Rochelle L. Sharpe

Before MerMay comes to an end, I wanted to share with you this flash fiction mermaid story I wrote.

Hope you enjoy!

Lyra loved to gaze up at the moon and the stars. A strange pastime for a mermaid, especially a princess, and one she had to keep secret. She liked how the moon made her pale skin glow and turned her scales a deep midnight blue. She loved the quiet of the night and the majesty of those diamonds twinkling across the sky.

With seven sisters, two of those younger, there was hardly a moment of silence in the castle. At fourteen, she was too young to join her older sisters at the MerCourt, but she was in no rush to join them. Once she did, her duties would increase, and she’d have less time to sneak away to look at the stars.

She swam to her favourite island. It was small and moved along an invisible path. Its current course was far too close to the land walkers island for her to be visiting it. She’d be in a lot of trouble if a land walker spied her. Although she was mildly curious to meet one, even if most were dangerous, any unauthorised interactions were forbidden. Since the land walkers should be sleeping, she decided to risk it. She climbed up onto the rocks on the far side of the island, soaking in the full moon’s light.

A movement caught her eye. Lyra turned to see a sea steed burst out of the water and onto the island. It was inky black with seaweed tangled in its hair. A majestic horror that she rarely came across. The sight of it made her shiver. Ghastly things they were. They loved to pull land walkers into the sea and drown them. It took a strong and gallant land walker to tame one, a feat rarely accomplished. Why they even tried was beyond her.  

Lyra almost fell off the rock as a young land walker emerged from the trees, rope in hand. She knew she should dive into the sea before he saw her, but she was unable to move. Her heart beat painfully as she watched him approach the sea steed. What was he doing? Did he not understand how powerful it was? He couldn’t be more than twelve, no match for a sea steed—even if he was a prince. Though he wore no circlet, she could sense the royal blood within him.

The boy stopped before the sea steed. She tried to call out a warning, but her voice was a lump in her throat. Her eyes widened as the sea steed cantered around the boy, wrapping the rope around him with lightning speed. His scream pierced the air as he was dragged into the depths. She knew he had no hope of escape without her help. The law said to leave the boy. He wasn’t supposed to go into the water. That was the agreement between the merfolk and the land walkers, so whatever happened to him was his own fault. But with him being a prince, the land walkers might retaliate if she didn’t save him.

Fear propelled her into the water. She darted toward the boy, yanking the rope out of the sea steed’s mouth. She could feel its displeasure, but it knew who she was and did not fight her. She pulled the boy to the surface, pushing his heavy form onto the sand. She tore the rope from him. He fell to the side, catching himself with his hands, coughing and splattering. His eyes met hers and widened. “Mermaid,” he rasped.

Being a princess, she had learned some of the land walker’s language. Though she was not yet proficient.

“Fool, boy.” Her voice was low and wispy in the surface air. “Stay away from powerful steed.”

Using her arms to scuttle backwards, she turned and dove into the sea, disappearing beneath the waves. She prayed none of the guards had felt the disturbance the sea steed caused. She didn’t need them coming and investigating, asking questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.

She waited until she was certain the boy was gone and pulled herself onto the shore. She couldn’t have the young prince, or any other foolish land walker, trying a stunt like that again. The next land walker might not be so fortunate. Many merfolk wouldn’t have the compassion she did. She etched a warning into the sand, high enough that the tide wouldn’t reach it before morning and slipped back into the sea. Land walkers were no friends of mermaids, she had been told that countless times, but she was glad she had saved him. It had been the right thing to do, no matter what some other merfolk might believe.

She swam to the castle and settled into her bed, exhaustion washing over her. As her eyes drifted close, the face of the land walker filled her mind and she prayed he, and those like him, would heed her warning. And that there’d be no whispers of her rescue when she woke.