Humans always drank and celebrated with the most zeal on the stickiest of nights, making them especially distracted by their fruity libations. The mermaids loved these joyful nights, not for the hazy, blissful air, but because the humans’ twirling bodies reflected the light of yellow lanterns onto their glowing skin. They were especially noisy as well. As the night grew starrier and their music grew sloppier and thunderous, children sauntered off in a twilight state to slumber in the hammocks draped on the pergola that sheathed the outdoor stage where the men and women continued to dance and shout.
The mermaids knew for certain on these nights the celebrants would not learn of their existence, as the humans were swathed so securely in their own quiddity. So they paddled up usually in small bunches at first, then more as they grew trusting in the cloak of human drunkenness, and lay enjoyingly on the beach, quietly watching. Their great iridescent tails undulated in the seaweedy tides, a vision in itself. For hundreds of years, the mermaids marveled at the humans’ culture but never interfered. Mermaids were not ones to break their sacred rules. Everyone understood the importance of inconspicuous behavior, which is why their realm was so peaceful and well-kept from the humans. But the young mermaids on occasion struggled to understand the importance of praxis, and so the older mermaids left the young ones in the care of the elders whenever they swam close to shore.
On one particular eve, one young mermaid mimicked a dolphin’s breaching with the calf. Although they did not speak the same language, they could perfectly communicate through their tail flicks and laughter. Their clicks and squeals could be heard by other sea-farers passing by, and these infectious sounds of joy always compelled the turtle and more social fish to wave their fins. This mermaid preferred the company of sea creatures other than her own species because, in her young life, she had already learned that she didn’t have to converse with dolphins, turtles, or fish, leaving more time for play. Her age was on the cusp of having to do real chores at home, such as seaweed bearer (which most young mermaids did to serve The Pearl and their elders by presenting ceremonial seaweed for consumption) at the mermaids’ Council. The rest of her guild accepted she was somewhat detached and a daydreamer. Leaving her to her own devices was sanctioned, as they knew The Pearl would not let any harm come her way as long as she was at sea. And so jaunting and splashing about all day was what she did best.
She and the young dolphin had been swimming and playing all day and had unwittingly ventured farther from familiar waters. The waters grew warmer, and the ocean floor brighter. Although she had never been here, she sensed they were much closer to the shore. The young mermaid didn’t fret at this moment, as she knew in her Heart that The Pearl would protect her as long as she was sea-faring. Reassured of The Pearl’s power, she decided to continue the adventure. She darted through the shallow waters, her tail propelling her faster than ever before. New schools of fish scattered in her wake, and the thrill of her speed brought a broad grin to her face. Since the water was more shallow, there were communities of fish and crabs she had never met before. She whizzed past them, smiling at the sheer speed she possessed, which inadvertently displaced the fish and crabs in one fell swoosh of her tail.
As she eventually slowed from fatigue, she savored the thrill and the rewarding sore feeling in her body. She beamed at the blindingly golden sunset which reflected back at her and watched the silhouettes of seagulls drift across the backdrop of amber light. She suddenly realized she no longer heard the joyful chirps the young dolphin usually cooed to her and looked around for him on the surface and beneath the water. But there was no silvery fin in sight, just the occasional perch drifting by in the twilit water. The others must be looking for me by now, she thought. She had been swimming so long into the night that she decided to rest a bit before she would need to navigate back home. She surfaced again and lay floating on her back, propelling herself absentmindedly with her spiny, swishing tail, relishing in the Magical Moonbeam which quieted any tinge of worry.
Then her long bluish-black tendrils caught on something from beneath the surface, which didn’t usually happen as her curly hair always flowed with ease around oceanic material, even when she swam through craggily rock structures or dense kelp forests. A strange unease settled in her chest as she felt the first touch of solid ground beneath her, the cool sand pulling at her tail. She had never ventured this far before, and now the vastness of the land before her seemed both wondrous and unnerving. Through the hairs tangled in her vision and the lapping of the waves, she squinted and saw the problem—a strange structure between two slats of wood, littered with misplaced nails, part of a pile of sunken debris.
She tugged her tail-length curls free by paddling hard, gripping them tightly at the nape of her neck. This time, her body ached in an unhappy pain as she wriggled. The inertia released from the built-up force propelled her with such velocity that the next sensation after her hair was freed was the abrasive scratch of rocks on her skin and scales. Her body suddenly felt very heavy, and she thought it was because she had exerted her muscles so much that night. But it was actually the unnatural gravity the other mermaids had become accustomed to when they beached to human-watch. The young mermaid had touched dry land for the first time, and a swell of curiosity and apprehension surged within her, fueling her with a bit more energy. Thinking it was best to take a moment to assess, she hastily pulled her scratched-up body onto the blue, moonlit beach. She glanced around the dry landscape, untangling her hair from her scales and wringing it out carefully.
She remembered the fantastic tales the other mermaids told her about humans, their music, dancing, and laughter. Her fondness for these memories suddenly manifested in the beating of the drums in her chest and the horns ringing in her ears. She sensed the humans must be near, but far enough that they wouldn’t spot her. She also knew she had to remain unseen for the safety of her kind. Once again reassured that this was a well-deserved rest, she laid back on the pleasantly warm sand and blinked heavily up at the Moon, which radiated stronger beams of light on that beach than she ever felt in the water. Its Magic was therefore faster at healing, and the ache in her tail and scratches on her body resolved themselves at once. The balmy air blanketed her now-dry scales and lulled her to sleep.
She was startled awake from her luscious beached slumber with the sense that someone was near. A young girl stood over her, wide-eyed, holding a round yellow object in her hand. Do humans also have shark egg sacs? the mermaid quickly deduced. There were knobby limbs on the girl where a tail should have been. The mermaid’s gaze was trained on the girl’s face with an expression of bewilderment. The girl’s expression of epiphany said that this was the creature her people had told tales about but never confirmed to have been seen.
While they stared at each other, each waiting for the other to act, the mermaid noted how similar the upper half of the girl’s body was to her own. Her rounded face and bronze complexion looked like it could have belonged to any young mermaid in her pod, appearing strikingly familiar. They possessed the same large eyes, downturned nose, and high-arching eyebrows. The bright whites of the girl’s curious eyes contrasted with her curly sable hair, which was ornamented with small yellow flowers. The only unusual thing about her was her legs.
The continuous thumping of human music snapped the mermaid back to the moment. The young girl, alone on the beach, seemed perfectly content in her own company. The mermaid felt a wave of curiosity—and an instinctual pull to flee—but something in the girl’s gentle smile soothed her. The girl hesitated, then, with a soft, reassuring smile, extended the lemon towards the mermaid. Her gaze flickered nervously to the sky before returning to the creature before her, silently asking for a response.
The mermaid assessed the girl and, sensing safety, took the lemon, examining it closely. Although it resembled a shark egg sac, it was the wrong color and had little pores all over it, perhaps where spores were released, like the fungi growing near the Council’s cavern. The girl revealed another identical object from her pocket and boldly bit into its porous outer layer, muttering the word “lemon” as she pointed at it between bites. She looked warmly at the young mermaid, who, in turn, mimicked her actions. The lemon was unlike anything she had ever tasted. Its sharp tang seemed to pulse with a strange magic, sending a tingle through her tail. She wondered fleetingly if this was the same magic the older mermaids had spoken of—magic that could touch the human world.
The girl sat down next to the mermaid, careful of her long curls splayed on the pebbly sand. In their newfound company, they dared each other to take another bite and giggled, oblivious to the world-altering event of two creatures who were never supposed to meet.
The meeting was epoch-making—its cause still unknown to the mermaids. Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook, and the mermaid trembled uncontrollably. The pebbles scattered with the rumble of the Earth. The human girl steadied herself and frantically searched the beach for answers. The mermaid did the same, glancing at the water where she knew she must go to be safe, but too frozen with fear to move.
Her tail stiffened, and a strong gust of sandy wind circled her. She could no longer move or speak, trying to squint through the sandstorm that seemed to only involve her. She felt hoisted up, spinning in the wind tunnel, paralyzed both physically and in fear. Then, an overwhelming tingly sensation filled her tail and gills, as though bubbles were popping one by one. The feeling was agonizing, and it seemed to stretch for eons until exhaustion overtook her.
Meanwhile, the mermaids, still watching from afar, sensed the disturbance and immediately dove into the water. The rumble had disturbed them. They swam in a tight school, converging on the epicenter. By the time they reached the beach, they found their kin trapped in the spinning sandstorm, and panic rippled through them. The mermaids outstretched their hands and cast their strongest spells, but the magic was to no avail. Some rushed onto the shore, disregarding the human girl who was now trying to approach her friend.
When they reached the young mermaid, the spinning and lashing sand ceased. She lay still in the human girl’s arms, her eyes wide and her breaths shallow. The mermaids gathered around them in a solemn circle, their tails overlapping in a counterclockwise pattern, their bodies exuding a mournful atmosphere. The girl, now holding the mermaid, was comforted by the mermaids’ silent presence.
The mermaids wept in silence—not just for the loss of one of their own, but for the unspoken bond shared with the human girl. She, too, had unknowingly become part of their world. The young mermaid’s eyes filled with tears, and she began to wail in fear. The mermaids wailed as well, pouring all their love into their former sea-farer. Their wailing faded to sobs, then whimpers, and finally sleep.
Their Magic pulled a Moonbeam down from the sky. They cast a spell into the glowing light, guiding it gently into the young mermaid’s heart and into the human girl’s heart, ensuring she would never forget the mermaids’ secret.
One by one, the mermaids slipped into the high tide, heartbroken, yet resolved.
When the new human girl woke a second time, the sun was rising. The human voices in the distance murmured behind the bush, and the waves whispered beside her. She did not know who she was or why she was there, only remembering the special lemon-eating. She stood as though she had always had feet and took the outstretched hand of the smiling girl. Together, they walked up the pebbly beach, where the girl introduced her to her village. There, the young girl lived out the rest of her days.
The mermaids never named their realm—after all, the Ocean belonged only to them. But after that night, they agreed to call their realm Lemon Meridian. Lemon, to remember the bond between the two girls and their shared joy; Meridian, to represent the prosperity and peace of the Ocean, separate from the land, yet eternally connected.