mermaid skin

disclaimer: not mine.


There is a girl, a boy and a story made oceans ago.

And Shirley is not that girl, however much she longed to be. And then, later, not.

The girl was a mermaid, and the boy was a prince, and even the immortal gods coveted a love as pure as theirs.

Shirley had always thought that they had a happy ending.

Instead, the mermaid killed herself, and her prince never even knew. No, instead, he loved another, betrothed and wed in pretty splendour, his castle by the sea.

And yet—somehow, despite being swirls of sea foam, and no longer able to dance in grace—the mermaid waited for him still.

Shirley believed that, even if no one else did.


Dead.

She walks and walks and walks and Shirley can barely breathe.

Dead.

Her feet feel heavy and as she stumbles onward, the ground turns to knives, inflicting more pain with every step.

Dead.

She just… doesn't understand.

Her dad – dead.


If she closes her eyes and strains her ears, she might be able to hear the music. Tickets to the opera that her daddy gave her. His final gift to her.

And yet she can't go.

Not without Lulu.


She waits and she waits and she waits—

(Lulu isn't here yet)

It begins to rain.

Her umbrella is gone, left forgotten in some street when the world is too heavy against her shoulders and pushing against her chest. It soaks her skin and drenches her hair and ruins her dress – and the world is so far from a fairytale – cold and cruel and callous as it devours her in sorrow.

It's not fair.

But she doesn't really care.


Time passes, it must.

But for her, it stands still.

And her tears won't stop.


(she just wants Lulu)


"Shirley."

The rain keeps falling, yet none reaches her. There's an umbrella above her, but there's still no sun. No end to the drops of water or the clouds in the sky.

"… I'm sorry I'm late."

(she's forgiven him already, he's here, and that's all that matters)

Slowly, she looks up, and sees him – violet eyed and dark haired and a prince that's not quite there and she'll be his mermaid for ever and ever and ever – and (oh god) she wants to breathe.

(wants to turn to foam before his eyes and seep into his skin)

She wants to find herself in him, pressing her mouth to his, and hope that everything's going to be okay.

As long as he's holding her tight, she will be.

(and her tears tumble down his cheeks)