The crew was in anarchy. Rain poured down hard as giant waves crashed against the ship's sides.

The boys raced across the deck, back and forth to lean out over the ship railings and peer into the black abyss below. Shouts echoed through the air with fearsome cries of horror.

I stomped towards the bow as chaos unfolded before me. Ambrosio trailed after me, hurried and frantic. "So, this is a thing."

"What is?"

"Mermaids!" he shouted over the violent winds. "Hostile fish women swimming towards us in the dead of night to attack the ship?"

"It's not the ship they're after."

"Starboard side, sir!" Tom cried. "Two minutes."

"Raise the sails! Get us to open water!"

Shouts went up into the air around us as the crew obeyed my command. I stood in the middle of the deck, surveying the scene with sharp eyes. The rain beat down on me like a thousand knives piercing your skin.

We were just off the south coast. Even in the dark of night I knew this island all-too-well. Mermaid Lagoon could be made out a few miles ahead in the darkness.

"Does this always happen?" Ambrosio shouted.

"Not exactly."

"What does that mean?"

"It means," I said impatiently. "That they have a reason to attack."

"Sails raised, sir!" one of the boys shouted. "We're still in the bay!"

"Give it all she's got!" I ordered. "Don't let them reach the ship. They can't swim in open water."

"Aye Captain!"

The wind roared around us as the sea threatened to swallow my ship whole. I stood at the bow, clinging to a rope with one hand to keep myself grounded in the storm.

Ambrosio remained by my side. "What do the mermaids want?"

"I don't know."

"Why are they so aggressive?"

"You've never met a mermaid, have you?"

"Not exactly the kind of thing you'd find in London."

A chorus of shouts echoed as the crew took the ship out further. We set course for open water, and I watched as the ship sliced through the icy water as we picked up speed.

Ambrosio tried again. "I thought mermaids were pleasant creatures. Like in a fairy tale or-"

An eery screech rung out from the horizon and I turned towards the sound. Nothing could be seen in the darkness but that didn't mean we were safe. We still hadn't reached open water and I knew how fast mermaids could swim.

"More!" I shouted at the crew. "Put your back into it!"

The boys groaned as they continued to push the ship as far as she would go. The Jolly Roger was the greatest beast in the Neverseas, but that also made her a target.

Ambrosio approached the railing and peered down. "I don't see anything!" he cried, earning a mouthful of sea water that crashed over the deck.

"Ambrosio, get away from there!" I shouted, but the boy wouldn't move.

He leaned out further, trying to see through the wind and rain into the waves below. "How will I know what they look like? Do evil mermaids look the same as good mermai-"

"Look out!"

I hooked my arm into the back of Ambrosio's collar and hauled him away from the railing just as a mermaid hurled itself out of the water towards him. She crashed into the railing, screeching viciously through a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs and swiping her claws in ferocious gesture before sliding back into the ocean.

"Oh my god!" Ambrosio gasped, staring in horror at the place where the creature had been. "That does not look like the mermaids I pictured."

"Get inside!" I yelled at him, but before I could throw him towards the doors to the Captains Quarters, another screech rang out and I watched as three of my crew swiped at the mermaid with an oar who'd hurled herself out of the sea, hitting her back into the raging ocean below with a fierce battle cry.

Releasing my hook from his coat, I hauled Ambrosio to a stop in front of me. "Get inside my Quarters," I ordered. "And don't leave until I give the word."

"But-"

"Now!"

Ambrosio went, slipping and sliding across the wet deck as he tried to avoid getting hit by one of the mermaids, who were simultaneously hurtling themselves out of the water in an effort to snag one of my crew off the deck and drag him into the ocean below.

I wasn't having any of it. Grabbing the sword from my belt, I clapped it firmly in one hand and poised my hook in the other.

Another mermaid had thrown herself out of the sea. This time she aimed for just above my head. It was a grave mistake.

Reaching up, I sliced my sword along her tail until it made a clean cut. The mermaid howled in pain and swiped her talons at me but I managed to duck out of the way and keep going.

Stomping to the centre of the deck, I called out order to my crew. Some were busy throwing nets into the water. Others were keeping the ship steady. I watched as Nox drove a spear towards the head of a mermaid but she ducked under the waves before it could make its mark.

The battle raged on as we neared the Neverseas. It was against Neverland law that the mermaids enter open water but that wouldn't stop them from trying to drag one of my crew off the ship and below the surface to drown before we got there.

"Keep steady!" I shouted through the storm. "We're nearly there!"

Below the ship, screeches rung out as the mermaids hissed and screamed at the sailors above deck. Looking down, I got a glimpse at one of the ghastly creatures. I'd forgotten how truly frightening they were.

With green skin and short clumps of hair scattered across their bald skulls, the mutated creatures really were a horrific sight. Their jagged fangs ripped their mouths bloody and claws extended beyond their reach to tear out the throats of sailors.

Mermaid tails in folklore were known to be pretty and glimmer in the sun. With tails such as these, I couldn't understand how I'd once believed them.

Gone were the shining fish scales and seaweed decorations, instead replaced with the ferocious power of a shark tail as black as ink and just as deadly. I couldn't have imagined they'd be any better even without the series of holes and stitches ripped into the side of their lower bodies.

Shark tails were exactly how the mermaids were able to propel themselves out of water so high. The added power from a greater-sized tail gave them the ability to soar over ship decks and dig their claws into any unfortunate sailor before dragging them to the depths below. Unfortunately, I'd witnessed it before.

Another screech rung out as a mermaid threw herself over the ship's railings. It took three of my crew to shove her off using oars from our sailboats. The rain was starting to beat down harder. If we didn't reach open water soon, it would be too late.

I ran. Across the deck and up the stairs to where Jimmy stood at the helm. He saw me coming and tossed himself aside to give me access to the ship's steering. I grabbed the helm and pulled down tight.

"Captain?" Jimmy shouted over the weather as he watched me change course.

"We won't make it in time!" I shouted back, throwing the wheel down. "We need momentum from the waves to take us out quicker."

Jimmy called out to the crew below, who took heed of his guidance and changed course. Mermaids was still flying out of the water and one even managed to snag one of the boy's boots before she was kicked in the head and slid back into the water.

With the waves taking us out quicker and wind picking up in the sails, I watched with growing hope as we neared open water. We were going to make it. We-

A scream rung out as something heavy landed on the deck behind me. Jimmy and I turned to see a mermaid had thrown herself right over the stern and onto the top deck. She caught sight of us and snarled, teeth sharp and eyes black as squid ink.

Before either of us could react, the mermaid howled and started clawing her way towards us. Jimmy cried out in horror as she snagged his pants leg and yanked, sending him crashing to the floor.

Other boys had heard the cry and came storming up the stairs to the top deck. The mermaid saw them coming and hissed, clutching Jimmy tighter. Jimmy cried out in pain as one of her claws cut into his leg and left a bloody wound.

"Jimmy!" I shouted. "Move!"

Jimmy managed to wriggle out of the way as my sword came down on the deck. It would've severed the mermaids head clean off had she not seen Jimmy and slid along with him. I tried again but the mermaid rolled to one side and hissed visciously at me.

The boys were calling to one another. Others tried to fend the mermaid off with everything from oars to swords to whips. She dodged every one of them. I suspected she was an older creature who'd been around sailors before.

Just as the mermaid was getting ready to clamp her fangs down on Jimmy's leg, my crew rallied together and threw a net down on top of her. She thrashed around under the rope, screaming with the wind. It was a defeaning sound and more than one of the boys covered their eyes as she howled.

I called out to Jimmy, reaching for his hand under the net. Jimmy grabbed it and cried out as we pulled him out of the mermaid's grip. The mermaid screeched and made to grab at him when Tom kicked her in the head.

"Get her down onto the main deck!" I yelled at my crew.

They hustled and dragged the mermaid down the stairs by the net, avoiding her sharp talons and razor-blade teeth in the effort not to be scratched.

Making sure Jimmy was alright, I ran down to the main deck as the storm rolled around us. It took four boys to drag the mermaid up onto one of the wooden panels. She hissed and thrashed around under the net.

"Captain on the deck!" one of the boys cried and my crew parted to let me through.

"Raise the net." I said.

The mermaid saw what we were doing and made a break for it. She was too late as just as the net was lifted, my sword was on her throat. She attempted to call out to her sisters but I pushed the blade in until a thin line of green blood seeped onto the metal.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I growled at her.

The mermaid hissed at me but stopped struggling against the crew's grip. I noticed the screeching from below was becoming fainter and cast a glance out over the rails.

We'd done it. The ship had reached open water. The other mermaid's couldn't follow us out here and the one we held captive couldn't risk another escape attempt when we were this far out to sea. From the widening of her black eyes, she realised it to.

I didn't wait for her to come up with a new plan. Pushing the blade right against her sickly skin, I demanded, "Tell me why you are here."

The mermaid bared her fangs to me and struggled against but I sliced my sword down her arm, leaving a shallow cut. She screamed out but the crew held her down.

"I won't ask again. Tell me why you are here." I commanded. "Did he send you?"

"M-m-message." the mermaid choked out, spitting out salt water.

"Message?" I looked around to my crew, who all wore matching expressions of shock. "What message? From him?"

In all her horrific glory, the mermaid smirked up at me, teeth jarring out of her mouth as her black eyes grew darker. She seemed to sense the crew's fear and my anger because her body relaxed as she grinned up at me.

"Soon."