Title: Melena
Author: Keley
Rating: What is this for anyway? People always ignore them.
Feedback: I'm not one of those authors who bribes people for reviews. If you want to leave me a review go ahead. If not I'll survive though they are greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I own everything. I made it all up after reading Hans Christian Anderson's version of the little mermaid. It's true!! 'Sides I don't have anything you want anyway. This is a re-write of the story although it will not follow Hans Christian Anderson's version nor will it follow Disney's version.
Notes: I have always been fascinated with mermaids and this is my first story about them. Also: Disney is bad. I personally think Disney ruins perfectly good stories and gives kids a flawed perspective on life. Their movies have everything working out in the end which in most cases is not how the world really works or how the story ends. (I was very traumatized as a child when I found out that Mary Poppins is a very mean person in the book. I had seen the movie and I though she was like that in the book. Believe me, she isn't.)
~The storyteller~
An old mermaid sat on a chair of blue coral, alone in front of her small undersea dwelling. She was the strangest mermaid anyone had ever seen. All mermaids had tails that matched the color of their hair. This one did not.
Her bright golden eyes and oddly tanned skin contrasted in a nice way with her long dark brown hair that fell bellow the knee bend in her dark green tail. Her small nose and full lips gave her a look of contentment. On top of her head sat a crown-like tiara.
Only royalty wore crowns at that time but no one questioned her because she seemed to believe that it was her right to wear it but it was manly because she was the oldest mermaid that anyone had ever met and yet she had so much spirit and independence.
She was waiting for the mer-children to get out of school. Mer-children of all ages came to her after school to hear the stories she told. They would sit around her and beg for different stories. Sometimes adults also came to listen.
Today she had a special story to tell them. When they were all gathered around she began:
"Many eons ago there lived a little mermaid. Her name was Melena."
Here one of the children interrupted, "But Grandmother we've heard the story of the 'Little Mermaid' many times before!"
"This story is very different from the one that you all know. Now if I may continue.
"Melena was the youngest daughter of a great sea king. She had five older sisters. All of her sisters would take trips up to the surface many times a week." At the word surface all the children gasped. The surface was a forbidden place for anyone to go.
"Yes, children they would go to the surface. Melena longed to go to the surface with them but they always said, 'No, Melena. You can't go with us. You're too young.' And Melena always replied, 'I'm not too young. I'm only a year younger than Bara and you always take her.' Bara was her youngest older sister.
"The real reason that her sisters would not take her with them was because they were jealous of her. Melena was the prettiest mermaid in the entire kingdom. She had golden eyes, ivory skin and dark green hair that matched her tail. Her small nose and full lips made her the picture of a beautiful mermaid.
"Her sisters were beautiful too but they didn't have the same innocence that Melena did.
"The oldest sister, Kalia, had flashy green eyes and bright blue hair. The next, Sarea, had pretty gray eyes and dark purple hair. The third, Gilda, had snappy hazel eyes and dark red hair. The forth, Caryn, had shinny blue eyes and blonde hair. The fifth, Bara, had glistening black eyes and black hair. All had tails that matched their hair. Their skin was a light peach color and their slightly large noses and lips made them seem, to an outsider, like none too pretty quintuplets.
"Now one day very close to her 13th birthday Melena decided that she had had enough of her sisters telling her that she was too young to go to the surface and so she went alone. It took her many hours to reach the surface.
"When she brought herself above the water at first she saw nothing but blackness because it was night. As her eyes grew accustom to the light she began to see icebergs and islands. Suddenly there was a loud popping sound which was followed by a bright light in the sky.
"This frightened Melena but her want to be on the surface took control; she stayed where she was. It was then that she saw the boat. It was a large wooden boat that could carry many passengers; it was making the loud sound and the color in the sky.
"Being a curious mermaid Melena swam to an iceberg close to the boat. She saw people walking around on the boat deck seemingly having a party. All were dressed in vibrant colors of fine silk or satin. All except one young man; a boy really. He stood on starboard side of the boat staring out into the endless black. He was dressed in what looked to be a white cotton shirt, brown breeches, and black leather boots. His black hair was unkempt and his gray eyes were clouded. Not as if he were blind but rather deep in thought. His skin was a light tan olive color and his lips were a light pink giving the impression that he was wearing make up even though this was not so.
"Wondering why he was not dressed in finery as the rest of the party goers, Melena swam closer to the huge boat.
"And now children I must stop because it is getting late and your parents will have my tail if you are not home by supper time. Go on home now. I will tell more of the story tomorrow. Good bye!" The old mermaid went into her home with a wave leaving the children to go home and think about the story thus far.