The Mermaid's Curse

Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Oceania

Xavier brings a girl into his bedroom, and I know instantly that she must be his sister; she looks like a younger, feminine version of him. Of course, her skin is not nearly as suntanned as his, and she's far from muscular. She's actually quite petite, but she has the same dark, wavy hair and strong, attractive facial features as he does.

I've risen from my seat on the desk chair and am just about to reach my hand out to her in that peculiar custom that Xavier and his people seem to have when the girl collapses to the floor.

I stare at her, not sure what to do, but Xavier springs into action. He grabs a small jar from the desktop, holding it under the girl's nose. A moment later, her long-lashed dark eyes flutter open.

"So you really are a mermaid?" she asks, as Xavier pulls her up into seated position. "I thought there was no such thing."

I'm not surprised that this girl doesn't believe in mermaids; Ula has told me that humans are very skeptical creatures, and frequently don't believe that we exist. 

"I assure you, I'm really a mermaid, and there are many of us in the sea far below. My name is Oceania, and I am here to celebrate my eighteenth birthday." 

"See," Xavier says to the girl with a triumphant smile. "I told you." He turns to me. "This rather dazed girl is my sister, Amelie."

Amelie stands up, finally seeming to recover herself, and shakes my hand. "Forgive me my rudeness, Miss Oceania. I was just reading a book about mermaid folklore, and I thought you mermaids were just that--folktales, created by bored and desperate people."

She takes my hand, leading me into the hallway. "So, Xavier tells me you need to borrow a dress for your excursion tonight. Let me help you with that."

Xavier smiles at me. "I'll wait outside. I'm excited to see how beautiful you'll look."

I nod a thank you, and gasp as I step into Amelie's room. The room is grander than the palace of Triteus the Sea King. I've never been inside, of course, but I've seen pictures in the books we studied in mer-school. Amelie seems oblivious to the grandeur of her surroundings as well as my awe of them, and flings open the closet doors to reveal an incredible collection of dresses in all colors. She pulls out a blue one, the same deep turquoise as the ocean.

"This one is quite informal," she says as my eyes widen. It doesn't look informal at all, with its rows of tiny buttons and sumptuous bows. She reaches into the back of the closet and produces a white garment shaped like a woman's torso. "But we'll start by lacing you into the corset. Oh, don't look so alarmed. I know mermaids don't wear corsets, but we human women wear them all the time, and we're just fine."

Ignoring my protests, Amelie helps me out of my seashell top, and lowers the strange undergarment over my head. "I won't lace you too tight," she promises. "You don't need it, since you have a small waist."

Just the same, I feel out of breath after she has yanked the strings around my midsection, tying them tightly in the back. "And now, for your dress," Amelie continues.

She lowers a soft white underdress over my head first, and then adds the beautiful confection of turquoise blue. After she has fastened the row of tiny buttons and jammed my feet into a pair of high-heeled shoes, she pronounces me ready. "Let's not bother with your hair," she says. "It's the middle of the night, and no one will see you anyway. Besides," she adds, smiling shyly and taking a few long strands of my hair in her hand, turning them back and forth to catch the light, "it's really too pretty to put up."

"Thanks," I say. "For--everything, and for believing in me."

Amelie laughs. "After seeing you in your seaweed skirt, how could I not? But it's my pleasure. That dress certainly suits you." She gestures to a gold-framed oval mirror on the wall. "Look at yourself."

I gasp as I catch sight of my reflection; I almost don't recognize myself. Suddenly, I have a surreal feeling that I don't know myself anymore. The Oceania of a few hours ago was deathly afraid of venturing to land, and would never have allowed a human to strap her into such atrocious, confining fashions.

As I continue to stare into the mirror, however, I'm surprised to realize that I could grow accustomed to this. I like these clothes, and I like Amelie and Xavier. When Ula had told me that I must figure out my true place on earth, I'd never had any doubts that the ocean was my place. Now I have to admit that the land has a certain appeal, too, and the thought makes my head spin. I decide that, for now, I'll just focus on the bizarre, dreamlike quality of the night and not think too much about the future.

Amelie yawns, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's nearly 2 AM. I should really get some sleep. But enjoy yourself with my brother. If he's giving you a tour of the area, I'm sure I know where he will take you next."

"Where?"

Amelie smiles, her cheeks dimpling. "I won't ruin his surprise. But let's just say you'll like it. Everyone does, except maybe our father."

Before I can ask any more questions, Amelie climbs into bed. "Well, I must sleep now. I have an early piano lesson tomorrow morning. But it was very nice meeting you, Oceania. Good night."

I slip out the door just as Amelie switches off her bedside lamp. "Good night."

Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to hear what you thought. Feel free to vote or comment. ;) And if you're excited to read more, the entire story is published as a Kindle eBook for only 99 cents. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Mermaids-Curse-California-Book-ebook/dp/B00OV2DIMU/ I'll be offering it for free on Amazon soon, so if you follow me I'll message you when that happens. :)