“Surprise, my birthday-twin. Are you ready?” Poppy threw her arms wide and twirled around in delight.
I breathed through the panic, forcing a smile. “If you’re with me, why wouldn’t I be?”
“I am pretty fabulous.” She winked. “Come, let’s get ready with the other girls! We’re already running late, sleepy-fish.”
We entered a special cave with the other girls, located just outside the Church of Moon and Sea, and used to prep for special ceremonies. Beauty was of high importance to our clan, and so it was no surprise to see my fellow sirens with their hair in loose curls, red lips, and vibrant eyeshadows, their skin glowing with excess magic from the “pre-party” that Poppy managed to host without our leaders taking notice. Or perhaps they did take notice, and simply turned a blind eye? Whatever the case, it was a party for the history books, and Poppy knew it. I glanced over to see a prideful smirk. These girls were the result of her handiwork in many ways.
“You will be the prettiest, Cassie,” she whispered in my ear. “Don’t you fret.”
Before I could even respond, Poppy began working on my face, a pale blank canvas for her truly talented hands. My heart fluttered as she applied the brightest lipstain I’d ever seen. If nothing else, I was definitely going to stand out. When she finally pulled back, a sigh escaped her lips. She’d outdone herself, I knew that before I even took a glimpse in the mirror, but when I did, I was stunned.
It’s not that I didn’t appear like myself. I looked more like myself than ever, blonde hair cascading around serene face, but I’m positively glowing brighter than any other siren here. She made good on her whispered promise, leaving the other girls a mix of jealous grimaces and proud smiles.
There was no prize for being the prettiest girl at this ceremony — but I would be the talk of all and when I returned … I frowned, not quite sure what I wanted to do when I welcomed back the Sea. I had two options before me: I could be taken under the Church’s wing and serve as one of our leaders, or I could prepare for what essentially would be the end of my life as I was reborn into a child siren. Unlike the mortals of Land, we had no need nor means to procreate. We simply died and rose again. I retained no memory of my past lives, and most sirens only knew what they knew from stories our elders told, but Poppy swore she remembered every single one of her own experiences from her past lives.
“So?” Poppy smiled, pulling me back from my wandering thoughts. “You like?”
I nodded. “I’m beautiful. You’re so talented, Poppy. I’m so glad you’re coming to the surface with me. With your skills and my natural siren charm, I’ll have all the men grovelingat my feet for just a moment of my attention.”
Poppy laughed, and I could have sworn I detected a hint of bitterness. Had it come from anyone else, I would have understood. We were jealous creatures, but Poppy and I… we never competed against each other. Poppy intentionally made me not only more beautiful than the other girls in attendance, but even herself. Her makeup, though lovely, was a simple collection of shades just barely brighter than her own skin.
Before I could ponder this strange occurance further,A sweet, tinkling melody crept into the cave.
“It’s time!” Poppy squealed.
“It’s time!” I echoed, just as enthusiastically.
I rushed to line up with the other girls, but Poppy grabbed my arm. “No. Save the best for last. End of the line for you, little glofish.”
I giggled. “Oh, fine then!”
“More like puffer fish,” I heard one of the girls seethe.
“Never mind her. She’s only being a Jelly!”
At that moment a leader from the Church of Moon and Sea appeared, escorting us to an elaborate building said to be designed by the inhabitants of Atlantis. As we floated in the building, our bickering ceased, and everyone bowed their heads in acknowledgment of our High Priestess’ presence. It was not uncommon for her to attend such ceremonies, but it was still a great honor to have her be part of this moment.
Prayers were said and the chanting began as our fellow sirens, previously baptized, swam toward us with beautiful coral, glowing algae, and what appeared to be flowers from land, wilting away in the depths of our salty waters.
I frowned, surprised they had risked going so close to the surface for these gifts. I accepted mine humbly from a kind, white-haired woman, before the Priestess began speaking.
“As is tradition, on a siren’s eighteenth birthday, we bestow upon thee a chance to choose the Moon and Sea for yourself. We shall gift thee the ability to walk on dry land, and mingle amongst the humans. Should you decide to stay, you will be cursed to never come back, for if you dare, the punishment is worse than death. However, those who do choose to return, they will then be baptized — and blessed to stay in the sea and never walk upon that treacherous land again.”
On cue, we bowed our heads once more as the High Priestess sang a prayer of hope and magic that weaved its way to us and through us, empowering us to make our own choice. Holding tight to my gifts that were to remind me of home, I began swimming eagerly to the surface, as did my companions.
Poppy quickly slipped her hand in mine.
The journey to the surface seemed to take forever, but when we finally broke through the water, we realized we’d made a mistake in our eager attempt to reach land. No rock strewn beach loomed in the distance.
“Which way?” I asked Poppy.
The other girls sputtered as they scrambled to the surface, looking to us for an idea as to where to go. With the leaders having given us no information, this was just another part of our journey to land. None of us had ever been allowed to the surface before, so each of us were seeing the sky, clouds, and the sun for the first time.
“Well, in my previous life,” Poppy started and everyone groaned. She rolled her eyes. “If we head North,” she continued ignoring the whispers that ensued, “we will reach California, which was always my favorite.”
“Then North it is!” I declared.
Almost everyone in our small group followed us, except for a few that decided to head South.
“They’ll have a long swim ahead of them.” Poppy noted.
I squeezed her hand. “Good thing we have you.”
“This better be the way to California,” Lei, one that had chosen to follow, interjected.
“It is. You’ll see,” Poppy promised.
Even though I never really believed Poppy’s stories of her past lives, I wasn’t surprised that after three hours of swimming — and we did swim fast — that we ended at the Santa Monica pier. Whenever you were with Poppy, things just seemed to work out.
“Oh, Cassie, isn’t it beautiful?” Poppy said, her fin melting away to reveal a pair of legs as she reached the shoreline. She stumbled the moment she stood up, pulling me down with her, our hands still clasped together tightly.
I laughed. “Get it together, girl!” I stood up, expecting to fall, but somehow it felt … natural. I cringed at the thought. This was not natural. I could not entertain such thoughts. In my other hand, I held the small coral and flower, noticing the algae was missing.
Everyone looked at me suspiciously as I managed to walk perfectly and helped Poppy to find her balance, while they stumbled around helplessly. “It’s not that hard…It’s like swimming, just different. Think of it as a different rhythm... “ I tried to justify it, but I knew I shouldn’t be this good at walking. Not yet. Sure, sirens picked up on things fast, but if all my peers were struggling, shouldn’t I be too?
Poppy squeezed my hand. “It’s nothing,” she said reassuringly. “We all have our gifts.”
It wasn’t long before the other girls picked up the whole walking thing, and once we did, we realized as a couple came walking that we were not clothed. In fact, we were naked. Poppy’s long blonde hair just barely covering her chest. Our hands flew down and we ran. Fast. Laughing hard, until someone flagged us down.
“Come this way, girls! I’ve clothes and shelter for you.”
/> We paused.
The woman’s flowing blue dress fluttered in the breeze as her piercing green eyes offered only kindness. She reminded me very much of the High Priestess, and for a moment, I thought it was her.
“We can’t trust them,” Poppy whispered.
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
“She’s one of us,” I said simply, though I wasn’t sure how I knew. “What clan are you from?”
“Moon and Sea, such as you are,” the woman explained.
“But how… we haven’t had a baptism since…” I paused, realizing what this meant.
“I haven’t been part of your world for decades,” she said, the weathered lines of her face more evident the closer we got. “I’m not here to sway you, but I know how awkward and frightening these first days are. I come here every night in case one of you surfaces. I’m just here to help.”
Poppy frowned. “I don’t like this.”
Again, Lei and Harmony agreed with her.
“I think it’s our best bet. We need clothes, a warm place to stay, and food. We can’t survive with so little like we do at sea.”
Poppy stumbled back and tried to take me with her. “She’ll try to convince us to stay like she did… She is a traitor to our kind, Cassie!”
“Poppy, you heard her. She said she wouldn’t betray us.” I slipped my hand from hers and approached the woman. It was quite daring of me to leave Poppy’s side, but there was something about being on land, away from home, that gave me a sense of freedom to do as I wished. Not as Poppy wished. “You guys can either come with us or stay out in the cold. I, for one, don’t want to die before my baptism.”
The shocked expressions of Poppy, Lei, and Harmony stared on in horror.
I didn’t want to leave them here on the beach, but I would if it meant surviving another day.
Chapter 2
“Oh, very well, then!” Poppy huffed and the others, all three of them, followed behind.
The woman led us to a small shack on the sea; it did not possess the dignity to be called anything but. It certainly wasn’t a house.
I frowned, wondering if I had made the right decision. Only the less than perfect resided in such contraptions under the sea. I bit my tongue and smiled. “You have a lovely home.”
Poppy choked on her laughter. “Yes, very…humble.”
“Remember, I was once one of your kind. I know my home is beyond subpar to your standards, but it is home.”
I frowned. “Is it? How is this more of a home than the sea?” My words came out harsher than I intended, but she must have faced this question many times before; she didn’t even flinch.
“They have a cliche saying here on the land, but I’ve come to appreciate the truth in it. Home is where your heart is, and well, my heart was here.”
Was?
My frown deepened, and she laughed.
Meanwhile Poppy lifted up a picture frame, tilting it. “You look younger here,” she commented. “Happier.”
“I was. I’m still happy, though. It’s just different now that Henry is gone.” Her voice cracked on his name, and something shifted in my chest. A foreign pain. Perhaps she was here to lead us astray after all?
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Melody Anne Reyes,” she replied. “And yours?”
“I’m Cassiopiea Moonflower.”
Lei and Harmony introduced themselves at nearly the same time. It was typical of them to speak as one, being twins and all.
“And I’m Poppy!” She waved her hand elaborately, as if her mere existence was cause to celebrate.
“Enough chit chat!” Melody interrupted, clearly not amused. “Let’s get you girls dressed.”
It was only then that I realized I was still naked. Embarrassed, my hands flew to cover myself once more.
“Don’t be so modest,” Poppy chided, proudly flaunting her stuff.
“Not all of us love ourselves that much,” I seethed.
“For you,” our host handed me a towel, soap, and clothes. “You’ll have to take turns with the showers, but you’ll definitely want to shower with all that salt water on your skin.”
I nodded, though the idea of washing home away from my skin filled me with a conflicting sense of freedom.
After our host helped me turn the faucet on, I was not disappointed. The water, much warmer than the ocean, cascaded down my body, taking away the chill of the cold night’s air. I squeezed the soap out of the bottle, a product we didn’t use in the ocean, but the smell was delightful. Floral, I guessed.
When I finished bathing, I dried my skin, only a faint hint of the ocean lingering on my skin. As I dressed in the clothes provided, I couldn’t help but wonder why this stranger was being so kind to us.Was she trying to lure us away? But what would she gain from that? We thought very little of the land folk, but I couldn’t help but ponder if what I’d been taught was true?
No, that was foolish. We were here to prove our faith and choose the Moon and Sea, to trust in ourselves and our leaders.
Just as I was about to open the door, Poppy slid in. “She said to give it a few minutes for the water to get hot again,” Poppy explained, rolling her eyes. “I don’t mind cold water.” She winked and hopped into the shower. She stood there waiting and waiting, as if she expected the water to turn itself on.
I giggled and walked toward her.
“What?” she snapped.
I grabbed the faucet and twisted the knob, water splashing us both. I squealed. Thankfully, it only hit my head, which was already wet. I closed the shower curtain behind me. Poppy may not be modest, but I supposed I was. It was a trait that most merfolk did not possess, but as the day went on, I began to wonder how much I wasn’t like the others. It always pained me that I was different, less jealous, more modest.
“Thank you,” I said, as I wondered back into the main area, nodding at our host. “That was most delightful.”
The other girls were wrapped in robes while they waited their turn. They glared at me. “We’re only here to get what we need. You shouldn’t get too comfortable, Cas.”
“Please,” I answered, channelling my best Poppy impression, “I’m only being polite. I’ve no intention on staying here.”
“Best not, else you’ll be known as a traitor… like her.”
I glanced over to Melody to see how she was handling this banter, our cruel words, guilt already eating away at my insides. Yet she seemed so unphased.
As if on cue, she smiled. “Now girls, you’re not the first set of mermaids I’ve hosted nor will you be the last. Also, I spent years undersea. I can handle myself. Listen, I’ve nothing against the Moon and Sea.In a way the ocean will always be my home.”
“Then why did you choose to stay here?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.
Lei shot me a dirty look and rolled her eyes.
“I found something the sea does not offer. Something I had desired, yet didn’t quite know, until I came here.”
“Henry,” I whispered. “You fell in love.”
“Yes.” An all-knowing sort of smile crept upon her lips. “I did. I know our kind says love is for fools, needy fools, and perhaps I am a fool.” She laughed. “But, you know what, little fish? I’m glad to be a fool.”
“How can you know so much and still turn your back on us?” Lei asked.
“Here on the land, there is a clan, if you will, called the Amish. They are isolated from the others, just like the Moon and Sea is isolated from other clans. It serves them well, and they benefit from this arrangement in ways many cannot grasp. Yet, they allow their young to experience the lives of other clans during a time they call Rumspringa. They then proceed to choose to live amongst the others or go back to their kind. If they choose to leave, they are shunned. A lesser punishment than our kind, but a punishment nonetheless.”
“That’s fascinating. We’ve never heard of such…a clan of land folk.” I breathed, pondering what else I didn’t know. “Is it true, th
ey don’t know of our existence?”
“We are but a myth to them, little fish. Should you even consider telling someone you are a mermaid, why, they would laugh and walk away. Or worse, send you to the hospital for experiencing delusions.”
“So, Henry never knew?” I asked. How could someone keep such an amazing secret from someone they claimed to love? I didn’t know much about love, but I did know the Church claimed it was as powerful as magick, but far far more dangerous.
Melody nodded solemnly. “No. He wouldn’t have believed me.”
“Couldn’t you have shown him?”
“To show him would mean going back to the sea…”
“Which holds a punishment worse than death,” Lei finished. “I’m sorry for my unkind words. I do not agree with your choice, but I suppose I can understand why you stayed. The way home speaks of love…I suppose anyone could fall victim to its charms.”
Melody simply laughed. "They say a lot of things back home. Our leaders speak out of ignorance and fear of losing our kind."
"I thought you held no contempt to the Moon and Sea?" I asked. It seemed as if Melody knew more than what she was letting on, and a fear — a fear that had consumed me in this particular life that perhaps the leaders were lying resurfaced. I kept my face a blank canvas, unmoved by Melody's claim, but I needed to know more. I needed to find out the truth, and this was my time to do it.
I knew I couldn't ask Melody more questions in front of the others, and once we were all dressed and warm, I decided to see if the girls wanted to go for a walk along the beach.
"Oh, please! I need some space to…" Poppy trailed off, looking over at our host, not even a flicker of guilt in her eyes, "exist."
"Let's go," I said.
"Be careful," Melody called out, as if she was a doting mother, something our clan didn't exhibit. "And don't stay out too late. It's not safe."
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