Spooky Sensations 3 - Secret of the Swamp

Written by Corinne Barnett.

Book 3 of the Spooky Sensation Series.

Hilda used a pole to push her raft along the saltwater swamp she was forced to live in. Her father gambled away the family's wealth and home, pushing them out of town to hide from debt collectors. And the whole family toiled as a result, struggling to survive on the fetid wetland.

But worst of all were the sounds of the swamp at night. Normal animals were easy enough to ignore. But sometimes she heard strange things she couldn't identify. Sudden gurgling, splashing water. Not like a gator or wildcat, a squishing noise of feet and croak-like sounds that drowned out even the cacophony of frogs singing to the moon. Hilda hated that she had to live out in this isolated stretch of land, subject to the whims of nature itself.

Hilda sighed and focused herself. She spent the day gathering whatever edible plants she could find, along with shellfish closer to the sea. She had to get home and make yet another scavenger stew.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she caught sight of a silhouette from the corner of her eye. On a ridge formed by a tree stump and peat collected over decaying wood, a dark figure stood. A muscular, manly body, yet not quite a man. Its shape obscured by bog plants draping from its arms, none the less appearing to have fins. Yet a moment's glance was all Hilda could have, the creature quickly ducked away, splashing into the murky water below.

Hilda began to try and push her raft along faster, but without taking her time to dig the pole into the soft mud in the swampy shallows, the pole only slipped and the raft wafted along the water slowly.

The water around her splashed. Hilda looked from tree to tree, trying to catch sight of the creature again, holding the pole defensively like a spear.

But that wasn't enough to save her, the raft was suddenly tipped, sending her falling into the water. A hand clasped at her ankle and dragged her further away from home, ignoring her desperate screams. Hilda tried grasping onto anything she could, but the trees were out of reach and the swamp offered only mud and slippery plant stems.

Eventually the murk of the swamp turned into ocean water as they reached the shore, and to Hilda's terror she was dragged under water. Deeper and deeper, the light of the sun above filtering blue through the water. She could now clearly see her captor, a man with fish-like features. Down his head and back were dorsal fins with long flowing lobes, wafting as he swam. And with the swamp mud washed off, his scales now glistened like gems.

The aquatic man turned to face Hilda, keeping a firm grip on her with one hand as she held her breath and frantically thrashed. With his other hand he held out a pearl to her, giving off a magical glow that illuminated the water. Confused and not knowing what else to do, Hilda took the pearl into her hand. And in an instant her sense of choking vanished, as though the water became air. Surprised, she glanced down, realizing she now had a mermaid tail, scales beautiful hues of emerald and sapphire.

She looked to the aquatic man again, speechless at the transformation. He spoke in a bold voice, "The kingdom below needs beautiful things, and you are beautiful! I will bring you there, a home of elegance and grace, for truly you belong there!"

Hilda swam along, following him through the ocean depths. He navigated her through a reef, giant rocks covered in all manner of colourful coral. Eventually they entered an open space, revealing an underwater city of gold, masterfully sculpted and filled with artistry.

Hilda gasped, her eyes taking in the sight. She was ready to start her new life under the sea.