My entry for @readingqueen999 's writing contest It's very long The actual story is in the notes and credits section, the background is just the title page.
I glide through the brilliant blue clear water, using my strong tail fins to propel myself forwards into the maze of brightly coloured coral and small schools of fish going on field trips to the palace. ‘The coral is lovely this time of year’ remarks my best friend since pre-swim, Jalari. ‘Yeah’ I say, not really listening to her. I’m looking for something -a very rare something- that can only be found if you are looking with the soul, not the eyes. Ariel’s fork. It’s a very precious thing to the merfolk, and it’s been missing for years. As the legend goes, if you find it and unite it with her other precious items, we can summon her back to where she came from. Also known as the palace. Her sisters have been waiting many tides for her to come back, but she hasn’t. And we all fear that she never will. So, there’s a quest. Whoever can find all of the objects and bring her back will get 8.5 shell’s worth of pearls and rare coral! And nobody wants it more than me. Take in mind that I am not a greedy person. But my family has been maids or gardeners at the palace for generations and yet we get paid less than half of what we might get paid simply because of one mistake I accidentally made when I was five of setting the entire garden on fire. Underwater! So now most of our pay has gone towards reviving that garden which after ten years still hasn’t healed. Jalari says something, and I nod in agreement and continue to search the ground for the thousandth time over. ‘Anthia!’ Jalari’s voice jolts me out of my trance ‘What?’ I ask. I said my hair’s on fire and aliens are attacking!’ ‘Really?’ I say wondering how her hair could be on fire underwater. ‘No you seaweed brain’ she sighs ‘You need to listen more often! One day it’s going to get you in trouble!’ ‘Well I hope that day isn’t soon!’ I say cheerfully. Without realising it, we've reached the edge of the reef. Only the hunter-gatherers are allowed past here. And that’s for a reason. The last time someone tried to swim out here, they got eaten by a reef shark almost immediately, and no civilian who wants to live has gone out there ever since… Except for me and Jalari. Once for a dare, we went half a clamshell out of the reef for less than two strokes of a seahorse’s tail and then swam back in immediately because we didn’t want to die! And ever since I've wanted to go out further deeper and for longer. It was so pretty out there with all of the larger coral structures making beautiful patterns on the rocky sea floor. But Jalari won’t let me. And for good reason too. Ever since that shark got a taste of merfolk flesh he’s wanted nothing more than to eat another one. And he’s always swimming around here. I heard he tried human flesh but it didn’t taste as good as mer-flesh so he wants more. The only thing protecting us from him is the reef. You out of that, and BAM! You’re dead! No second chances, no hunters to save you, and no chance of escape. Ever. But I'm feeling daring today so I push past her, and ignoring her warnings, I swim out of the reef not knowing whether I’ll ever make it back home… The water feels colder, darker. Suddenly, a big shark-shaped shadow appears out of nowhere coming straight towards me. I swim to the coral and make it back just before his jaws snap around my tail. ‘Well that was a close one!’ I say to Jalari’s horrified face. ‘YOU COULD”VE BEEN KILLED!’ She screams ‘Quiet down!’ I mutter ‘Nobody needs to know about this!’ ‘Yeah, well I do’ But you won’t tell anyone’ Of course not! She bends down and picks something off the floor. ‘Huh’ she says ‘I wonder what this is?’ I look at it and then I look at it again. What is that strange object? Then suddenly, it hits me ‘OH MY STARFISH!!!!!’ I scream ‘It’s Ariel's fork! We’ve found it, Jalari! Oh my waves we’ve actually found it!’ ‘Isn’t there a huge prize for whoever finds it?’ she asks. ‘Yeah!’ I say excitedly 8.5 shell’s worth in pearls and rare coral!
