Amelia stood in the bathroom, her hands trembling as warm water trickled down her skin. Her twin sister, Libhongo, pounded impatiently on the door.

"Amelia , are you still not done bathing?"

"Almost! Just a minute, Emma!" she called back, her voice shaking more than she’d hoped.

Emma groaned from the other side. "We’re going to be late. I still need to bathe too. Hurry up!"

But Amelia couldn’t hurry. Something was wrong. Something inside her felt... strange. Her heart thudded in her chest like a drumbeat out of rhythm. She had been feeling off for weeks—dizzy spells, weird dreams about oceans she’d never seen, a pull toward water that she couldn’t explain.

Now, staring down at herself, she felt fear coil tightly in her stomach. The bottom half of her body shimmered faintly, and for a few terrifying seconds, her skin seemed to reflect light like fish scales.

Was she imagining it? Was she cursed? Bewitched? These things only happened in stories, in fantasy TV shows—didn’t they?

Tears welled up in her eyes. How could she tell her mother? Her father? Would they believe her or send her away?

A knock came again, louder.

"Amelia , are you going to take the whole morning in there?"

Panicked, Amelia tried to move. She slipped and tumbled with the washbasin, water spilling everywhere. Crawling on the wet floor, she felt her legs return to normal. The shimmer was gone.

Breathing heavily, she grabbed a towel and wiped herself down in a frenzy. Her heart was racing. What had just happened?

She ran out before Emma could see, bumping into her in the hallway.

"Yho! Why are you running like that? And what happened to the basin?" Emma snapped.

"I... I don’t know, Emma. Something weird happened. I’m scared," Amelia stammered.

"Hayi suka, Amelia . I had to clean up after you. Now we’re almost late because of your drama."

Mivuyo opened her mouth to speak, to explain, but stopped. What could she say? That she thought she was turning into a mermaid?

"You won’t believe me anyway," she muttered.

"You always have some strange excuse. Just get dressed. The bus is coming." Emma said.

Amelia dressed quickly, skipping the rest of her routine. She didn’t even finish bathing. Her mind was spinning. She kept looking at her legs as if the shimmer would return.

The bus arrived. They boarded silently.

She sat at the window, staring at the sky, trying to understand what was happening to her.

Her name was Amelia Isla Nota. Twin sister to Emma Mia Nota. Daughter of Evelyn and Mateo Nota

Amelia Isla Nota's POV

We had just arrived at school, but I couldn't focus on anything. I sat alone, lost in my thoughts, the morning's incident replaying over and over in my head.

"People are being killed... by mermaids. No one wants them. Could it be? Could I really be one too?"

The thought gripped me with a quiet terror.

"No, it can’t be. That kind of thing doesn't just happen. Does it?"

My father is a fisherman. What would he do if he found out?

Would he hurt me? Kill me?

Surely not—but still, fear clung to me like seaweed.

At least my mother wouldn’t let that happen. She’d protect me.

But why me and not Emma? We’re twins. Things like this should happen to both of us—or neither.

Unless... it’s a twin secret. A curse meant for only one?

Mxm... I wish I understood.

While I sat there in that spiral of confusion, a classmate’s voice pulled me back.

“Amelia ,” Ava whispered urgently. “Break ended ages ago. Mrs. Luvalo’s asking for you.”

Panic hit me like a wave.

"Really, Ava?" I asked, blinking and looking around. The yard was empty. No students in sight.

“Yes, girl! " I followed her back to class. I was so embarrassed. How would I explain sitting out here, not hearing the bell?

My stomach tightened. How could I not have heard it either?

We walked back together. As we entered the classroom, a heavy silence fell. All eyes were on me.

Mrs. Luvalo's voice cut through the tension.

"What’s going on, young lady? Why were you outside?"

I stared at the floor, unable to answer.

She folded her arms.

"Stubborn, huh? Get out. Go solve whatever nonsense is on your mind outside. You won’t distract my class."

"Sorry, Mrs... I didn’t hear the bell," I finally said.

"Of course you didn’t," she snapped. "Probably daydreaming about boys and silly things that will ruin your future!"

The class burst into laughter.

"Out, little madam!"

I tried to explain, but—

"Don’t try me. OUT!"

Swallowing my embarrassment, I walked out and sat alone near the side of the school building. The sting of shame lingered like a bruise.

As I sat there, Mr. September , the principal, appeared.

My heart thudded in my chest. Please don’t ask questions... please...

He stopped in front of me.

"My child, what are you doing out here?"

"I’m in trouble, Sir," I admitted softly.

"What did you do?"

"I didn’t hear the bell. When I got to class, Mrs. Luvalo was already teaching."

"And why didn’t you hear it? You’ve been at this school long enough to know how it works."

"I don’t know, Sir," I said, barely above a whisper.

"Come with me."

We walked into the classroom together. All eyes snapped back to us.

"Oh, Mrs. Luvalo," Mr. September said calmly, "you sent this learner out of class? Please let her back in. No child should be sitting outside while we teach. Even if she misbehaved, don’t send her out."

Mrs. Luvalo gave me a look that could curdle milk.

"She may come in," she said flatly.

I didn’t waste a second. I went straight to my desk and sank into my chair, wishing I could disappear beneath it.

But even as I sat down, a deeper truth echoed inside me.

The bell I hadn’t heard...

The voice I heard under water this morning...

The strange dreams I’d been having lately...

Something was changing.

And no one could protect me from it—not even my mother.

Nothing much happened after that. Mrs. Luvalo eventually left, and we sat quietly in class, teacherless, until the final bell rang. Then we all went home.

I didn’t see Emma after school. We weren’t in the same class— she was doing Acounting while I was in Physics. So I walked home alone.

When I got there, the house was empty. Mama wasn’t back yet. She’d left on Friday to attend her sister’s funeral , and she was supposed to return today—Monday.

I didn’t even bother changing clothes. I wasn’t feeling okay. I just threw myself onto the bed and let my thoughts carry me into sleep.

I don’t know how long I’d been out when Emma woke me up.

“It’s late,” she said. I looked at the time—it was 8PM.

I got up and followed her. That’s when I heard my mother's voice.

"Yoh, you really slept, girl. Since I got home, I haven’t seen you at all," she said.

Me: “I was tired.”

Mom: “Well, we’ve already eaten. Your food is in the microwave.”

Me: “I’m not really hungry, Mom .”

Mom : “I brought back some goodies too!” she said, trying to lift the mood.

Me: “I’ll eat them in the morning.”

I could tell she was worried. Of course she was. I mean, who comes home to treats and good food and just says no?

This wasn’t like me.

I stood up and left them there, heading straight to my bedroom.

Let me lock the door, I thought, and check if what happened this morning could happen again…

First, I fetched a bowl of water.

Mom : “What are you doing with that water?”

Me: “I’m going to wash up, Mom.”

Emma (bitterly): “Yeah right. You should’ve bathed this morning. What you did to me hurt.”

Mom : “What did she do?”

I didn’t answer. I left them in the hallway, took the basin, and went back to my room. I shut the door tightly.

I poured the water into a small tub.

Should I get in?

No. Let me just try touching it first...

I dipped my hands in—nothing. So I slowly leaned in and let the water wash over more of me.

And then—just as I was starting to relax—my knees gave out and I collapsed to the floor.

When I looked down…

Oh God. There it was. The tail.

There was a fish. No. I was the fish.

Half-human, half-fish.

The same thing from this morning had happened again.

I didn’t know who I could tell. This was bigger than me. Way bigger.

I sat on the floor in silence, stunned.

Yes, it was true.

I was one of them—a Mntufish. A sea-being. A mermaid.

From the waist up, I was still human. But from the waist down—scales, fins, everything.

I could feel the pain in my spine from the change, and it lingered like a warning.

Eventually, the water dried and the transformation reversed itself. I waited, breathing deeply, until the tail was gone.

So… this was it.

Whenever I touch water—I become something else.

Which means from now on… I’ll have to avoid water.

Completely.

Yoh, Lord help me. This is going to be hard.

I climbed back into bed, heart still racing, and let the exhaustion pull me back into sleep.

I was underwater again. I wasn’t myself—I was that fish girl. Alone, in the depths. I cried, begged for help, but no one was there.

Then suddenly, someone appeared. A woman. She rose from beneath the water like she belonged there. Her presence was calm, strong, familiar somehow.

“Hey, don’t be afraid,” she said. “You’re not alone. I’m here with you now. Come. We need you at home.”

“I just want to go home,” I pleaded.

“This is your home. There is no other,” she replied.

When I looked at her properly, I was shocked—she looked just like me. She had a tail, too. She was like me.

Then she swam away and disappeared.

I woke up in a panic, sweating. My heart was racing. What kind of dream was that? What did it mean?

I couldn’t fall back asleep after that. I kept thinking, what if she comes back? What if next time… she takes me with her? She said that was my home—but it’s not. It can’t be. I live here, with Mom and Emma. That’s my real home.

I stayed up until morning, watching the time, too afraid to sleep. When it was time to wash up, I pretended. I didn't want to touch water. I didn’t even bathe—I just wandered around like I was busy and got dressed for school.

During break, I sat with Charlotte . She wasn’t really my friend, just someone I liked sitting with. Honestly, I didn’t really have friends—Emma was the one with those.

I asked her, “Do you know anything about mermaids, Charlotte ?”

She looked at me, surprised.

“Yeah, I heard they do witchcraft,” she said.

I froze. Does that mean I’m doing witchcraft too? No, she’s lying… right?

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“I don’t know, Amelia . I watch those shows too, but it’s all fake. Mermaids aren’t real.”

“Oh, I was just wondering,” I lied. “I watched something about them yesterday.”

“Ugh, they’re boring. Let’s go buy something to eat before break ends.”

We got up and walked to the tuckshop. The bell rang soon after, and we headed back to class.

After school, I went home and found Mom doing laundry.

“How did all these clothes pile up? It was the weekend,” she complained. “Why didn’t you two do laundry?”

“We were busy with assessments,” I lied.

“Then come help me rinse these. And where’s Emma ? Why is he always hanging around at school?”

“She’s on her way. I’m not feeling well, Mama. I’ve got a headache,” I said, faking illness to escape the laundry. I couldn’t risk getting wet and transforming right there in front of her.

Mom looked at me closely. “I knew something was off with you last night. Go lie down. I’ll bring you some pills. But make sure you eat first.”

I went into the kitchen, made a bit of food, ate quickly, then went to my room. I changed into my pajamas—I had to look the part if I wanted to pretend I was really sick. I overheard Mom and Emma arguing in the other room, so I put in my earphones and covered myself with a blanket.

Later, Mom brought me painkillers. I wasn’t even sick, but I took them anyway and fell asleep.

In the morning, I woke up suddenly—the sun was already up. Oh no—I missed school!

I rushed into the kitchen. Emma was gone. Mama was there.

“You’re awake,” she said calmly.

“Mom, why didn’t you wake me?” I asked.

“You’re sick, remember? I didn’t want to disturb you. I already told the school. We’re going to the clinic later.”

“It’s okay, Mama. I feel better now—it’s not as bad as yesterday,” I said, trying to get out of it.

“That’s good, but we’re still going.”

“Okay then…”

“Now go wash that dish in the sink.”

My heart sank. Water. Again.

“Okay, I’ll wash it,” I said quickly, already panicking.

“Make yourself something to eat. After that, we’ll leave. Clinics get crowded fast.”

We lived closer to the hospital than the local clinic, so we usually went there, even for small things. I took the dirty plate to the dish rack, pretending I’d washed it. I couldn’t risk touching water with Mama around. I wasn’t ready for anyone to know the truth—not yet.

I walked to my room, pretending to busy myself. What if I touched water at the hospital and changed again? What if they saw? What if I couldn’t explain it?

Charlotte had made it clear—mermaids are witches. If they found out, they might call me a witch too.

No. I’m not a mermaid. I’m not!

I shook myself from the thought, got dressed, and left the room.

“You’re so slow, girl,” Mama said.

“Heh… I’m just being careful,” I mumbled.

“Well, hurry up and wait for me then.”

I waited while Mama bathed and got ready. We finally left and went to the hospital. I lied about my symptoms, and they gave me painkillers and some basic medication.

When we got home, I rushed straight to my room. I didn’t want to give her a chance to ask me to do anything else—especially anything involving water.