Sailors

"Toss her over board!"

A scream filled the night air. It was windy, the waves rough against the ships side. Salt water splashed up into the faces of sailors, how gripped the sides of their beloved ship as to not be tossed over the side.
Why was everyone out so late? Why were they out in this horrible weather? Well that would be because-

"It's her! It's her fault! This weather's a sign of her evil! Throw her over!"

How rude. It was because the crew of this mighty ship had discovered a woman amongst their ranks, having hid from the smelly sailor men for days on end. She thought it safe to come out of her hiding spot while the crew slept, to get a glance at the beautiful sea before having to go into hiding again until the ship reached its destination.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. She'd tripped over a piece of rope that had been strewn across the deck, falling onto the wood and alerting the look out, who called the captain.
This isn't a fairytail where the captain in merciful on the woman, or where the lookout changes his mind and tells the captain that it was a mistake, and continues to hide the woman.

She struggles against the harsh grips on her arms, trying desperately to get away from the open edge of the ship, where she'd been dragged to. There were chants coming from every occupant, all of them calling for her to be thrown over. Two more sailors approached her, thick rope in their hands. They tied it around her legs and around her hands, stopping to most of her struggling.

"It's bad luck to have a woman on board!"

"Witch!"

"Leave her for the sharks!"

As she was pushed to the edge, the woman felt the sea spray again her face. For a moment, she stopped struggling to take in the water, to observe it for the first time. it's dark depths that held so many secrets, to white caps on the tops of waves as the crashed, the fish that swam beneath the surge. In the darkness -as there no no moon behind the dark clouds in the sky- she wondered what it felt like.
But it wasn't though she really wanted to know. It was more of a metaphorical wondering. Like wondering what would happen if you jumped off the top of a tall building. You knew the outcome, yet you still wondered.

It wasn't as though she had to wait long. The other end of the rope was tied to a cannonball, a heavy led thing that would surely drag her down once in the water.

The captain held his hand up for silence among the crew.

"As you all know, it is against all beliefs to have a woman-" He spat the word like it was poison "-aboard a ship. It is a curse, a curse that leads all to death. Death for all those who occupy to ship, to the depths of Davy Jones' Locker! An eternal torture. The only way to avoid this horrible ending?" He turned to the woman "A sacrifice."

With a wave of his hand and a rough shove from the back and the woman toppled forwards. The cannonball hit the water first, dragging her down heavily.
The water was cold. She could hear the splash she made when she submerged in the water. But there was no resurfacing. She struggled and tears flew from her eyes, mixing with the already salty water as she sunk. Fish watched her and swam away from the strange figure.
The pressure on her head was almost unbearable as she sunk even further, the light at the surface becoming dimmer and dimmer. Her lungs burned from holding her breath for too long and she wanted nothing more than to take in a breath. Her neck and rib cage stung like her flesh was being torn open and she knew that this was her end. She knew that something was attacking her, though she could not see it. The stinging in her side was almost too much for her. The dress that she was wearing was heavy and billowing around her as she sunk. Something swam right by her head, brushing to side of her face and she screamed, letting out the last bit of air she had.
But then, the most incredible thing happened. Well, the most incredible thing in her opinion.

She was breathing.

Water was rushing to her neck and through it, and then out her rib cage again. She continued to sink, but breathed, panted, as she struggled her hands out of their bonds. Once she was untied, she tore open the bodice of her dress and stared down at her rib cage in shock.
She had grown gills.
She flicked her legs around a few times. Confusingly, they moved fluidly, without hindrance. It was like no weight held her legs down and she could move around perfectly fine.

She looked up to meet the pale grey human-like eyes. It was a woman, gills in her neck and rib cage, scraps of fabric covering her chest and a long tail.

"Finally, we now have an army to lead against the sailor men."