The Little Mermaid: Modernized

Aria

Aria

I wonder what it’s like out there? I thought to myself as I walked along the beach, staring out into the ocean. For years, I had wanted to just get away from everything. It was like no one at all understood me anymore. And I never had any real friends. Growing up, I fell in love with the ocean. I got such a rush from swimming for hours, or just simply floating on the surface of the water. It was like we had a form of connection. After a hard day of constantly getting criticized for every little thing I did “wrong”, the ocean was always there for me. It was my friend. It never judged me or anything. It just seemed to grab and envelop me in it’s watery arms. And I always accepted this. But I could never seem to get enough. Every day, when it was time to get out of the water, I felt like I could still use some more time. But I knew I should get out anyway.

In my late teens, my family owned a house on a cliff right next to a beach, and-you guessed it-the ocean. So it was always convenient to go for a swim. But on the down side, my parents could always find me. And were always telling me to get out when it started getting dark. So, naturally, my dream was to go swimming at night. It seemed as if that were a whole other rush than the day time. It seemed more risky and dangerous. I had to try it. But since my parents were always watching the water’s edge for me, I knew I could never get away with it. They already thought I spent way too much time swimming. They never could understand why I loved it so much. My mother once said she thought I could very well be a mermaid. I corrected her, saying they didn’t exist. While thinking to myself, I only wish they did. I told myself that if I ever found real live mermaids, that I knew what I was going to do: run away. Or I guess that should be, to swim away. I would be able to get away from everything that irritated me, day in and day out. And I could be with my love, the ocean. And, you know, maybe I could meet a handsome merman some time too. That wouldn’t be so bad. I guess.