Clara had always followed the rules.
- stay with the pod
- stay away from the surface
Mermaids stayed in family pods for safety. She’d always obeyed her mother. Always. But tonight, as she was trying to get comfortable, she saw the strangest thing. The sky was glowing green. Glittering like gems. It had always been black before. Black, lifeless, boring. She’d never even considered going up there. This dancing green light was calling to her.
Glancing around at her sleeping family, she carefully pushed away from her rock and swam silently to the surface. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour. What if she was seen? What if a shark got her? Oh, but what if she missed the green light.
As she broke the surface, she gasped. Like a great green sea-snake, the light danced in the sky. Was it magic? Did humans do this? It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
She stayed as long as she dared before descending back to he pod, sinking down to her rock and laying on her back to watch the last of the light show. She couldn’t believe what she had just done, and from across the pod, her grandmother watched her with greying eyes, smiling.
Lisa Stapleton 