Lovely looked up from far beneath the water at the handsome man she once saved. He leaned over the bow of his ship, staring into the waves as if he could feel her gaze. She loved him. She loved his warmth and the soul shining from him. For the first time sorrow entered her innocent heart. She swam into dark depths, oblivious of her actions, her golden scaled tail flashing in the murkiness. “Who are you?” a voice thundered out of a deep cave beneath her. Lovely could see two red eyes burning…a massive black sea serpent, disguised by the shadows, slithered out from the cavern. “You can be with him. You can have his body, but I want his soul,” it purred to her. “Alright,” she said in a voice that wavered with uncertainty. “Drink this,” said the serpent and a gold vial appeared in Lovely’s hand. She took the potion and transformed into a beautiful, warm human. As she struggled to swim to the surface, close to losing consciousness, she heard the serpent whisper, “Have him drink the rest and he will be yours.”

Lovely climbed aboard the ship and fainted into the man’s strong arms. After she woke, they traveled the seas together, having adventures and growing deeply devoted to one another. She couldn’t bring herself to give him the potion. One late night she climbed out onto the deck of the ship and decided to drink the vial herself. She would not destroy what she loved so dearly, his kind and courageous soul. “I will love you always”, she whispered into the wind. She sipped the strange drink slowly, unsure what would happen. Her skin grew warm and glowed as bright as the stars, then her form scattered into millions of shining gold particles that floated into the air and down into the crashing waves. She became part of everything, her love carried forever in the sparkling gold waters.

                                – Anuzoo