She looks like a mermaid taking human form. The ancient kind of mermaid—mysterious and malevolent, luring sailors to their death beneath the cold, dark waves. I hate her, and yet I’m transfixed by her. I see her father’s height, his coloring . . . Her body is all long, smooth lines: strong shoulders, athletic taper to her waist, and an endless stretch of thighs beneath the high-cut legs of the school swimsuit. I’ve never seen a girl look so powerful. I don’t want her powerful. I want to destroy everything she knows and loves.
