Even as he thought it, the creature took on its true form and blood began gushing from Rob’s anus, covering the viewing window, almost blocking out Orville’s view.   The professor only wished it had blocked off his view as the bell bottom of the jellyfish lifted upward to swallow Rob whole.

Through the transparent flesh of the creature the professor could still see the naked figure of Rob Gallani.   Although sickened Orville was unable to look away as the giant jellyfish began contracting and expanding, like a giant fist clenching and unclenching.   Inside the creature Rob’s body was quickly crushed to a bloody pulp by the clenching.

The clear water inside the bell became crimson with blood.   But gradually it began to clear again as the creature digested the blood and flesh of its victim, leaving behind only a gleaming skeleton.   Having closed its bell completely to envelop its victim, the bottom of the creature now opened again to allow the skeleton to drift down to the ocean floor.

Holy Mother of God! thought Orville Trevane.   He was too stunned to move away from the viewing port.   He sat spellbound staring out at the skeleton on the sea bed for almost ten minutes.   Then returning to his senses, he reached for the sub’s controls to begin the trip back to the surface.

During the ascent Orville did his best not to look out the viewing port.   When he did, instead of the giant jellyfish, he saw the gorgeous, green-haired, full-breasted mermaid that Rob Gallani had described to him earlier.

“My God, you’re beautiful,” he said aloud.

As though hearing him through the glass, the mermaid began rubbing her large breasts with her hands, leering at him invitingly.

Although his crotch hardened with lust, the professor was too wise to repeat Rob Gallani’s fatal mistake.   “Yes you’re beautiful now,” he said, “but I know what you really are.”

The mermaid cocked her head prettily, looking puzzled for a moment.   Then her eyes lit up as though understanding….

The creature began contracting and expanding again, its green hair replaced by auburn, its naked limbs covered in yellow and black.   Until it took on the form of wet suit-clad Helen Plover.   Helen Plover drowning and pleading with Orville Trevane to rescue her.

“You can’t get me like that, I know what you really are!” he shouted.

After a moment the creature stopped feigning drowning.   It reached up to take down the top of the wet suit, to reveal its large breasts.

Professor Trevane gulped at the sight of a bare-breasted Helen Plover beckoning to him.   You monster, you picked that out of my mind! he thought.   So now you know my weakness.   For the last fourteen summers, since she had first started helping him, Orville had been sexually attracted to Helen Plover.   But because of his respect and friendship for her — and fear of being rejected — he had never dared make his feelings known to her.

Sorry Helen, but I’m not going out there even if it really is you! he thought, trying to force his eyes away from those perfectly formed breasts.   But too weak to actually do so.

He watched in dismay as the creature posing as Helen Plover removed the rest of the wet suit.   Then it lay completely naked, spread-eagled, pressed hard against the glass of the viewing window, so that he could see all of its luscious form.

“It won’t work!   I know you’re not Helen Plover!   You’re not Helen Plover!” he shouted as much to convince himself as anything else.   He watched transfixed, almost lowering his resolve as the figure of Helen Plover reached up to rub and roughly paw its apple-shaped breasts with one hand, its other hand dipping down to probe with two fingers into its full-lipped vulva.

“You’re not Helen Plover!” he shouted.   “Oh God, you can’t be Helen Plover!”

Again the creature looked puzzled.   Shrugging it changed form again to become the naked, sexually rampant figure of Dave Carmichael, its giant penis now pressed invitingly against the viewing port.

“That won’t work, I’m not interested in men!”

The creature looked puzzled again for a moment, then rapidly changed into the figure of Rob Gallani.   Rob Gallani drowning and silently pleading for the older man’s help.

“That won’t work either!” Orville shouted, thinking, Sorry Rob.    He felt like a coward abandoning the drowning man, although he knew it wasn’t really Rob Gallani.

Having apparently exhausted its repertoire, the creature reverted to its true form to watch Orville Trevane through the thick glass.   Seeing the great jellyfish which had eaten Rob, the professor shuddered and quickly looked away.

After a minute or so it changed back to the green-haired mermaid, then to Helen Plover, then Dave Carmichael, then Rob Gallani, then the mermaid, then Helen…and so on.   Going through its full repertoire rapidly now, Helen, Dave, Rob, Mermaid, Helen, Dave, Rob…As though it thought it could somehow wear down Orville Trevane’s resolve.

I wonder how close to the surface you can go? he thought as the shape-changer stayed by the viewing window throughout the sub’s slow ascent.   To Orville’s relief the creature dropped away from the window and began to descend beneath the sub when it reached the eight metre mark.

Reaching the surface at last, Orville saw a yacht not far away, numerous small pleasure craft, and dozens of swimmers.   His first thought was to hope that none of the swimmers would dive deep enough to encounter the mermaid.   His second thought was, How the Hell do I explain to the authorities what happened to Helen, Dave, and Rob, without getting myself locked away in a padded cell?

THE END