Under Their Eyes

warning: a character dies in the story, but not graphically.

We live right under the humans' eyes. They never notice, but we are right there. If they look hard enough, they will see. They make up tall tales that are about us, calling us man-eating sirens. They tell their children to not go near the ocean because we will grab them up by their ankles and drag them down into the depths to gobble them up.

We aren't like that at all.

The humans also believe we cause the storms that sweep their ships into the murky black ocean, right into our bloodstained jaws.

Again, LIE.

We rise whenever there is a storm, foraging through the sunken ships for treasures. On the occasion, we find a human, gasping their last breaths under the water before slumping and sinking to the ocean floor, but we certainly don’t eat them.

It used to scare me when I saw it, but after a while, I realized it was their punishment, their damnation for crossing over into our territory. I see it as, if you don’t want to die, don’t come into our territory.

Okay, it might be a bit harsh, but would you want some random stranger to come into your home and claim everything as theirs? Heck, no!

That’s the exact thing between humans and us.

Humans are to stay on dry land and we stay in the water.

I remember one time I was looking through an old shipwreck. I had been admiring the ornate carvings on the sides of the bookcases. I had run my webbed hand along the spines of the books and pulled one out at random.

It was some rule book for the humans, and I remember one of the rules stated the humans weren’t to steal from one another.

Ha! How ironic is that?

They believe it isn’t right to steal, but they come out on their massive ships, into our waters, our home, and take our fish and resources! And what did we do to them? It’s not like we can go on land! The whole idea makes me so angry.

Aquamarine swims into the room quickly, her wild, coily hair floating behind her. “Seraphina, there’s been a shipwreck! We have to hurry before the others get there!”

Her features were lit with an excitement that I slowly mirrored in return. I rise from my desk, my tail flicking eagerly.

“How big is the ship?” I ask.

The bigger, the more bountiful.

“It’s one of the royal ships from their fleet,” Aquamarine grinned, her cocoa skin contrasting with the shining white of her pointed teeth.

I grab my bounty bag, slinging it over a shoulder. Then I follow her out of the room, down the castle corridor, and out into the clear, enchanting deep blue.

We arrive at the shipwreck, and no one is there but Aquamarine and I. Though it looks empty, I know for a fact there will be a horde of merfolk arriving soon. It’s always best to go as soon as the wreck happens.

Aquamarine instantly swims off to the captain’s quarters, in search of books and maps. I don’t understand why she finds the human race so… interesting. Most of the books are thick and talk all about famous people on land, and the maps are of the ocean, which in case you didn’t know, we live here!

But, I digress.

You’re probably wondering how the paper doesn't get wet or how the pages don't rip or tear. When we are born, a Gift is bestowed upon us by our Creator. He gives us magic that can do almost everything.

He gave instructions to us long ago, when He first bestowed the Gift. He told us that our magic could be used for anything and everything, but we couldn't use our magic to change our tails into humanoid legs. Our magic just doesn't allow it, somehow.

Once, a girl tried it by going to a sea witch, who used her magic for evil. The witch, of course, took advantage of the girl’s naivety and called upon the Dark Spirit to assist. The girl got her wish, became human, but got her heart broken by a selfish human prince. She died because she couldn't kill him and she turned to sea foam, forever being known as the Lost Sea Maiden.

I don't think I would ever want to become a human. I enjoy swimming through the sapphire oceans, seeing all of the creatures. I enjoy having a tail instead of two awkward poles emerging from my body.

I swim around the halls, looking for a room with pretty baubles. Normally I find most of my treasures in a woman’s room. Expensive jewelry and beautiful dresses, those were my treasures.

I startle when I see a thrashing form a few feet in front of me.

A young woman dressed in a fine evening gown. Necklaces are draped around her neck and her hair is wrapped up in a complicated swirl. Her eyes are wide, watching me as she gasps for breath.

She looks like royalty.

I feel bad for her, wanting to help, but knowing I shouldn't. If I did, my father would find out and I would be put to death for helping a human.

So I watch her struggle. It becomes too much when she reaches out, reaching out for me, before she closes her eyes and the bubbles stop coming from her mouth. Her body slumps, the bright coral of her evening gown still floating.

I turn away and move along.

It wasn't my fault, I tell myself.

It’s hard for merfolk to feel emotions for such creatures who raid us of our supplies. The Great Famine happened fifty years ago when the humans overfished, causing us to be without food. Luckily, the ocean has been generous and has multiplied once more.

A light catches my attention, causing me to drift to it. I go through a doorway and into a room that obviously belongs to a woman. Well, belonged. I found the source of the light; a jewelry box.

I picked it up, holding it carefully. I opened it, and a soft melody trickled out.

I recognized it.

Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

I close my eyes, picturing my mother. She used to hum this to me, back when I was little and still suffering from nightmares. Her voice was melodious, like perfection. She died when I was eight.

I set the music box down when the music ends. I hesitate and pick it back up and slide it into my bag.

I look around the room, spotting a crown on a dresser in the corner. I swim over and also pocket it. I also find a dress and a bejeweled mirror.

I leave after letting Aquamarine know.

We are merfolk, alleged man-eating sirens, monsters of the deep. We are smart, cunning, and kind at times. We live in the sea and humans live on land like how the Creator planned.

We live right under the humans’ eyes.