Nylla and Derek - The Mermaid's Tear

Nylla has long brown hair, suntanned face, torso, and arms. But from the waist down she had green and blue scales covering a serpent’s tail. She was a mutant and an outcast from the village. Her parents abandoned her when they saw her at birth. 

Nylla was fed by sea gulls until she was old enough to hunt for herself. The birds brought her pointed sticks to use as spears for catching fish. They led Nylla to Bashelor Creek, a narrow tributary that eventually fed into the sea. 

The fish in the creek were small and quick; darting through the water as if they were pirouetting on ice before an audience. But Nylla improved her hunting skills daily, until she was just as quick. She grew strong and agile on the fish. The seagulls would bring her branches with berries and green leaves as treats for the young snake girl. 

Soon Nylla grew curious about where the gulls would fly off to after the light disappeared from the sky. So each day, Nylla would follow the fish towards deeper, wider waters. The gulls would call out to her and swoop down to force Nylla into going the other way. But Nylla was not to be discouraged. She wanted to see more of her world. 

Then one day she came upon a young man fishing near the mouth of the creek. She watched as the man placed a wiggly worm on the end of a string attached to a wooden pole. Nylla watched the man from behind a tree. 

The man had short brown hair and wore clothes that covered his body. But he had two legs where Nylla had a tail. Everything Nylla witnessed that day was strange to the snake girl. Nylla talked with the gulls that evening as she ate her berries. 

“Who was that creature? Why didn’t that creature resemble me? How was it able to catch fish?” Nylla tilted her head as questions ran through it. Other than the gulls, Nylla had always been alone. She was unaccustomed to seeing a human. The gulls circled around the young girl tipping their heads as if listening to the words. As the sun slipped from the sky, Nylla and the gulls fell asleep. 

The early morning sun sparkled on the water as Derek marched through the woods. The floor of the woods were strewn with pine straw which muffled Derek’s foot falls. The morning fog blanketed the path to the river. Derek took in a deep breath of the mushroom scented air. A slight breeze tousled Derek’s wavy hair as he began to whistle to himself. 

The young man carried a fishing pole, a small tackle box, and a thermos of sweet tea. The bulge in his jacket pocket foretold a container of worms hidden in the depths of cloth. A smile of satisfaction formed across his face as he neared the fishing hole. There was a fallen log alongside the creek’s shoreline where Derek settled himself on the ground. 

Derek casually tossed the fishing line into the water, then scanned the water’s surface for signs of movement below. He leaned back against the log to watch the lighting of the morning sky. As the clouds blossomed in the sky before his eyes, a peaceful solitude surrounded Derek. 

The gulls woke Nylla as they flew up into the sky. She watched them as they made their way to the sea’s waters. Nylla would follow in the direction of the gulls after she ate some berries and greens. She knew she would find a spot to catch fish during the day. The fragrance of fish feeding on the surface of the water would linger in the air when the fish were active. 

An unfamiliar whistles song could be heard resonating through the woods. Unlike the cackling of the gulls Nylla found the tune to be alluring, it drew her towards the source. She made her way across the soft needled bed. The fingers of each note holding her transfixed, gently urging her forward.  The magic of the tune broke when Nylla saw the young man leaning against the log. Nylla slowed to a stop and gazed at the sight wondering what she should do. 

Derek’s neck prickled as if he were being watched. He looked along the bank and spied the young girl watching him. Derek slowly climbed to his feet and propped his fishing pole behind the log..

“Hello,” Derek called out. He had always heard about the outcasts in the woods but this was the first one that he had met. “I am a friend. I won’t hurt you.” 

“..ello,” Nylla responded, not sure of the words spoken. 

“My name is Derek,” making a hand gesture pointing to his chest. The young man took a furtive step towards the girl. He saw fear and uncertainty wash across the girl’s face. 

A gull circling overhead flew down and landed on Nylla’s shoulder. The prickle of the talons was surprisingly reassuring to the girl. More gulls circled high above the girl, their presence made the girl feel safe. Emboldened, she responded “..ello.”  

Derek noticed the girl’s face relaxed when the gulls came to her side. He decided to take a tentative step towards her once again. Neither the girl nor the gulls moved, they just watched the young man. As he slowly made his way through the brush, he held his hands out to show that he meant no harm. 

Nylla inched backwards as the man approached her. The young man paused, giving Nylla’s curiosity time to grow. She slipped through the brush towards the young man. A fragrance emanated from the man that was appealing, fresh and minty to Nylla’s senses in contrast to the musty smell of the woods. 

“Hello, my name is Derek,” the man repeated. “Do you have a name?” 

“Nnnnnyyyyylllllllllllllaaaaaa” the girl hesitantly gave her name. No one had ever asked her name so the sound of it was strange to pronounce. 

“Nylla,” the young man said as he took another step towards her. He could now see the blue green scales, his footsteps stopped as he checked for other creatures.

“Derrrrrr….” Nylla tried to pronounce the man’s name. 

“Derek, my name is Derek. Is your family around?” the man asked. 

“Derek,” Nylla repeated the word. “Family???” She sensed that this word was important to the man in front of her. 

“Family - parents, brothers, sisters, cousins. People like you.” Derek explained.

Nylla gestured to the gulls forming a crescent behind her. “Family?”

Derek understood this pretty girl had only the gulls and the birds seemed protective. Derek held on hand out hoping that Nylla would consent to take it. He desired to befriend her for he had never seen such striking beauty. 

Nylla stretched one of her hands towards the young man’s hand. They drew closer to each other. Suddenly there was a noise behind Derek. 

A fish had taken Derek’s bait and was dragging his fishing pole towards the water. Derek turned and took five quick long strides to catch his equipment. He caught the end of the pole as the tip broke the surface of the water.

Nylla watched as Derek leaned back and forth in battle with unseen forces. His arms seemed to bulge and ripple as he rocked in unison. She noticed that the man was covered in cloth garments. Blue jeans covered his legs, a green muscle shirt covered his chest region. His feet were embedded in pliant white shoes.  

The fish finally tired of the struggle and succumbed to being dragged onto the shore. Nylla had never been so close to such a large fish. The brownish spots along the body had a silvery pink stripe running along the side. A smile beamed across Derek’s face when he saw his catch. 

“Would you like to join me for breakfast?” He looked at Nylla as he asked the question. “Are you hungry?” Derek rubbed his stomach. 

The words were foreign to Nylla but the man’s eyes held her attention. Unconsciously, Nylla copied his movements allowing her hand to circle her stomach. The man seemed to be friendly like the gulls. 

Soon the man had a small fire burning and he was roasting the fish on a stick. Nylla felt the warmth of the fire and watched the dancing yellow flame lick the surface of the fish. The man raised his thermos and poured out a golden brown liquid into a cup. He then offered the cup to Nylla. The sweet liquid seeped across her tongue and down her throat easing an unknown thirst. Nylla handed the emptied cup back to the man. Derek smiled as he took the cup back. He then poured himself a cup and drank of the liquid. 

The fish had turned a golden brown and Derek placed it on a plate of bark. He broke the fish into smaller pieces and offered Nylla the first choice of meat. Nylla looked into Derek’s eyes searching for the right action. Derek pinched his fingers together over the fish and moved his hand to his mouth. 

Once again Nylla imitated Derek’s actions. The meat was warm, and the texture flaky. This was a pleasant taste sensation for Nylla. 

After breakfast, Derek poured water on the fire, spreading the ashes apart to make sure no embers glowed orange. He then gathered his fishing equipment together and set it aside. Derek sat on the log to ask “What would you like to do now?”

Nylla glanced at the fishing equipment, then she looked at the gulls soaring above the couple. She reached up towards the birds. 

Instinctively, Derek knew that Nylla wanted to be near her birds. “We can go where the gulls live.” Derek took Nylla’s hand in his and peered deeply into her hazel eyes. Nylla felt the warmth of being understood. 

Derek picked up his gear to make the trek down river. Nylla silently followed the man. She was grateful for the company. When she spied delicious berries she wandered off and gathered some in a leaf. She hurried along the trail to catch up to Derek. When she caught him she offered him the treat. 

“Mmm, they look delicious. Thank you.” Derek accepted the leaf of berries. 

“Delishus?” Nylla repeated.

Derek looked into Nylla’s eyes and smiled warmly. Then he nodded his head in agreement. Nylla followed the example feeling the warmth of the action spread through her. After the berries had been eaten, Derek and Nylla headed towards the sea shore. 

Soon the pine straw cushioning under foot gave way to sandy grasses and reeds. Nylla looked at the tan-colored ground and chanced touching the grit. It was warm from the sun as if it stored the sun’s energy in each particle. Nylla was amazed by the expanse of the sand. Climbing to the top of a dune, Nylla and Derek found a spot to rest.

They sat quietly and watched the roiling waves break along the shoreline. Soon the gulls flocked around the couple carrying blades of yellow grass and shiny silvery fish. Nylla accepted the presents and gestured to Derek to eat. 

Derek had always cooked his fish over a fire so the concept of eating fish fresh from the sea was startling. He watched as Nylla swallowed a fish whole before popping a fish in his mouth. The fish wiggled slightly before Derek swallowed it. Nylla smiled at the sight of Derek’s tightly closed eyes and tittered. Derek’s eyes parted at the lilting sound of Nylla’s titter.

She then handed some grass to Derek, giving him something to chew on. This meal was as new to Derek as the cooked fish had been to Nylla. A breeze blew gently around the couple, binding them in a memory of time and space. There was a sense of oneness in the mutual exchanging of meals. Derek dwelled on his mythology schooling. He wondered if the ship’s captain and the mermaid had similar feelings. 

The sun had moved past its apex and began the gentle slope towards the distant mountains. Derek ran towards the water’s edge to comb the beach. He discovered an empty conch shell 

And blew in the end of it. A strange tune erupted from the shell that stopped Nylla in her tracks. The sound waves moved through the water, calling to all the creatures of the sea. In the distance dolphins arced out of the water as they hurriedly made their way to the shoreline. 

Derek stood very still and watched the waves, waiting for the sea’s magic. Nylla scooted to Derek’s side and took his hand in hers. Nylla sensed something important was about to happen. The sparkling crystal waters soon cast a golden light into the air. A mist roiled in enshrouding the couple in a hidden mystery. 

There by the edge of the water was the mermaid that Derek had summoned. Derek knew that mermaids were distant cousins to nagas and he hoped that Nylla would no longer feel alone. Nylla slithered through the water towards the mermaid. Suddenly, she knew the feeling of family. As the breeze cleared the mist away, the mermaid disappeared under the water. 

Nylla made her way back to where Derek stood on the shoreline. Derek looked down at his feet to discover mermaid tears. He chose two pieces of the glistening sea glass as mementos of the day that he and Nylla shared. He placed a tear in Nylla’s hand and they wove their way back to the woods.