Buried in Crimson Tides

My husband buried me in the sand, shaping me into a mermaid.

Then he turned his back and walked away-off to comfort his stepsister, who had stubbed her foot.

I watched his figure retreating, helpless, as the tide crept higher. Despair swallowed me whole.

In the very last second before I lost consciousness, a single thought flashed through my mind.