rolled her eyes and spoke.
“It’s not like I ever have a choice,” she said as she opened her mouth and allowed Robert to put the ball gag into her mouth. It was locked with a key at the back so she couldn’t remove it herself.
Once that was done Sarah and her wheelchair were loaded up into the back of the van. Sarah heard the engine start and felt the van begin to move. She could see through the tinted windows at the back of the van. They weren’t heading into town, that was for sure, they were taking more isolated back-country roads. Wherever they were heading, one thing was sure, Robert didn’t want any company. Sarah could feel the car start to bounce around as the car left the tarmacadam and travelled down a dirt road. Sarah tried to discern where they were heading but nothing looked familiar to her.
Robert stops the car; they appear to be parked up on a solitary beach. Robert climbs into the back of the car and unlocks Sarah’s gag, taking it off her.
“Thank fuck,” said Sarah relieved to have the ball gag out of her mouth. “Why are we here at a beach? Are you expecting me to swim in the ocean, because if you are you realise the water is full of sharks, right?”
“That’s not what we are here for,” said Robert as he sat down opposite her in the back of the van. He briefly glanced at his watch. “We will be waiting a while, and it will be a long day, so I suggest you get some sleep,” said Robert.
Sarah decided to take him up on his advice. She lay sprawled out across the seat in the back of the van and tried to get comfortable. She felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness as she could hear the crashing of the waves just outside the van.
“Sarah, wake up,” said Robert as he gently shook her. Sarah sat up and yawned.
“How long was I out for?”
“About an hour,” replied Robert. “It’s time to go,” instructed Robert. He opened the back of the van and took Sarah in his arms and then closed the doors of the vans and started to walk along the beach. Sarah wasn’t prepared for what she saw next. There was a massive cruise ship docked on the horizon with the words “Ocean’s Hope” on the side of it. It was the cruise ship that Sarah had travelled around Greece. But why now? Why was it here? Sarah had scanned the horizon everyday for the past year and she had not seen the ship before.
“I don’t understand,” said Sarah. “Why is that cruise ship docked off the coast of Omfori island on the anniversary of my disappearance. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“The ship has returned to Omfori island as this was the last place you were seen alive. Your parents and family are on board, they have come here to commemorate you. It is also a regular commercial tourist crossing, the company that owns the cruise ship just scheduled them both together for publicity,” said Robert as he held Sarah in his arms.
“That still doesn’t explain why you have taken me here though?” asked Sarah.
“We are here because I have booked us a cabin on the ship, the same cabin that you stayed in one year ago today,” said Robert.
Sarah was even more confused, why was Robert taking her on a cruise with her friends and family, it still didn’t make sense to her.
“I want to make a deal with you, Sarah. I realise now that trying to break you was never going to work, you are too strong for that. The only way I will ever gain you submission is if you yourself decide to submit to me. And I realise now that not giving you a choice about whether you wanted to be a mermaid was wrong, I got swept up in the fantasy,” said Robert.
Sarah could not believe what she was hearing. The man who had destroyed her life was now offering her an apology, she didn’t know what to think other than this apology was a year too late.
“What’s the deal?” asked Sarah suspiciously.
“Here is the deal: I’ve booked us a cabin together on the ship. I am Shane Stephenson, and you are Katie Harrison. You are booked to perform on the ship in the mermaid bar and aquarium, where you will fit right in. My cover story is I am your manager. The mermaid bar is at the centre of the ship, do you recall?”
“I do,” replied Sarah. “I visited it once or twice on the cruise, what of it?”
“It will give you the perfect vantage point to see your family and no one will recognise you with your enlarged bosom, mermaid tail and your newly dyed red-hair. You will blend right in with the other performers. My proposal is this: you spend a few hours viewing your family and see if I am telling the truth, see if I am truly looking after them. Once you have had sufficient time to observe them, we will meet back in the cabin where you can make your choice.”
“What choice?” asked Sarah.
“You can choose to tell your parents at any time who you are and be free, and I will go to jail. In that case my support and money will stop flowing to them as my assets will be seized by the US government and I will be placed under investigation. The other option is you submit yourself to me, and we return home to the villa together and the resources continue to flow to your family.”
Sarah thought about his offer for a second.
“What’s to stop me from immediately calling for help as soon as we board the boat?”
“My security guards are also on the ship incognito. They have orders to immediately execute your family and friends and acquaintances if you void the terms of the deal,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
For the first time in a long time Sarah felt hopeful, maybe her ordeal was coming to an end. Maybe Robert did have a conscience buried underneath all the maliciousness.
“I guess I agree,” said Sarah.
“Excellent,” said Robert. “Let’s drive over to the boarding area, our boat leaves in half an hour.”
Robert placed Sarah in the front seat of the van and started the van. He drove the van back through the dirt road and eventually entered the main road and joined a lane of traffic. Sarah felt optimistic, she was going to see her family today. She didn’t really believe that Robert had been helping them, so she was never going to submit to him. She was going to tell her family that she was alive and then they would rescue her, and Robert would rot in prison for the rest of his life.
Robert parked the van in a nearby parking lot and lifted Sarah out of the car and into her wheelchair. He pushed her towards the harbour where the boarding station was. Sarah remembered disembarking here as a free woman full of life and adventure. Now she was returning as a changed woman, more cynical and jaded.
Robert pushed the wheelchair towards the reception desk where a kind looking woman was sitting.
“Tickets please,” said the woman.
Robert produced the tickets for both of them and handed them to the woman. The woman examined their tickets for a moment and handed them back when she was satisfied they were genuine tickets.
“Welcome Shane and Katie, we hope you enjoy your stay on the Ocean’s Hope, the most exclusive cruise ship in the Aegean Sea,” the woman said as she directed them towards the boarding area with a warm smile. Sarah and Robert waited patiently for their designated boat to arrive to ferry them out to the cruise ship. Sarah was uneasy being surrounded by so many people. She was used to spending her days alone swimming in a pool. The only person who she really talked to over the past few months was Robert. Sarah watched as their boat docked and they were ushered down the slipway towards the boat. They were lucky that their boat was wheelchair accessible as it had a ramp that allowed Robert to push the wheelchair onto the boat.
Once all the passengers were aboard the boat started to move away from the dock and out towards the open Greek sea. The water was a bit choppy, and Sarah was feeling slightly nauseous. The boat was lurching from side to side in the swell.
“Who ever heard of a seasick mermaid,” Sarah joked to herself darkly.
Thankfully the journey only took a few minutes to reach the cruise ship and the passengers were guided onboard the ship. Sarah remembered the fond memories she had of exploring the ship with Hunter, Laura, and her other friends. Those were good times, and if today went well she may be reunited with her friends and family after all.
An attendant showed Robert and Sarah to their cabin. It was number 7C, the same one that she had stayed in on her first voyage. Robert opened the door and wheeled Sarah inside. Sarah looked around the room and reminisced about the past. There was the single double bed where she and Hunter had cuddled up together and watched the churn of the sea through the floor to ceiling length windows. They had made plans about their future together and what they would do. Sarah had dreamed of having a couple of her own kids and a nice white picket fence house of her own, nothing fancy, just something she could call her own. Her circumstances had changed since then of course, now she was battling just to get her freedom back.
Robert took Sarah out of the wheelchair and placed her on the edge of the bed and stood in front of her.
“You have another half to get ready for your shift at the bar,” said Robert. “They will be expecting you soon as the ship is about to leave port and head out into the open ocean. You will need to strip and wear this,” said Robert as he produced a seashell bikini.
“No way am I wearing that, I don’t want my parents to see me scantily clad,” protested Sarah.
“This is the official uniform for the mermaids, you don’t have a choice. And your parents won’t recognize you, they will have no clue who you are so don’t worry about your modesty.”
Sarah started to strip, she removed her skirt firstly, followed by her jumper and finally her sports bra. Sarah put on the seashell bra and found that the seashells barely covered her nipples. Sarah huffed indignantly.
“Couldn’t you have found a pair of seashells that were a bit bigger,” asked Sarah. “These barely cover my nips.”
“Those were the biggest bikinis that they had, sorry,” said Robert.
“No, you’re not,” said Sarah. She knew that he enjoyed her humiliation.
Sarah looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted her bikini to ensure that her nipples were covered as best that they could be. Then she combed her hair with her hands trying to make herself look as presentable as possible for when she met her family. She really wasn’t a fan of her new hair colour, somehow it made her look even more seductive and made her look more like a whore than she did before. Robert helped put Sarah into her wheelchair and strapped her in. Before they left, he stopped in his tracks.
“Sarah, I just want you to know whatever decision you make, I will accept it. You have my word, I will not overrule your choice,” said Robert as he stood over her.
“Why should I trust you?” said Sarah.
“I’ve always been truthful with you; you’ve known me for the past year of your life. In the space of all that time, how many times have I lied to you?”
Sarah furrowed her brow. He had tricked, tortured, abused her – but he had never lied.
“I suppose you never lied to me,” said Sarah carefully. She didn’t want to get into an argument with Robert when she was so close to freedom.
“I just want you to know that this is your choice, Sarah. But you should know that if you do choose to stay with me, I expect total and complete obedience and submission from you, nothing less,” said Robert.
Sarah nodded her head in understanding. “As if I would choose to stay with him, he really is a mad man. Does he think I have Stockholm syndrome or something?” she thought to herself.
Robert gently patted her on the head and pushed her chair forward and opened the door, it was time to see her family and friends.
The bar where Sarah was scheduled to work was called the “Mermaid’s Cove,” an ironic title given Sarah’s personal circumstances. Sarah blended right in with the other mermaids, they assumed she was wearing a costume same as them. Her large breasts drew some curious glances, but all the women here were dressed up as scantily clad mermaids so none of them were in a position to judge Sarah.
The bar consisted of two levels, the lower level contained a restaurant and the upper level contained a bar. The lower level consisted of a floor to ceiling aquarium where the mermaids would swim for the guests. The mermaids would then surface and pull themselves out of the aquarium to serve the guests at the bar.
Sarah was currently sitting on a stool working the bar while the other two mermaids were swimming to entertain the guests in the restaurant below. She was serving drinks to customers when suddenly she saw a face that she recognized, it was Laura! Laura pulled up a stool and sat opposite Sarah.
“Get me a glass of your best wine,” said Laura.
Sarah flicked a piece of her long red hair out of her face and retrieved a bottle of red wine from underneath the bar. Sarah opened the bottle with a loud pop and poured it into a wine glass for Laura and slid it across the table to her.
“Say, do I know you,” asked Laura. “You look sort of familiar to me.”
“Oh, I get that a lot,” laughed Sarah, avoiding eye contact. Sarah couldn’t let Laura know who she was as per the terms and conditions of her arrangement with Robert. “It’s probably the red hair, people think I look like the little mermaid.”
“Well,” said Laura sipping on her drink, “there is nothing little about you,” she said gesturing to the size of her breasts. “Are those real?”
“They are,” said Sarah looking down at them. “One-hundred percent product of the state of Arizona.”
“Oh, are you from Arizona too?” enquired Laura.
“Sure am, sister,” said Sarah avoiding eye contact with her.
“How did you end up working here? You are a long way from Arizona,” asked Laura.
“That is a long and extremely complicated story,” said Sarah. “I could ask you the same thing, how did you end up here on this cruise?”
Laura took a long swig of her drink and stared at the table.
“I had this friend. Sarah was her name,” began Laura. “She and I were on this cruise ship together and we… we lost her.”
Sarah leaned in closer across the table.
“Are you talking about Sarah Savage? I heard about her on the TV. She was all over the news,” said Sarah.
“She was my best friend,” said Laura with a pained expression on her face. “But I also lived in her shadow my whole life, whether it was academics, sports, boys – whatever it was she was better at it. I secretly resented her, and when she went missing, I felt so guilty for a long time.”
Sarah wanted to reach out and comfort her, tell her that everything was going to be alright. Laura suddenly looked up from the table.
“But you know what? Her disappearance is the best thing that ever happened to me. I fell in love with her boyfriend Hunter, and we are engaged,” she said holding up a large diamond ring on her index finger. “Does that make me a bad person I wonder? Not sure why I am telling all of this to a random stranger I just met at a bar.”
Sarah was devastated, her ears were ringing, and her heart was racing – she felt like was going to be sick. She never thought that Hunter would marry her best friend! Laura hadn’t even been gone a full year before they decided to hook up. Sarah’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Hunter.
Hunter pulled up a chair and sat beside Laura and kissed her passionately.
“How are you, my lovely wife,” asked Hunter.
“I’m just chatting with this mermaid here,” laughed Laura.
Hunter looked up and noticed that Sarah’s eyes were watery. Sarah wiped them with her hands.
“Excuse me miss but are you alright?” asked Hunter.
“I’m fine,” said Sarah, “it’s just allergies, must be something on the ship,” said Sarah coughing to clear her throat.
“You look familiar to me,” said Hunter, “have we met?”
“I thought the same thing,” said Laura as they both studied the mermaid bartender in front of them.
“I just have one of those faces,” said Sarah. “My name is Katie Harrison.”
Sarah reached across the table and shook Hunter’s hand. A flood of memories came rushing back as their hands touched. Sarah was desperately trying not to cry.
“We were just talking about Sarah,” said Laura.
“A real tragedy,” said Hunter. “She was just a fantastic human being, a truly great woman and an amazing friend.”
“Did you love her?” asked Sarah with a shaky voice.
“I guess I did at one stage, but the last few months of our relationship I didn’t feel any passion. I was in love with someone else,” said Hunter as he kissed Laura on the lips.
“We better go,” said Laura. “We promised we would meet up with some other friends of Sarah’s and hold a vigil on the deck of the ship. They think she fell overboard somewhere in these waters, so sad,” said Laura as she stood up and paid for her drink. “Here's a little tip for entertaining me while I waited for Hunter,” Laura said as she tucked a twenty euro note into Sarah’s seashell bikini.
Hunter and Laura both stood up and left the bar, Hunter gave her one last curious glance as he exited the room.
Sarah felt herself start to sob uncontrollably. She crawled over to the aquarium and threw herself into the water. Her tears mixed with chlorine and water. Sarah screamed, expelling all the air from her lungs. How could Hunter have cheated on her with her best friend? Sarah and Hunter were in love! How could they do this to her!?
Sarah resurfaced and gulped down some air and tried to steady her breathing. “Fuck Hunter and Laura,” muttered Sarah as treaded water. She would deal with them once she escaped from Robert Castellano, the man who had taken everything from her. Sarah knew that Robert was not providing for her family, he was a self-interested shit that cared only for himself. Sarah needed to find her parents and escape. She was about to pool herself out of the pool when a man in a business suit stood over her.
“Sweetheart, we need you to swim down to the bottom of the aquarium. Suzy, our other resident mermaid has caught a cold and can’t show up tonight, so I need you to fill in for her,” said the man.
“But I was only supposed to be working the bar,” complained Sarah.
“I’m sorry darling, but we need you down there pronto.”
“You know, I’m getting really pissed off by men telling me what to do,” said Sarah.
“Well then I guess you should have gone to university and got a good job instead of swimming around a pool with your tits out, you fucking degenerate. Now get down there before I dock your pay and call security and have you escorted out of here.”
Sarah took a deep breath and dunked her head under the water. She swam to the bottom of the tank so that the guests could see her, her long flowing red hair floating weightlessly in the water. She figured with her red hair and giant barely covered tits; the guests were in for quite the show tonight.
Sarah swam around the tank as gracefully as she could doing tricks for the guests. She could see the guests through the glass of the aquarium and the water was crystal clear, there was only slight distortion due to the process of refraction. Sarah resurfaced for some air and dive back down to the bottom of the pool, she was generating quite the attention in the restaurant. She guessed she was most likely the most realistic mermaid they had ever seen, she found it funny that none of them knew she was the real deal, the definitive article, a real mermaid.
Sarah was blowing kisses to the guests when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. It was Rachel, Sarah knew it. Rachel was walking back to her table and so Sarah swam along beside Rachel without her noticing. Rachel sat down at a table with three other people. Sarah recognized her mother and father immediately but there was a young, handsome man that was sitting at the table next to Rachel as well. Sarah watched as he gently kissed Rachel on the lips. Sarah figured that that must be Rachel’s boyfriend. Sarah saw that Rachel had put on some weight; her stomach was bulging outwards. Sarah then looked at her parents. Her father was looking extremely healthy, his grey hair was combed, and his beard was trimmed. Her mother was looking radiant, she looked like she had gotten younger since Sarah had last seen her.
Sarah just floated there for the longest of time just staring at her family. She wasn’t even concerned with breathing anymore; she was just ecstatic to see her family. Eventually Rachel noticed the mermaid that was just floating there staring at them like a demented little mermaid. Rachel gingerly waved at her, and Sarah waved back and smiled at her. The rest of her family then noticed her and took out their phones to take pictures. They didn’t recognise me, Sarah realised dismayed. She just needed to get their attention, but they were all standing up to leave.
“No! Come back,” Sarah tried to scream but all that happened was a jet of bubbles were released from her mouth moving rapidly to the surface. Sarah swam over to the glass and started to bang against it, but it didn’t make a sound loud enough to be heard over the din of the busy restaurant. Sarah watched as her parents and sister left the restaurant through the exit door. Sarah was running low on oxygen and was forced to resurface.
“Fuck,” Sarah muttered as she resurfaced. “Now what do I do? I need to find them and let them know I am alive.”
Sarah heard the bell indicating that her shift was over. She pulled herself out of the pool and crawled over to her wheelchair and pulled herself into it. Sarah then decided to search the ship for them. She spent the next hour searching corridors, pools, cinemas, the upper deck, anywhere she thought they may be.
Unfortunately, for Sarah her efforts were wasted as she could not find her family. She realised that she was wheeling around aimlessly. She found an empty pool room and wheeled up to the edge of the pool and leaned back into her wheelchair, flopping her tail in an act of frustration. Sarah tried to wrack her head as to where they could be, but she realised that the ship was just too large for one person to check every nook and cranny of it. Sarah felt exhausted, if she didn’t find her family before they disembarked the ship then she could lose the only opportunity to escape that she would ever have. Sarah began to cry as she realised that she blew another opportunity to escape. Between trying to find her family and the revelation that Hunter and Laura were engaged it had been a hell of an evening for her. Sarah dried her eyes and cupped her face in her hands, just mentally exhausted from the events of the day.
“Mind if I sit next to you,” said a voice behind her. Sarah looked up and recognized the man that was with Rachel earlier. He pulled up a seat and sat next to her.
“I don’t mean to intrude but I just heard you crying as I was passing through the hallway outside,” said the man.
“I’m fine, honestly. But those people you were having lunch with, where are they now?” asked Sarah.
“Not sure myself, last I saw them they were at the other end of the ship. I just wandered off as I had to take a work call. I’m sure I’ll find them soon enough, why do you want to know?”
“I… I… My name is Katie,” she said, reaching out to shake hands with him. She couldn’t tell him who she was on account of him not being her biological family and the deal she had made with Robert earlier on during the day. “I know the Savages from years ago, I was a close friend of Sarah Savage.”
“Ah Sarah Savage never had the pleasure of meeting her, but the way Rachel talks about her it seemed like she was a deity,” said the man. “My name is Richard by the way,” said the man as he shook her hand.
“How are Sarah’s parents? Are they still grieving?” asked Sarah.
“They have their good days and bad days as is to be expected,” said Richard. “But they were lucky that after the tragedy, GenCorp reached out to them.”
GenCorp was Robert Castellano’s biotechnology company.
“What did they want?” asked Sarah.
“They didn’t want anything. They were so saddened by Sarah’s disappearance, and the fact that she is a biochemistry student, they decided that they wanted to take care of the Savage family. They give them a huge monthly stipend; it is enough that the Savages were able to buy a new house and give up their jobs.”
Sarah couldn’t believe that Robert was taking care of them.
“Mrs. Savage went back to university and is studying anthropology and is really enjoying it. Mr. Savage started his own foundation to raise awareness about safety on the open seas and it is thriving, he’s even been invited to give a speech at his old alma mater next month.”
“I’m glad to hear that they are being taken care of, I was worried for them,” Sarah said. “I saw Rachel when I was in the tank, has she put on a lot of weight?”
Sarah was worried for Rachel due to her genetic condition, an increase in weight may mean that some of her hormones were out of whack which could cause her serious health issues. Richard left out a loud laugh.
“Don’t go telling her she is fat; she is very sensitive about her weight. I keep telling her that putting on weight is natural and part of the process when you are pregnant.”
Sarah felt her heart flutter.
“She’s pregnant?” asked Sarah.
“She sure is,” said Richard.
“And you are the father?” asked Sarah.
“I am indeed the father; I am also her husband.”
Sarah suddenly felt very dizzy and nauseous. She was happy for Rachel. It's just that this was a lot of information for her to take in all at once. Then a horrible thought struck her.
“Oh my God, what about her genetic condition!” said Sarah. “Is she still being treated for that, the last I heard she couldn’t afford to purchase the medication.”
“GenCorp has taken care of that too! Each month they pay the complete costs of the drug, from the upfront cost to the cost of administration. They really are a fantastic company.”
Sarah slumped back into her chair. Robert had done it; he had saved Rachel’s life. The doctors had predicted that Rachel would have died within a year without the use of the prohibitively expensive medicine that was required to treat the disease. Sarah felt herself begin to tear up and wiped away her tears. If she were to choose freedom, it would mean that Rachel would inevitably die. Sarah realised there was only one option that she could take, she would have to forfeit her life to save Rachel’s. Sarah was struggling internally with the impossible decision that she would now be forced to make.
“Well, it was nice speaking to you Richard. I hope you and Rachel have a long and happy life together,” said Sarah as she turned her wheelchair away from Richard. “Tell Rachel that she meant the world to Sarah and that she would do anything to protect her.”
“I can pass on the message, but I’m sure we will see you around either on the ship or back home in Arizona,” said Richard.
“No, I don’t think you will,” Sarah said cryptically.
“Regardless, it was a pleasure talking with you Katie, I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“Likewise, Richard, and look after Rachel please,” said Sarah as she exited the pool room. She began to wheel her chair up the corridors that led back to her cabin. Thoughts were churning around in her head like the unsettled ocean that surrounded the ship. Sarah was full of dread and trepidation as she approached their cabin. She was about to make a decision that would shape not just the rest of her life, but the life of her Sister.
Sarah grimaced as she wheeled her chair through the doorway and into the room beyond, where she knew that Robert was sure to be waiting for her. The task was more arduous than it should have been, making her think at first that the muscles in her arms were not as strong as she recalled then having been before her transformation. But then she also wondered if there was not some kind of drain being placed on her strength by the challenge that was now before her, holding her back from realising her true potential. It was true that the whole ordeal had drained Sarah, both mentally and physically, leaving her feeling like a shadow of her former self, and she worried that her mind was also being affected too, that she was slowly succumbing in the same way that a person was ground down by constant and unrelenting torture.
“Well, hello there,” Robert’s voice chimed up as soon as she was through the door, “I trust that you’ve had the time you need to come to a decision?”
It was all that Sarah could do to make herself look up and gaze into the face of the man responsible for all of her suffering and the changes that had been wrought upon her body. As much as she had tried to become used to the sight of his smug expressions and superior smirking face, the reality was that it would take far longer for her to become as numbed to his presence as she would have liked. No matter how she fought to keep herself from showing it, there was still a part of her that wanted nothing more than to slap the man as hard as she possibly could.
“Like you’ve ever given me a choice,” Sarah spat the words, “you’re playing everyone and you’re doing it all the time. I’m just a plaything to you, Robert, and so are my family by extension. All that you want is to be in control of everything around you. But apart from that, you’re just an empty shell.”
“I think that’s more than a little harsh,” Robert chuckled and shook his head, “but then I suppose that your interpretation of events was always going to be coloured by the position that you’ve ended up in, my dear! And no matter what you say or think, you do have a genuine choice to make right now.” Robert stepped to one side and motioned towards a door which had previously been hidden behind his back and thanks to the fact that Sarah was viewing the room from a sitting position in her wheelchair. “That door leads to freedom, Sarah. No tricks or traps, just plain, good old-fashioned freedom. If you choose to open it and walk,” Robert paused to chuckle at his choice of words, “sorry, I mean wheel through it, then you’re free to go back to the life that you used to know. You get to see your family again, never set eyes on me for the rest of your life and maybe even find some way to get back your legs. Hell, I’ll even throw in the chance to turn me over to the authorities as well, no protest and no attempt to have the charges thrown out by my expensive team of lawyers either.”
Robert paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in.
“But,” his tone changed as he went on, becoming more serious, “the one caveat to that choice is your sister losing access to the medication that we both know she so desperately needs. The medication that she can’t hope to live without for – what was it, a year? Six months? Less?”
Sarah felt her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she listened to the offer that Robert was making and came to understand that there would never be a simple choice placed before her while ever she was in his power, never a moment when he would not use his control to make her aware of the fact that he was manipulating every aspect of her existence. She knew now that she was his puppet, being made to dance to the tune that he dictated in the hope of amusing his strange and jaded sensibilities.
Something flared inside of her in that moment, a last spark of rebellion that had somehow endured all of the suffering that Sarah had already been subjected to. She acted more out of instinct than any genuine desire to push herself towards the door and the fleeting offer of freedom that it represented. Even as she was wheeling her chair forwards, Sarah could not quite believe that she was doing so, as if her body were acting before her mind had been able to make a coherent decision.
For his part, Robert remained true to his word, making no effort to stand in the mermaid’s way as she crossed the short distance from one side of the room to the other. And likewise he refrained from speaking as she did so, the expression on his face remaining as close to neutral as it was possible for a man of his ilk to manage. But Sarah was sure that she could see the delight that was blazing in his eyes as he watched in silence, enjoying the chance to watch as his human plaything tried to deal with the conundrum which he had created specially to torment her. Aware of how she was giving the man what he wanted by holding his eye, Sarah forced herself to look away and towards the door instead, telling herself that the more she fell into the role he cast her in, the more she gained the upper hand in the current situation.
Sarah’s hand reached out for the door handle, the tips of her fingers brushing the metal. But as she did so, she swore that there was the barest hint of a sound from Robert behind her. Not so much a word in the strictest sense, more a sound that was the anticipation of one, the anticipation of his reaction to her choosing between the options that he had given her.
Why did the man seem to be exulting in the possibility of her choosing to go through the door and return to her former life? Surely that was the last thing that Robert would want to happen, as it would mean the loss of his latest acquisitions and perhaps even the end of his life as he knew it. So why would he be teetering on the brink of celebrating such a complete and devastating loss?
It was then that the revelation struck Sarah, the realisation that turned the whole dynamic of the situation on its head and made her mind race for a solution. Of course, if she chose to escape Robert’s clutches, then it was not he who would be the one losing, but Sarah herself. Returning to her former life would mean freedom for her, but it would instantly damn her sister to a painful death, one that she would have to bear witness to, knowing full well that it was something she could have prevented. Worse still, every member of her family, every person that she knew, would also have that knowledge, as she was sure Robert would see to that. If Sarah chose to return to her former life, then it would be poisoned for as long as it lasted, and she would live out her days knowing that she had put the price of her own freedom above that of her own sister’s existence.
She knew now that Robert did not truly care about the wealth and power that he possessed, that he merely saw it as an end to indulge himself and prove his beliefs about the basest elements of human nature. Even if he was arrested and spent the rest of his years in jail, the man would do so knowing that he had been able to manipulate her into doing exactly what he wanted, into proving that she was no better than he was – a basically selfish and self-centred wretch. If that came to pass, then there would be no way that Sarah could ever hope to redress the balance or win back her sense of dignity and worth. Robert would have won, and in doing so put the game beyond anyone’s ability to demand a second round or rematch.
Sarah sighed deeply, knowing that there was only one thing she could do.
Her fingers curled into the palm of her hand, and she pulled back her arm.
Robert kept quiet as Sarah turned her wheelchair to face him, which meant that she could not tell if her supposition had been correct. It seemed that he was a good enough actor to keep whatever he was truly feeling buried beneath the calm and impassive expression on his face. Even when she looked up and met his eyes, it was impossible for her to tell if the small nod that he gave her was one of victory or mere acceptance.
“It seems that you’ve made a choice,” Robert stated baldly.
“I have,” Sarah nodded, “I’ll stay here and remain your mermaid.”
“Very well,” Robert nodded in turn, “you know what you have to do next.”
Sarah cast her eyes downwards to the huge breasts that now dominated her chest and felt so hard to support out of the water. Aside from the tail that had replaced her legs, these were the things that most vividly represented the way in which she had been changed, the way that her body had been transformed to conform with Robert’s desires. Until now she had always chosen to wear the seashell bra onboard the boat, the only form of clothing that had been provided to her, because scanty as it was, they represented the last vestige of her shrunken dignity and a choice to cover up even a small part of her exploited form.
Without saying a word, Sarah reached her hands behind her back and deftly unhooked the clasps that held the bra in place. The moment this was done, there was no need for her to shoulder out of it or otherwise remove the bra from her chest. Instead the sheer volume and weight of her breasts ensured that they succumbed to the effects of gravity in an instant and impressive fashion, bouncing free and swaying as they settled upon her chest. They did not sag or droop as natural breasts of their size might have done, but stood erect and proud, as if announcing themselves to the world, thanks to the fact that they were the product of surgery, rather than nature.
The bra clattered as it fell into Sarah’s lap, almost smothered by her breasts until she plucked it from atop her scales and held it up to Robert, like an offering that was supposed to seal her submission to him. When he took the bra from her hands, there was no sense of roughness in his manner, which almost made the moment worse than it would have been if he had made some outward show of physical domination. And that was precisely because it showed that he did not need to assert himself in that manner, not when Sarah had come to him silently and without protest.
Robert lifted the mermaid’s chin with one finger of his hand so that her neck was bared to him, and with the other he produced a leather collar of exquisite workmanship and quality. Sarah still offered no resistance as he slipped it around her neck and tightened the collar, securing it in place so that she was able to breath without issue, but any attempt to pull away would soon change that situation. To this he attached a matching lead, wrapping the end around his hand in the same manner one might when preparing to exercise a dog.
All it took was a short, sharp tug for Sarah to get the message.
She inched herself out of the wheelchair and onto the floor, feeling the cold surface as it touched her scales and the fins at the end of her tail. Robert gave a second tug, and the mermaid obligingly turned over so that she was laid upon her belly, huge breasts swaying as she moved like a grounded seal. A third tug saw Sarah following in his wake as he made his way across the room towards the door that would lead back to the inner parts of the cabin.
Sarah struggled to keep up, the ground rubbing against her sensitive nipples and making her gasp at the sensation this caused to spread through her. She was sure that Robert must have known how her transformation had left her unable to feel such things without becoming aroused to an insane degree, and so he must have been forcing this upon her for the sake of humiliating his new pet, reminding her of her station below him. Every foot that the mermaid covered, her body ached from the feelings, making her gasp in desperation as there was no release, only an ever-increasing level of need.
By the time Robert finally stopped, Sarah was literally panting in desperation, crying out to be given release by any means possible. And when their eyes met, she could see that he was smiling down at her, more than aware of what this was doing to his pet.
Robert began to unzip his flies, and Sarah felt her heart beating faster in her chest.
“Good girl,” he said in a patronising tone, “you deserve a reward!”