My heart pounding like a drum, I whooshed past the great white shark, sliding seamlessly through the portal of my favorite sunken ship. The shark attempted to follow, but his thick head got stuck in the hole. He angrily snapped his jaws at me in a futile attempt to grasp my graceful emerald tail by the fin. A few minutes ago he assumed I would be his lunch, unaware that the prey was actually the predator. Tauntingly, I tossed my shimmering blue-black hair over my shoulder and swam leisurely circles around the shark's snapping jaws. He was shaking his head furiously, but he couldn't wriggle free.

"Sirena, didn't Aunt Coral tell you never to play with your food?" My older sister Pearl called from across the wreckage with a smirk on her pretty face. We were the youngest of our father's five daughters and we could've been twins, except my eyes were cerulean like the Caribbean sea and her eyes were a stormy grey. 

Pearl was right; while I enjoyed a good chase and the feel of adrenaline pumping through my veins, enough was enough and I needed to stop toying with my prey. It wasn't fitting behavior for a princess as my father would say. Did I mention I am no ordinary mermaid? My father is king of our ocean which makes all of his daughters princesses.

I lifted my strong tail and slammed my fin into the shark's nose, stunning him momentarily so I could swim above his dorsal fin and sink my sharp, gleaming fangs into his thick flesh to drink his warm, rich blood. Satiated, I floated to where Pearl was examining her reflection in a cracked mirror.

Did I also mention that besides being royalty I'm a vampire mermaid? It's true; all of the royal family are and all of our subjects are too. Don't worry though, we mostly feed on the blood of fish.

" I hope you saved some shark blood for me, after the gift I brought you," Pearl said. She swirled away from the mirror and that's when I noticed the object she was clutching in her slender fingers: a human music box! My sisters know I'm an avid collector of human objects and when I'm not practicing music with them(we are all gifted singers and musicians) I spend my time searching shipwrecks like this one for treasure. My father isn't fond of my hobby, especially since fishermen ensnared my mother in a net, causing her an early death. However, he also knows that some humans love and respect the sea and its inhabitants, as he himself was freed from a fisherman's net as a young prince, so he allows me to indulge in my hobby as long as I am careful.

My sister was cradling the pink music box with a delicate human figure on top in a dance pose. She pried open a little draw revealing human jewelry. I gasped at the sight of a gold ring with a huge sparkling sapphire on top and slipped it on my finger. " It matches your eyes Sirena," she winked.

I threw my arms around my sister's slender waist. " Thank you so much, I love it!" I cried.  

Pearl giggled. " Look what else it does," she said, turning the screw on the bottom. A melody began to play and the figurine on top twirled around and around. I wondered what it would be like to dance like that on two legs instead of a tail.  

Pearl gently placed my new prized treasure in my hands and squeezed them tight. " Sirena, don't look so forlorn. Next year it will be your turn to visit the surface." I nodded and clutched the music box to my heart. I knew Pearl was right, but I wish I could go to the surface now, as all of my older sisters had every year on their sixteenth birthdays. My aunt Coral is a powerful sea witch who grants us the gift of humanity for a week every year on our sixteenth birthdays. She does this to make up for the terrible curse her mother placed on the royal family in retaliation for her younger daughter(our mother) falling in love with our father and becoming his queen. This curse was what turned our kingdom's inhabitants into mer vampires.  After our mother's capture, our grandma perished in a terrible tsunami and our aunt vowed to use the magic she had inherited from her mother to dote on her sister's young children.

This year it was Pearl's turn to spend a week as a human. Aunt Coral promised that if any of us became enamored by the human lifestyle, she would grant us the ability to remain human for the remainder of our immortal lives, and grant us the power to be able to tolerate the sunlight above the sea that was so harsh to a mer vampire.  So far all of my sisters had chosen to return to the sea. I wondered if I would be the first to choose a life on the land. For the next year I would have to be content with listening to my sisters' stories of their time living among the humans.

Pearl wrapped her arm around me and guided me towards a huge crack in the sunken ship's stern. " Come on Sirena, let's go home and I'll tell you all about my adventures."

A year later I swam in front of my father's gilded throne, my heart thrumming with excitement. Aunt Coral was perched next to him on my mother's old throne, a golden scallop shell, and my sisters were clustered around them to see me off. Finally my sixteenth birthday had arrived, and it was my turn to go to the surface and experience the wonders of the human world for myself.

I bowed before my father and he slipped a gold chain over my head. A large black shining pearl hung from the chain. All my sisters had received the same necklace on their sixteenth birthday. Our pearls had come from a pearl studded collar that our deceased mother had worn when she was queen, and as she always referred to us as her little pearls, my father had repurposed them to make our jewelry, so we would have something to remember her with.

My aunt glided toward me swishing her coral colored tail and lifted a golden goblet to my lips. The cup contained the magic potion that would grant me a human form until the full moon, which was in a week. The potion would also grant me protection from the sun as my aunt had explained that surface vampires could suffer burns from too much sun exposure.

My aunt hesitated before pouring the thick purple liquid down my throat." Sirena, this potion contains very powerful magic. Magic that demands a sacrifice. You will have to sacrifice something that is important to you while you live on the surface," Aunt Coral warned. 

" I understand," I murmured, eager to begin my journey, while still considering the seriousness of her words.  

My aunt tipped back the cup and as I parted my lips, the thick potion dripped down my throat. Coral embraced me. " Good luck my dearest."

My sisters and father hugged me goodbye and my throat tightened, but I refused to cry. If I chose to stay human I would never be able to see them again and this might be the last time I would see my family. Squeezing the pearl that dangled between my breasts, I propelled myself towards the surface.

When I broke through the waves a storm was brewing. Rain slashed against my face and I squinted towards the beach, praying I would make it to the shore. This was not what I had expected to encounter on my journey. As I struggled to swim through the churning waves, I noticed a young handsome human male struggling to paddle a lifeboat. I knew I had to help him. A large wave slammed into the puny boat, tossing the raven haired man against the side of the boat, causing him to pass out. I leapt against the side of the boat and wrapped my arm around the male's waist.  I hauled him out of the tossing vessel and quickly paddled towards the shore, praying a huge wave did not drown us both.  

I must have passed out from exhaustion when I reached the beach, for when I came to I was not laying on the sand as I expected, but on a soft cushioned mattress covered in a silky material.  I was laying in a bed in what appeared to an opulent room.  I had learned much of the human world already from my sisters' stories, for I recognized most of the objects that surrounded me.  The first thing I noticed, when I attempted to flip my fins, was that underneath the silk blanket, I had two human legs instead of my emerald tail!  I opened my mouth to proclaim my excitement, but to my shock no sound emerged.  

" Poor dear," a kindly female voice clucked from beside my bed.  " The trauma of the ordeal seems to have rendered her mute."  The older lady shook her head with pity and raised a glass of water to my lips and I greedily downed the cool beverage.  I knew I had not lost my voice due to the trauma of rescuing a human in a storm.  The magic that had granted me legs had demanded the sacrifice of my dearest possession; my voice! Next to the old lady stood a tall, well-dressed raven haired man that I recognized as the handsome male I had saved from drowning.  His eyes were as blue as the sapphire in my ring and he was gazing at me with concern in his eyes.  I sighed. My sisters had never warned me how devastatingly attractive human males could be.

While the water helped my parched throat a little, what I really craved was blood, yet I couldn't reveal my true nature to the humans who tended to me so gently.  It would surly horrify them.  But when a giant ginger cat sprang onto the bed and rubbed itself against my new legs, I couldn't help myself.  I could hear the creature's fragile beating heart and I licked my lips at the thought of feasting on the cat's coppery blood. I grabbed the yowling creature and buried my face in its furry neck.  Just as my fangs were about to rip into the cat's neck, the old lady snatched the hissing animal out of my arms and set it back on the ground.  With its tail between its legs the cat raced out of the room.  Smart creature. 

Rather than being frightened by my rash behavior the man chuckled.  " Well, it looks like my dear savior is a cat lover.  Too bad poor Percy dislikes being hugged and kissed!  " Hugged and kissed indeed! 

" Prince Hans, I think our lovely young guest needs some time to relax," the old lady admonished, wiping my sweaty brow with a damp cloth.  So, I had not rescued just any human, but a prince!  I  had to be in his palace then; what amazing luck I had!

Prince Hans nodded as though he agreed with his servant, and although he left me to nap for a little while, he came back to visit some time later and did not leave my side.  He insisted upon taking dinner with me in my room.  I was excited to try human food, but disgusted when I was presented with a platter of seafood.  Luckily, the prince demanded that we be brought another meal that was more to my liking.  Our dinner conversation consisted of me listening to the prince ramble on about his kingdom and himself.  I learned that he was a fellow musician and his favorite instrument was the flute.  When he wasn't playing music, he spent his time on the ocean and was a sea captain.  His favorite ship had been damaged in the storm and he had been escaping on a lifeboat when I rescued him.  He was impressed by my beauty and swimming skills (he did not suspect I was a blood sucking mermaid, thank goodness), and wished I could speak and hoped my voice would return soon. He attempted to guess my name and from which kingdom I hailed from.  Of course, he guessed neither, but he guessed I was royalty (much to his delight) and that my name began with the letter 's', so I allowed him to call me 'Princess Sally'.  

Prince Hans insisted that I was his esteemed guest and he would take me on a tour of his kingdom and throw a ball in my honor.  Finally, I would get to dance!

My handsome, if not a tad shallow, prince was true to his word and we spent the rest of the week visiting the finest places in his kingdom. I listened to a concert starring his royal highness, as well as saw a play, viewed fantastic animals in the royal zoo, and visited many parks and museums.  It was almost overwhelming to take in. Best of all, I was provided with a gorgeous dresses, dainty shoes, and glittering jewelry, which the prince swore enhanced my comeliness even more.  I was also provided with a silk parasol for when we went outdoors, as the prince graciously noticed my skin was rather pale and sensitive to sunlight(if he only knew the truth of it).  Luckily, neither the prince, nor any of the members of his household, noticed the small creatures that 'disappeared' at night from the palace zoo.  It was unfortunate, but a mer vampire turned human still had to drink blood somehow! 

On the night of the full moon, my last hours as a human, I anxiously prepared myself for the grand ball.  Attired in a crimson taffeta gown decorated with tiny black seed pearls on the bodice, matching heels, and a gold tiara studded with black pearls and rubies, I made a dramatic entrance into the ballroom.  Of course, Prince Hans led me in my first ever dance, and I thought I would swoon with delight.  As we gently swayed on the dance floor, I realized that I was falling in love with the human I had saved.  Hans brought me a glass of some fizzy, sweet concoction to drink while he left to practice his flute.  He had promised that his band would play a song in my honor that evening.  

While I waited patiently for my prince to return, I danced with the king himself and several courtiers and nobles.  After several dances I grew impatient and set out to find Hans.  I wandered towards the room where the band typically practiced.  The door was slightly ajar, so I peeked inside, totally unprepared for the sight that greeted me: Prince Hans was kissing a stunningly dressed human woman! One hand was clutching his flute and the other was gripping her waist to bring her closer to him.  Her own instrument, a harp lay abandoned by their feet along with some scattered sheet music.  Prince Hans must have noticed me out of the corner of his eye because he yelped in shock and dropped his flute on the lady's foot.  She squealed and glared at me, most likely angry that I had interrupted her make out session with his majesty.  

At that moment I wished more than anything that I had my voice so I could scream and fling insults at them both.  Instead, I stalked forward and grabbed the flute and threw it at Han's head.  Then I picked up the harp and with all my inhuman strength, I ripped out each damn string!

" How terribly uncivilized," the cheating lady musician sniffed.  " What savage kingdom did you crawl out from?!" 

Hans didn't even attempt to defend me.  It seemed this ungrateful spoiled brat had forgotten that I had saved his life.  He shook his head as though I had disappointed him!  "My dear Princess Sally, I'm sure you are upset, but you must understand that I could never have married you. I was meant to be with someone who I could make beautiful music with.  As you do not even have a voice to sing with, we could never be together." 

Fighting back tears of rage and sorrow, I glanced up and saw something hanging on the wall of the music room among the paintings of court composers that sickened me more than the prince's pitiful excuse for betraying me.  Among the artwork was a display case containing a stuffed and preserved emerald hued mermaid tail.  Only one other mermaid in my kingdom had ever been born with that color tail besides Pearl and myself; our deceased mother!  

Hans must have noticed me staring at the disgusting display, and nausea gripped me as his lips curled into a delighted grin.  " Despite your lack of words, I see you have a good eye for art Sally."  I wanted to rip his throat out right then and there for referring to my mother's tail as 'art', but I was still frozen in shock.  " I know some folk say mermaids are just a legend, but when I was a teenager, my father took me on my first fishing expedition and we caught a real live mermaid! Of course I simply had to have her tail for decoration and my dear father would spare nothing for his beloved prince."  

To my horror, Hans carelessly chuckled at the memory of his first catch, my own beloved mother, and his lady friend giggled.  " A bit gruesome for my tastes, but art is in the eye of the beholder.  You'll have to tell me the entire story your highness, I'm sure a mermaid was the catch of a lifetime!"  

Prince Hans smiled at his lady musician.  " That horrid sea creature sure put up a fight, but you're quite the catch yourself, my lady." 

I couldn't stand it any longer, my rage had reached its boiling point and I could no longer contain it.  My time as a human was almost up and I knew now there could never be a life for me on land and I wouldn't want one anyway.  It was time to reveal my true nature to these vile humans and avenge my mother's death.  I may have been a blood sucking mermaid, but these evil humans were the true monsters for killing my innocent, beloved mother and queen.  Feasting on the blood of paltry land creatures had left me starving, and I was thirsty for something more filling.  Very soon Prince Hans' subjects, if any of them survived, would not be telling the tale of his capturing a mermaid to use for some sick trophy.   No, they would be telling the story of the little mer vampire as a cautionary tale.  I closed my hand around my mother's pearl necklace, and heels clicking on the tiled floor, I advanced upon the humans, fangs bared.