You park in the driveway and walk up to the front step, pulling out your keys and unlocking the door. Your pug, Lilly, bounds up to you and licks your face. You smile and walk inside, to see your parents preparing dinner and sister complaining about something like always.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad." They smile when they spot you.

"Just letting you know, Liam's coming over for dinner." Your father nods. "Alright, Dess." He turns back to the roasting veggies.

"Did you find anything at the beach?" Asks your mom.

"Was Melody acting up again?" Adds your father.

You take a moment to wonder if you should tell them about the pearl, and shake your head. "Nope, I didn't find anything."

Your mom raises an eyebrow. "Okay, we'll call you down when Liam arrives," and you walk upstairs.

What will I do when he arrives? What do I say about the pearl? 

Eventually, the doorbell rings and you hear your mum call you down. 

I'm so sorry for the late delay. I did write the next part a few days ago, but then my computer shut down before I could post it, and what I wrote was gone and I was SO frusterated so I just didn't want to try again for a little while.

You plod down the hall once your mom yells that Liam has arrived. Into the living room and then the dining room, were Liam stood. 

"Hey, you," he said with a smile. "Long time no see!"

"Right, a few hours is forever," You roll your eyes but smile too. 

"Come grab some pizza, and you two can go to Destiny's room," your mom called from the kitchen. 

"ALRIGHT!" Liam cheers, rushing to the kitchen. "no wonder it smells so good in here! "

Your mom does have a steady reputation for making awesome pizza. You grab some sausage pizza and walk to your room, Liam munching noisily behind you.

Once in your room, you settle on the floor, with Liam across from you. Shoving the rest of your food into your mouth, you reach for your swim bag were the pearl is. Probably not the best spot, but you weren't sure what you were supposed to do with a strange looking pearl.

"So, what is it? What you find?" Liam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, somehow having already gobbled 4 pieces of pizza in the past 7 minutes.

"Well, this," you say, pulling out the pearl. 

It shimmered in the light, and then burst into a rainbow of colors like a crystal. Liam's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He snatched the pearl from my hand and put it up to his face, muttering and examining every inch of it. Finally, he handed it back.

"It looks... It looks like a pearl tail," he mumbled finally, shoving his glasses up. 

"A what now?" you asked.

"A pearl tail. It's a myth. Or, at least, it's supposed to be."

"Oh, get on explaining already," you say impatiently, rolling the pearl in your hand.

"Ledgend says that if you find a golden pearl on an ocean bed, and it shines like a jewel, you should swallow it. You're supposed to turn into a merfolk if you do."

You blink, then look at the pearl.

"We should go to the beach tomorrow and see if it works," Liam erged. 

"and choke on swallowing a pearl? No thanks," you scoff, but still, you feel as if it could work. What should you do?" 

After a couple of hours, Liam leaves for home, so you sit on your bed, pondering the pearl in your hand. It sparkles when held up to the light and has an almost ethereal glow to it.

Could the myth be... right? You feel like it could work, but worry if those feelings are wrong.

"Well, there's no harm in trying," you mumble to yourself. "I'll try with Liam tomorrow, on the beach." 

You put the pearl on your bedside, and pull the covers up, wondering what tomorrow will bring.  

The ocean is midnight blue, the sky matching. The moonlight danced on the waves, making a gorgeuos pattern of diamonds. A sweet scented breeze shifts the palm trees, making miniture whirlwinds in the black sand. 

Black sand? Never had you seen black sand. Where were you...?

But then the scene shifts, and now you are high on a cliff, the ocean crashing noisily on rocks below. Instead of just the ocean spreading out to the horizon, strange, pointed, tall mountains soared into the sky, blocking most view. There seemed to be a snaking path through the close together mountains, disappearing behind the largest. Suddenly, a voice boomed in your ears.

"Swallow the Pearl and find me. Spring me from this prison."

Your gaze sharpens, focusing on the rocks below at the bottom of the cliff. In the brief moment were the waves drew back, a black barred cage was revealed, before the waves slammed against the cliff again with a resonding crash, and you jerk awake, pearl clutched in your hand. 

What... Was that?!

You jolt awake, pearl clutched in hand, wondering about the dream. You feel so disoriented that you don't wonder how the pearl got into your hand or how it was in the same placement as last night.

"Black sand..." You mumble to yourself. "It has to be important... And who, or rather what was the voice?"

You didn't know. You stumble out of bed and checked the clock at your bedside. 6:30 AM. You're leaving at 7:00, and start to get second thoughts about the whole matter.

Should I really go to the beach? What if the dream was true? You rub your tired eyes. Probably not, but... 

You try to push those thoughts away amd concentrate on getting ready for the day.

Ten minutes later, you're ready to leave. You have a swimsuit and cover-up, just in case, and have a shoulder bag for necessities and the pearl tucked away inside. You send a quick text to Liam, saying that you've changed your mind and will give it a chance. He hasn't responded yet, but you don't feel too worried.

I think I'm ready, or at least I hope so...  

"Well? Try! Try!" Liam stood next to me in the waves, swim shorts wet. His glasses were off, so when he looked at you he looked slightly cross eyed, but you knew he could see you enough. Enough to see the nervous expression that was surely dominating your face.

Before you can chicken out, you shove the pearl into your mouth, shoving with your tongue to try and swallow the thing. It goes down your throat about halfway, were it stops. You choke. You can't breath! You try to hack, cough, anything!! How stupid were you??

Your legs felt wobbling, and your hands scrabble at your throat. But then you notice that your legs seem to be vanishing. Panic floods you, and you try to walk, but you just fall over, splashing. Suddenly, the pearl inside your throat seems to expand, and you can breath. You take a gulp of air, your head throbbing, and then try to stand.  But your legs don't cooperate. Your eyes widen, as they travel down your body. Where your legs were, a shimmering silver tail was in it's place. You look up at Liam, who looks like the world suddenly makes since. What should you do? 

You take a deep, shuddering breath and look up at Liam with a confused expression. 

"I-I didn't expect this to happen!" You cry out with fear. "Do you... Do you think there's a way to reverse this? Or at least temporarily?!"

Your voice shakes with anger, not necessarily directed at Liam. He pauses, lost in thought. 

"Perhaps..." He says uncertainly. "I have an idea." 

Liam kneels in the water besides you, then puts a hand to your back. "Try and choke it up, as though you have phlem in your throat."

You build up air in your throat, and coughed. Nothing happened. You did it again, this time rubbing your throat where you imagianed the pearl to be. To your surprise, the pearl seemed to shrink, and it came out onto your tongue. The second you took it from your mouth, your tail vanished with a tingle and your legs reappeared. You look up at Liam, half realived and half incredulas. "It worked. Both ways. I was a mermaid. I'm a human now."

"And you didn't even try breathing underwater," Liam said teasingly, though you could see relief in his eyes. Then he grabbed the pearl from your hands. "My turn." 

Liam quickly shoves the pearl into his mouth and gulps. He starts choking and gasping for air, before falling to the ground. Where his legs had been, was a gleaming gold tail. "Do what you told me!" You exclaim. Liam nods and starts choking the pearl up.