Pickled Mermaid

Dear friends,

Yeah. I know. I haven’t posted in ages. I have this motivation problem…

That’s actually why I’m coming to you today. I have an idea. I want to tell you the story of my secret life. I want to write it all out for you. But I need help. My idea is that I would write a chunk and post it on this here blog. You would then read it and yammer and demand the next chunk, thus giving me incentive to write! Good idea, yes, no? We’ll see how it works out.

Without further ado, I present to you:

PICKLED MERMAID

Or

THE COMPLETELY TRUE STORY OF MY LIFE AS A MERMAID

7/8/11

You just laughed, didn’t you? I know what you’re thinking (Here Amanda goes again, splashing along in her little pretend mermaid world. I bet she’ll say humorous things!)

Hah. Hah. Hah.

I know that you’re not going to believe me. That’s why telling you about it is such a great cover. No one actually believes my secrets.

I wouldn’t have believed it. Before it all happened, I thought that mermaids only lived in a Disney world, in a television show.

Am I glad that I became a mermaid? I honestly haven’t decided. There is so much good that came with my transformation, but also so many secrets, so many lies. So many consequences…

Your first question is how it happened. How did Amanda Peterson, Officially Normal Girl, become a fishy water junkie?

Well, the circumstances were just right…

Spring Break of 9^th grade. Our family was vacationing in Florida. The very first night, we went swimming in the pool at the hotel. It was a gorgeous pool, set 6 floors up and open to the entire sky. My siblings and I had a grand old time splashing and playing pretend. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for playing pretend mermaid games with my siblings (My brothers are always the dolphin companions.)

The sun was setting and the parents decided that it was time for dinner. “Come on!” They said, “We’ll order pizza to the hotel room.” My three youngest siblings instantly agreed to that plan, their toes were wrinkled and their arms were covered with goosebumps.

Andrew and I had other ideas. We begged and pleaded to be allowed to stay out a little bit longer so that we could swim in the inky black of the pool at nighttime. My parents rolled their eyes, but consented.

Andrew and I now ruled the pool. The orange of the sun fled and was filled in by the navy night sky. Twinkling stars were faintly reflected in the water. The moon came out and shone down on us.

We spent more time under the water than in the air. Andrew amused himself by diving over and over for a pool toy, but I sat at the bottom of the pool and just stared at the sky through the water.

As could be expected, Andrew eventually grew tired of swimming. He got out and sat by the edge. He said that he would only wait for me for ten minutes. Ten minutes was not enough time for me. The entire night would not have been enough time for me.

Such beauty, such peaceful grace of the night, surrounded me. Looking back, it is no wonder that something so magical happened at that lovely hour.

I was floating on my back at the center of the pool. My head broke through the brightest point of the moon’s reflection. In that instant, I fell. I fell through the water just how you would fall through air. My back hit the bottom of the pool. My limbs grew incredibly heavy. I had no air. I thought that I was going to die.

That is when my vision turned silver. It was like blacking out, except it felt like soaring through the sky.

When the silver faded and I came to, I was floating back on the surface of the pool like nothing had happened. When I questioned Andrew about it, he said that I had gone under for a moment, but had resurfaced moments later. I didn’t tell him about the silver light.

As chance had it, I didn’t end up swimming for the rest of our vacation. I got sick and stayed in bed while the rest of my family frolicked in the lovely water. I was so jealous.

Looking back, I am so glad that I got sick. If I hadn’t, I would have figured out about the tail in front of a bunch of strangers. And then everything would have been ruined.

How did you find out that you had been turned into a mermaid?

I found out when we returned home. When I drew up a deep bubble bath and plunged right in.

Wait, wait, wait! Yes? So water reveals your tail? That is correct. Then how didn’t you grow a tail every time you washed your hands or showered? Ah, yes, this is important. I can only access my mermaid form when I am completely submerged in the water.

So if it rains, I am okay. Most of me may be wet, but as long as I am not completely under water, my tail won’t appear.

That’s awfully convenient… I think you’re just making this up.

PSH! Because you’re such an expert on mermaids…