Goddess Of Loneliness

chapter three

I slowly turned to face her with fear as I wasn't sure if she was really going to let me scot-free if I actually saw her face. I started wishing I had not even come to this stream. In my mind, I was even cursing Florence.

"Hello Mark, is that you", she asked desperately. By now her face had gone dim and I could barely see her face

"I..l....l'm....am....I'm not.......not Mark", I stammered I was still retreating slowly in case she tried anything harsh

"Please can u come closer, I need your help", she pleaded in a voice that got me soft. I paused and watched as it appeared she was actually walking towards me. I was stunned, she had a tail, how could she be walking instead of hopping or crawling or any other thing aside from walking. Wat just happened before my eyes

She walked to where I was and looking into my face, examined it well before shaking her head

"You're actually not him. So what are you doing out here all by yourself", she asked with a soft and caring voice

"I'm sorry, buh you got the wrong person", I still had fear in me

"I know, you don't look like him. Its been over two hundred years buh I still remember him like it was yesterday", she was all emotional again as she walked away back to the rock she had been sitting and sat on top of it

"Who is Mark", I was getting bolder and even started moving slowly towards her

"Why are you here all by yourself. You do know it's dangerous", she avoided my question

"I came cos I'm avoiding the crowd. I needed to be by myself. I've been a loner for as long as I can remember", I buried my head on the ground

She laughed hysterically making me look really stupid. She would pause and burst out laughing again each time she looked at my face

"Did I say something that amusing?", I acted confused

"A loner? Do u know the meaning of loneliness? Have u any idea what it means to lonely?", She asked still laughing

"Ofcos I do. You think I'm lying? I have tasted loneliness before, I've dined with it, it has even become my companion", I tried to explain myself

"Then how come I've never felt u around me? How come u don't even look familiar to me? How come ur presence doesn't even spark any thought?", She asked with a straight face

"How do you mean? What are you?", I asked drawing closer

"I'm someone you shouldn't hang around with, I'm your best and worst friend, I'm your end right from the beginning",

It all sounded like parables to me and as confused as I was, I didn't want to take my eyes off her gentle face. It looked innocent in a bad way, looked sad in an amazing way, looked confused in an interesting way. It had a mixture of too many expression and still looked empty.

I was still trying to get answers without taking my eyes off her face when the water suddenly started boiling and the glow started again from beneath the water and they soon popped out again, the first two ladies that had disappeared wen the heard me. They looked just like the one I had been discussing with just that their tails shone with different colors

"Who is that you have been discussing with", one asked immediately they popped out. She had a blue, yellow and green color shining tail.

"It's a human", the one on the rock replied

"Mark?", The second with a pink, golden tail asked eagerly

"Oh please, it's impossible for Mark to stay for that long", the first swam closer to the rock where her sister sat. She seemed to see me from dere as she immediately paused and her face immediately shone forcing me to cover my face

"Who are you", she asked as the light dimmed

"My name is Nathan", I answered realizing they were being friendly to me

"What's your own name?", I asked void of any form of fear

"You don't ask the questions here, and what are you doing spying on us",

The first lady's voice popping in making the one with the golden talk to swallow her next words

"I'm Shakira, this is my sister Almira", she said pointing at the one with the golden tail

"And this is safira", she added pointing at the first with a yellow tail who was still inside the cold water smiling at me

"What are you people", I asked finally coming out of the darkness. Safira and Almira chuckled as soon as the last words escaped from my mouth while Shakira just continued staring at me as if I was some stupid insensitive animal that she was trying to understand

"We are mermaids", she replied before jumping into the water.

To be continued