I've always loved spending my summers on Cape Cod, but I had a feeling that this year was going to be different.

After the last day of classes, I'd usually pack up the latest fashions in beachwear and get out of the city until Labor Day. At first I'd go with my parents. When I got into high school, I'd naturally replaced them with my girlfriends: Ashley, Brittany, and Christy. I'm Darcy and at the Cape, we were known as the Alphabet Girls.

We'd spend our days swimming, eating, and sleeping, while our nights were reserved for partying. There was an endless supply of willing guys, and we always had our pick. Come September, we'd ditch these summer flings and return to our indisputable goals of attending college, marrying well, and continuing to live in the laps of luxury.

That was the plan for this summer, too until I met Ryan McPhee. We'd been dating since Christmas and were all set to spend the summer before my Senior year together at the beach. That in itself was going to be a first: me at the Cape with a boyfriend. But Ryan was handsome, rich, and totally into me, so I didn't mind trading some of my freedom for steady arm candy. Until the dumbass decided that he needed a purpose in life and joined the Navy three weeks before break.

Well, screw Ryan McPhee! I wasn't going to let him or anyone else ruin my fun.

As expected, the summer had turned into a blast. Things were going great, and before we knew it, it was already the day before Independence Day. That's the biggest holiday on the Cape, being all patriotic and stuff. Everything was already decked out in red, white, and blue with American flags flying on every porch. The girls and I were just finishing our afternoon tanning session, about to head back home to get ready for another night out. I was shaking the sand out of my beach towel when I noticed a group of teens playing in the water. This was a locals-only beach and not many tourists wander out here, but I didn't recognize any of them.

All of a sudden, a guy in the middle started waving in my direction. I looked behind me, but nobody was waving back so I did the "who me?" thing. He gave me a thumbs up, followed by a nod. Not being one to miss an opportunity to flirt, I waved back at the tan Adonis with the golden locks.

"Earth to Darcy!" A flip-flop hit me in the back of the head and pulled me out of the moment.

"What the eff," I grumbled to Britt, rubbing the spot where the footwear connected with my skull.

"We gotta go, girl. Shower, nap, dinner, partaaay," she elaborated on our nightly ritual.

I was about to object, but turning toward the water again, I saw that the place where the cute guy had been was now empty. Even all of his friends were gone. Weird, but whatever. It was party time.

A couple of hours later, we were dancing in the club when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hello mysterious stranger," I greeted the blonde water-God for the second time today. "I hope you don't go running off on me again."

"My apologies, but my sisters were getting impatient." He nodded toward the gaggle of girls once again surrounding him. "My name's Ben, and I'm yours from now on, if you'll have me."

I hadn't settled on anyone for the night, so I took Ben up on his offer. In spite of being constantly watched by his sisters, we ended up dancing and sucking face until the club closed at 4 a.m. I really wished our time together didn't have to end, and luckily, he had the same idea.

"Have you ever gone on a late-night swim?" he asked, ushering me out amongst the crowd.

"Sure, all the time," I lied, so we set off toward the nearby beach on foot.

Only after we arrived did I really start to think things through. One, I didn't have a bathing suit. Two, I was on a deserted beach in the middle of the night. Three, I was with a guy I knew nothing about.

"Are you coming?" he asked, stripping completely naked in front of me before running into the waves.

I sighed, watching his perfectly toned body move away from me. Hell yeah, I was coming!

Quickly discarding my own clothes, I took refuge in the ocean before he had a chance to see too much. It turned out to be pointless because he immediately began to swim toward me, and I knew what was coming next.

I was clumsily treading water when he took my hand and pulled me towards him.

"Just hang on to me," he instructed. His voice was mesmerizing, and I did as he said, wrapping my arms around his neck. But as I tried to hook my legs around his waist, I felt something rough scrape against my skin.

"What the hell?" I blurted out, trying to look through the water below. But even the full moon couldn't penetrate the surface, so I only saw my own face reflected back at me.

Ben just laughed. "Don't freak out, okay?"

"But there's something down there! Didn't you feel it?" I panicked, treading water even faster.

"Sssh." He wiped a stray, wet lock away from my eyes, trying to calm me. "It's just me."

"But I felt-"

He shook his head and repeated, "It's just me, Darcy."

And with that, a large fan-shape emerged from the water behind him. Water trickled from it into the ocean below, as it swayed in the moonlight.

"Oh my God! That's a-"

"Yes, it's a fin," he finished calmly before returning the unexpected appendage underwater.

"You're a . . . a mermaid?"

"Technically merman. But yes, I am. How do you feel about that?"

Holy cow! How DID I feel about that? Confused, I guess.

"But you had legs." I tried to understand.

Ben laughed. "We're allowed to walk on land between sunset and sunrise. It's a bit of a loophole that we occasionally take advantage of when we get bored here. Or when we see a pretty girl like you."

My heart fluttered at the obvious compliment, but my reply was pretty lame. "That's cool."

He laughed again. "Yes, it's pretty cool. Would you like to take a swim with me?"

His smile was so inviting, but for some reason, I hesitated. Sensing my reluctance, he leaned in and kissed me. Now, I've had my fair share of kisses, but this was the best by far. I even forgot to tread water, but it didn't matter because Ben was gripping me so tight, he was doing the floating for both of us.

"So, how about that swim?" he asked again once his lips left mine.

"Is it safe?"

"Of course. We have our tricks. Come! I want to show you my world," he teased seductively.

"All ri-," I began, but a trio of dark shadows emerged on the sand dunes on shore.

"Darcy! Is that you?" I heard Ashley yelling.

"Heeeey! Whatcha doing, girl?" Brittany followed.

I rolled my eyes at Ben, attempting a subtle apology for the interruption of my lame friends.

"It's okay. We can try again another time." He smiled. "Can we meet again? How about tomorrow, just before sunset. But come to the Cliffside Beach instead. That's a lot more private." He winked.

I nodded and kissed him in response, before reluctantly letting go and swimming back to the beach. By the time I was back on shore, Ben was gone.

I left with my girls, but I was so pumped by what all had happened that I could hardly fall asleep. I met an actual mermaid, err merman! And he wants to show me his world under the sea!

I wondered if he could talk to fish or if he was followed around by cute little lobsters like the one in that Disney movie. Or if all the mer-people lived in a huge, sparkling castle, and if his dad had one of those trident things. How awesome would it be if they all burst into song right in front of me?

I spent our next day at the beach dreaming about becoming a mermaid princess, swimming around in the ocean with a golden tiara. I'd never have to go to school again or get a job! I wouldn't have to listen to my friends whining about clothes or boys ever again, and I'd be beautiful forever, living happily ever after with my hunky Ben.

By dinnertime, I was ready and roaring to go. I'd put on my cutest - and smallest - bikini under my T-shirt and cutoffs, and I'd made sure to use my most expensive waterproof mascara. After a quick stopover at Lou's Tavern for an appetizer of raw oysters - a girl's gotta eat, after all - I borrowed Christy's car and headed for Cliffside. I promised to meet the gang for the fireworks, which meant I had about a half an hour to spend with Ben.

Cliffside didn't get its name by accident. It wasn't a regular, sandy beach like all the others on the Cape, but rather a rocky wall that abruptly came to an end at the edge of the ocean. Not many people were stupid - or motivated - enough to tackle its descent, so it was a perfect spot for privacy.

I took my wedges off to avoid breaking my neck, but it still took me a while to find the best way down. In spite of carefully maneuvering the jagged rocks that served as a haphazard staircase to the darkness below, I still slipped once and ended up with a nasty gash on the back of my calf.

"This better be worth it!" I grumbled to myself, but I never seriously thought about turning back. Instead, with blood trickling down my leg, I sat on a big boulder halfway in the water watching the setting sun illuminate the horizon and waiting for Ben to arrive.

The waves pounded against the surrounding cliffs with increasing intensity, and the chill in the air started to give me goose bumps. I was just about to give up and leave, when a voice called to me from below.

"Hello beautiful."

Water dripped from his hair onto his shoulders and his skin sparkled under the moonlight. Without saying anything else, he held out his hands and silently beckoned me to join him.

I quickly stripped down to my bathing suit and dove into the cold water.

I was surprised when he grabbed me even before I surfaced, but we soon bobbed to the top in a strong embrace. "Thank you for coming to me," he whispered in my ear and I giggled like an idiot, but once again something sharp brushed up against my leg.

"I think your fin's in the way." I pointed out, trying to move my body away from the impediment.

"Sssh. Don't struggle," Ben addressed me, as though he were speaking to a child, but by then, it felt as though I was being dragged through a field of brambles. The skin on my legs was becoming increasingly raw and the salt water stung it so much my eyes began to tear. At first I thought it was just the scrape from the rocks I got when I fell, but when I distinctly felt a hand grab my ankle, I yelled out in panic.

"What's going on? Let me go!"

"But you promised to come with me. My sisters are anxious to meet you, my darling," Ben cooed with a strange grimace frozen onto his face.

"I changed my mind!" I protested and when he released his hold on me, I thought I was safe.

I had forgotten about the hand on my ankle until one sharp tug pulled me under. I accidentally took a breath too late and got a lungful of seawater, instead. Flailing my arms to try to get back to the surface, I managed to get my face above the water long enough to take one more breath. But more and more hands grabbed me, hanging on to not only my legs, but also to my arms. The pain got worse, too, as I realized that they were clawing and biting my skin as they dragged my body further and further down.

The last thing I saw was a burst of light above me. The fireworks had begun.

© 2013 All Rights Reserved - R.S. Kovach