EDITING■The Ocean's Voice- A Mermaid Story

8 Wreckage

It was dawn. The sky was painted in magneficient colors. The sun light glimmered against the waves reflecting the hues on the ocean floor. Kai admired the view as she made her way to her home, near the dolphins. She carried a net behind her full of delicious clams and shrimps. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a glint. The mermaid turned to where she saw the sparkle, her hair flowing behind her. She squinted, and saw nothing but some sort of rock in the distance. The waves far above her rushed, shining  light at a different angle. Kai saw the glint again but it was brighter. Curiously, cautiously, the mermaid swam to the light.

She came across a ship wreck.

Her violate eyes rolled in disgust. Humans. Always reckless. And look at the consequences. They lost all their cargo. More litter for us to clean up or get entangled in. She smirked. Their loss.

The mermaid began to explore the wreckage as she hummed a tune. Digging through a chest, she flung about sparkly knick knacks and metal circle trinkets. Then she spotted something that intrigued her. A beautifully engraved dagger. She flipped it around causing it to spin before catching it, gracefully. Kai put the knife in her seaweed inspired holster around her waist and continued her search. Then she came across something very rare and yet very useless.

A hand mirror.

Mermaids only saw their reflections in water and in broken mirrors across the sea. Legend has it that all gifted, fantasy creatures mature in looks depending on their personality. If one was beautiful inside, one was beautiful outside. But for a species such as mermaids, mirrors and looks were considered useless. They didn't have to impress anyone. Beauty did not stop a monster attack or create peace or make the hunt easier. Beauty is not necessary to survive. It definetly wasn't Kai's responsibility to be pretty, she knew it did not matter how desirable one was. Mermaids did not exist for that purpose. So they live believing all are lovely.

After glancing at her reflection she threw it behind her and her hands grabbed onto the next thing she could find. It was a box. A small, golden box that fit in her hands. She raised an eyebrow at it as she opened it. But it wouldn't bugde. Then she knew why. There was a lock. Kai looked around her and saw no key in sight. The mermaid looked down at her hands and allowed the nail on her pointer finger to sharpen, thus turning it into a talon. She inserted her talon into the lock, jiggling it.

Click.

Kai smiled in victory and tried to open it once more. But it still did not open. Then a frown appeared on her face as she felt soft vibrations in the water. And in her hands?

Why is the box vibrating?

She swam up the surface, careful no ships were in sight. The mermaid used her talon again to turn the gadget inside. It started to make noise and it startled her. But then she smiled, hearing it's lullaby. It sounded like soft rain upon the sea. Perhaps sun light dancing across the water. Or moonlight gently pulling the tides. It was wonderful and Kai found herself humming along with it. The mermaid swayed to the melody and the sea matched her rhythm. As soon as the song ended she placed the box in her net for keeping, and swam back down to the sunken ship. The mermaid found many human riches but none of them interested her like the knife and the music box. Until she came across many of those strange, flimsy boxes.

She examined the capitans logde, full of them. Those were of value to the educators in her society. They came in many forms and tongues, from many lands. And they only came from land. Kai was taught from them.

What were they called again? She wondered, picking one up. She opened it and saw a picture of a mermaid, writing all around her. Kai smiled in amusement. How humans dipict us is very amusing. Every mermaid covers themselves. The mermaid fiddled with the thin sheet in her hand, careful not to tear it. I remember this is called a page. And the outer layer the cover. The whole is called a ...word box?

Kai sighed as she tried to read the print. Once it dried it would be less blury. But she knew that wouldn't matter. Ever since it was discovered she was apart of the prophecy she has spent all of her time trianing to defend her people and other defenseless myths. But to be the best required dedication, which ment sacrifice. The sacrifice of her education. She wasn't the only illiterate mermaid, there were many.

Just then she heard small cackling noises. She closed the word box to see a few crustations laughing at her. The two creatures sat atop of the book shelf.

"Even humans can read!" One blurped, causing the other to laugh.

They snapped and bubbled, amused at her lack of knowledge.

"Beat it crusty!" Kai growled. "At least I'm on top of the food chain!" Her fangs sharpened with a 'shing' sound, as she smiled at them sweetly.

Their cackling ceased and they quickly scuttled away, knowing not to underestimate a sirens threat.

Kai rolled her eyes and looked back at the object.

It was only nesacary to read if one became a teacher or an elder. Other than that reading was not taught. Her own mother was illiterate. So Kai tried to teach herself, but it was useless. Thankfully, the mermaids were able to speak every tounge, becuase their own dead language was the bases for all human dialect. No one besides the elders could write anymore. And most of the original mermaid language was lost after the war. After a while, Kai chose to keep the green colored word box that dipicted numerous creatures and people. She then made her way home.

Kai jumped onto the rocks to see all of the sanctuary. She placed both boxes beside her, deciding to leave her new dagger next to her stingray blade, still in her belt. As she kept watch she took out the remaining water from the word box. Water bended at her command. And it was dry. She did the same to the music box. Kai turned her talon to play the music and set it beside her and she flipped through the word box. All while keeping an eye on the dolphins.

I don't think word box is the right title. I'll have to ask later.

She examined pictures of some humans. In one, the golden hairded girl was an infant. In another she was grown and with her parents. The next dipicted her meeting a man.

Oh the poor thing. She had to meet a man. This must be a horrible story!

Kai turned a few more pages and gasped in horror. She shut the book with a thud as well as her eyes.

Great stars! What ineffable twaddle?...

The mermaid shielded her eyes as she peeked at the picture again. The woman and the man were...

What were they doing? They're not osculating... goodness no. Kai tilted her head at the picture. Why are they whispering in eachothers mouths? And why do they hold each other as if to devour one another?

But it doesn't look violent... no they both look content. Good god why?! In that position how can one be content and not attack the other for such an insult!

"Well, well, well." She heard a deep vioce. "I didn't take you for a romantic."