Portents of Fear is a horror fiction podcast which is intended for mature audiences. Discretion is advised.
Welcome, Fearlings, to another weird and horrifying tale made just for you. I am your host,
Michulhu, and I'll be your guide to the macabre and mysterious. You should always be careful of love
at first sight. Our young swimmer learns this lesson in Undercurrent. Before we get started,
take a moment to like, subscribe, and ring that notification bell so you don't miss a single
terrifying story. It is just after midnight in Miami. The ocean is writhing while lightning
scrawls inhuman text across the sky in strange patterns. Rain pelts two officers as they look
over a woman lying unconscious at the end of a dock. She is young and wearing a bikini. She is
unresponsive. One cop is crouched down checking for life signs while the other stands trying to
shield the woman from the rain. It's a cold unnerving rain that seems malicious as it pummeled
them. The woman has a faint heartbeat and is breathing. There are bruises on her wrists,
upper arms, and ankles. Her head has been shaved and it appears that she has had surgery recently.
Why is she out in this mess? the standing officer asks. I have no idea. She's dressed like she spent
the day at the beach. Her head is stitched all the way around like she just had surgery and these
bruises on her wrists and ankles seem to tell me she's been tortured. None of it makes sense,
the second officer replies. Where the hell is that ambulance? We need to get off this dock and out
of this storm. Can we move her? asks the standing officer. No, we could make things worse. The backup
will be here soon. Hold on kid. A few days earlier, Cindy was swimming off the Miami coast early in the
morning when she saw a huge beautiful fin break the water and then disappear again. She felt
compelled to swim out to see if she could catch another glimpse. Something called to her like a
song on the wind. As she swam out, she saw the multicolored fin reach out of the waves and then,
not three seconds later, she saw a woman bobbing up and down in the water watching her swim closer.
The woman disappeared and the fin came up out of the water a second later and that's when Cindy
realized that this was a mermaid. The mermaid was beautiful. Her skin was light blue with a few opal
colored scales. Her hair was long and black with seashells in her braids. Her eyes were larger than
a human's and deep glossy black giving her an alien appearance. Her lips were dark blue, full
and inviting. Cindy stopped swimming when she was 10 feet from the creature. The mermaid smiled at her
and dove back into the water. Cindy marveled at all the blues violets and reds in her scales.
It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Then, like a flash, the mermaid appeared right in
front of her. Cindy couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around her and gave the mermaid
a deep long kiss. They sank into the water in a loving embrace. When the kiss ended, Cindy noticed
that the mermaid had gills on the side of her neck and it was at this point she realized that she was
far underwater and that she needed air. She panicked and tried to swim to the surface.
The mermaid smiled drawing her close and kissed her again. Cindy felt her lungs fill with air
and she calmed down. They sank deeper into the ocean. Cindy wondered why the pressure wasn't
affecting her and that if the mermaid kept kissing her she could breathe somehow. She wanted to kiss
forever. Her emotions were all over the place. Could she really be here? Was this happening or
she asleep on the beach dreaming and getting a sunburn? The kissing was making her lightheaded
and she thought about how much she wanted sex right that second ignoring the fact that she was
several hundred feet under the water and that her new love interest had a six-foot long fish tail.
Cindy felt blissful and at that moment nothing seemed to matter. Then the kissing stopped and
Cindy opened her eyes and looked up. She couldn't see the surface. It was almost pitch black except
for the mermaid scales which were lit up like Christmas lights. The scales on her face were
also glowing. Cindy didn't feel like she needed air anymore. It was cold and dark but Cindy was
high on endorphins and didn't care about anything but being near the mermaid. Are you okay? asked the
mermaid sweetly. The words appeared in Cindy's head with a short stabbing pain. She grabbed her head.
Oh don't worry. The more you speak with me the less it will hurt. How can I hear you? Cindy asked. Now
that we have bonded I can speak to you telepathically. Keep you from drowning or being crushed by the deep
sea. Our minds and bodies are connected. Does this make me a mermaid too? Cindy asked innocently.
The mermaid laughed and large bubbles escaped her neck gills. No you're not a mermaid. I'd forgotten
that's what humans called us. It's been literally ages since I spoke to one. I will say I've always
wondered what it would be like to walk on land like you. It seems fun. It's great. Running, jumping,
walking barefoot through the grass. Though I guess I never thought about how great it was before now.
Um I bet it's incredible having a tail like that though Cindy quickly said. She didn't want to make
it sound like she was bragging about her legs. The water is my home. Like your legs it gets me where
I want to go and yes there are some fun things I can do down here. But beyond just your legs there
are many things I see humans create that seem fun. You have so many strange devices and over
the centuries your boats have changed greatly. It's all very impressive. What devices Cindy asked?
Cars, toys for children, tv. The list goes on and on. I don't know what every item is called.
Humans dump everything in the sea. Unfortunately not every item is good but they're all interesting.
Sometimes these huge orange containers fall into the ocean. Those are fun days she said and then
lowered her voice. I will say we do know what plastic is and we hate it. Yeah plastic is a
problem. Wait how can you understand what I'm saying Cindy inquired? Like I said our minds are
connected. The longer you're with me the more I learn. Also I've met many sailors in my time.
They all talked to me before the ocean claimed them as tribute. I've learned a lot over the years.
Tribute? Oh it's not important the mermaid replied quickly. Cindy started to notice that she was
swimming easily as they descended further into darkness. In fact they had been moving for a
while at this point but she wasn't tired or hungry. She was using the mermaid's glowing scales as her
guide. No one was going to believe this when she got back on land. How old are you? I don't know
how many years I've been alive. I remember when humans started to go out on the water with their
tiny ships. My sisters and I would sing to them as their boats passed. Sometimes they would try
to come to us but they always seemed to crash into the rocks and start to drown. We ate well in those
days. That's terrible. Couldn't you save any of them? Wait ate well? Yes humans taste quite good.
What Cindy yelled in her mind? I'm joking. I'm joking. Of course we saved them the mermaid
assured Cindy who was back in panic mode. Oh oh okay that's good. Cindy's nerves began to calm.
She wasn't sure how long they had been underwater. Hours? Days? When they passed through a giant
archway into a cavern the darkness gave way to a city under the sea that was lit by huge glowing
cyclopean towers stretching from the bottom of the cavern floor almost to the ceiling. There were
tens of thousands of merpeople swimming between these towers with fish of every type. Cindy felt
drunk with wonder. What is this place? She asked. My home. My people. Is this Atlantis? Oh no dear.
That's in the middle of the Atlantic. It was a human city that was swallowed by the waves because
they didn't pay tribute to the sea. I was there when it happened. My fellow priestesses and I
performed the rites for our god to bring Atlantis beneath the waves. That's terrible. How could you
kill all those people? Cindy once again grew nervous. Relax silly I'm joking again. You are
easily baited. That's a dangerous thing down here young one. Sometimes it's hard to tell when you
are. If this is not Atlantis what's your city's name? Brulier. That's a strange name. Cindy's
head hurt hearing it. I guess to you yes but to be fair Miami is a strange name to me. Then the
mermaid's mind blurted out excitedly. Oh jet skis. I can't wait to try jet skis. How can you ride
jet skis? I can't. That was one of your many stray thoughts bleeding through. You've never ridden a
jet ski but want to right? The mermaid replied. Right that's weird you being in my head. The
mermaid pulled her close and gave her a long deep kiss. Cindy felt her toes curl and her concerns
melt away. Then the mermaid continued. Our god lives under the city sleeping until the stars
are right for his return. Does your god have a name? Inquired Cindy. Yes but it cannot be pronounced
correctly by humans. Oh look I've really enjoyed all this but I think I should be getting back home.
It feels like I've been down here a while. Soon enough I want you to meet my family. They swam
through the city with all the other residents gliding by them. Cindy noticed that though her
mermaid was beautiful the rest were not. In fact some looked like terrifying fish people from that
old black and white movie. What was that called she thought? She couldn't explain it but she was
scared and at the same time unable to say no to the mermaid. She wondered if this joined brain
thing went only one way. She couldn't hear the mermaid's thoughts. Her mind tried hard to break
through the euphoria that kept rising to make her not question anything. Here we are home sweet home.
That's the saying right? Cindy looked up at the malformed black stone tower looming above her
and her mind finally thought clearly. She had been taken to the very bottom of the cavern floor
deep in the sea. The entryway was a hole lined with coral and what looked like bones. Human bones.
Beyond the threshold was more darkness. Everything suddenly felt sinister and she knew she was in
trouble. Without hesitation Cindy turned and started swimming as fast as she could toward the
arch that they entered through. The mermaid watched this reaction with amusement. Cindy suddenly
started to drown and grabbed her throat trying to breathe. Her muscles felt like lead. She couldn't
swim and started to sink to the cavern floor. The nearby fish and humanoid abomination started to
circle her looking as if they might eat her. The pressure of the immense depth started to clamp down
on her as well. Within a second the mermaid came up behind her and took Cindy's hand. Foolish minnow
you are miles from the surface. You must stay with me or the pressure down here will kill you.
I'm keeping you alive she said like a cat to a mouse. I I don't want to go into that building.
I just want to go home. Please take me home please. This was a mistake. I please let me go home.
Cindy's mind was boiling with chaotic thoughts of what this all really meant.
No the mermaid replied flatly. But why? I've never done anything to you. I thought you liked me. We
kissed. We bonded. It all felt magical. Why am I here? It was magical. Magic is why I can read your
thoughts. It's how I help you breathe and keep you from being crushed. But it doesn't have anything
to do with love or romance or even some animated movie you watched as a kid. Mermaids hunt with
magic. We call you with our song and glamored beauty and you can't resist. I've killed and
eaten millions of your kind over the past 10,000 years. It's been amazing. No god no don't eat me
please. I'll do anything. I want to see my mom and dad. Let me go. Let me get out of here. Cindy was
hysterical. I'm not going to eat you. Why bring you all the way down here just for that? Besides I like
eating in the sun. No you are here for an important purpose and then home we go. I promise. But we have
to go into the temple before that happens. You have such beautiful skin. I would hate for my family to
have to drag you in there. Why not make things easy for yourself and go on your own? Either way
this is happening. The mermaid's voice had changed to someone who had dropped the facade because they
held all the cards. Cindy's tears streamed from her eyes into the ocean surrounding her. She thought
about her family, her dad and mom. She was only two years into college. She thought about the girl in
her art class that she liked. Her whole life was in front of her and now likely behind her at the same
time. She had been enticed by this creature, this thing, this monster. She got turned on by something
that couldn't even have sex with her if it wanted to. The mermaid looked horrible now. All the glamour
was gone and they all looked like fish people hybrids with soulless eyes, sharp rust colored teeth
and putrid green scales. They chortled to one another in sickening tones. It took Cindy's arm
and pulled her into the tower. The two entered a large chamber with a table in the center and all
these eldritch machines circling it. They were followed by others who began to work on these
machines. Cindy felt hung over as reality took over. She started to wail incoherently as they
strapped her to the table. The creature hovered over her as she pulled against her restraints.
It was holding an alien device made of pure nightmares. Cindy screamed one last time until
the creature tore her brain out and fed it to the other fish people waiting nearby.
Cindy was no more. The mermaid transferred her own brain into Cindy's empty skull. It attached
itself to the spinal column and reattached the bone and scalp that had been removed using small
tentacles that protruded out. The others stitched up her head. She knew everything Cindy did. She
now had human parents, human understanding, and access to the world beyond the ocean. All the
planning, the years of failed attempts, and missed opportunities meant nothing. It was all worth it.
She was now human. She was Cindy, but better. Her mermaid brain would keep her alive on land until
the stars were right and she could free her god from his prison. Take me to the surface now,
the former mermaid commanded the others. They had finished Cindy's discarded brain and now eyed the
mermaid's discarded body. She noticed this. You can eat it after I'm gone. I have no use for it anymore.
Hours later, she woke up with EMTs and police officers trying to move her onto a gurney.
She was on a dock with a storm raging all around her. She's waking up. Stay still. We're going to
get you to the hospital, one of the EMTs says. She is still dazed by the spell that teleported her here.
Everything is going to be okay. Can you tell me your name? Cindy. Now that's a piece of tale you
should pass on. Do you believe in love at first sight? Be sure to tell us in the comments. If you
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Good night, fearlings. Sleep well, if you can.