Chapter One: Break

He laughed. So she let go.

Even as the wet hands shot out of the water, grabbed her ankle, ripped her nightgown, and pulled her hair, her anger was building. Even as they writhed around her like snakes, giggling and spitting, she had reached for the sharp seashell. Even as she fell hard to her knees, salt-water stinging her eyes, she was ready to fight back.

Then Wendy heard Peter. The anger boiling in her chest coddled down to a cold lump in her throat. He was laughing at her. Tumbling in the air, just out of reach, mouth open wide, and finger pointing at her soaked body.

The seashell dropped from her hand, and shattered on the rock just before the mermaid charged and Wendy disappeared under the water.