The water looked grim and uninviting but Jess just presumed there was only one way to find out if the diary was true. She had to go down there. For a moment she pondered on the idea of diving head first into the water but then she reminded herself of what could happen. So she plonked her trembling foot into the freezing murky water wishing that she had never even read the diary. SPLOSH! Jess quickly closed her eyes and expected the worst. Gingerly she peered out of one eye. Nothing had happened. She fully opened her eyes and gave herself a quick check over. Nothing about her had changed. So Jess tried again splashing both her feet in. Still nothing. Why wasn’t anything happening she wondered. Jess racked her brains for answers.

One page of her grandmothers’ diary reflected across her mind. ‘As soon as one droplet of water touches the heel of my foot my legs seal together which forces me to the ground. My legs form a scaly tail and my teeth start to remould themselves to a black nightmare. I become a monster. A mermaid, in their language. It means they serve the water by bringing the people from above. That’s what Abigail said anyway. She is the leader of the mermaids in my Mums Lake. We all have to give a daughter. That’s how its’ always been’ It’s weird because she wasn’t really Jess’ mother; Abigail gave her to her mother when Jess was born. Abigail put work before her only child so she offered her to the humans but now she wants Jess back. Her eyebrows knotted in confusion because she couldn’t quite work it out. Her mother wasn’t her real mother and she was connected the lady in the lake but was this really her grandmothers lake. Had she been a present form the lake as well? Jess suddenly released her eyebrows realising the hilarious expression that was flooding her face and pushed the confusion to the back of her mind. Letting daydreams of a new life in a Disney world with her true mother. But something doomed on jess that she had brushed into a corner before. Who was this woman who had claimed to love her and care for all these years? And although Jess’ heart mourned for a mermaid who now requested her love as a daughter her blood was sealed for the woman who had been there for her all along. Her blood wasn’t sealed now but beating in indignation at the thought of someone flouncing out of the blue and demanding her as a daughter. The thoughts in her mind were convulsing back and fourth between curiosity and uncondistional love. However another piece was thrown into this chess game; Abigale had never actually said she wanted her back that thought had just assumed itself in Jess’ mind. The fairytale of two women fighting to be her mother had swept her off her feet and a drooping entered her shoulders again

Jess’ mind quickly focused in on the lake again. She thought if only she could talk to this Abigail person she could try and understand this preposterous fable. Jess being the optimistic person she is tried to look on the brightside. At least she wasn’t a mermaid and maybe her grandmother was writing a story or just messing around. However the passion of her grandmothers’ words pulled at her heart strings making her fell the snap of her legs sealed together and seeing the yellowing eyes with no pupils. The ugly scales running like wires across her body and the black slits in the side of her head replacing in her ears. The lack of a heartbeat; just an empty piece of flesh sitting uncomfortably in a prominent rib cage. The electricity of her imagination almost formed an x ray clear vision of the mermaid flashing across her body giving her shivers down her now trembling spine. Once again compressing another thought into the collection of confusing and unwanted thoughts. Her brain just gave up and she decided to give up.

Jess turned and started walking away when she stopped to give her great-grandmothers lake one last glance. It was still as murky and as uninviting as before; she continued walking. If only she had stayed for a moment have seen a blue flicker of a tail. Graces tail. Grace,her grandmothers’ tale.