Ideas and Rejects

Tiny Mermaid 1

A/N: This was a GT writing prompt I read that struck me as something fun to write from a fan. Her idea was a tiny mermaid lives in a shell and that shell is subsequently collected by a human who takes it home. Though her suggestion was fanfiction based I veered from that but kept her original idea since I myself love to collect shells.

It is said that mankind knows more about the surface of the moon than Earth's own ocean. So much oceanic life is yet to be discovered. One such undiscovered life grew no more than three inches long and lived in the colorful reefs of the Caribbean. This species was known as the Serrani Mers. The Serrani Mers were the tiniest of merfolk who inhabited the lush reefs of the seas. Because of their small size, quick evasive movements, and their resemblance to a common dartfish, the colorful little merfolk went undiscovered from the human world.

One such Serrani was named Junia. Her tail was the common flame red with a tiny stripe of luminescent blue racing down her transparent tail and caudal fins. Her top half was delicate and pure white with iridescent black hair that flashed blue to green in the sunlight. Hiding amidst her mane of hair were two, tiny fins that served as ears and vibration detectors. Lustrous blue dots fanned out from her pretty, green eyes. She wasn't the most beautiful in her shoal by a long shot, but she could still turn a head or two. However, Junia did not venture out much. Being so tiny on a reef meant she had to constantly be on her guard lest she be swallowed up by a much larger fish or creature. Even the most vigilant and cautious Serrani could be eaten or killed in a millisecond, and it wasn't uncommon to find one of their homes eerily empty.

To help prevent such an end, Junia lived in a large Queen's Conch; one of the largest in her reef community. Long abandoned after the death of its original squishy owner, the huge, thick shell served as perfect protection for the vulnerable little Serrani. No fish could crack the impenetrable shell nor fit their voracious mouth into the spiraled interior where she lived. She only had to fear octopi or smaller eels slithering inside, but they were less common. Not only was it a safe home, the soft, pink-colored inside was very appealing and had lots of room for Junia's treasures.

Ask any of her neighbors and they would say Junia was a treasure collecting fiend. But her treasures were not tasty nor useful...they were just...odd. Treasures such as a wrinkled, shiny silver ball she had found lolling with the waves. It was almost as big as she, but it was so light she could carry it with little trouble. She had a whole collection of fake fish and squiggly worms of various neon colors. They were all soft and squishy like anemones but didn't sting. Older neighbors claimed they were dangerous traps from the surface, but Junia still kept them and used a pile of them for pillows. But most intriguing of all was a thin, loop made of something as hard as a rock. It was smooth, shiny, yellowish-brown, and had shiny stones growing on it. Junia would wear it around her waist sometimes when she was safe at home. She didn't dare bring any of her shiny baubles outside her home; shiny things attracted predatory eyes attached to hungry mouths.

Truth be told, Junia didn't know what any of her treasures truly were but there wasn't anything like them on the reef where she lived, so they were special to her.

One sunny day, Junia ventured out of her shell home with great caution to hunt for tiny zooplankton. The tiny animals were a staple of the Serrani Mer's diet along with tiny fish, clams, and shrimp. Some days they were plentiful near her home and other times she'd have to venture further away. The further she swam from her protection the less safe it became. However, she had to eat, dangerous or not. With her green eyes darting in all directions, she made sure the area was clear of predators before swimming out. She swam out, using the surrounding coral as protection while she hunted. Luckily other members of her community, (her shoal) were also out and about; more eyes meant safer conditions.