The Obsession

"No! No!, It's not true. You're a liar," cried Molly as she threw the encyclopaedia to the floor and ran crying from the loungeroom.
Shawna walked over to the centre of the room and sighed deeply as she bent down and scooped up the encyclopaedia. Her fingers traced the gold foil lettering on the 'M' volume, her mind racing with a hundred thoughts about whether she had done the right thing.

For as long as she can recall her 7-year-old sister, Molly, had been in love with mermaids, obsessed was probably a more appropriate term. Ever since their parents died in a car accident 6 months ago, Molly seemed to become increasingly drawn to mermaids. It got so bad that Shawna was concerned that it was becoming unhealthy for Molly.

For that reason, Shawna felt it was time that Molly learned the truth.... Mermaids aren't real. She had tried to explain to Molly that they're mythical creatures like unicorns and the tooth fairy, but Molly would hear one of it. Mermaids are real and no one, including Shawna, would convince her otherwise.

Eventually Shawna was left with no choice but to show her what the encyclopaedia said about the matter. Shawna's heart broke for Molly as she had watched her reading their father's old, leather-bound encyclopaedia. She looked on as Molly had flipped pages back and forth, her eyes darting furiously from left to right across the gold edged pages, desperately not wanting to believe what she was reading. The final explosion was pretty much what Shawna had expected but it still hadn't made it any easier.

Shawna placed the book on the table and walked down the hall to check on Molly. She heard deep sobs coming from Molly's room as she knocked on the door before walking in.

"Molly," she said softly, "are you ok?"

"It can't be true, it just can't be," she whimpered, "they have to be real... they HAVE to be," she cried louder as she sat up, her tear stained face staring at Shawna. "I need them to be real," she added before grabbing her pillow and burying her face into it.

Shawna was struck by the desperation in her plea.
"Why do you need mermaids to be real, Molly?" Why does this matter so much to you?"

Molly looked up at Shawna, her little hands wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Because....." she began but the clammed up.

"Because why?" Shawna encouraged Molly, reaching for her hand, "you can tell me."

Molly cleared her throat and replied softly, "Because Mummy and I always played mermaids and she promised that if she ever had to go away," her voice broke off.

"She promised what, Molly?" Shawna gently urged her.

"She promised she would come back as a mermaid so I could always play with her."

Shawna felt a deep pain in her chest and she suddenly felt so guilty for having shown Molly the encyclopaedia. She leaned in and pulled Molly into a tight embrace, gently stroking her hair.

"Y'know," Shawna started, "those books are really, really old."

Molly pulled out of the embrace and stared at Shawna, her eyes glistening but brightening, "What do you mean?"

"There's always the possibility that they're not entirely accurate. How about I do some research and see what I can find out?"

Molly jumped up and hugged Shawna, squeals and giggles escaping her smiling lips.

"But for now it's bed time, so snuggle up and lights out, Mermaid Girl."

Molly bounced under her covers and wriggled down her bed, "Night, Shaw-Shaw, I love you."

Shawna's heart felt a further stab of guilt as she whispered, "Night-night," and left Molly's room.

Three hours later, Shawna fell into the lounge chair and smiled to herself. Her plan was all set, she'd enlisted Mrs Cauley's help from next door, printed off the for-sale flyer and given her old hermit crab fishbowl to Mrs Cauley. All she had to do now was wait for morning to set it all in motion.

The next morning Shawna was fixing breakfast when Molly walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"Scrambled eggs?" she asked.

"Yep, with little pieces of bacon in it, just the way you like it." Shawna stirred the eggs around then added, "go sit at the table, there's junk mail to read while you're waiting."

Shawna heard the rifling of the papers and then a high-pitched squeal.

"Shaw-Shaw, Shaw-Shaw!!" Molly's voice pierced the air as she raced back into the kitchen frantically waving a flyer around. "Look!"

"What's got you so excited?" Shawna asked, grinning.

Molly waved the flyer at her and then began reading, "For sale, 1 Rare, Invisible, Mermaid. Selling only to a good home. For enquiries, Call Elizabeth Cauley." Molly stared at Shawna, "Is that Mrs Cauley? Our neighbour? Like, right next door?" her excitement was bubbling over.

Before Shawna could reply, Molly raced down the hall and returned with Oinky, her piggy bank and Mr Biskit, her most treasured stuffed dog. She tugged at Shawna's hand and said "C'mon, hurry, we gotta go, Shaw." With that she headed for the door.

Mrs Cauley opened the door on the second knock, "Why hello, Molly. How are you, pet?"

"I'm good thank you, Mrs Cauley, I'd like to buy your rare, invisible mermaid please." She said not wasting any time, barely any breath between her words.

"Oh well now, are you sure?" A rare, invisible mermaid is a big responsibility for a young girl."

"I am almost 8 and I will look after her sooooooo good. I even have money....." Molly stalled, "oh Mrs Cauley, how much is she?" her voice trembled.

"Come on it, pet, how about we introduce you to her first?"

Molly's eyes twinkled, her smile bigger than ever. On the kitchen table sat a small fishbowl with some coloured sand in the bottom and a small mountain of rocks in the centre. Molly stared at the fishbowl in awe, she squeezed Mt Biskit tightly and placed Oinky on the table next to the fishbowl.

"Molly," began Mrs Cauley, "this is Wishalina, she is a very rare, invisible mermaid. I've had her since I was about your age and she's helped me through some pretty tough times. But there are some things, pretty important things you need to know if you're going to take her home."

Molly nodded her head, listening intently to Mrs Cauley, "Please tell me, I promise I'll do everything you say."

"First, you must change the water every week, can you do that?"

"Yes," replied Molly, nodding vigorously, "what does she eat?"

"That's the important part, she doesn't eat food like you or I, Molly."

"She doesn't?" Molly's eyes widened.

"No," Mrs Cauley replied, "she survives on your wishes, thoughts and even your troubles. You see, Wishalina is very special like thatm she thrives on all of those things and they help her to grow stronger." Mrs Cauley looked at Shawna who smiled softly and then looked down at Molly. "Do you think you can manage all those rules, Molly?"

Molly stood up very straight, her face serious and intense, "I know I can and I promise I'll tell her everything tp keep her strong."

Molly then opened Oinky and tipped all her coins onto the table, "I have three dollars and twenty0five cents," She stared at Mrs Cauley and slowly raised Mr Biskit up to her, "I also have this," she added, pushing Mr Biskit gently into Mrs Cauley's hands.

Mrs Cauley stroked Mr Biskit gently, looked to Shawna and then looked back at Molly. "I tell you what? How about you keep Mr Biskit, he looks like he'd eat an awful lot and I don't know that I could feed him as well as you've been doing." She held Mr Biskit out to Molly who took him and nuzzled him to her cheek.

"Thank you, Mrs Cauley. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Yes, yes," she replied picking up Wishalina and handing her carefully to Shawna who now had tears welling in her eyes, "You girls had better get Wishalina home and settle her in."

Mrs Cauley led Shawna and Molly to the front door.
Molly threw herself into Mrs Cauley, giving her a huge embrace. She leaned in towards Mrs Cauley's ear and whispered, "Can mermaids get too fat?"

"Well I don't know, pet, why do you ask?"

Molly hugged her tighter and said, "Cos boy-oh-boy do I have a lot of wishes, thoughts and troubles!"

THE END