-
A month later
August 27th
I walk around as if on high clouds. Work has started again but that's not why I'm so happy.
No, it's rather that Fia asked the other day if I wanted to marry her and I said yes. After some thought, it will be a civil marriage, but there is not much that differentiates between a wedding and a civil marriage. And today is how it should happen. I have taken time off from work. The colleagues know that I will get married but they have not met Fia or know that she is carrying our children.
The wedding will take place in the courthouse and only our closest are invited. Tony and Jesper will be witnesses at the wedding. Even though we only booked the other day, a wedding officiant is already booked. No picture of us will be published in the newspaper. There is a risk that Sverker will see the ad in the newspaper if a photographer from the newspaper is there, and we really don't want that. Especially not now that Fia is pregnant.
This is the first day my parents will meet Fia as well. I have of course told her how much I love her and they have understood, They have been married for almost 50 years so they know how such love feels.
My parents still don't know the truth about us nor that she is carrying our children. I feel I must explain that at another time. It is already slightly visible that Fia is pregnant, but not completely obvious if you have not met her before.
There is a lot to fix before the wedding. Fia has been second-hand and found a perfect wedding dress. I found a very nice suit at the same second hand and it fits perfectly. The party afterwards will be at my parents' house because they have the biggest gathering space. Besides, it was their own idea. DJ Marre is booked for the party and he will play music at the party.
To relieve dad of the food, I have already ordered a large plank that will be delivered to my parents in the afternoon. I have also ordered hot smoked salmon which will also be delivered to the parents. Later in the evening we will have a barbecue. Dad has arranged a lot of meat and chicken to be grilled but I have paid for most of it even though he wanted to invite the whole party.
The wedding will take place at 5 p.m. when the courthouse is normally closed, but we will be admitted by people who will be there at the wedding. Right now it's 1 p.m. and it feels like the hands on the clock are really dragging their feet.
I've already shaved and showered of course but for now I'm wearing casual clothes in the apartment. I will put on the shirt and suit just before I go up to the Courthouse. The ring I chose is safely in the pocket of the suit. The ring is slightly gold colored and very nice.
Tony has promised to give a speech at my parents' house after the wedding. I've never heard him give a speech before but I hope it goes well.
At 2.30 pm I eat some food from the freezer. The microwave beeps and I take out the baby pancake with bacon that I heated. Given that I will eat more tonight, I chose something light. But wait until after the wedding. No, I don't want to be hungry that long.
I have lost weight since my first transformation and at the same time my metabolism has increased. It has made me eat more than I did before, although it doesn't show. Nowadays, it is common for me to eat a whole bag of chips in the evening. My body needs more salt and that is one reason why I eat chips often but I also drink a few glasses of water with salt in it every day.
When it's 4 p.m., I can't sit still and walk back and forth in the apartment. At 16.30 I take the elevator down to the ground floor and go out. It's not a very long walk to the courthouse from where I live and I arrive at 4.45pm.
Most of the guests and Jesper and Tony are already there. Fia hasn't gotten there yet, but I see her parking in the main square a bit away, so she'll be there soon.
We are admitted at exactly 5 pm. Everyone is gathered.
God I'm so nervous. Probably Fia is just as nervous.
The officiant talks about the magic of married couples and much more. Can't he come to when we have to make promises to each other soon? Mom stands and cries a little and wipes her tears with a napkin. Dad stands straight and comfortable next to him. He usually doesn't show much emotion apart from anger sometimes. Crying is very difficult for him.
After even more talk, it's finally time. My pulse goes up to over a hundred.
- Before God and in the presence of this congregation, I ask you, Kenneth Elroth: Do you want to take Fia Svantesson as your wife and love her in need and desire?
- Yes.
- Before God and in the presence of this congregation, I ask you, Fia Svantesson: Do you want to take Kenneth Elroth as your husband and love him in need and desire?
- Yes.
We give each other our rings. It's a big moment.
- I, Kenneth Elroth, take you, Fia Svantesson, now as my wife to share joy and sorrow with you and be faithful to you until death do us part.
Fia makes exactly the same promise as me.
Finally we are married. Everyone claps and Fia and I kiss for a long time.
When we come out of the courthouse, mom throws some rice at us. It feels a little weird, but it's normal to do that.
I go with Fia to her car. She drives to my parents' house. I explain where she should turn and which roads are the fastest to drive on. We arrive almost at the same time as the parents. Tony, Jesper and DJ Marre will arrive soon. Tony is driving their car.
Together we go upstairs and gather in the parents' garden. They have erected a large plastic marquee where all the guests can fit. Mother has done well with flowers and lanterns and other things. DJ Marre picks up his equipment and puts the speakers on the parents' balcony and angles the speakers so they are facing the marquee. He also sets up a spotlight and some disco balls on the roof of the marquee.
Dad is in the kitchen getting the plank, the salmon and a homemade potato salad. He's really good at doing things like that. All the guests are hungry, including me, so we bite into the food and eat.
DJ Marre has put on some light music at a relatively low volume and it's a good choice of songs. It's mostly Swedish songs but also some foreign ones. Some songs I have heard while others are for the first time.
When the food is eaten, Tony clinks his glass. It's time for his speech.
- Dear Kenneth and Fia and everyone else who meets here at this moment. I've been waiting and waiting for you, Kenneth, to finally find someone. A few weeks ago when we met and went fishing, I saw something new in your eyes. I didn't know what it was about at first but soon I began to understand that it was about a girl. Soon you introduced Fia and what an introduction. My chin dropped several meters.
Me and Fia laugh a little. We know parts of what he says aren't quite true but it feels better this way.
- I know that you and Fia will have a great time together. You understand that when you see them together. The only thing missing right now is for you to move in together but I'll let you decide how you want to go about it.
Move in together? Sure, why not? I look at Fia and see that she seems to be thinking the same thing. Well said, Tony.
- However it turns out with moving in together, I wish you a good life and that you get an increase later. Cheers!
Both Fia and I toast Tony. The other guests of course also toast to us and we to them.
DJ Marre stands up. He walks over to his equipment.
- Super good food. But now it's time to dance a little. We start a little softly with the song "Kärleken förde oss sammen" with Ulf Lundell. It fits nicely today.
No one in the family really likes Ulf Lundell except me, but the text actually fits this well. Dad frowns a little at the song choice, but soon he's dancing with mom. Fia and I also get up and dance.
Soon it becomes a little uptempo and Jesper gets chills and it looks like he's dancing to the song "Jungfru skär" but it's not that one at all. Several laugh a little at his dancing style, but everyone is happy and pleasant.
DJ Marre plays mostly music from the 70s and 80s but also some from the 90s. Most of them are songs that I recognize and have even danced to at various school discos and such. It's not so much disco but more pop and such that is played.
Mom seems curious about Fia's belly and gently feels it a few times and gets something dreamy in her eyes. She has already understood one of our secrets. She neither asks nor comments about Fia's stomach, but I see in her eyes that she understands that Fia is pregnant.
When DJ Marre plays Opus' song "Live is life", all the guests scream along so it echoes. It is so famous that almost the entire population of the world probably knows it.
Jesper continues with his own dance style and it seems that most people find him funny. A few get annoyed because they can't dance properly when he goes about in his own way.
- Now I think we'll play a little ballad again. Here comes "Song To The Siren" by This mortail coil.
Fia and I are under the spotlight when the song starts. I have never heard this song before but soon I will know for sure. This is our song. The singer's voice is magical Everything that hurts becomes beautiful, so beautiful that it hurts. Fia and I dance closely together.
On the floating shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
Till your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang, "Sail to me
Sail to me; let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am
Waiting to hold you"
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was full-sail?
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks
When the song is over, Fia and I look at each other.
- This is our song. We forget the Goombay Dance Band. This is real music.
We say the same thing almost at the same time and smile big.
A few songs later comes a song with Tomas Ledin that I haven't heard before. It is called "The color of my eyes" and is quite calm. It actually gets a bit annoying after a while, but it still sticks in your head like Karlsson's glue. Fia and I can't help but giggle at the song. Some of the visitors also seem to find it annoying.
After several hours of music, dad brings out the grill. Tony goes over there. I know he likes to grill and chat with my dad when he has time. I also go over there after a while and wonder if I can help with something. Dad and Tony say they've got the grill and everything. I walk over to Fia again and continue dancing.
DJ Marre plays a few more songs but soon dad comes and asks for the microphone.
- Now it's time to grill for those who want it. We have meat and chicken on the big table together with the spit. Just take what you want and put the skewer on the grill. Tony and I will help keep track of your skewers.
Not all the guests want a barbecue, but I take a skewer and choose some meat and chicken. Fia is not keen so she declines. DJ Marre lowers the volume slightly as some of the guests eat.
Later in the evening there will be disco songs with, among others, Baccara, Donna Summer and KC & The Sunshine band. Jesper and I dance a bit and Fia stands next to us and claps the beat. Some of the visitors drink alcohol, but not Fia and I.
The party goes on for a long time, but shortly after midnight, Fia feels tired and decides to head home. I accompany her to the older house. I sleep over there with her. We lie and talk to each other. Mostly about moving in together. In that case, we will live in this house. It is worn but both Fia and I see the potential with it. It could be great. It's just a matter of time and desire.
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Just over a month later
September 19
I am packing my things into large boxes in my apartment at Amiralitetstorget 10. I will be moving in with Fia today in her house at Björkhagavägen 7 in Ekeberg. The house that she only uses in the winter when it's icy outside. She has given up her smaller apartment that she had in Marieberg. We will share the cost of the house and that feels perfectly fine to me.
Tony also joins and helps to pack. He has already put a few full boxes in a trailer he rented. He has promised to drive the things to Fia's house. Fia is also there but she doesn't have to help but she wanted to be there. The reason we don't use Fia's car is because you can't put a trailer on it.
While I'm packing, I also take the opportunity to sort out things that I no longer have use or interest in and of course broken things that should be thrown away. I will donate the stuff that people can use to second hand. Some things you usually go through just when you are in the moving days.
The repair for the water damage has been paid and it was expensive. It cost a whopping SEK 37,000, although part of it went on the insurance.
Tony yells that there will only be room for a maximum of two more boxes in the trailer and I take the two that are filled and go down to the ground floor and put them in the trailer. Fia and Tony are on their way down. At the entrance, Fia meets my landlord. He seems impressed by her big belly.
- There will be an increase, I can see.
- Yes. Absolutely. Will be exciting.
- Kenneth could have stayed if he wanted.
- Yes, but he wants to live with me now. I have a relatively large house in Ekeberg.
Fia walks over to Tony's car while the landlord goes up to the house. She feels that maybe it was stupid to say where she lives but now it's too late.
Once at Fia's house, Tony and I helped empty the trailer. Now there are only small things left in apartment that also need to be packed up, but we will wait to do that until after my parents have greeted Fia and me. We have something to show them.
Fia goes down into the cellar to fill up with water down there. I show Tony around upstairs and put some boxes in the rooms that are finished.
Fia and I have started renovating the old house. So far we have only renovated the kitchen and our shared bedroom. We have started some renovation in the living room but so far it is only half finished.
The stove has already been replaced. We checked what the cord behind looked like before we even tried it and it was lucky. The plastic in the rubber in the cord had dried and some of the metal conductors were completely exposed and lying against each other. In the best case the plug would have gone and in the worst case there would have been a fire or you would have been electrocuted.
We tossed it on the tip immediately after unplugging it. Tony is a little upset that he didn't get the party owen.
- What would you do with it then?
- Do not know. Maybe give it to a museum or something.
- It would have worked well. But Tony. There was something or a few things that I would like to ask you.
- Oh okay. What do you want help with?
- The first thing is that we will transform ourselves so that they can see what we are. But neither you nor my parents understand our merfolk language. You can't interpret but you can support my parents if, on the contrary, they think it's gross to see us as a mermaid and a merman.
- Sounds like a good idea. You've kept it a secret from them longer than from me. I don't think there will be any problem.
- But in your case, you asked so much after the fire at Sverker that I had to show it.
- That's right. That's right. What else did you need help with?
- We were going to show Fia's babies through ultrasound to the parents and you, but then someone has to fetch the ultrasound transducer. It is on a cart that has wheels down in the basement.
- Sure. I can do that. But I would like to do something in that case. It's not blackmail but it's something I want to do.
- Then what kind of thing?
- Pat your fish tail.
- Okay. You may do that since you ask so nicely. Just don't hold on and pull it and screw yourself up.
- I would never do that and you know that.
- Yes but then so. Then we have a plan. The parents will arrive in around 40 minutes, I think.
- Shall we tell you about Sverker and all that?
- Actually, maybe we should, but I don't want them to worry unnecessarily, so I think we'll mention it later. If necessary.
Fia is still down in the basement filling up water. She sings along to some song but I'm not sure which one.
I put on some music in the living room. It will be a good record with David Bowie. He could sing really well.
Fia comes up and fixes something in the kitchen. She starts by making a homemade pizza that we will treat the parents to. It contains ham and chicken. Fia and I mostly eat fish, but not only that. You might have been able to have salmon in the pizza, but that is probably unusual. You can of course make a pie with salmon and spinach, but just today both Fia and I felt like pizza.
The pizza takes around 20 minutes to make and it's just ready when mum and dad ring the front door. Me and Tony have laid out plates and glasses in the meantime. There will be Loka lemon and Sprite to drink. Mom will probably choose Loka.
Mom comes in first while Dad is out looking at the house. He seems pleased with what he sees. Mother goes into the kitchen and greets Fia
- Hi Fia. Oh dear. A child or two is expected here, I see.
- There will be two. We already checked it.
- Will be a lot of fun for us.
Dad also enters the kitchen. He looks at Fia with raised eyebrows but says nothing.
We all sit down and eat the homemade pizza. It is very good and the whole thing is consumed. After the pizza there will be coffee and tea.
Fia and I check the clock. It is high time to reveal our secret. We stand up and clink a spoon against the now empty drinking glass that I used.
- You already know that Fia is pregnant but there are a few more things that you don't know but that you should know.
- It really shows that she is with children. We know about the water damage in your apartment. You never told me about that.
- This is a bit more advanced than water damage. Follow me down to the basement.
The parents and Tony follow Fia and me. When we are almost down, dad reacts that there is water in the basement.
- But come on. It's flooding here.
- No. We are the ones who filled up the water. You will understand why there is water here.
Both mom and dad take off their shoes and wade with us in the water in the basement until we get to where there is the biggest space.
Fia and I start to undress naked. Dad glares at me like I'm crazy. Mom looks away.
- What is this about? Get dressed again.
- We have to take off our clothes for what we have to do.
Tony laughs a little at my parents. He knows far more than they do right now.
- One more thing before we do what we are going to do. Unfortunately, we can't answer any questions since we transformed because you don't know our language that we use then. Tony may be able to answer some questions.
- Transform? To what?
- You will see.
We transform in Fia's basement in front of my parents and Tony. Tony has a hand right behind my dad's back. In case he faints. After our transformation, the room becomes so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. Mom is the first to say something.
- What are you? Some kind of weird human fish? Or is it? Mermaid and merman?
Tony smiles at mom.
- That's exactly what it looks like.
- But that should be impossible.
- I also thought so when I first saw Kenneth transform, but it's real.
- So you found out about this before us?
- It turned out that way. For slightly different reasons.
Tony is next to us and pats both mine and Fia's fish tail. Fia flinches a little but takes it well. Dad says something for once.
- But hey. Do they really like being patted on the butt?
- Kenneth said it was okay for him. I didn't ask Fia but she also seems to accept it.
- But the tail is still considered a bit private. With the end and all.
- They have their cloaca further up.
Tony points out where our cloaca are.
- Regarding cloaca and such. There is one more thing you might want to see.
Tony collects the ultrasound that Fia borrowed from a nurse. The nurse has promised to keep quiet about the loan. Tony wades through the water with the cart that the ultrasound is on towards Fia, my parents and me. Tony plugs in and the ultrasound transducer beeps. Then he gives me the gel to rub on Fia's stomach. I carefully spread the gel all over her stomach. I know Fia is ticklish but she does this well.
- Who wants to take care of the ultrasound transducer?
- I want to do that.
Mom accepts it.
We let mom, dad and Tony look at Fia's babies through the ultrasound. Mother slowly pulls the probe over Fia's stomach. She seems to find this extremely interesting. Dad doesn't seem that interested or he doesn't like it. It is not easy to determine what he thinks. Tony is impressed and mostly says Wow the whole time.
Fia's two cubs are clearly visible on the monitor. We look at them all. It is not easy to determine the sex of them but one is bigger than the other. We can clearly see that. I ask Fia if it's normal. She thinks the bigger one is male, but she's not entirely sure. The size is considered normal. Maybe the kid can be a little harder to get out but it shouldn't be a problem.
We hear the babies' heartbeats from a small speaker on the monitor. They beat faster than human hearts. Fia and I smile at each other at the wonderful sound. Mom wipes a tear from her cheek. Dad mostly stands in a corner and glares. It is difficult to read his reaction. Hopefully he is happy for us. Tony smiles big at Fia and me.
Mom is again the first to say something.
- What did they say to each other before?
- I have no idea. I don't know their language. It is certainly called the language of the merfolk.
- I thought they sounded a bit like dolphins.
- I can absolutely agree with that. They might be able to communicate with dolphins.
- So Fia is going to give birth to mermaid babies?
- It looks like that. But the bigger one might be a male. Check the size of Fia and Kennth. He is both bigger and taller than she is.
- It will be both fun and exciting when they are born. Hope Fia doesn't have as much pain as us humans when she gives birth.
- Despite having scales and smelling a bit like fish, they seem to be more mammals than fish. Most mammals have some pain at birth, I think.
- I only know how it was for me and it hurt, I promise.
Mom walks closer to the monitor and looks
- I'm not sure, but I think it looks like they're each in an amniotic sac. Could it be true?
- I have no idea. Never asked them about that.
Dad joins the conversation.
- When did they mate?
- Sometime at the end of July, I think.
Tony pulls out the cord for the ultrasound and puts the machine away. Mom and Dad look at each other. Mom seems happy as can be, while Dad seems a little sad and bitter.
- In any case, this was a surprise that I didn't expect right away. Will she give birth at BB?
Fia shakes her head. Even Dad should realize that wouldn't work very well.
- So she will give birth here at home?
Mom looks at dad curiously. She is a little surprised by his question.
- Yes. She has to do that. Or she gives birth in the sea. We will then have to ask when she becomes.. ordinary.
Me and Fia decide to show the parents how we can affect the water before we transform back. Tony and mom think it's very cool to see, but when the waves get big, dad reacts.
- But what are you doing? If you do that out at sea, you can inadvertently sink a smaller boat.
Fia and I nod even though it has never happened. In any case, Fia has not said that she did such a thing.
- You must promise never to sink any boats or ships.
We nod and begin to transform back.
- This is what we wanted to show you. Now for what you were wondering about. Tony had been allowed to pat my tail.
- Tony never asked me if it was okay but it didn't matter even though I was quite surprised that he patted my tail like that.
- We talked about the kid's size and if it was okay and it seemed to be. The cubs are in each amniotic sac and Fia will give birth to them down here because there is supposed to be ice in the sea when they are born. Presumably it will happen sometime between January and March. It is true that we mated at the end of July. Finally. We will not sink any boats or ships. We are kind people.
Fia opens the cellar door so the water can drain out and then we all go upstairs again when all the water is out and Fia has closed the door.
The parents stay a little while after we get up, but dad says after a while that he would like to go home and watch some sport. Both Fia and I understand that he needs to think in peace about what he found out today. Mom is more light-hearted and jokes about different things.
We then say goodbye to the parents and they drive home. Tony stays for a while after they leave but he also goes home soon. We can take the last thing I need to pick up from the apartment in Fia's car. When Fia and I are alone, we hug for a long time.
- It went as well as it could.
- Dad seemed a bit grumpy but he can be like that sometimes.
- What we showed wasn't exactly something he would have believed if it hadn't been proven the way we did today.
- Sure it is. Mom was very curious about the ultrasound transducer.
- It's not that weird. After all, she is a woman and also your mother.
- Shall we collect the last things in my apartment or shall we wait until tomorrow?
- We can do it today. Then it's done.
Fia and I go into town and collect my last things. We pack everything in boxes that I know will fit in Fia's car.
I find a very nice statue of a mermaid, at the far end of the wardrobe in the bedroom. It's been sitting there for as long as possible and I can't even remember if I bought it myself or was given it. Apart from the color of the scales, it is very similar to Fia. I show it to her and we decide that we will have it in front of the kitchen window in our shared house. We are part of the merpeople now.
When everything is packed, I look around the now empty apartment. I have lived here for over 20 years. I have so many memories from here. Like that New Year's night when Jesper collapsed in the bathroom because he drank so much and he remembered absolutely nothing about yesterday's events when he woke up.
It feels a little sad to leave the apartment after so many years, but I am not the same person as when I moved in here. There is no visible change on the outside, but the inside is clearly different.
- Yeah. Then there was only the cleaning left. We'll do that tomorrow, right?
- It will be absolutely excellent.
I take the boxes out of the apartment and lock the door. We go down to the ground floor and walk towards Fia's car. Once home, I start unpacking the things that will be in the bedroom, the kitchen and a little in the living room. The rest will have to wait a while. We have all the time in the world to fix and make nice.
It's getting late and we're watching TV before going to bed. The beds are brand new and very comfortable. We bought them at Ikea in Kalmar. Tony was driving. He also bought quite a lot so the trailer was full when we left after several hours.
It doesn't take long until we fall asleep close to each other
-
3 months later
December 25
The snow is white everywhere and it is still snowing heavily. I am in Fias and my house. She has just turned into a mermaid and will be until the babies are born. This was the last day she could be human for quite a while.
Fia is swimming around down there in the basement and she seems to be doing well. I have added just enough salt to the water so it will feel nicer. I'm sitting in the kitchen solving a crossword puzzle. It's not easy because I mostly think about Fia and the babies she will give birth to.
Fia has already given me a briefing on what I should know about the birth. She begins by showing a fin that is just above the cloaca.
- Just before my water breaks and I'm about to give birth, this fin will automatically lift so that the hole here becomes visible. Do not poke the hole!
I withdraw my hand.
- Once the water has broken and the contractions have started, it usually takes between 10 and 50 minutes if there are two babies. The hole is small now but it widens when the cubs start coming out. You must not pull the hole to make it bigger. If it is the case that the big kid has more difficulty getting out, you can gently help and pull it. But like I said, you have to be careful so my birth canal doesn't break. Since the babies are in each amniotic sac and we function a little differently than humans, no placenta comes out, only the babies go out.
I thank her for her information. I will write down what she said on a piece of paper later.
Yesterday we were both with my family. Mom often looked at Fia's huge belly and asked several times if they weren't going to be born today or very soon. We explained again that much more is visible when she is human and that the cubs are expected to be born sometime between January and March. Most likely around February or March as there are two of them. It is normal for it to take longer then.
Dad has never asked questions about the kids but I can see in his eyes that he's not entirely comfortable with what he knows. And yet he doesn't know how I involuntarily spoiled Fia when we mated. We have chosen not to tell you about it. His awkwardness is probably about the fact that he thinks we are animals and not people. He has muttered that we are half fish and it is true.
Christmas dinner was eaten and Fia loved the salmon. She absolutely ate most of it but it was okay for both my parents and me. I, in turn, ate a lot of herring and eel as far as the fish were concerned.
Of course there was ham, meatballs, prince sausage, jam, Jansson's temptation and much more. You didn't have to leave your parents' big Christmas table hungry.
There were also a lot of cakes and sweets and other things.
We all sat and watched Donald Duck's Christmas Eve. I had forgotten how funny some of the features are. The best was probably the camping trip. As usual, they had a feature from some recent movie that was going to be in theaters. Even though it was a short clip, it felt like the magic that used to be in the movies was completely gone now. It felt sad.
After the food and Cold Duck, there was some coffee and after that the distribution of Christmas presents. Since both Fia and I are adults, there were no toys. However, a lot of clothes and baby stuff from mom and dad. They had really gone all in.
We have of course bought a lot of things in anticipation of the birth. Among other things, two cots and also a bedside crib are ready in our bedroom. They have nice and neutral colors. We have also bought lots of baby clothes and blankets. In other words, we feel prepared.
When Fia and I got home from the parents later in the evening, we laid down on the sofa and watched a movie. After some zapping, we watched "The Tales of Beatrix Potter". It is a film where actors are dressed as animals and they dance ballet to the music in the film. It's fun and easy entertainment.
The living room is really nice and we have a very large TV. It is a full 67 inches but fits well in the interior and there is a large enough distance from the sofa to the TV so it is perfectly fine that it is so large.
Throughout the autumn and almost until now, Fia and I have been renovating our shared house. It has taken time, but we feel very satisfied with the result. It looks like a different house when you enter. The exterior still looks a little worn but that's not a problem. We will tackle it next year in the spring.
I have seen on the Internet that my old apartment is for sale. They want several million for it. I am not surprised considering that the house is relatively central in town and that it is a large and spacious apartment.
After futilely trying to solve the crossword, I go down to Fia and transform. We swim around in the basement and cuddle with each other. Fia stops. The cubs are moving and she wants me to feel them.
I feel her stomach and you certainly feel something moving inside. It's a magical feeling both for her and for me. Fia and I splash some water on each other and laugh. Our sound when we laugh and are transformed is a clucking sound that reminds a little of human laughter.
When we snuggle with each other, we have a soft cooing sound. But we can get angry too. Then we have quite sharp sounds to show that we are angry but we haven't used them very often or against each other. We have disputes sometimes but they are often resolved quickly.
After Fia and I have been swimming around for a while, I turn into a human and go upstairs. It's time for some food for both Fia and me. I have bought some whole fresh cod and Spätta which we are going to eat today. Actually it would have been more fun to catch fish in the sea but right now there is ice there so that makes it more difficult.
I put the cod and the plaice on a plate and go down to Fia. I sit on a chair when I eat while Fia is of course in the water, but she is half sitting instead of lying down and it's going well.
After the meal I go upstairs again. Tony comes to visit. He goes down to the basement and of course greets Fia. Tony and I watch some movies on TV. The movie "Gremlins" is being shown. It's still as good as when I first saw it.
It quickly gets dark outside, even if the snow makes it a little whiter. Tony and I sit munching on gingerbread as darkness descends outside. We laugh and joke with each other.
When it's around 9.30pm, Tony goes home. I check on Fia to make sure she's okay and then I go to bed. Sometimes I hear a slight splash of water from the basement and smile. I would have liked to have Fia up here in bed with me, but it will be a bit difficult. It's possible we could have the big plastic pool up here but it would be difficult to fill and empty it properly.
-
Life's great miracle (and justice may prevail)
Monday, February 22
I'm with Fia down in the basement of our shared house and it's finally almost time for her to give birth to our children. Considering there are two of them, she's really fat and can't move around much. I have recently filled the basement with very lukewarm water and she is floating on it. I haven't added any salt because I don't know how the kids will react to it.
Sometimes she wails softly and I see how the babies move inside her. During the night from 4 o'clock in the morning until now at 8 o'clock she has felt cramps which she first thought were pains but which were false alarms.
I feel her two teats which are just above the larger hole where the babies will be born. The teats are milky and a little thick milk drips from them when I touch them. Soon enough, the kids will come.
I've been by her side since she moaned the first time. I have chosen not to be transformed right now. There are things that have to be done in the house and also shopping for food and other things. Since I also chose to work at home instead of at work at the moment, I also have that to think about and do.
On a steel bench nearby, I have placed a video camera that can also be used underwater. I have planned to film the birth so that the children can later see how they came to be. In addition, I know that some parents film their children's births so it feels natural. It may be difficult to convince Fia that it's a good idea, but I'll give it a try anyway.
Fia moans louder than she did before and I see how the fin at the big hole where the cubs will be born lifts up and then lays almost flat against the cloaca. She moans again. I turn on the lamp in the room and the bright light shines on Fia.
She hums but I say it's okay. I pick up the video camera that is on the table and turn it on. I zoom in on the picture so you can see the hole well and then I press record and walk up to her rear.
Her water breaks and I'm standing almost right over the hole when it happens. It's like an explosion. Most of it ends up on my hands and arms. It also ends up on the chest, although not as much. I even get a few drops of it on my face. The water has roughly the same consistency as syrup but at the same temperature as the body. It looks like clear water. Since I have the video camera in my hand, it splashes up quite a bit in the lens.
Hands still dripping with her water, I grab a cotton pad and gently wipe the lens of the camera. It doesn't matter that I'm still a mess myself, but I want to document this in the best possible way.
I can't help but laugh at the fact that she has now involuntarily spilled me now that she is about to give birth. This considering how I involuntarily spoiled her when we mated. Somehow it only feels fair. Fia makes a questioning sound. I think I'll have to explain it later. Right now I want her to concentrate on giving birth.
- I'll explain later what I laughed at, Darling.
Fia hums low. She probably also wants to concentrate right now on giving birth.
It looks like the hole the cubs are coming out of is widening slightly. A few seconds pass but then she makes a sound reminiscent of a pig screaming. I see the hole widen a little more. A kid is on his way out. I document everything with the camera.
You can see that she involves her whole body when she crouches. After a short while, I see the top of the amniotic sac. It is pushed out further and further with small pauses as Fia catches her breath. I can see that the baby is born head first. Soon the entire amniotic sac with young and everything pops into the water.
That went as easily as possible.
It doesn't take long for the kid to get out of his sack. Fia bites off the umbilical cord and eats the amniotic sac. It quickly disappears into her gap. I can see that the baby just born is a girl. She looks a lot like Fia. There is no doubt who the mother is in this case. I can't help but grin at how similar they are.
The kid's eyes are closed. From what I understand they will open in a day or two. I pause the video camera and place it on the steel bench.
Fia hasn't even looked up at me so she probably doesn't know that I documented the birth of the first child. Maybe better to explain when both are out.
Fia seems to be thinking about whether to give her newborn milk first or wait until the next one comes out. She decides to wait so she can give them milk at the same time.
Fia moans loudly again. Time for the next kid. I can see she's starting to cringe. So far the hole has not moved and nothing is visible inside. I take out the video camera and start recording again.
Fia makes the pig-like scream again and squeals on. The hole has started to widen considerably more than it did when the last kid came. This kid is big! I already saw that on the ultrasound examination, but it is difficult to estimate the exact size of the monitor.
Fia roars right out and it echoes throughout the basement. I didn't know she had such vocal resources. Now I can see the top of the amniotic sac anyway.
Her forehead is really sweaty and I take out a wet towel and wipe the sweat off her forehead while saying soothing words.
- This is going well.
I figure Fia might need a piece of wood to bite on. I've heard it can help when it's hard to get the kid out. I find a piece of wood lying on the steel bench. I give it to Fia.
- Bite this while you crunch. It might help you a little.
She accepts the piece of wood in her mouth and soon closes her mouth and lies in the water breathing.
- Great. Breathe Breathe.
Fia cringes again and the hole widens even more. My eyes widen. Wondering how wide the hole can actually be. A little more of the kid comes out but not much at all.
Crikey.
Fia cringes again. The amniotic sac is still a little further out, but I can't see the baby's head properly yet. It is hidden so far.
How big is the kid really?
I walk forward so I'm standing directly over the hole. I'm thinking about whether I should help and pull the kid, but the problem is that then I might open the amniotic sac and the kid doesn't have to tear it apart himself. It won't be good either. If I can help, the kid needs to come up more and open the sack to get air.
Fia crinkles again and makes a loud noise. It sprays up more of her water in my face and the video camera but at the same time I also see how the whole head is now visible. The amniotic sac around the head breaks and the kid takes a shuddering breath.
Smudge smudge. Here it was messy.
Fia cringes again. The hole widens further and more of the cub comes out. The hole will not be able to widen more than this. Fia takes a short break and breathes deeply. A little blood pushes out from the edge of the hole.
Isn't the hole too big? Is this normal?
More of the baby is soon squeezed out as Fia squeezes again and at the same time I also see how milk with great force spurts from Fia's teats. It ends up on me, on the video camera, on the kid's face and even a little in the water. The milk has almost the same consistency as lightly whipped cream.
That was unexpected
This is going to be a messy birth but it doesn't matter. It's like that when a new life is born, no more, no less. I haven't even bothered to wipe the camera lens. I see that it is smudged there but that you can still see the essentials well.
The cub is breathing and getting fresh air while it waits to come out completely. The cub has licked off the milk that got on its face. Good that it got some nutrition in it, even if it wasn't that much.
I can see the kid is a male. It looks a lot like me and that makes me happy. As with the girl, there is no doubt who the father is. I feel really proud to be the father of this child, even if the birth is a little more difficult for Fia, but it will come out in the end. It's just a matter of persistence in this case.
- If you want me to help and pull the kid while you squirm, then nod. I promise to be as careful as possible.
Fia nods. I understand that she is starting to feel tired. This kid is not easy to birth.
- I count to five. When I say five you squirm as hard as you can and I pull the kid lightly. After you crunch, it's okay to take a short break. Is that okay with you?
Fia nods again. Good.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia cringes for all she's worth. I pull the kid at the same time and it comes out a little further. We're taking a break.
- Then we try again. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia wiggles and with my and Fia's help, the kid comes out a little more, but so far part of it is still in there. We're taking a break.
- And then we try again. Only a little left. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Fia cringes again while I pull as carefully as I can and this time we succeed. The whole kid is finally out and Fia can relax. There is blood dripping from the edge by the hole but not so much that it will be serious.
- Well done darling. That went perfectly.
When I now see the whole kid out, I don't think it's strange that she had a little difficulty getting it out. Compared to the girl, this kid is huge. I suspect the amniotic sac ended up in her birth canal somewhat crookedly and that's why she had problems.
Fia bites off the umbilical cord and eats the amniotic sac. She deserves it considering the work she just did. I turn off the video camera and take it upstairs.
Once upstairs, I hear someone knocking on the front door. I quickly dry myself with a towel in the bathroom and go to open it.
Tony is standing out there. He grins at me and has some flowers in one hand. I'm not sure if I want to let him in right now but after a while I invite him in and he goes in.
- Congratulations on the newborns. I heard her out as I passed by. I think the neighbors heard her too. Oh, what you look like. Is it her water that went like you have there on your upper body and in your hair?
- Yes, and some milk too.
- That's right. Interesting.
- It got very messy, but that can be the case sometimes.
Tony laughs at my answer. He can probably imagine what it was like.
There is a knock on the door again. I open it and it's the nearest neighbor and two other people who live nearby. They look at me curiously.
- Heard funny noises from here just now. Is everything okay.
- Yes. We have just received an addition.
None of them seem to understand what I mean.
- You know. Birthing. Have children.
- Yes, but congratulations then. You didn't go to the hospital?
- We didn't make it, but both the mother and the kids are fine. We will contact BB so that everything is okay.
- You have some... in your hair and a few other places.
- I know. But it can be washed off.
- Yes absolutely. Only got worried when we heard the noises.
- Yes. Hello.
The neighbors go to theirs and I close the door. Me and Tony go down to Fia and the kids.
Fia has laid down on her side and the kids are buffing her teats. Tony and I watch as she forcefully squirts her milk into the two cubs' mouths from her teats. It splashes a bit but the kids drink and drink.
- Wow, then. How cool! Dolphins do the same but their teats are not visible like on Fia. They are hidden down at the bottom of the abdomen. Is her milk as thick as the dolphins?
Tony walks over and reaches his hand down, holding it at the same angle as the kids are. He soon manages to get Fia's milk right in his hand. Fia makes an annoyed noise when she notices what just happened. Tony feels the milk with his fingers.
- Yes. It seems almost the same as dolphins' milk.
- How do you know that?
- At Kolmården's dolphinarium, they showed this at some point if you chose Närkontakt dolphins. You could see when the dolphins squirted milk from their teats and if you wanted you could feel it. Fia's milk feels about the same as dolphins'.
The fin that was lifted before birth has folded over the hole again. I carefully lift the fin and take a look. It has stopped bleeding from the edge. Fia makes a sound that I know means she's getting annoyed. I myself have made the same sound at some point.
- I just wanted to check that you're not bleeding from the hole, Darling.
She seems to relax and makes a quiet cooing sound.
Fia has finished giving milk to the cubs and she turns completely around so that she has the cloaca down in the water instead. Then she gets up in an almost sitting position and looks curiously at Tony and me.
- You were so good, darling.
- Even if I wasn't here and saw what happened, you are guaranteed to be the best mother. And you, best father.
I look at Fia and feel that she probably wants to be in peace for a bit and just rest. The cubs also seem to be taking a little break.
- Do you want to be in peace for a while, honey? If so, nod.
She nods.
Tony and I go upstairs. He sees my video camera and looks at it questioningly. He understands that I filmed everything and he can't satisfy his curiosity very well.
- Did you film the birth?
- Yes. That's a bit private right now. Maybe we can look at it together with Fia later, but I want to look at it first in peace.
- Yes Yes. It's okay for me. It's quite sticky I see.
- It got a little messy when both babies were born, but mostly when the second one came out.
- Did you have the camera right over the hole or what?
I can't help but laugh because it was just like that on a few occasions.
- Yes, a few times it happened, but it was nothing I thought about.
- Huh. If nothing else, you can see more action then.
- Maybe it
- How much of the birth did you film?
- From start to finish pretty much. Does it matter?
- I just wondered.
- I had to help her a little when the second child was born.
- Why?
- Because the kid was so big and because the amniotic sac probably ended up slightly crooked.
Tony and I sit in the kitchen and have a cup each. As usual, I drink tea while Tony drinks coffee.
- Have you called your parents yet and told them that the birth went well?
- Haven't had time yet. You came right after the other kid came out and I was just up with the camera when you knocked on the door.
- But take care and do it now when you have nothing else to do. I would have done that anyway.
I agree with Tony. I go get my cell phone and call my parents. It's mom who answers.
- Hello Kenneth. Is everything okay?
- Yes. Fia just gave birth to the babies and they are great. Tony is here too.
- But what fun!. Did you call Tony when she was in pain?
- No no. He came here shortly after the children were born.
- Well, yes. We get to give a big freebie to Fia and you.
Tony also wants to say hello and I give him the phone.
- Kenneth filmed the birth with his video camera and it got a bit blurry. The entire video camera is smeared with amniotic fluid and milk. Can you imagine?
I get a little mad at Tony and glare at him angrily.
- Nah, but you hear me. Give me the phone again.
Tony grins at me and hands me the phone back.
Mom doesn't comment on what Tony just said.
- Both Fia and the kids are doing well.
- How nice. You can take care of yourself.
- Absolutely. I just wanted you to know that everything went well.
- How nice of you. By the way, Dad says hello.
- Well. Hello. We will hear from you another day.
- Yes. Hello to you.
We end the call and I put the mobile on the table. I look at Tony.
- Was it necessary to tell that?
- I thought it was a bit fun, so that's why I said it.
- Yes, but still.
- Oh never mind the same. Good coffee here.
Tony and I sit in silence for a while.
- Nah. Now I must go home. Congrats on the kids and everything. Hello!
- Hello, hello to you.
Tony walks out the front door and I close the door. I go down to Fia again.
The cubs are resting and Fia checks to make sure they are doing well. I walk up to them and pat the kids gently. I find myself explaining what I laughed at.
- Fia, When your water broke, I laughed at something.
Fia nods. She comes to mind.
- Well, I just thought it was only fair that you spoiled me now because I spoiled you at the mating. That's what I laughed at. I was almost standing right over the hole when your water broke.
Fia seems to be thinking about what I mean and looks at me closely. She hasn't even noticed how messy I am. But after a while she points to some places where I'm sticky from the water and milk and she raises her eyebrows.
She understands exactly what I mean and starts laughing about it. It's a very happy and clucking sound. After a while I start laughing too. We laugh so hard we start crying. It's nice that we both have such a good sense of humor.
When I'm down there with Fia, I feel really hungry. I haven't had breakfast yet. And not Fia either. I ask if she is hungry and she absolutely is.
Once in the kitchen, I think about what she wants. In the end, there are several sandwiches with herring and a large glass of water with enough salt in it. I put the sandwiches on a plate and place the glass on the plate. I go downstairs with the dish to Fia. I place it on the rolling cart that the ultrasound transducer is on and pull the cart over to Fia where she is lying in the water and resting. She gets up to reach the food and eats with good appetite. After a while I get up again.
I fix breakfast for myself but I don't take fish but have ham and other things on my sandwiches. It will be a good tea and a glass of water with a little salt in it too.
When I'm done with breakfast, I take a wet cotton pad and start wiping the video camera. When it's nice and clean, I take it to our study where Fia and I each have a computer. I put the footage from the video camera into a folder that I have named "Birth". I then check what I recorded. Even though there was both amniotic fluid and milk on the video camera towards the end, the picture is very good. I intend to burn the film to DVD later but not right now.
I have received an email from work and they want me to do a project about the impact of the fishing industry on fish in Karlskrona. I think it seems like a fairly appropriate project considering how many fish Fia and I caught last year. I wonder what the co-workers would have said if they knew I was a merman.
I am looking for information online about how the fishermen here in Karlskrona seem to be doing. There are two doctoral documents that I buy and will use when I present the project. There's no real rush to get it all done but I feel it's just as well to have it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. I've never been one to wait until the last minute when fixing things. Rather the opposite.
The day goes by and in the afternoon I make food for Fia and me. It will be a large salmon that I bought at Blomlöf's smokehouse in Fågelmara. They have very good prices. Both Fia and I love to eat salmon. I divide the salmon into portions large enough for me and Fia. It will be over until tomorrow as well.
I get the plate that Fia had her breakfast on and now put the salmon there and go downstairs with it along with my plate. I hear her sniffing the air already when I'm halfway down. Once I put the dish on the cart, she eats with great appetite. It doesn't take long for her salmon to be gone. I sit on the steel bench and eat my salmon in the meantime.
I take the opportunity to change the water now that I'm down here. It's both Fia's amniotic fluid mixed with milk and some feces and it doesn't look clean. I open the cellar door so the water flows out. I also rinse the floor with the water hose. Then I close the door and fill up with new water. It takes a while but it doesn't matter. The mother gives milk to her young in the meantime.
It's getting late and I don't go upstairs until 7pm. Then I also had fun with both Fia and the kids for a good while. I'm quite tired so I go to bed. I got up around 4 in the morning when I heard Fia moaning in the basement. It has been a long day
-
A little over a week later
The cubs have turned into normal babies and we have been to BB and registered them. The nurse seemed to get a little angry when we said they were born at home, but after checking them and taking blood tests and other things, she softened and cuddled with them. The values were so good that we could go home again.
Fia is at home with the babies and I have returned to work although I am not working full time at the moment. It's fun to meet my workmates again. Everyone is happy about and above all curious about our children. I have taken photos of them and everyone wants to see the photos.
There have been some reports about Sverker in the newspapers after his death. There really was a big fire and the house burned to the ground even though the fire brigade tried desperately to put it out as best they could.
There have been a number of conspiracy theories regarding Sverker's death, but none have been even close to the truth. The police have also had theories, but no one has agreed with how it really was.
I have presented my work on the impact of the fishing industry on the fish and the manager thinks it is perfect. It will be included in an exhibition about how we care for the earth and the resources here in Karlskrona, but also how things have changed over the last hundred years.
Olivia and I are going out to eat because today is Wednesday. We choose a Greek restaurant today. The food is very good. When I get back to work, I hear Sune and some other workers loudly discussing something in the kitchen. I don't listen too closely to what they say, but then I hear them mention the word mermaid and I'm immediately curious as to what it's about.
Sune stands with today's newspaper in one hand and seems to be discussing with the others.
I approach Sune and wonder what it's all about.
- What are you discussing so animatedly?
- That Cleo and Pierre say that Sverker's death was due to a mermaid and a merman. It is written here in the newspaper.
Sune gives me the newspaper and I read what is written there.
New strange theories surrounding Sverker's death
"Yesterday morning, Cleo and Pierre walked into the Karlskrona police station and claimed that it is a mermaid and a merman who killed Sverker. The police did not take them seriously, which caused both men to smash the waiting counter in pure rage. They are now arrested and are in in custody. Other people who were in the waiting room had to run away in panic. Some of the witnesses from the scene have contacted us at BLT and told us what happened. We have tried to reach the police for a comment but they have declined."
I look at Sune and the others. Then I snort.
- Such silly stories they write. That you even believe that is terrifying. You're adults, right?
Neither Sune nor the others say anything. They almost look ashamed. I go back into my study and continue working.
When I get home again, I tell Fia what was in the newspaper. We both believe that the risk of anything else happening is so small that we don't need to worry about it.
The parents are calling. They have seen the notice in the newspaper. We lie to them and say it's not about us. The fewer who know the truth, the better. It sounds as if my father doesn't really believe us, but he can't prove anything.
Tony comes to visit in the evening. He has also read the paper but will also keep it a secret what happened that day. He stays for a long time and we listen to old vinyl singles until it's the middle of the night.
I go to bed next to Fia and the children. They sniff so well in their sleep and it won't be long until I'm sleeping sweetly too.
-
Epilogue
July 2024 Knösöudden.
The surface of the water is mirror-like and calm, but below the surface there is full action.
Fia, me and the kids swim at good speed down in the water. Sometimes the cubs take a little break and ride on our backs when we swim. Fia and I spin around like a spiral and the kids do the same. The water is pressed against our bodies. It feels good. Fias and my fish tail are close to each other. You could certainly mate like this if you wanted to.
We go up to the surface for air and dive further down. We swim even faster than before. When we have reached almost maximum speed, we quickly swim back up.
The water explodes in a cascade and the four of us jump high into the air. I'm on the far left. I have Tony next to me. Edith is next to her and on the far right is Fia. We shout so that it echoes far and wide. We own this sea.
There will be a huge splash when the four of us land in the sea again, but it does absolutely nothing. Our bodies can handle it.
-
This text is based on how Mermaids and Merman work in my story Age anxiety and fish trouble but also other information about the story.
Facts about the places
The city of Karlskrona exists in reality as well as the places that appear in the story.
In order for the story to work from a purely geographical point of view, I checked on Eniro how lakes and seas are located in Karlskrona. For example, if you can jump in at Hästö and swim or take a boat to Gullberna, Verkö and the other places that are included. It turned out that it works great. The place where they mate is in reality but some mermaids are not there and not anywhere else either. Also the road from Stumholmen to Långö and there and Saltö and in that direction I also checked if it was possible to swim that way and it was. It was fun to learn that too and maybe that made it more believable.
Other facts
The Mermaid and the Merman are based mostly on mammals but a little on fish as well. My thought behind it is that in Kenneth's case it is a human who turns into a merman. Fia was born as a mermaid and thus has a few characteristics that match fish better than mammals.
The amount of grain the merman has in the story is based on how much a dolphin and smaller whales can have in their supply. It's actually gigantic. Of course, I used a little imagination as well. Whether the amount of sperm could be so great that it would flow out during the mating of dolphins and whales, I do not know. It also belongs to free imagination.
As for the ultrasound and that, I read a bit about what it's like when women give birth and I used that knowledge in the story. Of course, it is not certain that you would have been able to see the fetus of a mermaid if they had existed in reality, but why not. In zoos, the keepers can often see if the animals they have are pregnant, even if they use a little different equipment for that.
The birth is inspired by how, above all, seals do when they give birth, but of course also dolphins and humans too for that matter. The only thing that doesn't match reality is that seals and dolphins sometimes pull on the fetus to get it out. On the other hand, it sometimes happens at BB when women give birth and it is difficult to get the baby out, but then it is hospital staff who help.
This thing about the milk that Fia gets is completely consistent with what dolphins' milk is like, but not seals' milk. The only difference between the mermaid in the story and dolphins in real life is the placement of the teats. Dolphins have teats but they are hidden behind a flap just at the bottom of the abdomen. The description of how Fia's cubs get milk is exactly the same as when dolphins give milk.
The only significant difference is that dolphins do it underwater, which makes it difficult to see. Kolmården actually showed this so you could see how the milk is sprayed up close, but they don't do it anymore. Probably for the sake of the dolphins. It has only been shown to visitors if you bought a ticket for close contact Dolphin. It happened so that they made sure that a dolphin that had recently given birth swam to the surface. The dolphin has laid down on its back so that its stomach has been up. The staff has triggered the reflex through stimulation down by the teats and the dolphin has simply squirted the milk into the air. Visitors have then been able to feel what the consistency of the dolphins' milk is like.
The people
All the characters are based on living people that I know well. I have made some changes regarding their names and other properties.
THE CHARACTERS
Kenneth Elroth: Of course he is inspired by me with some changes of course. I have also thought a little about what my little brother is like and have used some inspiration from him as well. Would I have been good as a merman? Maybe it.
Tony Silvergren. He is based on a friend called Thomaz. But also a friend that my little brother fishes with sometimes. There is also some inspiration from a person called Jörgen who lives in my accommodation. He is mischievous and gives some funny answers to questions from time to time.
Fia Svantesson: She is based on a girl named Sophie. A person called Ronny had Sophie in his boat shed and she was an extra as a Mermaid. She was supposed to have sex with visitors but it never happened. I didn't know her very well when we first met but I've gotten to know her better over time. She is an interesting person to say the least. Part of Fia is also based on a friend called Lisa, but also my little sister and a bit of an acquaintance called Anette. It was through Sophie that I got inspiration for the story, but more about her and her involvement further down in the notes.
The parents: They are based on my mom and dad. Parents mean so much to you, even if you don't always agree with each other on everything. How they would react if something like this were true I don't know but I think mom would have had an easier time accepting it (just like in the story) than dad. At least it feels that way. My mom and dad haven't read the story yet. I spontaneously guess that mom is the one who would like it the best. Dad had probably snorted at some things and thought it was too silly. He doesn't even believe in ghosts and such, while mom is a little more open to it.
Sverker Joran: Among other things, Ole F was the inspiration for the character. I don't think Ole would be mean to any merfolk (If they existed) and I have absolutely nothing against him. At first I didn't even think that the story would have such a sudden change with the spy fish and everything but once I came up with the idea and thought for a while I thought it was so good that it had to be used in the story. Just when you think you know how things belong, things suddenly change.
The other person who is based on Sverker and also Pierre is called Peter S and unfortunately I know him even though we meet very rarely. I avoid him as much as I can because I feel he is not a good person to be around. Peter is very mean and has killed a few people in Karlskrona, but there has not been enough binding evidence to get him punished with prison. He has paid fines a few times but that is all. Peter and I first met when I was part of the tough gang at high school for a few years. Peter was the leader of the tough gang. Peter certainly would not have been happy if he saw that he is in a story even if it is made up.
Cleo is based on Balthazar. He is widely known in flashback and probably needs no further introduction.
Other people in the story are based on people I know. Among others Erik, Maggan Morgan, Joakim and several others.
About Sophie's involvement in the story
It was Sophie who partly started my idea for the story when she talked one day about the merfolk and that there are not only mermaids but also mermen. Her appearance as a mermaid is almost 100 percent based on how her outfit looked. She came up with what I should look like as a merman and I have used that description in the story.
Sophie was in the boathouse because she was paid for it and she was supposed to have sex with people who came there and met her but it never happened. The only one who got close to her and later bathed with her was me and I think that affected things in the story.
I started to tell Sophie a bit about the story and she became very interested. Soon she came up with interesting ideas. Some I have used in the story, while others I have not included.
Sophie has later been allowed to read parts of the story but not all of it. She enjoyed what she got to read and she found the description of the mating amusing. It was above all my descriptions that she found funnest. I knew when I wrote about the pairing that she would have sex with people and probably that was an explanation for that part of the story getting a little dirty. Sophie thought it fit perfectly in the context.
Sophie thought what I wrote first about the pairing was too boring and after reading through it a few times I realized she was right. So I added some dirt and it got better.
Sophie found some of the descriptions of what happened in the story to be vivid and would have suited very well as a screenplay but also worked perfectly in the story
The text that Sophie loved the most was the one about giving birth. She had had a difficult labor when she gave birth to her very first child. She recognized herself a little in the description of how it was regarding the birth of the second kid in the story.
Of course, I humbly thanked Sophie for her input on various things. We have really bounced ideas back and forth with each other.
Miscellaneous
I started writing the story at the end of June when I met Sophie for the fourth time and we had a long conversation where she talked about the merpeople and mermen. It was the week after that that I bathed with her. Sophie is the biggest inspiration. If I hadn't met her, this story wouldn't have happened at all.
I was also inspired by John Ajvide Lindqvist's new book about mermaids but also Carl Johan Vallgren's book Havsmannen. It is about a merman or Seaman. However, the ideas for my story are clearly thought out by me.
The first parts of the story I wrote without having any thought behind how mermen and mermaids work in my story but when I got halfway through I started making a "Factoid" where I wrote down rules about how the mermaid and merman in the story should be and behave powers etc. I chose to avoid this "As soon as you get wet" transformation and instead make it a conscious act (Except for the first few times Kenneth transforms of course)
I tried to have rules that could be realistic because I wanted it to sound as true as possible even though it is pure fantasy.
Some of the story has been written quickly while other times it has been really slow and I've lost inspiration but after a day or two I've usually started again.
I started writing a chapter at 8pm one evening and it went great. After a few hours I started to feel tired and checked the time on the computer and it turned out that it was 03.12. I didn't believe the numbers at first, but after checking the mobile too, I saw that it was correct. I finished the text I was working on at the time and went to bed. This was during the holidays so it didn't matter much. The hours when I was writing had really flown by quickly.
In the course of the story, I have changed and changed again the text. Among other things, I noticed that the text didn't flow well in certain places or that people talked to each other in a way that didn't feel natural when I read through everything and corrected mistakes in the text.
While writing, I have listened to a bit of different music and I have noticed that certain texts and descriptions in my story have fit very well with some of the music I listened to. When I wrote about the pairing, I listened to Abba's "I've Been Waiting For You" at the beginning and figured that maybe the mermaid could sing to Kenneth, and so it happened. So it was not planned from the beginning.
I hope you enjoyed the story.
HOW THE MERMAID AND THE MERMAID LOOK IN MY STORY
As a human being
It does not differ much in appearance from ordinary people except that they have four lines on their neck. It is the gills although they are closed in human form. Most often, the mermaid or merman tries to hide the lines with, for example, a sweater that hides them or has long hair so that the hair hides the neck
Mermaid
The mermaid is often slightly smaller than a merman. However, their bodies can be stretched more than a mernan can. This is so that they can carry any children before birth
The face looks like a normal human except for the gills that open and close at the neck. This happens automatically. The hands have webbing between the fingers and at the end where the nails are there are sharp long claws. They are mostly used when catching fish or when defending themselves.
Sometimes they wear various jewelry or necklaces around their necks, but not always.
From the navel downwards, the body is like that of a fish. It is not always easy to see a dividing line between skin and scales on all individuals. This is because on these individuals the scales grow in small elevations in the skin.
The scales are often sparkling if she has polished them carefully. The cleaning is done so that she licks the scales with her tongue like cats do when they wash themselves. The saliva contains cleaning and polishing substances that only appear in their saliva when the mermaid starts cleaning the scales and the sewer. Most of the time, the mermaid purrs just like a cat when she grooms herself.
The scales are usually in a dark and often neutral color. It often happens that they are brown-red, Grey-Brown and similar colors. It is to protect her better because she can give birth
Further down the body, she has 2 or 3 lateral fins on each side of the body. These are used to help in quick maneuvers in the water but also to parry any objects in the water, such as nets and the like. She can turn at lightning speed with her fins. Between the fins there are 3 or 4 thin feelers. These mostly measure water quality and flow. They can also be used if it is dark, but the mermaid often has good vision even during the night.
Just above the fish tail, she has two holes. The one at the bottom is the cloaca (In humans the same thing is called Anus) where the feces come out and the male has his manhood and injects the sperm during mating. Here also comes the scent that she secretes during mating.
The mermaid always keeps the cloaca very clean and cleans herself there often. Sometimes up to about 15 times per day. The second hole, which is higher up, is considerably larger and is hidden by a fin. That hole is only used for the birth of a cub or cubs.
Finally, the mermaid has a massive fish tail that is very strong. She can get up to almost 40 km/h if she wants to but it's rare that she does. It usually happens in situations where she is being chased, for example. Like the scales, the fish tail is usually in some neutral color, but the most common is dark grey.
Merman
A Merman is bigger than mermaids are. They have stout bodies and are really strong.
The face looks normal. The gills are usually slightly wider than those of the female. It's not often they have necklaces, but if they do, it's usually some god with a spear or similar. They usually have sharper claws than the females.
They have a sensitive touch point at the neck. Most often the females bite there when they want to mate with the merman. Then he purrs like a cat and gets sexually aroused.
From the navel downwards, the body is like that of a fish. You can see a clear break line between skin and scales.
The scales are often sparkling although they do not groom them as often as the females. Just like with the females, his saliva contains cleaning and polishing substances that come out when he starts to groom himself. They never purr like a cat but can get very sexually turned on by grooming. Sometimes you have seen mermen with manhood out after grooming.
The scales are often colorful. Common colors that occur are Blue/Grey, Blue/Green, Green/Yellow and Yellow/Blue. Sometimes it can almost look like batik paint. The colors become more intense during mating.
Just like the mermaid, they have 2 or 3 side fins on both sides of the body. They are often longer and stronger than the females. They also have 3 to 4 sensory buds. They have the same function as the mermaid.
On the front, almost at the fish tail, he has his manhood. It is hidden behind a fin. It comes out automatically when he is sufficiently sexually aroused when mating or when grooming.
At the back is the sewer. There, only excrement and a musky smell come out when he marks his territory (See text below about territory marking). He cleans the sewers very rarely
In the cloaca, the male has a musk scent that is automatically released when he marks his territory. It is a strong scent that spreads easily in the sea and tells potential intruders; Stay away. Here is my territory. The male can also trigger the scent if he presses his hands against a small gray bump near the top of his cloaca. However, there is a risk that his hands may smell of the musk scent for a while if he is not quick to remove his hand after pressing the gray bump.
He has a massive fish tail that is larger and stronger than the females. It often has some colorful pattern to attract females and to scare off intruders. The color can vary but is often black or dark blue and always has blue or yellow dots or stripes on it. These also glow in the dark. With the help of the tail, he can get up to 50 km/h, but it is unusual at these speeds.
DIET
As a human being
They will eat pretty much anything. They like fish the most, but meat and poultry can also be consumed without problems. They don't need to clean the fish because their guts are slightly different and can handle the fish bones without a problem. They also have no problem with constipation when consuming a lot of fish. They like salt in their water and can drink several glasses with it if they want or need to.
Fruit and vegetables are no problem for them to eat either.
As a mermaid and a merman
The diet consists almost exclusively of fish. Sometimes if they are lucky they can find meat and other scraps that people threw or dropped in the sea but it is rare. Some individuals like certain fish more than others, such as herring, pike and cod to name a few.
Salmon is a big favorite but is hard to get hold of without people seeing it. A few tough individuals have managed to catch salmon at mörrum and get away with it, but not many dare such a thing.
Sometimes they sing to the fish. It is a high frequency tone that attracts the fish. It often swims right into the mouth of the Mermaid or the merman.
The mermaid's and merman's mouths can expand to over double their size. They can swim right into a school of fish and just let the fish pour into their mouths. Their necks are also very flexible and they can swallow several fish at the same time.
If a mermaid or merman were to be constipated, they would easily know what to do. They eat around 10 herrings and wait a while and the problem is solved. When consuming more than 12 herrings, they get stomach ache and diarrhea even if they are constipated. However, this usually disappears quite quickly.
LIFE SPAN
Pretty much the same whether they are human mermaid or merman. They have stronger bones so bones and such don't break as easily. Minor injuries heal a bit faster too.
MATING AND BIRTH
Mermaid
The mermaid can only mate every five years and in order for there to be young, the male must have the right type of chromosomes. The mermaid can smell a male with the right chromosomes from miles away, but she often smells his scales and tail to be 100 percent sure she's smelled right.
The mating season lasts only 3 days. During that time, the female has to find a willing male and get him willing, but that's usually not a problem.
In connection with the mating season, the female secretes a special scent that drives the males crazy with lust. The scent is secreted from the cloaca by special substances that the female only produces during the mating season. The scent is so strong that even humans can smell it. It smells to their noses much like strawberries.
The female's cloaca receives around 1.1 to 1.5 liters of semen from the male even when it flows rapidly, which it usually does.
Once the mating is done, it takes around a week before the female can see on a pregnancy test if she is pregnant or not. She doesn't usually feel bad like normal women do, but after a few weeks you can sense a growing belly. It is especially easy to see if they are on land like ordinary people.
The young or young grow quickly but it also depends on how warm the water where the mermaid is. The warmer it is, the faster the cub or cubs grow. But mermaids are easily ill if the water is too hot and they usually want a lukewarm temperature but can handle higher temperatures for a shorter time.
The female can have a maximum of two cubs at a time. The most common is a youngster. It usually takes between 6-7 months from mating to the birth of a young but can take up to 8 months but this rarely happens. When two cubs are born, it usually takes 7-8 months before they are born.
When it is about 2 months or less until birth, the female starts to get milk in two teats. They sit just above the hole where the young come out.
When giving birth to a young, the female must be transformed into a mermaid at all times for the last 3 months or the fetus may be seriously injured and die. At the birth of two cubs, the female must be transformed into a mermaid at all times during the last 4 months in order not to harm the fetuses.
The female is often dependent on the male being present in the last time before and at birth, but it has happened that females have wanted to manage without the male, but this is unusual. The fact that the male should preferably be present is because they should be able to easily help the female in case of any problems at birth.
When the young are born, they come out through a large hole that sits just above the sewer. The hole that the cubs come through can be expanded to double the circumference so that the cubs can get out more easily. The hole is hidden by a fin, but when birth is near, the female lifts the fin automatically so that the male can understand what awaits and help. She herself cannot influence when the fin is lifted. This always happens just before the water goes.
The water that goes when labor begins does not feel like water at all. It has roughly the same consistency as syrup and is at the same temperature as the body's usual temperature (about 37 degrees) but looks like ordinary water.
After the water has broken, it usually takes between 10 and 30 minutes before the birth is completely complete. With two cubs, it can take between 15 and 50 minutes before the entire birth is complete.
The cub or cubs are always transformed and are usually born head first and are always in an amniotic sac. The male sometimes helps and gently pulls on the amniotic sac while the female squeezes so the birth goes easier. However, he must be very careful not to damage the female's birth canal.
After birth, the cubs have to get out of their amniotic sac themselves. When the young or young have emerged from the amniotic sac, the mermaid always eats the amniotic sac. Sometimes the male also gets to eat it, but it varies from individual to individual.
You can immediately see the gender of the newborns. The newborns are blind right when they are born but after a few days their eyes open and they can see.
The cub or cubs immediately seek out the now milk-hardened teats and press them with their noses. The female squirts the milk into the young's mouth with powerful muscles. It all happens in a few seconds. The milk is almost as thick as light whipped cream and is full of protein that the little ones need. The teats are only active during the first week. Then the milk goes to the regular breast.
The cub or cubs grow significantly faster than normal babies during the first week, but after the cub or cubs turn into normal babies, which happens after a week, they grow at the same rate as normal babies.
Now the babies use the mermaid's normal breasts instead and the milk is almost the same as humans but tastes different. It is more acidic than in humans.
The child or children receive help from their parents when they have to transform until they are 5 years old. Before that, the parents start their transformation by biting them where the skin is thin and close to the blood vessels and at the same time excrete a liquid that acts as a kind of adrenaline and which immediately enters the bloodstream of the young or young. The transformation is rapid and they are transformed until the liquid has left their bodies as urine. It usually takes between 2 to 3 hours before the cub or cubs transform back again.
Merman
The male can smell the female's scent from several miles away and the scent drives him crazy. Sometimes they want to mate as soon as they smell the scent.
During mating season, he becomes extra sensitive to touch at the bottom of the neck and the females often nibble there to make the male sexually aroused. He also purrs like a cat when the females bite there. It has also happened that females have groomed the male's scales to make him sexually excited, but often the males want to groom themselves.
His manhood is hidden behind a fin on the front near the tail. The manhood comes out automatically when he is sufficiently sexually aroused.
His semen is quite thick and whitish and comes out with great force. The more excited the male is, the faster his semen flows. The semen is found in the male's scrotum and normally contains around 0.8 liters in total, but it depends on the individual. The record is 9 litres, but that is very unusual. He normally empties it a few times a week to feel good. If the male has not emptied his seminal fluid for about two weeks or more, it may happen that up to 4 liters are emptied. In those cases, the seminal fluid starts to overflow from the female's cloaca and push out and drain from the cloaca even though it is very tight with the male's manhood. The male can then become even more sexually aroused and increase the speed of the semen even more.
The mating itself, when the seminal fluid is emptied, usually lasts for a maximum of 10 minutes, often less time. The entire pairing with foreplay usually takes around 20-30 minutes in total
After mating, the male usually sits together with the female for a while. It's because his manhood is getting so thick that he has a hard time taking it out right away.
The male is always helpful and cares a lot about what the female wants after mating. Most often they marry each other and move together.
BREATH
Mermaid and Merman
They breathe with gills but also need regular air like all mammals. It can be below the surface for about 30 minutes. Then they often have to go to the surface for air. The only exception is when mating, but usually they don't stay longer than 30 minutes under the water even when mating.
SOUND
As Human
Some individuals may make loud squeals when startled.
Some individuals may have a creaking sound when they are insecure or anxious
Mermaid And Merman
Both Mermaids and Mermen have a wide variety of sounds that they use.
The most common sound is a sort of creaking sound. It is heard when they are satisfied and happy.
Another common sound is a whistling sound, reminiscent of Dolphins Whistling.
When the Mermaid grooms herself, she usually purrs like a cat.
When the merman is pinched by the females at the base of the neck, he also makes a purring sound like a cat.
In case of some anger or irritation, they can hiss like a snake.
If they are really frustrated, they may make a squeaking sound
When really angry, they usually growl.
When giving birth the mermaid can roar really loud.
Mermen often have deeper voices than mermaids.
They may make a cooing sound.
When they are really happy, they can make a shrill cry of joy.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
Mermaid and merman
They can affect the water and make big waves. If they spin around with their hand in the water, it becomes a spinning vortex. The wilder they move around, the wilder the weasel becomes. If they wave their hand, it makes waves. When waving violently, there will be big waves.
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