Tails

by Lhynn Cooper
Chapter 5

.......... "I think Bob and I better be going now." Linda said. "You two have a lot to talk about and work out. I'll be over sometime tomorrow morning, Terry. We'll drive by the restaurant and try and find that woman. Try not to let it get to you. Just keep thinking that it's only temporary."

.......... "Yeah, cheer up." Said Bob. "You'll be back on your feet in no time, pun intended." He grinned.

.......... "Okay, okay, I'm all right." I said, trying to sound more cheerful than I felt. "I guess it could be worse, how, I don't know, but it probably could be."

.......... "She could have turned you completely into a fish, that definitely would have been worse." Bob said.

.......... That thought was kind of sobering. Bob and Linda left, and Samantha and I were alone.

.......... "It's getting late and I'm exhausted." Said Samantha. "I didn't get much sleep last night and I never did get that shower I wanted. Do you want anything to eat, Bob? I'm not really hungry, I think after I clean up, I'd just like to watch a little TV and go to bed."

.......... "Sounds fine to me." I replied. "I'm not all that hungry either. I'd kind of like to take a shower too, I really haven't had a chance to clean up in a couple of days. I feel sweaty and dirty and this blanket doesn't help any." I pulled the blanket off of my tail. "That feels better. I wouldn't mind getting rid of this sweatshirt, either. It feels rough on the inside. These nipples sure are sensitive, is that how yours' feel all the time?" I asked.

.......... "Yeah, they can be sensitive." She replied. "What you need is a bra, that will help." She saw me wince at the mention of female underwear. "You'll get used to it and I think you'll find that it's actually more comfortable than not wearing one. Especially with a chest that size." I winced again "A good sports bra might be easier to handle at first. No clasps or fastenings, just pull it on like a T-shirt. One of mine ought to fit for now, they're supposed to fit snug. We look like we're almost the same size, now. You may have one cup size on me, though."

.......... "I'm not trying to compete with you. Jeez, I don't want these at all." I said, cupping the breasts through the sweatshirt. "Why couldn't that kid have thrown a boy doll for you to sit on?" I complained.

.......... "You know your not going to be able to take a shower?" She said. "You're going to have to sit in the tub and take a bath."

.......... "I hadn't thought of that." I replied. "I can't wait to get my legs back and get rid of this tail, it's a real pain."

.......... "You take your bath first." She said. "I've got to decide what to wear tomorrow and get my makeup and things organized for the morning. I'll try to give you a hand getting in and out of the tub, if you need it."

.......... I started to move the wheelchair down the hall to the bedroom and attached bathroom. Samantha came up behind and pushed. "Thanks honey!" I said. "I don't know what I'd have done without you." I reached up and touched her hand on the handle of the wheelchair. She patted my shoulder and replied, "We'll work it out. We'll find that woman and things will be back to normal before you know it.. This will make for some interesting memories, though."

.......... She wheeled me into the bedroom, the wheelchair just barely fitting through the door. It was obvious that it was not going to fit through the narrower bathroom door. I slipped out of the chair and onto the floor, and worked myself into the bathroom and up on the toilet the same way I had done before. I sat on the toilet and relieved myself again. This time, I had to do both one and two. Another new experience in this body.

.......... I peeled off the sweatshirt, still not used to the fleshy protrusions on my chest. I sat there for a while, absent-mindedly rubbing them. It wasn't that they itched, rubbing and kneading them just felt good.

.......... "Cm'on, little mermaid," said Samantha, "leave those alone and get into the tub. I'd like a shower some time tonight. I'll get you some towels. You need help getting into the tub?"

.......... "I'll make it." I said, feeling a little embarrassed at being referred to that way. I wadded up some toilet tissue and wiped my butt, then slid off of the toilet and, with some effort, climbed over the edge and into the tub. I sat in the tub and tried to stretch out my tail, but with the fins, it was too long to stretch completely out. I had to keep the tail bent or curled slightly to fit. I bent forward, amazed at the flexibility of my mermaid body, closed the drain, reached up, and turned on the water, adjusting it until it felt comfortable. While the tub was filling, Samantha returned with the towels. She reached over to put a bottle of shampoo on the back ledge of the tub. It fell into the water and she reached in to pick it up. "That water's a little cool, isn't it?" She asked. "I remember you used to like your showers hot."

.......... "It feels comfortable to me," I said. "I didn't notice it, but, you're right, it is cool, almost cold. I guess this body's better insulated than I thought."

.......... "Well," she said, "You're made to live in the ocean now, and the ocean's cold. You sure you don't want it a little warmer though?"

.......... "Okay." I replied and Samantha adjusted the water temperature until she felt it was warm enough. I could tell the water was warmer, but, it really didn't feel any more or less comfortable. This body seemed to have a really wide temperature comfort range. I had the thought that this would make a dynamite research paper, if I ever decided to go back and get a masters degree. Perhaps a title like, 'Ambient Temperature Exposure Limits of the Average Mermaid Body', except that no one would believe a word of it.

.......... "Let me take that hair-clip out." Samantha suggested. "You might want to wash your hair." She undid the clip and my hair started to fall down. I shook my head and it fell straight. "God, you have beautiful hair." She said. "I'd grow mine long again, but no matter what, it wouldn't look that good. I'm almost jealous of you, or at least parts of you."

.......... "I'd gladly give you all the parts you want, as long as I can have my originals back." I said. "This long hair is going to be murder to live with. I haven't had a whole childhood to get used to it like you did."

.......... As the tub filled, I leaned back, flexed my tail a little more, and lifted my knees, or that part of my tail where my knees used to be, up, and lay down more in the tub. I let the water rise around me. It was so relaxing, and the swirling water felt soothing. My hair floated around me. Samantha was arranging her cosmetics and things around the sink and the vanity. I became curious, could this body actually live underwater? I took a deep breath and let my head sink under the surface. I involuntarily closed my eyes as the water covered them and then forced them open. I found I could see quite well, even objects that were above the water. My eyes were apparently constructed for this and were not at all bothered by the water.

.......... Then came the big test. I let out the air in my lungs, and with some effort, tried to inhale water through my nose. At first, human instinct wouldn't let me do this, but, then my body's mermaid instinct took over and I did inhale. Amazing! I was aware of the difference in viscosity between water and air, but this body seemed able to process either one with ease. Within a couple of, (I'm not sure what term to use, breath's wouldn't be right, would it?), I was 'breathing' underwater! My body seemed able to adjust it's gravity so that I could float under the surface without effort. As with most fish, I think my body must have had some place to store water to adjust it's floatation.

.......... I lay under the surface, completely relaxed. I noticed Samantha had left the room. I floated, breathing water for what seemed like at least 10 minutes. Samantha came back into the room, and I could see her eyes widen as she saw me under the surface. She must have been concerned, she rushed to edge of the tub and reached down to touch my head. I sat up, water streaming off my hair, exhaled what seemed like an awful lot of water and resumed breathing air. "Terry!" Samantha cried. "What the hell are you doing, trying to kill yourself? Don't do that, it's not that bad, we'll get you back to normal somehow!" She was almost crying.

.......... I smiled at her and exclaimed, "Wow, was that weird. Just when I think I'm starting to get used to this, I find something new." I proceeded to explain what happened and that I was just experimenting.

.......... She was still almost is tears. "Well, don't do that again, or at least tell me before you do, damnit! You scared the hell out of me!" I felt really bad for upsetting her.

.......... She calmed down as I explained, and then became curious. "You really are a mermaid, I mean all the way, aren't you?" She looked at me, kind of shaking her head. "Just don't scare me like that anymore, okay? I still love you and don't want to lose you." She stopped crying, paused, then smiled and said, "Besides, I'd have a hell of a time explaining your body to the police. At least we could probably bury you at sea and save the cost of a burial plot."

.......... "Oh thanks a lot." I said, with a smile, and splashed a little water on her with my tail.

.......... "Okay, okay." She said. "Get washed up, Terry, so that I can get a shower sometime tonight."

.......... "I want to try that some more." I said. "That underwater stuff is really different."

.......... "Well, just a little while, okay?" She said. "It's been a long day and I want to relax a little before bed."

.......... I slid back under the water and, marveling at the sensation of breathing water. My senses seemed sharper, somehow in the water, and I wanted to experience more of this. Sam watched me for a couple of minutes. I could see her eyes move from my face to my breasts and finally to my tail, which was partially out of the water. I wished we had a really large tub to give me more room.

.......... I began to feel self-conscious with her studying me, and reluctantly sat up, pushing wet hair out of my face. "I'll wash up quick so that you can shower." I told her. "You know, I wish I had some place I could swim free and give this body a real tryout. I mean, we're sure to find that woman soon, and she'll change me back, and I'm curious about what it would feel like to actually swim with this tail and fins." I started to wash with a bar of soap.

.......... "You almost sound as though you're beginning to like this." She replied with a curious look. "We've got to get you changed back, I want the original you."

.......... "I know." I said. "I want the original me back too, it's just that while I'm like this, I'm curious." I was touching and feeling my tail under the water. The scales felt so smooth and warm when they were wet. Touching it, even with my own hands, produced pleasant sensations.

.......... "I'll help you wash your hair and rinse it." She said, changing the subject. Using a washcloth, I rinsed the soap off my upper body. I didn't try to use the soap on my tail, but washing my breasts caused the nipples to stiffen.

.......... "I don't think I'll ever get used to these." I said, cupping the breasts in my hands. "Are you always conscious of yours? I mean, how do you keep these," I touched the nipples, "from getting hard like this? Doesn't it bother you when it happens?"

.......... "I don't know what to say." She replied. "Were you always conscious of your penis hanging there between your legs all the time? How did you keep that from getting hard all the time? I've always been curious about that."

.......... I just shrugged and looked at my chest and groin. I wondered, how do you ever know what somebody else actually feels. If I see something and say it's red, and someone else looks at the same thing, they may call it red, but are they actually seeing it the same way that I do? Here I am, now with tits of my own, but do they feel the same way to me, that hers' do to her?

.......... "I think that I'm always kind of aware of them, in an unconscious way," She looked down at her own breasts, "but, they're always there, you just get used to them when you've had them all your adult life." She continued.

.......... "Okay!" She said. "Enough philosophy for now, I want to get that shower in soon." She then began to pour some shampoo onto my head.

.......... I worked the shampoo into my hair, still amazed at the length of it. Sam helped me rinse it out by pouring water over it, using a large plastic cup. She then took another bottle and began to pour it on my head, saying, "You better use this cream rinse if you want to be able to comb that hair without pulling half of it out of your head." I started to work it in like the shampoo, but she said, "No, don't do it that way, just smooth it through your hair like this." She spread the rinse down my hair with her hands and then took a plastic comb-like thing with large teeth and combed the stuff through. "This is easier to rinse out in the shower." She commented. "Let's drain the water out and use the shower head."

.......... I pulled my tail out of the way, and she reached into the tub and opened the drain. As the water drained out, she pulled the shower curtain shut and I turned on the water again, adjusted the temperature, and pulled the knob to start the shower. The water cascading down on me felt really good and it was much easier to rinse the stuff out this way. When my hair felt clean, I reluctantly shut off the water and Samantha pulled open the curtain.

.......... "Here." She said, handing me a towel.

.......... I dried as much water off my head as I could and then needed another towel to dry the rest of me off. I climbed over the edge of the tub, still not used to the flexibility of this new body. Samantha had spread another towel on the floor for me, and I worked my way up and sat on the toilet, where she had lowered the lid.

.......... She helped me comb out the long wet hair. There were only a few tangles in it. "You've got such beautiful hair." She said. "I've really got to let mine grow long again."

.......... "I don't know if I can put up with it." I said. "It seems like so much trouble to go through all the time. Maybe I'll get it cut short."

.......... "Oh, don't do that, it's too beautiful to cut." Sam said. "Besides, I don't know too many salons that do mermaids."

.......... "Yeah, that might be a problem." I replied.

.......... Samantha helped me back onto the floor and I dragged myself out of the bathroom and got back into the wheelchair. "My hair dryer's on the dresser." She said. "You don't want to go to bed with wet hair. And you might want to put something on in case it gets chilly in here tonight. Why don't you try putting on one of my pajama tops or maybe one of my short nightgowns. They're all in the drawer, there. I'm going to shower." She closed the bathroom door half way and began to undress.

.......... I rolled the chair over to her dresser and got the hair dryer. She had already plugged it in. I leaned forward and let the hair hang down and dried it. It seemed to take forever. When it felt pretty dry, I turned the drier off and set it down. I could hear the water running in the shower.

.......... "Nightgown!" I thought, "I really don't know if I'm ready for that, yet." As if I ever would be. I rummaged through the drawer, thinking that as good as she was being about all of this I should try and please her. I pulled out a cotton pajama top, white, with pink flowers on it, and then noticed a sheer, lacy nightgown in the drawer. It was one that I really liked on Sam because it showed off her figure so well. It fit snugly around her breasts, clung to her hips, and just barely covered her crotch. It came with a tiny pair of panties, almost a thong style, that usually didn't last long on her when she wore the outfit. I pulled it out of the drawer. "I'll give her a good laugh." I thought.

.......... I put the panties back, they were obviously of no use, and rolled the chair over to the edge of the bed. I moved from the chair to the bed and pushed the chair slightly away. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I pulled the nightgown over my head and smoothed it over my body, the narrow straps feeling strange on my shoulders. I pulled the hair free and let it hang down my back. The stretchy material clung to my bust. the lacy fabric was pretty much see-through and didn't really hide anything. The outline of my nipples and the slightly darker skin around them, was clearly visible through the lace.

.......... I heard the water stop in the shower and knew Samantha would be out soon. I felt ridiculous wearing the flimsy nightgown. The idea of wearing lace clashed with my still, very male, self image. I was about to take it off, when I looked at the mirror over the dresser and was startled at the image presented there. I could only see myself from the waist up, but, looking back at me was playmate of the month material.

.......... Even though I knew it was me in the mirror, I was still not used to seeing that figure. My mind reacted as it normally would have to such a sight, and sent a message to the body to respond. The body that responded, however, was no longer male, or, even totally human, and the resulting sensations, produced by stiffening nipples and vaginal lubrication and arousal were totally alien. My nipples were now very visible through the sheer nightgown, and my groin area was tingling.

.......... Samantha opened the bathroom door and walked into the bedroom with one towel wrapped around her and drying her hair with another. She started to say something and then saw what I was wearing and stopped dead. She looked me up and down and said, "Wow, I wish that looked that good on me. My God, that body is gorgeous." I felt myself turn red with embarrassment.

.......... "I'll take it off." I said. "I just did it as kind of a joke." I paused. "I'll never get used this. Yeah, the feeling of totally new sensations is kind of a kick, but, this is going to drive me insane. My mind is one sex and my body is another. Every time I look in a mirror, I feel like I'm going to get a hard-on, but I only get this weird tingling down there and then it feels like I'm getting wet. And these nipples.........." My voice trailed off.

.......... Sam came over and sat next to me on the bed. "You don't have to take it off, it looks fine on you. It really does. You shouldn't be embarrassed about it, you can't help what that little girl did to you." She put her arm around my shoulder and took my hand.

.......... "What are you talking about, anyway." I said, "I always liked this on you. You look great in this, in fact, I wish you were wearing it right now." I pulled the stretchy nightgown over my head and off. "I can't wear stuff like this, here."

.......... "This is really going to be difficult." I continued. "I look at you and want you, just like I always did, but now I can't do anything about it. I'm going to go nuts, I just know it."