Go with Him
"Okay!" you say to Hermakles. "I'll go with you!" You hold out your hand and he takes it in his.
He smiles at you. "Good!Come then!" He turns and leads you away after him, swimming further, deeper into the reef.
"Where are we going?" you ask him, glancing around curiously as you swim along, staring at the multitude of colors and shapes - the fish and plants and corals and anemones, all in a bewildering array of colors - all the colors of the rainbow and many more besides.
"To The Smoking Hole!" he shouts back over his shoulder.
"What is the Smoking Hole?" you ask, then the pair of you swim over a ridge of coral, and you see it.
It is frankly incredible: a gigantic hole in the bottom of the sea: it is so big, you can hardly see the other side of it. Looking down, you almost feel vertigo: it stretches down further than the eye can see, disappearing into darkness far below.
And it really does smoke: dark wispy clouds rise up from the black water far below, filling the water up here with a rough sulphury stench that makes you blink your eyes and cough as it reaches your eyes and gills.
You and Hermakles tread water above a little coral hollow at the edge of the Smoking Hole. Looking around, you finally gain an idea of the sheer size of the reef: it must be miles across! Looking about, you see a small crowd of merfolk nearby swimming at the edge of the Smoking Hole. "Who are they?" you ask, pointing toward them.
"Oh, them?" Hermakles says, following your pointing finger. "They're a bunch of fools who still follow some ancient tradition about worshiping the fires down below."
You glance at him. "You don't?" you ask.
He shakes his head. "I've never seen any fires, and even if there are, they don't do nothin' to control my life!" he declares.
You hesitate to answer that, unsure how to respond: after the things that have happened to you, you're not about to doubt much of anything without good reason. "How can you be sure?" you ask him quietly.
Hermakles give you a surprised look, then grins. "Because," he says, then reaches out and puts his arm across your shoulders. "Because I found you without help," he says, pulling you close.
You stare up into his face, surprised by the sudden turn of events. "Why- what-" you gasp, seeking something to say.
He cuts you off, leaning close and kissing you on the lips.
Your eyes widen in surprise, then close as he hugs you close to him, moaning softly with pleasure; you had never been one for seafood, but he tastes wonderful!
He breaks it off and you stare up into his eyes, your cheeks flushed, your breasts rising and falling as you gasp for breath.
Still smiling down at you, Hermakles pulls you down into the coral hollow. "Come here," he says softly, pressing his body against yours.
"No- wait. . ." you gasp, remembering who you used to be, what you used to be.
"Why wait?" he asks, then kisses you again.
You stiffen, then melt against him, surrendering to his desire. . . and yours.
Written by J-B-Hickock on 10 December 2014