"In breaking news. A team of explorers have found and captured a mermaid after exploring the, now not Lost, City of Atlantis. Historians and archaeologists have been scouring the site for weeks prior to this even more shocking discovery. The creature was discovered in what looked like a submerged stone room with crumbling pillars leading scientists to believe that this may have been part of a bigger city. Scientists and officials have agreed, for the moment, that no invasive experiments will be carried out on this 'mermaid' just yet, but will be observing it and how it interacts with people. No reports on the appearance of this creature have been published. Currently, we cannot disclose any pictures but we have been told that he will be displayed at the Pandora aquarium for all to view starting as part of a social experiment on Tuesday. In other news..."
I switched off the TV and threw the remote on the sofa with a repressed sigh. What a brilliant scientific discovery! I've loved mythology and fantasy since I was a kid and must have read every book I could find. Just, when I think about it more, I don't think it's right to gawk at it like some sort of freak, if it's half human or whatever like I've read it must have feelings, right? My thoughts wonder a bit further, if we just now found a mermaid, what else is out there? It feels like we know nothing about the world we live in. Questions forming and swirling in my head kept me rooted on the sofa for a while until a buzz at the front door snapped me out of it. I managed to heave myself off the sofa to the mirror to make sure I looked half decent. As usual, my wavy ginger hair was a mess and my blue, almost, grey eyes had seen better days. I tugged my shirt a little bit lower too, I wasn't the slimmest girl but was proud of my curves. When I'm not being swamped by a hoodie.
"It's open", I shouted even as my best friend came rushing through the front door like the whirlwind she was. Ariella. Her long black hair was, as usual, in a long plait going down her back and her bright green eyes were full of uncontained energy. She was wearing her favourite pair of jeans that hugged her butt perfectly and an off-the-shoulder blouse. Out of the both of us, she had always had a better fashion sense than me - with the usual jeans, converse and a sweater.
"Oh, my god, AMY! Guess what?" she didn't even wait for an answer before she continued "I've got VIP tickets to go see the MERMAID in the aquarium! That means we can see it on Monday before everyone else! Isn't it amazing?! My mum managed to get them for me, she said she knows someone who knows someone who works in the mermaid exhibit" She gushed out with her signature hair flick. I, for one, was still standing motionless by the mirror, not quite processing all she had said in one breath.
"Come on, Amy! It's not every day a mermaid is discovered AND that we get the chance to see it by ourselves." She had a point there. I was incredibly curious about it, though going would make me a hypocrite for gawking at it. The little girl in me, however, was bouncing up and down in joy at the chance to see one of my dreams in reality. My stubborn little self was definitely winning this one.
I finally said I'd go as long as she paid for lunch, at some semblance of seeming unbothered by the whole thing, and she agreed without hesitation; a rare win on my part. Yay me. Free lunch. Ariella said she'd swing by tomorrow at ten in the morning and told me to be ready to see the discovery of a lifetime. As she finally departed, I was left with a queasy feeling in my stomach accompanied by a strange feeling of guilt, but also a bubbling excitement. I spent the rest of the day pouring over my old books, all a bit dusty causing a small sneeze but just as magical as I remember them being. Once was a romance about a human wishing to have a tail to live with the creatures he loved so much, the other was a more factual book describing hypothetical anatomy and social habits of the creatures. One of particular interest was a hand-drawn one, I completely forgot I had this. I flicked open the first page and found a note:
"My dearest Amy,
Mum and Dad have made this book for our little magical sprite. Always so full of energy and light. We hope this book helps keep the magic in your eyes and the hope in your heart for the wonder of the world."
YOU ARE READING
The Stolen Merman
Fantasy"The room was no longer there, the impassive concrete walls and floor fading away, Ariella a distant presence. The only thing I could focus on was the doleful face of a beautiful young man. He looked to be around my age with sickly white skin, long...
