Shattered Glass

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For the longest time the mermaid stayed away from the sunken boat. She believed it was inhabited by the ghost of one of the sailors killed during one of her tantrums. She feared the ghost's wrath. One day, however, she could no longer resist the curiosity to enter. There she discovered things she had never seen before. Her fingertips lit up with excitement like little fairy lights, illuminating the dark room and the treasures within. She found a pair of broken spectacles and a gold pocket watch with a long chain laying on a night table. The mermaid gently rubbed the top of the watch with her thumb intrigued by the glass surface. She then placed the chain around her neck so she could wear the pocket watch along with her eclectic collection of necklaces. She also found a gold wedding band and placed it on her finger. As she turned around to explore the mysteries hidden inside the dresser drawers, she was startled by her own reflection in a mirror suspended on the wall. It was the first time the mermaid had ever seen her own image. Her hair was ink jet black and her body was as white as ivory. Green seaweed coiled around her breasts and tail. She apologized to her own image thinking that it was someone else: 'Oh! I am deeply sorry. I thought this place was abandoned. I'll be on my way now,' she said to her reflection.

She quickly took offense when she thought that the person in the mirror was mocking her by mimicking her gestures. The mermaid's tail began to burn. She was so distressed that she began to thrust her tale back and forth so vigorously that she struck the mirror and shattered it into several pieces. She sat on the little bed beside her, buried her face in her hands and began to cry without releasing any tears. Some believe that because mermaids cannot shed tears they suffer even more. As she began to calm down, she noticed that a skeleton was lying on the bed.    


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