I had never swam before.  The only thing I've ever done that had to do with water was showers and baths.  Although we had a pool, I never swam in it for some reason.  And boy was I glad I didn't.  On Saturday morning, I went for a swim in a swimming suit Ginny lent me.  She was with me.  Since it was 6:00 A.M, no one was on the grounds.  "You go first!"  Ginny pushed me towards the water.  "I don't know how to swim!"  I yelped as I fell in the lake.

My legs seized up immediately.  "HELP!"  I screamed, my arms flailing everywhere.  Ginny threw her towel on the grass and waded in.  I was really scared.  Were my legs turning to stone?  Had the squid got me?  "HE-"  I was completely underwater.  Ginny was coming closer.  I relaxed a bit.  Then the leg-hurting stopped.  I looked down at myself.  I had become a mermaid.  

My legs were gone; in their place was a shiny green tail.  I looked like a mermaid in books, but my skin had a grey-blue tinge to it.  I took a deep breath underwater!  My eyes were open, and I could see perfectly.  Ginny was by me now.  My head popped to the surface.  Ginny said, "Thank goodness!  I thought you were dead!  How-"  She stared at my tail, which could barely be seen underwater.  "WHAT?!  YOU'RE A MERMAID??!!!"  "Shh!"  I whispered.  "I know, right!  I never even knew!  I mean, I was never in a pool or anything before, so..."  

Half an hour later, I told Ginny I'm gonna explore the lake.  She agreed, and swam with me until she had to go to the surface to take a breath.  I went ever so deeper.  Behind me I heard a noise.  I turned around.  Was it the giant squid?  Was it even worse?  It was another mermaid.  She had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair.  Her eyes were yellow, as were her broken teeth, and she had a thick rope of pebbles around her neck.  I stared.  She stared too.  

"Who are you?  What are you?  What are you doing here?"  She said at the same time I did.  I could tell it was a different language we were speaking, but I could understand it.  She spoke first.  "I'm Gimilickia Longsombrbae.  I live here.  I'm a mermaid."  I said, "I'm Nonoahohay Falcon.  I just wanted to explore.  I'm a human."  She indicated my tail and skin.  "How?"  She asked.  I answered.  "I have no idea, maybe I'm part mermaid?  I just got in here, and Shazam!"  Wow.  I don't get how a mermaid could be so motionless.  She swam away.  "Wait!  I'm okay, really, I am!"  I watched her until she was out of sight.  

I spent the whole day in the lake, exploring.  I never talked to a mermaid all day, but I saw some darting away whenever I went somewhere new.  I called to them, but they just swam faster.  Finally, I looked towards the surface and saw the night sky.  Uh-oh.  I had already broken one of the rules: 9:00 is the limit to not be in bed.  I somehow managed to sneak inside, and I went to bed.