Sirena the Hybrid Mermaid

Along the local island shores lived Sirena, a beautiful, adventurous, free-spirited girl. She was always on the go, exploring everything she could. She loved the ocean the most. Every time she visited, she couldn't help but admire its infinite existence. Getting Sirena to leave was almost impossible. She’d always sigh and say “I wish I could just live here” as she mosied home.

Sirena loved exploring the shorelines for treasures that washed up. She’d make up stories about how that item got there. And she had a collection for everything, shells, rocks, sea glass, etc. One day while she was out, Sirena was finding all kinds of goodies. It felt like the perfect day, sunny with a breeze, a few puffy clouds, not-to-hot, not-to-cold, fun treasures, mysteries to solve. Just beautiful. Sirena was so distracted, she didn’t know a storm was quickly approaching.

Suddenly waves came in quick and fast, knocking Sirena down. As she got up, it was like something grabbed her and sucked her under. Down again. She’d pop up long enough for a wave to crash over, tumbling her like the laundry in a washing machine. She was dragged across rocks and barnacles, each one tearing her up. She would try to yell, but either the waves were too loud or they’d consume her before she could do anything. Before long she was swept out to sea. And before long, swept under it.

Sirena woke up to total darkness. She wasn’t even sure she was awake, or even alive. Her eyes were open, but it was dark, and cold, and….wet..? She felt like she was under water, but she was breathing, not drowning. Her wounds felt more like scabs, or barnacles?....or scales…? What…the….fish? 

“You are crazy,” She said to herself. Said. She just talked….underwater…to herself.

Panic set in and she began flailing about. Then light started to appear. She went toward the light. Up and up. As she got closer, she could make out the scenery around her. She was in the ocean! SHE WAS IN THE OCEAN?!

Quicker she swam, passed the underwater cliffs, passed coral, passed fish?. Til she surfaced. “AHHH!” She took a deep breath. “PHEWWW.” Where is land? (There was more land underwater than around her.) What happened?

As Sirena was realizing she was lost in the open waters of the ocean, she also got the first looks at her body in the sunlight. Before she could let out a scream, she fainted and slipped back under the water. Slowly, she drifted back down to the ocean floor. 

When she awoke again, she was on the ocean floor in disbelief. Dark. Cold. Wet. But breathing. How? Was she dreaming? She must be, she thought. She went to pinch herself, scales. Eww, she went to scream, but a loud SCREEECH rang out, like a siren. What….the….

She needed to get closer to light. As she began to swim, she propelled, like she had…fins. As the light neared closer, she could make out her silhouette. Where she was injured, had turned scaly, like a fish. Her hand was webbed, one leg was like a fish fin. She could breathe underwater and out of it. What happened?! When she awoke again, she was on the ocean floor in disbelief. Dark. Cold. Wet. But breathing. How? Was she dreaming? She must be, she thought. She went to pinch herself, scales. Eww, she went to scream, but a loud SCREEECH rang out, like a siren. What….the….She needed to get closer to light. As she began to swim, she propelled, like she had…fins. As the light neared closer, she could make out her silhouette. Where she was injured, had turned scaly, like a fish. Her hand was webbed, one leg was like a fish fin. She could breathe underwater and out of it. What happened?!

Somehow, during the storm and being injured, she was transformed into a hybrid, half siren, half human. After the initial panic wore off, Sirena had to accept her new fate, and figure out what to do now. How was she going to tell her family? Does her family even know she’s alive? Will she ever go home? Could she ever go back home? WHERE is home? When she surfaced, all she saw was water, and skies, no people, no landmarks, no land at all. Not even a boat or bird. Finding her home wasn’t the problem at the moment, she needed a temporary home, a shelter of sorts, since land wasn’t an option, it was time to explore her underwater home, find a cave or abandoned ship to stay. Initially, underwater was the same as above water, nothing but water, blue water. Eventually her eyes, and senses would adjust. Soon, she realized she could see better than she thought, and it didn’t sting like opening your eyes underwater should. She could see silhouettes of fish in the distance, and figured if she followed them, maybe they could lead her somewhere. Of course, as she approached, they took her as danger and dispersed. Sirena was on her own again.

The few underwater caves she came across seemed to be occupied. Eventually, she came across an obvious solution. A sunken ship. She cautiously approached, but it didn’t seem occupied by anything more than a few fish. Once she felt safe, she felt excited. The ship was like an underwater palace, just for her. It was fully stocked with treasures, beds, rooms, clothes, trinkets and it was all hers! She was lonely, and homesick, but she was safe for now. She hadn’t quite figured out her new diet yet, seaweed was working for now.

Sirena never truly found her way back home. Even if she did, she could never show her face again, not like this. She continues to wander the ocean looking for her family, hiding from poachers and deadly predators. She’s made a few underwater friends, but no real friends. When she’s scared or angry, you can hear her screeching like a siren. When she’s happy or really sad, you can hear her singing. You don’t know where it’s coming from, but you know she’s there. Legends of her existence have been whispered. The few that have ventured looking for her, were never seen again. Maybe Sirena is not as lonely as she seems….

The End