Mildred and the Sea Lovers

    Mildred and The Sea Lovers

Once, there was a poor starving artist named Mildred Armstrong. She was a mid-thirties female, somewhat attractive, but really down on her luck.  The previous week she had been kicked out of her loft and now lived on the beach in a cave. 

Mildred fished for her food and drank the water from a nearby spring. She didn’t own very much having sold everything to pay the rent only to be evicted in the end.  It was frustrating to say the least.

She had put so much in her relationship with Simon, but that had also ended in failure. At night, the young woman looked up at the sky and shed tears.

“Why is the universe against me?”

The stars blinked at her and the moon smirked, but none of them gave up any answers. The waves continued to roll into shore like they had for millions of years and held no response. While Mother Nature have not been very cooperative, it was a beautiful spot.  

There was no one around; it was very serene.  The waves put her to sleep every night and the moon did smirk, but it also smiled. The stars were dazzling and danced in the night sky putting on a real show it seemed for only her entertainment.

The cave was nice and dry, no cockroaches, no other bugs and close enough to the ocean that she could hear the waves muscle their way across the sand. The place was secluded.

One night, while asleep in her little cave, she heard a noise.  

“What could that be?”

There were voices and Mildred was afraid. Then there was a giant splash and she attempted to go back to sleep. A few minutes later, she heard someone talking.

The woman was arguably a little curious and she slipped out of the sleeping bag and slithered out.  She had found a beautiful club made of balsam that had floated up and carried it with her. After all, it could be anyone from a couple of lost teenagers to maybe thieves or other types of criminals. On the other side of the rocks, the beach was a popular destination for all kinds of humans.

There was nothing in the world to prepare her for what she saw.  There were indeed voices echoing in the night, but they weren’t human.  

He was some kind of green water lizard/fish. The brute had broad shoulders, long golden hair, a pointed beard and was very muscular.  He also had a ridged back complete with fin and gills. There was an air of arrogance about him, but he was docile to the woman he was talking to holding her in his arms.

She was very beautiful, her long golden hair shiny in the moonlight. Her face and body were sculptured. She also had a fin on her back, as well as scales.  Neither one had a tail, but they didn’t possess human feet.  They had fins for feet.

Mildred’s heart was in her throat.

“This can’t be happening.” She whispered to the entire universe.

“I know we shouldn’t be here, my dear together, but your irresistible eyes, lips, and allure are too much for me to not want.” He looked deeply in her eyes.

“We would be in huge trouble if caught, but that is a chance I am willing to take.”

“As long as we are together.”

“Perhaps, if you talked to my father, he would understand?”

Her curiosity was betrayed by the pain in her eyes.

“We both know the answer to that plan,” he looked at her sheepishly, his heart ready to break.

“I would defy my father, my people, my privileges to be with you.”

“I would denounce everything and everyone to be by your side.”

When they embraced, Mildred almost screamed.

She snuck away and went back inside the cave.

The next morning, Mildred jumped out of the sleeping bag and set up her easel.  She began to paint a series of the water lovers.  The passion and spirit flowed from her and it was as if a guided force was controlling the paint brush. 

Before lunch time, she had managed to create a series of four finished paintings. Never before had she achieved so much in such a short amount of time. The inspiration was a creative force that was greater than anything the artist had ever experienced.

For the rest of the day, she painted the two lovers in a variety of poses. While always struggling with her painting, this series was easier than waving a brush. They came together very quickly and efficiently; it was like a God was driving her.

That night, she couldn’t sleep despite the day’s activities. She had brought all of the paintings inside the cave and knew that they were going to be big sellers.  She waited for the voices, but they didn’t return. Eventually, the woman drifted off to sleep dreaming of riches beyond the wildest dreams.

A couple of nights later, the voices returned. The two water lovers were back. She slipped away and hid behind a large boulder listening to their conversation.

“The best and most exciting love is that which is forbidden.”

“Yes, forbidden love is such a peaking experience.”

“Your love is sweeter than any delicacies that a million oceans could ever create.”

She giggled and blushed in the moonlight.

“Your love is a bedrock, a foundation that one can rest their heart on. Oh, I am not so good at this as you are, Gallahard.”

“Petrilla, your beauty and tenderness is more than enough and certainly makes up for what you consider an inability to express yourself properly.”

Suddenly, Mildred sneezed.

There was swift movement and before she could move a muscle, Gallahard and Petrilla were in front of her and very angry.

“Who are you?”

“How dare you spy on us?”

“What is your purpose here?”

“Did my father send you?”

Mildred backed off and then smiled.

“What makes you so happy?”

“The sight of two lovers always makes me happy.  Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mildred Armstrong, a starving artist. I was evicted from my tiny little abode and have been living here in the cave over there.”

“She looks rather harmless, Gallahard.”

“That she does and besides she is human.”

“Yes, I am human and what are both of you?”

“We are water creatures.”

“From warring cultures that have been fighting for what seems forever.”

“We are lovers, but cannot be together.”

“If we were caught together there would be serious repercussions.”

“Yes, it would certainly touch off another war.”

“Well, I think it is a shame that you cannot live happily and in love.”

“We do think the same.”

“We have thought of running away, but that would cause much bitterness and more war.”

“You are Romeo and Juliet.”

Petrilla laughed. 

“I’m sorry, where are our manners?  I am Petrilla and my lover is Gallahard.”

“I am so pleased to meet you. Your pure and wonderful love has inspired me like nothing ever before.  You should see al of the wonderful paintings that—

“Paintings?”  He looked at Petrilla and she made a face.

“Is there something wrong?”

“We would like to see these paintings.”

“Absolutely, after all they are my best work.”

She led them to the cave where they were all there and Gallahard destroyed them.

“What are you doing?” She screamed out. She tried to stop him but was unable to do so until everything was gone.

“We are very sorry, but if anyone saw them it would cause a war. We do not want our respective tribes to go fight and kill each other.”

“But, my paintings, how could you destroy them?”

“I am sorry, but it was a necessary thing to do.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Mildred Armstrong, but we must go before someone realizes we are gone.”

They walked to the ocean and slipped away.  

Mildred was completely heartbroken. She couldn’t paint for a whole week. The two lovers didn’t return.

The woman sat on the shore all day long just watching the waves roll in.  There was no inspiration or motive to do anything.

“What am I going to do now?”

Then one night, there was a lot of noise. She rolled over and heard many voices.  

Slowly, she emerged from the cave.

Gallahard and Petrilla were standing there and before them were two very imposing figures.  

The first was Mangoola, Gallahard’s father. He wore a crown and carried a sceptre; the dude was royalty. He was not very happy that his son had taken up with Petrilla.

The other was Krokus, Petrilla’s father and he was furious to catch his daughter in the arms of Gallahard of all water Gods. Her dad also wore a crown and carried a sceptre.

“Your son is a menace. He must be eliminated.”

“It is all your daughter’s fault. She enticed my son.”

“Please don’t fight. We are in love.”

“In love? How dare you even say that word in front of me. How could you love him?”

“We are deeply in love and don’t care about the rift that exists between the two tribes.”

“Our love will overcome all hatred.”

“You are both young and foolish.”

“The war will start tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow will be too late. The war will start right now.”

The two fathers readied for battle and were about to engage when they heard a voice.

“What do you think you two chowderheads are doing?”

They stopped and Mildred was standing there. She was very small compared to the two combatant water Gods.

“Who are you puny human?”

“How dare you interrupt our fight!”

“I am Mildred and think that the fact that these two young ones are in love is wonderful and beautiful  It should be cherished instead of being torn apart. You should be both ashamed of yourself trying to break their hearts.”

“We do not take orders from a human.”

“Oh go put a trident in it.  I have something to say and will say it. You are both blind and will destroy both of your children if you don’t smarten up.”

“You do not understand our underwater culture human.”

“I understand true love when I see it. I have been in love and when it was taken away, it bit and stung and hurt. It can make anyone do something very wrong and dangerous.”

The two fathers looked at each other.

“Why don’t you both open your eyes and realize that there is nothing wrong with these two being in love? Who knows, if you are smart enough it might even bring the two tribes together.  Imagine how strong you would be if you were all united and one instead of apart and bitter at each other?”

The two fathers looked embarrassed.  

“We are going to love each other wether you want us to or not father.”

“I will have to think this over.”

“I will have to think this over, as well.”

“So in the meantime, how about if you stay apart just so there are no battles?”

“How about you get a week to decide this?”

“A week it is.”

A week went by and Mildred painted a few pics, but they were not near being equal to the work of the two sea lovers. That driving force was not there.

One night, she heard voices. She slipped out and they were standing there arm and arm with a huge smile on their faces.

“Hello, Mildred, how are you?”

“I am fine. And, what is the verdict?”

“Our fathers have decided to allow us to be in love.”

“That is great.”

“It is.”

“And, we couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Yes, you really knocked some sense into their old heads.”

The two laughed.

“I am glad everything worked out for you.”

Mildred looked sad.

“I am very sorry for destroying your paintings.”

“Well, yes, they were my best work. I don’t think I could ever regain the same spirit or energy or feeling.”

“What if you were invited to our wedding?”

“Your wedding?”

“Yes, and before that how about this for inspiration?”

They kissed the moon catching them perfectly and the fire was reignited in Mildred.

“Oh, there it is again.”

They smiled at her.

“We will let you do your work.”

She stayed up all night painting like she had never done before except for that one occasion and they turned out better than the first series.

Mildred could have sold them for a fortune, but realized that they were priceless. Besides they were two personal. However, for her participation in bringing the two once warring tribes together, she was awarded pearls and gold pieces.  

She sold them and overnight became a millionaire.

She bought a beautiful house with a garden and a sun room where the artist did her best work.

Sometimes, she would slip away to the beach and hang out until the two lovers now married appeared. They feasted on all types of delicious seafood and laughed and talked as the moon served as a chaperone, the stars as lights and the waves rolled on and on.