Chapter 1

 The water feels cool on my skin, soothing the scrapes caused by dragging myself onto this island. The savage, yet graceful one that I call my home.

  If you must know, I am no ordinary girl. Cross that; I'm the farthest thing from a normal person. On all levels. Including what I wear and how I act.

My mother always used to tell me that I was the living form of the ocean. I disagree, for the sea is like a free spirit that has a mind of its own. It, in itself, is very much alive.

  Looking up to the sky, which is a stormy grey colour, I realize that  I might as well be heading back by now. A storm was coming in from the  

West, and we are more safe under the surface when the high winds and raging waves pick up.

  Using my arms, I push myself off the ledge of rock that I was perched on. With a splash, I sink into the chilly water. Turning around, I flick my tail and dove below the surface.

  Yes, I know what you're thinking. Everything you ever thought about us is false, or true, whichever way you made conclusions about mermaids.

  Swimming swiftly, I head in the direction of the caves, located in a still and quiet bay on the wild and beautiful Arensalla island.

  Continuing to glide through the water, I descend deeper into the ice-cold ocean, and come within view of the front entrance. The guards recognize me and send me onwards, into the chambers beyond the gates. From there I take the nearest tunnel to my family's very own cave.

  Each mer family has a private room, decorated with furniture and sometimes cluttered with personal possessions.

 “Ocenia, there you are!” She exclaims as I enter the vicinity.

 “Hey, Mom,” I say

 “Where were you?” she asks with a note of curiosity in her voice.

 “Exploring...' Which is true, and  Mom is used to that explanation now.

 She gives me a look. “Coral came by looking for you. She was wondering if you were wanting to stay at their place for the night.”

  “Ok, I'll go pack my stuff,”

  Gathering a few items, I proceed to the door.

  “Bye, Mom,” I call over my shoulder.

  “Be back by 10 am, honey. Have fun, and say hi to Coral for me.”

   With my blanket, book and pencils in hand, I swim out the entrance to our cave and into the network of tunnels that is our pod's home.

  Coral's family has more seniority than my own, and so they have one of the rare half-water, half-air caverns, so it is possible to read books and draw in her family's suite.

  My sketchbook and drawing tools were obviously sealed in a plastic bag. It is surprising how many are left floating around the ocean, right there for mer people to make use of.

  The paper, books, and other human-created items were acquired from the yearly supply run, which is when two or three mer-people are given legs for a day and are sent on land to buy supplies. Hence the name, "supply run."

  I have no desire to do this as a job when I am older. Humans seem like such simpletons, and so stupid, not being able to see the damage they are inflicting on their own environment. Though we use their language, ideas and rejected items regularly.

  Upon entering Coral's house, I am greeted by her parents, and then Coral herself.

  “Ocenia!” I am soon being tightly hugged by my long term best friend. Her insane pink hair is longer than ever now.

  “Come on, I have to show you something! It's very important.” She says this last part quietly.

   I set my books down on a rock by the door, and follow her outside.

  I have  no idea where Coral is taking me, but I still follow obediently, past rooms and out of the front gates, where the guards are still positioned.

  Out in the open ocean, she swims farther under the surface, because you can never be too cautious. I follow her lead.

  Before long we reach the destination; a beach with 8 human teenagers. Coral and I hide behind a jumble of rocks poking out of the water.

  “Coral,” I hiss, “why did you bring me here?”

  “Because of what they're talking about; listen.”

  I prick my ears, and grudgingly do as she says.

  What I do hear surprises me.

  The 8 teenagers are composed of 3 females and 5 males. The girls are laughing and talking with each other and three of the said boys. The other two are down by the water, and their dialogue is why Coral brought me here.

                              

 The water feels cool on my skin, numbing my toes with each lapping wave. Ethan sits beside me, his extroverted personality on full blast.

  I tune him out, my mind a thousand miles away from this beach, but his mind-dulling chattering is getting bothersome.

  “Liam, are you even listening to me?” he says in an annoyed tone.

  I would answer him, but something had just caught my attention; a lumpy outcropping of rock 7 metres off the beach. At first I thought it was two seals, but they looked more like a couple of human heads. Girl's heads to be exact. What on earth would two girls be doing swimming during the evening, in this bone-chilling ocean?

  I study the two of them, who seem to be talking to each other intently on one side of the rocks. The one has  almost pink hair, and pale skin. The other is tanned, with long auburn hair.

  “Liam! Are you still daydreaming about those stupid mermaids?”

  Snapping out of my reverie, I reply, “They're not stupid.”

  Ethan guffaws, which only further rubs me the wrong way.

  I made the terrible mistake of telling him about all the tales of mermaids John, my fisherman grandfather, used to tell me.

  “Hey, I heard my six year old sister talking about them today. Maybe you can join her!”

   I roll my eyes.

  “Liam, I didn't know you were into mermaids. I have some movies at home that I can lend you, I just have to ask my little siblings if you can have them.”

  Great, now David, the jock, has joined in.

  In a matter of seconds, the whole gang of them is making fun of me and my "obsession."

  Getting to my feet, and I leave, sick of their teasing.

  I run home, putting as much space as possible between me and my "friends."

  My house is nestled in between rocks, on the waterfront, in the sheltered Syreni bay. My family has our own private dock , where I keep my small Zodiac. My parents, Sharon and Dave Prescott, are not home right now, as they are probably still at the office. Both of them work at Prescott financial services, which is, in their opinion, "their second child."

  I fly down the path to the dock, and stop only to hurriedly shove on a life jacket and untie Johnny Boy. Kicking the engine to life, I race away from the dock and across the ocean.

 

  “Ocenia, do you think we triggered their talk or were they kidding?'

  “I'm not sure, Coral. I think the one boy, Liam, thinks we're real, but the others thought he was crazy.”

  “Let us hope it stays that way.”

  We both know what would happen if we'd revealed our existence. We could be outcast from the pod.

  We are back in Coral's room; a small cave off the main one that her family shares. It is minimally decorated, with ornamental shells and a driftwood bed, its legs fastened in indentations in the floor.

  Coral is swimming back and forth across the room, her green coloured tail flicking anxiously.

  “Relax, okay?” I say, commenting on her mood.

  “This isn't funny! We could be in serious trouble if anyone ever found out!” She is visibly stressed now.

  “If anyone ever found out what?”

  The voice came from Coral's 17 year old brother, Cetus, who has just appeared in the doorway. He's 2 years older than me and Coral, and popular with girls our age, because of his muscles, handsome face, and long, silver tail.

  “Oh, nothing!” his sister squeaks.

  He looks at her, then at me.

  “Really? Because I swear I thought you said something about humans discovering "us"?'

  Coral is a terrible liar, and all three of us know it. Her eyes dart around the room, and finally she says;

  “Cet. You can not tell ANYONE, okay?”

  Cetus  nods, but whether he understands the graveness of the situation is debatable.

  Coral tells him everything that we saw and heard. But he remains as cool as a sea cucumber, the exact opposite of his sister.

  “So we're wondering,” I pipe up, “What should we do?”

  “Just act normally,” Cetus makes it seem so easy, but I know Coral will be under a lot of pressure.

  “And whatever you do, do not tell anyone,” he adds, implying that this should be a secret kept between the three of us.

  “Okay, but that goes for you too, Cet.” I say, talking for the both of us.

  “Yeah, I know. I'm more worried about Coral,” he says, and leaves at that. I turn to my best friend.

  “You alright?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I'll be fine,” she says.

  I lay a hand on her tail, letting her know that I am there for her. She smiles at me, and suddenly I can feel her relax.

  “Girls, dinner's ready!” It's Coral's mom, calling us to the table, which is a long, flat rock were her family eats.

  Coral heads for the door, and I follow her, my blue tail swirling up the water.

  The dining and family room are in the above-water section, but with a tail length of water on the floor so that you can still get around easily.

  Coral, her family and I sit down and eat the meal of fish and kelp.

  I enjoy staying over at Coral's house, because her mother, Nympha, and her father Paelagius are always kind to me.

  Cetus is the only one who seems to constantly want to annoy me.

  After dinner, me and Coral are sketching in the family room when Cetus arrives with his large ego and stupid insults.

  “Ocenia, you should really think about dying your tail, the colour really doesn't suit you at all.”

  I clench my fists and try to ignore him, although it is becoming exceedingly hard to.

  “And your hair too, it's a really ugly pigment. Dye that too while you're at it.”

  I can't help it. I hate when people comment on my hair.

  “Shut-up Cetus! You don't know anything about me!” I yell at him.

  I slam my stuff down and flee to Coral's room, my tail propelling me away.

  I sit on Coral's bed, feeling miserable. Why, oh why, does Cetus always want to aggravate me?

  I hear a light tapping on the wall, followed by a

  “Can I come in?”

  I look up and see Coral in the door frame, her face a mask of concern.

  I nod, and she comes to sit beside me on the bed.

  “Don't let Cetus' teasing get to you,” she says as she wraps an arm around me.

  “Why does he insult me though? I just don't get it. I've never been mean to him.”

  “You know what? He does it because he likes you. Though not in a friendship way.”

  “What?! He does not! That is ridiculous!”

  “It's true, Ocenia.”

  “No, it's not. I do not believe you.”

  Coral just laughs at my last statement.

  “What?” I look at her, “What is so funny?”

  “Ocenia, don't pretend to ignore something that's right in front of your face,” she says.

  “Anyways, I got this new book, and I think you'll like it…” Coral changes the subject, sensing my stubbornness.

  For the rest of the evening, Coral and I enjoy each other's company. When we go to sleep, I am out faster than a baby seahorse.

  My dreams, however, are strangely  vivid, and I dream about humans discovering merpeople, Cetus cutting all my hair off, and that boy named Liam catching me in a fishing net.