The Misfit Mermaid, Part 3

Far far away, Jimmy the cabin boy was frustrated. No one had believed that he had seen a mermaid. His parents assured him it was his imagination, his friends laughed at him, and even Phyllis, his pet dog had not looked convinced when Jimmy confided all he had seen.
“I did think that YOU would believe me.” He said reproachfully to Phyllis as she curled up at the foot of his bed. Her response was a yawn. Jimmy sighed.
“Did I really imagine the whole thing?” He wondered. But it had all been so real, he just couldn’t have imagined it. At last, he dropped off to sleep.
Five years later, Jimmy, now a young man, was walking along the shoreline of the same beach that he had seen Atalie so long ago. He did this every morning at dawn in hopes that he might once again see the mermaid. He didn’t really expect to ever see her again, especially at this particular beach, but kept at it anyways. On this particular morning, it was very misty, and he couldn’t see very out in the water. At last, he headed back to his house. But after he had taken a few steps, he stopped. What was that out in the water? He couldn’t tell in the mist. Cautiously, he moved toward the sea. He felt a growing sense of excitement run through him. Of course it could just be a seal, but there was a slight chance…What on earth is that? Jimmy stopped dead in his tracks, for there in front of him, was the largest hermit crab he had ever seen.
Grumbling, Gloomer crawled slowly toward Jimmy.
“Why do I put up with this? I really do too much for her.” But he had his directions, and as soon as he was sure the human had seen him, he headed back for the water, but not to quickly. As was planned, the boy followed him. Just a few more feet, and then blessed water!
While Jimmy was occupied with Gloomer, Atalie was swimming quickly toward the shore. She wanted to get as close as she could before the human noticed she was there. Over the years, she had come back to this place many times, and often watched Jimmy. At last, it was too much to bear, and she had to talk to him, to find out what it was like to be a human.
“Ok, here goes nothing.” She surfaced.
“Hello.”
Jimmy jumped a full two feet into the air. He had been so interested in the hermit crab; he hadn’t even noticed anyone was there and-wait a second! It was her, the mermaid! She was here, right in front of him, and she had said hello!
“Surely you are not mute, are you?” She asked, with a hint of concern in her voice.
“Oh no…I mean to say, it’s you isn’t it? That is, I mean the one I saw five years ago…or was it six? I suppose it doesn’t matter but-“
“Are humans always this nervous?” She asked, he stopped babbling, and stared. On her face was a look of pure concern and absolute seriousness. Instantly, he knew they were going to be friends. For the next half hour, he told her about life on land, and she told him all about Pearlopolis and the mer people living there. He could have talked for hours, but people would be coming to the beach soon, and then it wouldn’t be safe for Atalie anymore. But she promised to come back the next morning, and with a small splash, she was gone. At last, Jimmy returned to his home.
The next morning, they again talked, Atalie showed Jimmy some beautiful shells, and Jimmy showed Atalie a photo of himself. She would have liked to keep it, but Jimmy told her it would spoil under water. They continued to meet for the rest of the week, but then Atalie had to return to Pearlopolis. She promised to come back the next month, and the month after that, and the month after that. And she did. For four years, she never missed a meeting, and neither did Jimmy. They had a few close calls when other people came to the beach, but she never let herself be seen by another human. But then one day, Jimmy didn’t show up. Atalie waited for as long as she could, but eventually had to hide back under the water. The next day, he didn’t come either, or the day after that. On the fourth day, Atalie persuaded Gloomer to crawl up the beach, and find out what had happened to Jimmy. When he came back, grumpy old Gloomer, who had never cared for humans, was crying.
“Atalie…Jimmy died.” She was shocked. Just last month he had been healthy and happy, and today he was dead. After several prompts, she finally got the sobbing Gloomer to explain. He had overheard some people talking about it. Apparently, he had caught pneumonia from a friend he had helped care for, and hadn’t recovered. She had known that Jimmy would die sooner than her, for mermaids can live hundreds of years, but she hadn’t excepted it to happen so soon! Heartbroken, Atalie swam back to Pearlopolis. In the short time she had known Jimmy, she had learned so much from him. She had learned of deserts with no water at all, and kingdoms much like her fathers. He had told her about the odd cloths that people wore, and the houses they lived in. She knew that she could always find another human to befriend, but somehow, it just wouldn’t be the same. Jimmy had always understood her, and never even CONSIDERED telling others about her, after they had met. As much as she wanted to, Atalie resolved never to talk to another human. When she told Gloomer of this, he agreed.
“That one boy was really one in a million.” He said. “The chances of finding another human that would be friendly are too small to risk it.”
“Oh Gloomer, its not the risk I’m worried about, its just…oh you wouldn’t understand.” She sighed. It was going to be hard, but she kept to her promise. Though he didn’t know of her resolve, never again did the Mighty King Tristan have a reason to worry about his unruly daughter conversing with humans.

The Misfit Mermaid, Part 2

Sorry about the delay folks.

Back down under the surface, Atalie had sneaked back into Pearlopolis, unseen. Gloomer was sulking under her bed about her latest adventure. She smiled. He would get over it, he always did. But he sure wasn’t named Gloomer for nothing.
The next day, she again managed to escape the city, but this time, she wasn’t planning on coming back for some time. The night before, she had been looking over all her treasures, and felt a longing to see actual land, where they were made. So, early that morning she had packed a few of her favorite trinkets and some food, and set off in the current with Gloomer right by her side. She would stop every few hours to find something to eat, and then continue in the current. Soon, she was farther away from home than she had ever been before. The current continued until nightfall, when the pull was next to nothing. So Atalie had to swim by her own power from here on. On the third day, she sighted land.
“Gloomer, there it is, land!” She exclaimed.
“Well its about time…ok lets go!” And he turned as if to swim away.
“Gloomer, we can’t leave yet! We just got here” She grabbed his shell and tucked it under her arm.
“But…but you said we could leave after we found land.” He complained.
“No, I said we could leave after I had explored and seen more of the human’s way of life. She corrected him.
The next three days she spent sneaking under piers, and hiding under ships and boats, trying to learn as much about the human way of life as possible. On the third day, a massive ship sailed into the harbor, and she was surprised to recognize it as the same ship she had seen the previous week. Hiding under the dock, she listened to the hubbub up above. Peering up through the water, she recognized the captain among the crowd of humans. Gloomer shifted uneasily next to her, but she gave him no notice. It was all so exciting, being so close to so many humans, and them never knowing it.
Up on the dock, a young cabin boy named Jimmy hurried off the ship. He was about twelve years old, but was so short; he could have passed for nine.
“Land! At last.” He sighed. After months of being stuck on the ship, it was good to have solid ground under ones feet. Eagerly, he walked down the dock. Suddenly, a burly sailor pushed past him, and Jimmy was knocked off the dock and into the water! Sinking
quickly to the bottom of the shallow water, he forced his eyes open, and couldn’t believe what he saw. There, in front of him, was a young girl with long black hair, and a bluish green tail instead of feet. She let out a gasp, (or at least he thought it was a gasp) and instantly swam away. Pushing against the sea floor, Jimmy resurfaced, and swam ashore. No one had noticed his fall, and as he staggered down the shore. The image of the girl couldn’t leave his mind. A mermaid!
“You’ve really done it this time Atalie! Now people will be diving out in the sea searching for you!” Shouted Gloomer once they were safely away.
“Well, he might not have seen me, human sight underwater is very weak.” She replied doubtfully.
“Not see you, ha! How could he miss you is what I want to know.”
“Even if he did see me, no one would believe him.”
“That, unfortunately is our only hope.” He said sourly. But even after all that, Atalie could still not bring herself to leave the shore just yet. Keeping a safe distance, she swam along the shore, stopping every now and then to poke her head ever so slightly out of the water. At last, she gave in to Gloomer, and began her journey back home. But all the while, the image of the boy underwater staring at her couldn’t leave her mind. She had been seen.
When Atalie and Gloomer arrived home, they were immediately ushered into the throne room where King Tristan sat, waiting. Atalie approached the throne, waiting for it to come. She didn’t have to wait long.
“ATALIE!!!!” He roared. “What do you have to say for yourself?!?”
“About what father?” She asked innocently.
“ABOUT WHAT? How about for sneaking away, stealing food from the kitchens, and no one seeing so much as a scale of your miserable tail for over a week!!”
“Oh, that. Well….”
“Never mind what! You are hereby grounded for the same amount of time as you were missing.”
“But father!”
“Go to your room young lady.” And he would have no more to say.
Poor Atalie swam desolately back to her bedroom with Gloomer, and flopped onto a comfortable chair, a large replica of a giant clam, with round white cushions for pearls.
“I told you we shouldn’t have gone.” Began Gloomer.
“Oh hush Gloomer, it was worth it.” She sighed. What would happen if her father ever found out she had been seen? Would he lock her up permanently, start attacking ships, or worse? He could not find out. Exhausted from her trip, she curled up, and went to sleep.

The Misfit Mermaid, Part 1

Down deep under the sea, there was once a beautiful kingdom. In this kingdom lived the mermen and maids of the ocean. And at the center of the kingdom, was a magnificent palace covered in pearls. The pearl was their national jewel. In this palace, lived the Mighty, Awesome, and Almighty King Tristan! He was the ruler of Pearlopolis, and his word was law. No one dared disobey King Tristan, or else they could be sentenced to years in prison, or worse. No one dared disobey him that is, except his second to youngest daughter, Atalie.
Atalie was a misfit among her watery sisters. She did everything that they were always told a princess shouldn’t. She was late for events and banquets, never combed her hair, didn’t participate in the royal choir, and kept a collection of human trinkets instead of a stately garden. Her biggest offence however, was her almost daily trips to the surface. Tristan was terrified of humans, and the possibility they might discover Pearlopolis. No one was allowed to venture to the surface, except for extreme emergencies. And in order to be qualified for such, the offender had to fill out piles of forms and appear in court to explain for their misbehavior. Unfortunately, before the law was passed, he had once taken all his daughters for a quick trip up above to explain the dangers involved, and Atalie had loved it instantly. Scarcely a day went by when she didn’t sneak past the palace guards and visit the outside world. And when she wasn’t doing that, she was exploring old sunken ships in search of treasures. It was clear, that Atalie had a unique fascination for humans.
“Let’s see…two guards in the corridor, four at each gate and dozens of them patrolling the walls. This isn’t going to be easy this time.” Thought Atalie to herself. She had already sneaked past scores of guards without raising a single question, but the outer walls and courtyards were always trickier, especially with her reputation. But, as always, Atalie had a plan. At her side, was her trusty friend, Gloomer. Gloomer was not a mermaid, he was, in fact, an unusually large red and yellow hermit crab. About the size of a housecat, to be exact. At Atalie’s signal, he scrabbled forward, and clicked a massive claw onto a guard’s tail. Howling, the guard swam about, furiously trying to remove the crab from his tail. As other guards swam to help him, Atalie causally floated by, not noticed by a single one. Once she was clear of the palace gates, she swam toward an underwater current she had discovered two months before, and allowed it to carry her far away from Pearlopolis. Now that Atalie was free from disturbance she waited for Gloomer to catch up. Sure enough, in a few minutes she could see him spinning about in the current. She swam up and plucked him from its grip.
“Ha ha, did you see the expression on that guards face?” He asked gleefully.
“Good job Gloomer, no one even noticed I was leaving.” She replied. “Let’s go see what’s going on at the surface.”
“Well…we could just hunt for sea stars instead…” he muttered doubtfully.
“Oh don’t be such a scardy crab. Nothing is going to happen.” She grabbed his shell and swam up and up. Soon, her head popped free of the water, and she examined her surroundings.
“GLOOMER! LOOK OVER THERE!” She exclaimed in his shell. The grumpy crab poked his head out long enough to look, then hid it again in a hurry.
“No Atalie, no! Not another ship sighting!” he groaned. But it was of no use, she was already swimming to it as fast as her tail could carry her. In a matter of minutes, they had arrived at the ship. Pausing for a minute to decide what to do next, she grabbed onto the side of the ship, and by using her hands, she managed to crawl up the side of the ship.
She stopped at a little round window, and peeked in. She happened to be looking into the captain’s personal cabin, and there on a dirty bed was the captain, fast asleep. Gently, she pushed the small window open a crack, and took a better look at the room. It was smallish, dirty and smelled horrible. This didn’t phase Atalie a bit.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” She whispered.
“Yes, its…real great. Now can we go back into the water?”
“Wait, there is someone coming into the room.” She paused, her gaze fixed on the jiggling door handle. She never got to see who came in however, because a mighty wave crashed up, and she lost her grip and was tossed back into the sea.
A moment later, she popped up again, and looked around. The sea was calm again, and she decided there was nothing more to see. With that, she dove back down under the water.

Stay Tuned

Ok, so maybe my last story was kind of lame, but don't worry. My next one will get a little better, and the one after that is by far the best. Keep checking often, as my next few stories are already written, so I will be posting often. (Probably!)

The Misfit Mermaid

Coming soon to Fantasy!

An Unusal Elf, Part 2

Meryl and the supervisor walked through the door and into a large comfortable room. There was a fire place on one side, with a few armchairs nearby. The walls were covered with pictures, and there was a thick rug on the floor. It really didn’t look much like a office at all, more like a cozy den. At one end of the room, sitting at a desk, was Santa.
“Please, have a seat.” Santa gestured toward two of the chairs.
“Now then, tell me what this is all about.” Said Santa leaning forward in his chair.
“Sir,” began the supervisor. “This girl, Meryl, claims that she does not want to make toys.” There was a gasp from behind, and the two elves looked to see Bamey topple over in a dead faint.
“Please continue.” Urged Santa.
“There’s nothing more to say, after I found out, I took her straight to see you.”
“I see… Meryl, any reason why you don’t want to make toys?”
“Well, I just don’t enjoy it.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. We have places for elves like you. You could, ah, take care of the reindeer, or perhaps help in the packaging and wrapping department or, cook! Your mother is one of my finest gingerbread makers.” Santa leaned back and smiled.
“Yes, but I already have plans.”
“Well then, what are they?”
“I want to become a math teacher.”
“A, err, what?” Santa looked startled. “A math teacher? We don’t have any positions for math teachers.”
“Yes I know. That is why I would have to move to Elf town, after I finish collage.”
“Meryl, you were born and raised a Christmas elf. Moving away, and, and getting an education it just… its just not what we do! Are you sure that you want to make this decision?”
“Yes sir, I have thought about it for a while, and I am ready.”
“Have you talked to your parents about this?”
“I am planning on doing it tonight.”
“Well then, I give you my best whishes. We could have used a smart young elf like yourself.” Santa got up, and shook her hand. Meryl thanked him, and walked out the door. Santa and the supervisor watched her leave. Bamey still lay on the floor, motionless.
“Sir,” asked the supervisor, a little stunned at what had just happened. “Are you really going to let her just, just leave? That’s one less elf you know. And if the others hear about this, which of course they will, soon THEY might get silly ideas of leaving Christmas town, and start following careers, and if that happens we-”
“Hush Alvey, don’t speak nonsense! Of course that would never happen. Besides, I have a feeling that we shall see young Meryl again one day…”
And so Meryl did fulfill her dream of going to collage. She not only learned math, but also computer programming, science, and home economics. After graduating, she started teaching classes in Elf Town, and was very successful. Even so, she still missed all her old friends back at Christmas Town. Eventually, she convinced Santa to let her teach the elf children. Soon, when the parents saw how smart their kids were getting, she was teaching evening classes, and helped them to learn how to manage reindeer better in tricky winds, new and better recipes, how to make all the latest electronic toys, and constructed a new, more efficient way to wrap a gift. Thanks to Meryl, Santa's workshop in Christmas town had never worked better.

An Unusal Elf, Pt. 1

Meryl was destined to be different. Everyone was sure of it. From the day she was born, her Parents, Olinda and Fremont felt there was something odd about this child. For one thing, her hair was a dark, blackish color, unlike the hair of other elf’s, which tends to be blonde, or a mellow red. Another thing, she was taller then most her age. While her parents stood a proud 3.4 and 3.6, Meryl reached 3.7 at the age of 12, and 3.9 at the age of 15. But the thing that worried her parents most of all, was that she did not enjoy making toys.
“Meryl! Snap out of it!” Commanded one of her good friends, Ulla.
“Huh, what?” Asked Meryl, startled.
“You were daydreaming again, and started to paint the table, instead of that model car.” Ulla explained.
“Oh, whoops.” Meryl sighed, and dipped her brush back in the paint. The supervisor at table number 168 in the painting department came marching down the isle, and stopped when he came to Meryl.
“Meryl, what number car are you on?” He inquired. Meryl stopped painting, and thought for a minute before answering.
“49.” She answered softly, then waited for it to come.
“WHAT!!!!! DO YOU REALIZE IT IS ALMOST 6 MONTHES TILL CHRISTMAS, AND THE MOST YOU CAN PAINT IN A SHIFT IS 49!?”
“I’m sorry, I… I mean to do well and all, but…”
“But what?” There was a sinister tone in the supervisor’s voice.
“I just don’t think that, that I was meant to make toys.” As soon as the words had left her mouth, the room fell silent. All eyes were on Meryl. Since no one was talking, Meryl continued.
“I feel my time could be better spent doing something else then painting cars.” Meryl explained. The supervisor finally found his voice.
“I see, and what is it, that you would rather be doing?” Meryl detected a hint of a sneer.
“Well, I want to study, go to Elf University, get a major in physics and become a math teacher.”
“Meryl, you had better come with me. Everyone else, get back to work! Liesel, cut your break short and fill in for Meryl. We have some talking to do.” Meryl found herself being led down the isle, out the door and down a long corridor to the one place she wanted least to be. Santa’s Office.
Once they got there, the supervisor knocked, and a stout elf opened the door.
“Ahem, ah yes, what is it you want?”
“I need to see Santa at once! A most urgent matter concerning a young elf that doesn’t want to make toys.”
“I am sorry, but Santa is seeing no one today.”
“WHAT!?!?! IMPOSSIBLE!” Santa’s secretary jumped a little at the unexpected eruption, but held firm.
“Santa is swamped with June letters filled with requests, complaints about last Christmas, questions about his favorite type of cookie, and just wanted to say hi notes! Not to mention this month’s bills still have to be paid, there was an explosion in one of the kitchens and Rudolph has a broken nose! No, you may not see Santa today. Come back next Tuesday.” The fat little elf stopped to take a deep breath from his sudden exertion, and started to close the door.
“Wait Bamey, let them through.” Came a voice from inside, a deep jolly sounding voice.
“But, But your orders!” Spluttered Bamey.
“They weren’t my orders, they were the orders of Mrs. Clause, and what are you waiting for? I said LET THEM THROUGH!”
“Yes, sir. Right this way please.” Sighed Bamey, and let them through.

A Few More Things...

Before I start posting my stories, I want to go over just a few more things.

1: Please do not feel like you HAVE to come and read them. They are not violent, or really action packed, so if you don't really like stories about that sort of thing, then feel free to not read them. I will live.

2: I don't care if you comment or not...naturally I enjoy comments, but it is not required.

3: If you have a suggestion for a story idea, or a creature you would like featured in them, then feel free to email me with your ideas.

An Unusual Elf

Coming soon to Fantasy!

Welcome to Fantasy

I know, I know. Everyone has been putting up stories, and I am doing the same thing. But there will be a difference in my stories. Instead of having the characters based on people I know, they are all made up, though some may be inspired by you guys. Also, each story will not be about the same thing. They will all be different, unless I decide otherwise. Also, most of these stories are ones I wrote for school assignments, but they are still good...I hope. And lastly, the stories will not be about Touché, IMF, the empire, or anything like that. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my first story that will be coming soon!

An Unusual Elf

Coming soon to Fantasy!