The cool waters

The sand was burning hot. She could not bear walking on her bare feet. She ran to the hut nearby. Not that it would help but at least she could get some relief from the eat. The waves also seem to be tired of the heat and there was no one around on the beach. The summer had not even begun and it seemed as if the months ahead would be a pain.

She felt thirsty and looked around the deserted hut. There were empty bottles. Thankfully, there was a mini fridge and she hoped there was something inside to drink. She opened it and there were bottles of mineral water and she was so happy that she did not even bother to look at the expiry date like she normally did. The water was cool and she hoped the owners would not mind. She took a bottle and walked out. The straw hat she wore did not do much to help avert the heat. It was a long walk to her house on the nearby hill. She had come down to deliver the pastries that the local shop had ordered from her.

The walk back to the hill seemed to take longer than usual. She heard someone calling her. She looked back to see some beautiful ladies behind her. They seemed different. They did not look like the local women. Also, there was the strong smell of the sea that sort of emanated from them. They smiled at her and she smiled back. They did not seem to be bothered by the heat. She was surprised. Also, a bit uneasy. They wore skimpy clothes and did not look entirely human. Uneasy thoughts crept into her mind and she started walking away. Again, she heard someone calling her and they were right behind her. She was completely startled and called out for help. They stepped back and reassured her that they meant no harm. They extended their arms to her and she could see white pearls. Although she was fond of pearls, she refused it. She could see that their hands were webbed. Mermaids

She had heard about mermaids and the stories about them eating sailors alive and this made her turn and run as fast as she could towards the hill. When she reached the bottom, they were there and still smiling at her. She stopped and almost fell. They sat down and one of the mermaids who looked a bit older looked at her sternly and told her to stop running so that she could speak to her. She knew that it was futile to run. The older mermaid asked her to look at her arms and study the tattoo on them. She did so and wondered how this mermaid knew about her birthmark. The mermaid then told her a story of how she fell in love with a human and she had a daughter whom she had to give away to the land because she did not have a mermaid body. However, it was told that when the child knew about her birth parents, she could assume a mermaid's body too. On hearing this story, she was shocked and thrilled at the same time. She had always wanted to meet her birth mother and without thinking, she went forward and bowed down to her. The mermaid was touched, took her to the beach, and invited her to come along. She was told that she could return to the land every night or whenever she wished. She entered the water and transformed into a mermaid. She was no longer feeling hot. Her mother's touch had transformed her.

©sayee