The Little Mermaid

3 - Mermaid Meets Boy

Lashanie, concealed by the inky shadows beneath the waves, watched the lone boat bob precariously on the surface. Her heart hammered a nervous tattoo against her ribs. Had she been seen? Was her secret, her reckless escape towards the surface world, already exposed?

But as the moonlight bathed the boat and its occupant in an ethereal glow, Lashanie's fear melted into a strange sense of captivation. The young man, his hair a dark cascade with an unexpected teal streak, seemed utterly consumed by the spectacle above. His eyes, the color of a summer sky, were wide with wonder, his face reflecting a childlike awe.

He threw his head back, his whole body seemingly vibrating with fascination, and Lashanie felt a pang of something she couldn't quite define. Envy? Connection? Perhaps a bit of both. This human, so close to the world she yearned for, was experiencing the very magic she could only glimpse through scavenged objects.

As the meteor shower commenced, a dazzling display of fire and light streaking across the vast canvas of the night sky, Lashanie couldn't help but surface further, her head breaking just above the waterline. She watched, mesmerized, as the young man furiously scribbled in a notebook, his brow furrowed in concentration. He wasn't just awestruck; he was actively trying to understand.

This wasn't a fearful sailor, wary of the unknown depths. He was an explorer, a kindred spirit who, like her, sought knowledge and understanding. A warmth bloomed in Lashanie's chest, dispelling the coldness of her solitary journey. Perhaps, in this unexpected encounter, she wasn't entirely alone.

As the last meteor faded, leaving behind a sky dusted with twinkling stars, the young man leaned back with a satisfied smile. Lashanie knew she should disappear, continue her journey towards the unknown. But an inexplicable urge held her in place. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to bridge the divide, to share a fleeting moment of connection before the vastness of the ocean swallowed her whole.

The human's enthusiasm was infectious. Lashanie found herself mirroring his movements, her head tilting back as she watched the last embers of the meteor shower fade into the inky expanse. Unlike the fear that had gripped her earlier, a tentative curiosity bloomed in her chest. Who was this human who understood the wonder of the celestial dance above as keenly as she did?

The urge to stay, to witness his reaction a little longer, wrestled with the deep-seated fear of discovery. Her parents' warnings echoed in her mind, a chilling reminder of the consequences of venturing too close to the surface world. Still, Lashanie couldn't resist the strange pull towards this unexpected encounter.

Hesitantly, inch by inch, she propelled herself closer to the surface. The air, cool and unfamiliar, kissed her face as she broke free of the water. She kept her upper body submerged, the moonlight casting a shimmering cloak around her scaled form. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs, a drumbeat of nervousness and anticipation.

A soft gasp from the boat startled her. Lashanie froze, every muscle in her body tensed. Had she been too careless? Was it fear she saw reflected in the human's wide blue eyes? But as their gazes locked, she saw something else. A flicker of wonder, a spark of curiosity mirroring her own.

Lashanie emerged from the water with a gasp, her shoulders submerged but her head and long neck held high. Moonlight glinted off her scales, a shimmering blue that faded into a soft turquoise at her throat. But it was the features adorning her face that truly startled the young man. Two golden scales, sleek and pointed, curved down from her temples, framing her large, curious eyes. Her ears, pointed like an elf's, were a vibrant gold at the base, tipped with a striking crimson.

The young man, Varian, stared, his breath catching in his throat. This was no figment of his imagination, no trick of the moonlight.  A real mermaid, a creature of legend, perched on the edge of his rickety boat.