The Captain's Tail

The Water's Pull

Under crashing waves that hit the surface's beaches lies the peaceful children of the sea- mermaids. Those creatures are very different from the aggressive children of the land, also known as humans. Contradicting their peaceful coexistence, there is dark history as to why they have forgotten each other's past strife and fallen into completely different realms, separated by disdain. That history begins with not only a being from the ocean but a child from the land, and the love that they shared for one another. We must reach back in time to see the story that has changed the course of the relationship between mankind and the merfolk. We must go to 1682 to the Strait of Gibraltar within the docking city of Tarifa, Spain.

Stepping onto the white oak beamed decking, Mariam took a deep breath of the salty air. The playful breeze nipped at people's faces as the crew of The Captain let the anchor down into the water and tied the massive vessel to a post in the port.  Looking over the edge of the 150 foot fall from the ship, Mariam stared intently over the glittering cerulean water, the waves danced with teeming white sea froth and clumps of kelp floating at the surface. Wilfred, Mariam's father, was helping the men on board set the ramp down to reach the dock for their departure off The Captain into the streets of Tarifa. Mariam stalked off the large ship, her heels clicking against the crudely built dock. Her amber eyes scanned the humid landscape that laid out in front of her. The sky was a cloudless dark blue that paired with the hot sun hanging low in the sky, signaling that it was soon to be the golden hour. Holding tightly onto the leather bound books her father had entrusted to her, the bright eyed girl fiddled with the butte opal heirloom that laid in between one of the yellowing pages of the books. Right before Mariam could place the fragile objects into a crate with black labeling, a shadow moved quickly out of the corner of her eye-followed by a slapping of the water. Turning her head like greased lightning to face the edge of the dock, Mariam squinted at the ever so bright sun that stabbed at her eyes. Peering around at the blabbering sea gulls that had been flying around, but the shrewd girl decided against them being the culprit of her curiosity and moved closer towards the edge of the wooded port till she was mere inches away from falling. Lowering her body into a crouching position, Mariam stared intensely at the water, watching a piece of driftwood bob at the surface of the water, trying to take see if there was anything else in the water. Mariam shook her head and lifted her head to stand. Unluckily, Mariam was paying more attention to what she was looking for instead of her footing and fell in the chilled water.  Wilfred ran as quickly as he could after seeing his daughters fall into the water, practically tripping down the ramp.

Opening her eyes, Mariam looked frantically about herself unable to comprehend her mistake. The sinking girl looked up to see The Captain casting a shadow upon a feminine figure in the water. Copious amounts of hair swallowed the body making it impossible to distinguish. "Who-" opening up her mouth to speak, Mariam took in large amounts of the salty water into her lungs. Shocked by her stupidity, Mariam began to kick, dropping several books as she tried her best to reach the surface which held the air she desperately needed. Wheezing hard as she reached the surface, Mariam kept her eyes closed as little stinging tears dribbled down her cheeks. Thinking silently to herself but also trying to calm her mind, Mariam overheard her father screaming for a response from his coughing daughter.

"Mariam! I'z said are yer alright?" Wilfred stumbled over his words with a distressed expression. "Mariam!" Wilfred pleaded again, pulling the shaky girl out of the water. The two books that she had managed to hold onto dropped out of her arms and into the dark ocean below as she hugged her father deeply. "You'za as drenched as a fish!" Wilfred added, pushing the morley emotional Mariam away from their embrace to look her up and down. His eyes slowly transitioned to the water as the book pages began to sink, ink leaving retreating trails as they slowly drifted to the bottom. Slowing her once frantic breathing, Mariam could only think of the shadow she saw by the edge of the ship's hull.

"Papa, did one of the crew jump off the ship to get me?" She said softly as the wind dusted her wet skin, a chill crawling up her spine.

"No. But I'z woulda if-" Wilfred stopped, staring at his puzzled daughter as she gazed intently at the ocean's surface. Grabbing his daughter by the cheek, Wilfred looked into Mariam's eyes with concern. "Mariam, Why'z it ye ask?" He said suspiciously, giving his daughter a disturbed look thinking that she may have hit her head.

Shaking her head rapidly to free herself from her father's hands, Mariam gripped her arms tightly around her waist. Pulling her eye's back to the water once more, Mariam came back to her senses, torment filling heart. "The books!" she said with a shiver, her wet clothing hanging off of her heavily, water beginning to pool around her. "Papa, we must get the books! Our bookmark was-"

"Itza fine ma sea pearl. At ye are not sleeping with Davy Jones. Come un. Letus relieve ye of these wet clothing, we mustn't have ye catch'n a cold. " Taking Mariam by the elbow, Wilfred led the shivering girl off the loading dock and past the bustling crowd of his crew, their expressions still stiff from the incident. "Do not feel dismayed me men! I'za be back after I take me daughter to the housing. I leave ye to yaz own devices till then." With those words, WIlfred left the hushed dock, Mariam closely huddled into his chest.

"Papa?"

"Yes Mariam?"

"I am sorry."

Wilfred did not respond to his compunctious daughter, silence loomed over them like a ominous storm cloud yet to let go of it's horrifying weather. They both walked silently till they hit the steps of the inn they would be staying at, "It was an accident." Wilfred said coldly, his tone resonating into the depths of Mariam's heart. Opening the door for Mariam, Wilfred did not look his daughter in the face, he just stood silently as she walked through its creaking frame. "I'll abe rejoining ye later. Mariam."

Glancing over her shoulder, Mariam caught a glimpse of her father's back and felt a small sting inside her chest. "Yes... father." With the mumble of her voice, Mariam shut the door behind her and lead herself to the inn keeper's desk for her room, and possibly her solitude.