We are sharing the next story in our series, Featured Short Stories, written by students in the Creative Writing Club.
Every week, the students in the club work on writing short stories, sometimes from their own ideas, and sometimes from story prompts. This week’s prompt was – write a story set in the ocean about a different civilisation.
This week’s story was written by Ramona, aged 15. Enjoy!
The Legend of the Mermaid
My long hair was tangled with seaweed, I had gills on my neck, and shiny scales covered my chest down to my green tail. For us mermaids, this was normal. The mermaid was born to protect fish, whales and all brethren of the brine, we are the ocean waves, the heartbeat of the ocean.
In the ocean exists a separate world from terrestrial life. The fluidity below the waves represents freedom and levity, which inspired tales of mermaids and their endless swim. The wild ocean possesses a unique beauty where organic shapes create living art and communities, like corals thriving in clean coastal waters, free from land’s scars.
Dolphins have a moral code, empathy, and a known trait for helping other species. They exhibit kindness and joy that inspire admiration and affection.
The shark is as essential to the oceans as the wolf is to the forest. It brings a balance that protects the smaller creatures and flora, keeping their predators lower in number. As such the shark is a protector of the environment, a large and beautiful part of creation. But today was not a glorious day, as one of our sharks have now felt our cove due to the land walkers as they have taken one of our friends and killed it.
I have heard from our leader Avalon, that the land dwellers hunt us and our sea creatures for fun and throw their unfunctional tools in our ocean. They think they can trash our ocean. Oceania is our home and the land is theirs.
The Brine assigned me a new role to stay near the surface and scout for human boats so I can alert the sea creatures to stay away. I swam by the rocks, seeing a wooden boat called “Canyon” in bold red. Only its white rim was visible just above the water line. No-one could be seen inside but from the up-ended I assumed there was someone sleeping inside, keeping the boat weighed down instead of bobbing on the waves. I swam up close, to see if there were any fishes or other creatures that may have been captured by their nets.
“What are you?” he asked.
I jumped back into the ocean, realizing he saw my tail and gills.
“Did you see that, Captain?” the man said.
“What is it, Samuel? You woke me up from my slumber,” said the Captain.
“It was a mermaid!” he shouted.
“Sam, perhaps it was merely your imagination?” the Captain responded.
“No, I could vividly see it, she had a tail it was shimmering like nothing you have ever seen before. The way the light hit it was like magic. The colours were so vibrant that you could see it a mile away. And the scales… they were laid there so perfectly that you would think a goddess had placed them upon!”
“We will return to the mainland and report this discovery,” said the Captain.
I saw the boat travelling away, I knew they were going to their dock, I needed to make sure that they didn’t tell anyone.
I reached the dock and swam underneath to remain hidden. Transforming required leaving the ocean, which I had never intended to do. The land consists of various man-made structures that are strange and foreign to me. After completing my task, I plan to return to the ocean.
I crouched down and slowly started reflecting hues of turquoise and violet, creating a mesmerizing display. Next, I was losing my gills, my scales, and my tail. Then I took on human form, and I was wearing a long red and white gingham dress. I become one of them temporarily, I just need to make sure I don’t touch any water. But other liquids were fine as they weren’t pure.
As I walked on the sand, I stumbled and began to lose my balance; several individuals observed me with concerned expressions.
“Have you injured yourself?” one of them inquired.
“No, what makes you say that?” I responded.
“You appear to be walking cross-legged,” he observed.
“I appreciate you letting me know,” I replied.
I uncrossed my legs and walked towards a brick road leading to the town square. Following that direction, I noticed it was close to the sea, as the planks by the dock still carried the odour of fish. The town was lively with brick structures, people selling goods, and children running and screaming nearby. It resembled the Brine, but there was no time for distractions.
I saw the fishing shop across from me, with a man inside who had noticed me. I waddled over since running was difficult with my legs. Inside, I found a variety of fishing gear, bait, and accessories. There were rows of fishing rods, tackle boxes filled with lures, hooks, sinkers, and lines. The air smelled of fresh baitworms and artificial scents, with nets hanging on the walls. I detested the smell of dead creatures; they belonged in the sea, not here.
“Need any fishing gear, Miss?” asked an old man with red circle glasses.
“No, I am here for someone. He was on a red wooden boat not long ago.” I said.
“Oh, you mean Samuel!” he replied.
The old man shouted, “Samuel!”
Samuel walked down, wearing a blue linen shirt and white shorts. He stopped abruptly when he saw me, looking surprised. His face turned pale as he recognized me, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“You…” he whispered, taking a step closer. “It is you. The mermaid.”
I shifted uncomfortably, the stiff cotton of my human clothes pulling in odd places.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” I said quickly. “But you can’t tell anyone what you saw.”
Samuel looked around the shop nervously.
“Old Man Rudd doesn’t hear well,” he muttered. “But still… you came all the way here just to stop us from telling the mainland?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “You weren’t meant to see me. Our kind —mermaids —we’re not myths, we’re guardians. The Brine entrusted us with our world. But if word gets out… if humans start hunting us, like you did our shark… our home won’t survive.”
He looked conflicted, guilt flickering in his expression.
“I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. I was just curious. I never thought I’d see one of you.”
“The ocean is not your playground,” I said, my voice rising a little. “Your curiosity costs lives.”
There was a silence between us, filled only by the dull clatter of fishing lures and the distant sound of waves. Samuel ran a hand through his hair, then sighed.
“Alright,” he said finally.
“I won’t say anything. I’ll talk to the captain too. He won’t believe me anyway, not really.”
Relief flooded through me, though I kept my expression steady.
“Thank you,” I said, but before I could turn to leave, Samuel asked,
“Wait, what’s your name?”
That question caught me off guard.
“You wouldn’t be able to pronounce my true name,” I replied, a hint of a smile playing on my lips. “But you can call me Mira.”
“Mira,” he echoed. “It suits you.”
I turned to leave the shop, my steps slow and unsure. But just as I reached the door, Samuel called out again.
“There’s a storm coming tonight,” he said. “The winds will shift. The sea’s going to be angry.”
I paused. Of course it would be. The Brine always reflected the hearts of its keepers. And tonight, it mourned.
“Then I’d better return before it breaks,” I said.
As I stepped out into the open air, the scent of the salt wind hit me again, stronger this time, as if it too was urging me home. My legs already ached for the sea. I hurried back toward the dock, heart pounding. I just had to reach the water.
But just before I could dive in, I heard another voice.
I turned to see a group of men in uniform pointing at me, the harbour guards. And among them was a man holding a notebook, a government seal stamped on its cover.
Someone had talked.
I looked to the waves, then to the town behind me. I was trapped between two worlds, and the storm was coming.
The sky had begun to darken the storm crept in. Wind tugged at my hair, whipping it across my face. The guards were getting closer, I backed up until my heels kissed the edge of the dock, the ocean just beneath, so close I could hear it calling me home.
“Mira!” a voice shouted.
I turned, and saw Samuel. He had run after me, breathless and wild-eyed, but there was something different in his face now – resolve.
“Don’t let them take her!” he yelled at the guards. “She’s not a threat, she’s not what you think!”
The lead officer, a tall, grey-haired man with weathered skin, stepped forward. “Out of the way, kid. She’s coming with us.”
Samuel shook his head, planting himself between me and them.
“You don’t understand what you’re messing with! She’s part of the ocean and she belongs there!”
But they didn’t stop. One man lunged to grab my wrist…
CRASH!
A huge wave slammed into the dock from beneath, throwing all of us off balance. Water sprayed high, and for a split second, it shimmered with a strange, pearly light. I looked down and saw the sea was glowing.
And then she rose.
Avalon.
Her long blue-black hair swirled around her like a veil, eyes glowing like twin moonstones. Her tail was sleeker than mine, and she held a staff made of coral and shell, its tip pulsing with light.
“Touch her again,” Avalon said in a voice that echoed in the wind, “And you’ll know the wrath of the Brine.”
The guards froze, stunned. Samuel took the chance to grab my arm.
“Go!” he whispered. “Now!”
I didn’t wait. I leapt. The water embraced me like an old friend. My tail reformed in seconds, scales gleaming once more. Gills opened at my neck, lungs relaxing.
Avalon dove in after me, and we both swam deep, fast, far away.
As we reached the edge of the reef, she turned to me, eyes fierce.
“They’re getting bolder, Mira. You being seen, and it was no accident. They’re looking for us.”
I swallowed hard. “Then what do we do?”
Avalon looked out into the darkness, where the ocean met the storm.
“We prepare. And we protect what’s left.”
Above us, thunder cracked like the heartbeat of something ancient. The ocean stirred, not with fear, but with fury.
The End
If you have a child who loves writing stories and you want to encourage them to explore their creativity and their imagination, then we would love to have them join our writing club! Just click on the link to register, and we will be in touch. Creative Writing Club – Registration Form.
Amazing story telling. Felt like I was in a movie. Well done Ramona