Where am I? I think to myself. I see only black for a second, and then vision returns. Scanning over my surroundings, I see the ocean and the sand. It looks familiar, but from where? Oh! It looks like the beach that is a few blocks down from my house; the one I pass on the way to school. The waves are crashing against the shore, tickling my toes. When I glance down at my sand covered feet, I notice that I am wearing my pajamas. What am I doing here? For some reason, I feel drawn to the wave breaker, so I start to slowly walk towards it. The wood of the breaker is rotten from the constant onslaught of salty waves, and it is covered with barnacles. As I lean down to pick up a pretty shell off of one of the poles, I hear something. Barely a sound, but I heard it. Just like it was carried by the wind over to me. I glance around, looking for a source. Nothing...not an animal or a person in sight. But then I turn my head toward the next breaker over and see a shape. There is something sitting on top of the wood, but I can’t tell what. I walk cautiously toward the mysterious silhouette. As I get closer, the picture becomes clear. What the...?

It is a person. But not a normal person. I scan the body up and down many times, with my mouth open. A mermaid. Just like you would hear about in a fairy tale. Her tail is a glistening green color. Then I focus in on her face. She looks exactly like my girlfriend. Well, my ex-girlfriend technically. She died one year ago in a horrible car accident. I try not to think about it, but I always do. I was in love with her. Her death sent me in a downward spiral.

“Rachel?” I say in disbelief. Tears are starting to spring up in my eyes. She smiles at me and tries to say something, but no sound comes out of her mouth.

“W-what?” I ask her. “I couldn’t hear you.” She tries again.

“Jackson, hello.” she says, smiling. But then her expression turns concerned and she cocks her head to the side. “What are you doing with your life? Don’t give up.” This took me off guard. I stumble backwards a tad bit.

“What are you going to do?” she asks again. Tears fall down my face as I take in the words. Then, suddenly, I feel a sharp pain on my right hand. I glance down at it, but when I look back up to where the mermaid/Rachel was, I see my math classroom. My teacher is standing over me with a ruler in her hand. My right hand is throbbing and there is a red mark on it in the shape of the ruler.

“Uh...yes?” I ask my teacher.

“I said what are you going to do with your life if you sleep in every class!?” She shakes her head at me and walks back up to the front of the class. She’s right, though, my teacher and Rachel the mermaid. What was it she said? Don’t give up. I think it’s a sign. Like Rachel looking out for me somehow, giving me advice. Thinking back on the day-dream, I get motivated to stop being so depressed all the time. If not just for me, for Rachel. It’s what she would have wanted. In my mind I see Rachel smile down on me. I guess sometimes, to get out of a hard place, all you need is a little push from someone you care about.