She moved closer and leaned toward her ear.
“Please keep your voice down,” she whispered.
Latty froze. Her hands moved forward slowly, touching the air as if searching for something familiar. Her whole body was shaking now.
“Please… who are you?” she asked in a small voice. “My father pushed me into the river. I fell. I was drowning.” She swallowed hard. “But now I am breathing. I am talking. I am still in the river.” Her voice cracked. “Am I still alive?”
Tears rolled down her face and floated away like tiny pearls.
The mermaid swam closer and placed a gentle hand on Latty’s shoulder. Her touch was warm and calm.
“You are very much alive,” she whispered softly. “With me, you can breathe and talk under the water. You are safe here. I will help you.”
Latty held tightly to the mermaid’s arm, like a child holding on to hope. She did not know where she was, but for the first time since the bridge, she felt protected.
Back in the village, the sun rose slowly the next morning. People whispered. The air felt heavy.
Eba hurried to Latty’s house as soon as he heard the news. His heart was beating fast. When he arrived, he saw Latty’s mother sitting on the ground, her wrapper loose, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Women sat around her trying to comfort her, but nothing helped.
“So it is true?” Eba asked quietly. His voice shook.
Latty’s mother looked up at him slowly and nodded. Tears rolled down her cheeks again.
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