I ground my teeth together as frustration flooded my system. Things never went easily, this much was obvious enough. The phone slipped from my single thumb grip and clattered back down on the ground and I groaned some more. Apparently, using the phone wouldn’t be as easy as it once was, having lost all much dexterity from my other fingers. I had to grab the phone using both of my hands to actually be able to keep the damned device from falling over again. I’d have to charge it before being able to use it. Being a mermaid and using electricity was obviously a perfect mix. A dry laugh escaped from me.
Raising my bust as much as I could without the use of my hands, propping myself up on my elbows, I resigned myself to having to make the trip back inside. I had to remind myself that, even if I had managed to use the phone, I’d still have to go back. Calling Tom wouldn’t have stopped me from drying out or dying from suffocation if I'd have to wait for him.
Pushing hard on my arms, I hauled my body back to the house, ignoring the now familiar burning and pain I felt from being too dry. The fact that I had to lie lower since I no longer was on my hands made me leak even more lung-water from my gills as I felt my lungs slowly drain away. I hurried on, trying my best not to think of imminent death and all the problems that would soon crop up in the near future.
I quickly got myself inside as I was getting the hang of this type of movement. I was now somewhat able to use my tail to do a simili slithering motion that pushed me forwards. The problem was that my scales were starting to scream out their indignation at being so poorly used: they were meant to slip and slide through water, not rub and scrub against dirt,concrete or wood. Another thing I had to ignore.
Once I got out of the heat from the late afternoon sun, I noticed the kitchen sink and a lightbulb lit up in my head. Perhaps I wouldn’t need to be so desperately shrivelled up. I headed towards it with a renewed hope, already imagining the much needed moisture going down my gullet, streaming into my lungs and trickling into every crook and cranny of this fishy body of mine. Once I’d have been horrified at the idea of drenching the floor but now I didn’t care one ounce.
I went straight for the kitchen, obsessed with the promise of wetness and nearly slammed my head into the cupboard. Putting the phone on the side, reminding myself to push it a bit away as to avoid splashing it by accident- frying it was the last thing I wanted to do at the moment. Reaching upwards, I grabbed at the sink with both hands and pulled hard, pushing with my lower body at the same time. It was much higher than the bathtub was and I had to put twice as much effort to make it but the pain that was hammering away at me served me better than any cheerleader ever could.
After some effort, I nonetheless managed to get my waist on the side of the sink. Licking my lips as my hot breath came out wheezing, I extended my left hand towards the faucet. A groaning sound interrupted my efforts as a soft, slow, crunching noise came from underneath me. I whined as I quickly grabbed the faucet with my other hand as well. The sink groaned as the whole cupboard beneath me gave way. I desperately tried holding onto the sink and broke the nozzle as I collapsed on the ground.
Water exploded forth and I quickly presented my bust to the fountain. Some part of me was positively mortified at the fact that not only had I busted my kitchen, I had also destroyed it because of my weight as well! I coughed out my lung water and breathed replacement, sighing as the cool liquid settled comfortably inside. I then looked around me, observing the havoc I’d caused.
The cupboard that had once supported the sink had given way under my weight and blasted all of the pipes as well as the faucet. I was somewhat surprised at not being hurt at all, not a single shard of wood under my skin or pipe piercing my stomach as I’d expect to see in such an event. It looked like this new body of mine was not only much heavier but also much more robust than my old one. I made a bit of a face but gave up on caring, relishing on the water trickling all over my skin and scales. I was once more moist and glad to be.