The Sea and The Shells: A Mermaid Story

Stuck on the Beach (3)

Isabella woke up to her body covered in sand and a bad headache. She looked around confused as she realized she was on a beach. And next to her Sabrina lay in the sand sound asleep.

"Sabrina! Wake up!" Isabella shook her friend's tired body.

As Sabrina stirred awake her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and rubbed her temples to alleviate the leftover grogginess.

"What...What happened last night Bells?" Sabrina said disorientated.

Isabella let out a sigh of relief, grateful to see her friend awake and seemingly unharmed. "I'm not sure," she replied, her voice tinged with a touch of unease. "One moment we were in that magical cavern, and the next... we're here, on this beach."

Isabella looked around taking in her surroundings. The beach seemed to be eerily calm with pristine golden sand. The waves seemed to brush against her feet as she stood there confused.

Sabrina sighed "I mean what even happened? The next thing I knew I thought I was drowning but the water wasn't hurting me but pulling me deeper into this-" "Abyss?" Isabella frowned finishing her friend's sentence

Isabella could feel a nagging sense that something life-changing had happened.

Sabrina stood up and wiped the leftover sand off her legs. "Well for now we are stuck on this creepy island until someone finds us. But, I mean hey we do have coconuts!" Sabrina pointed to the palm trees bearing brown coconuts.

Isabella laughed, grateful for Sabrinas' optimism. "Maybe we should explore the Island more. I think we should definitely avoid the cavern though."

The beach seemed to stretch on endlessly, the sun casting a warm glow over the landscape. Isabella and Sabrina walked side by side, their eyes scanning the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of any signs of life. Then in the distance, she saw a man about her age with wet sunkissed hair and a surf suit on.

"Oh thank god!" Sabrina pouted exhausted from the walking.

As the man approached, a friendly smile adorned his face. His eyes sparkled with warmth and his voice carried an unmistakable tone of genuine kindness. "Hey there! Are you two in need of some help?" he called out, his words carrying a sense of reassurance.

Isabella mustered a small smile "Yes, we have been stranded for a day here. I know this is a lot to ask but do you have a boat that could take us back?"

The man's smile widened, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. "Absolutely! I just came back from a morning surf session. Lucky timing, I suppose. Hop on, and I'll take you back to the mainland."

Sabrina and Isabella followed the man back to his boat. He grabbed his surfboard resting against a palm tree and led the way. His boat was a large fishing boat with blue stripes on the side. They ventured up the ladder into the large boat. Isabella felt improper to stumble into a man's boat and not even know his name.

"Thank you so much for doing this for us. I'm Isabella what's your name?"

"Koa nice to meet you, Isabella." Koa smiled at her and began to start the boat.

Sabrina nudged Isabella with her leg and mouthed "He's cute."

Isabella rolled her eyes and could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Hey Koa what do you think about going surfing with me and Isabella tomorrow?" Sabrina inquired.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome! Can we meet at the surf shack?" Koa remarked.

"Totally," Isabella responded.

The surf shack was where everyone bought new boards as well as cute wet suits. Isabella and Sabrina loved going there. The ride back home was calm as the waves splashed softly against the boat. Isabella rested her head against the side of the boat as she felt the salt air brushing against her face and pulling her hair back. She began to feel a nagging feeling almost like a craving; to be in the ocean and swim.

Sabrina must have felt it too because she turned over and asked "Do you want to surf when we get home?"

Isabella nodded hardly containing her excitement. She wanted to feel the sun beating down on her and the wind in her hair. She practically couldn't wait until she could swim again.

Sabrina grinned, mirroring Isabella's anticipation. "I can't wait to catch some waves with you, Bells. It's been too long since our last surf session."

As the boat neared the shore, Isabella's heart quickened with each passing moment. She could almost taste the salty spray and feel the rush of adrenaline that came with riding the ocean's swells. Isabella couldn't help but imagine herself gliding effortlessly across the water on her surfboard.

As Koa parked the boat in the dock Isabella grabbed her only belonging; a small pink seashell.

They walked back off the boat and said goodbye to Koa and thanked him.

"Thank you so much, we really appreciate you helping us." Isabella smiled her warmest smile.

She watched as he walked away and couldn't help but be mesmerized by his warm sunkissed aura.
"Bells you look like a tomato." Sabrina giggled at her friend's red cheeks.

"Ugh, whatever meet you at the surf shack at 1:30." Isabella walked away back to her home. She knew her mom probably wouldn't have noticed her absence when she got home. That's just how it was for Isabella. Ever since her Dad died 5 years ago all she ever does is work. Isabella's family hardly ever had money. She always tried to deter Sabrina from coming over or anyone else. She felt embarrassed that her friend lived in a nice beach house and she lived in a small house in the swamps. The only thing her mom would be mad about was the pickle missing. Isabella knew she needed to find a way to get it back off the island before her mom found out. Isabella opened the door to find her house empty. Her mom must have already started the 9-5 at Luau Juices. Isabella walked to her small room which consisted of a small twin bed with a large poster of her favorite Hawaiian surfer. She walked to the bathroom and began to strip down her wet swimsuit full of sand. Isabella felt pretty dirty considering she had been in her swimsuit for a day and slept in the sand. She started the water and turned it as hot as possible just how she liked it. Stepping in the shower she felt something strange as the water hit her. Isabella felt herself losing balance as she fell on the floor.

As Isabella fell to the floor, her body tingled with an intense surge of energy. Confusion and disbelief washed over her as she looked down at her legs, expecting to see her usual human form. But to her astonishment, her legs had transformed into a shimmering tail, covered in iridescent blue and teal scales that glowed in the dimly lit bathroom.

Isabella's heart raced with a mix of fear and excitement as she wriggled her newfound mermaid tail, testing its mobility. She reached out to touch her glistening tail, feeling the smooth texture of the scales beneath her fingertips. It was a surreal moment, one that she could hardly comprehend.

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Had the magical essence of the cavern somehow transformed her? Was she truly a mermaid now? Isabella couldn't fathom the possibilities, but she knew one thing for certain – her life would never be the same again.