The waves crashed against the rocky shore, their melody a soothing lullaby to Aurelia's restless thoughts. The salt-laden breeze whipped through her sky-blue hair as she stood on the cliff's edge, golden eyes scanning the endless horizon.
For as long as she could remember, the sea had been her sanctuary, her mystery, her obsession. The creatures that lived beneath its shimmering surface fascinated her, but none as much as the whispered tales of mermaids—beautiful and otherworldly beings that enchanted sailors and vanished into the depths.
Her feet crunched against the gravel path as she descended toward the cove, a place she had claimed as her own. It was there, at the age of eight, that she had sworn to uncover the truth of the mermaids. Now, at seventeen, the promise felt closer than ever.
As she approached the shore, Aurelia noticed a figure standing by the tide pools. A girl, around her age, with wild red hair that glinted like fire in the sunlight and eyes so green they seemed to glow. The stranger's movements were graceful, her bare feet navigating the slippery rocks with an ease that felt... unnatural.
Could this girl be one of them?
~~~°~~~~°~~~°~~~
Aurelia had never been one to obsess over popularity or perfection, but Arielle made it impossible not to feel like an extra in her own life. The day Arielle walked into their school, it was as though the universe had shifted—everything that once revolved around Aurelia suddenly orbited this new girl.
The whispers started almost immediately: Who is she? Where did she come from? Arielle claimed she was an exchange student from a small inland town, but Aurelia found it hard to believe. There was something otherworldly about her—the way her red hair shimmered in the sunlight like liquid fire, the way her green eyes seemed to see right through you.
At first, Aurelia had tried to befriend her. It wasn't Arielle's fault that everyone adored her, after all. But no matter how hard Aurelia tried, the connection just wouldn't form. Conversations with Arielle felt...off, as if the girl was speaking a different language entirely, one wrapped in pleasantries but devoid of sincerity.
Things escalated quickly. Within weeks, Arielle had seamlessly inserted herself into Aurelia's life. Her friends—once inseparable—now spent their lunches laughing with Arielle. Even Liam, Aurelia's longtime crush, had started walking Arielle to class, carrying her books and hanging on her every word.
"She's just...so nice," her best friend Layla had said one day, trying to justify the shift. "I mean, she's perfect, Aurelia. You can't hate her for that."
But Aurelia didn't hate her—not exactly. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about Arielle made her feel uneasy
The unease turned into obsession the day Arielle stepped into her father's seafood restaurant. Aurelia had been helping with the dinner rush, carrying trays of fish tacos and steaming clam chowder, when Arielle waltzed in, as if she belonged there. Her father, who rarely warmed to strangers, greeted Arielle like an old friend.
"You're a natural," he said with a laugh, letting Arielle help plate some of the orders.
Aurelia had to leave the kitchen before she lost it.
It wasn't just jealousy—okay, maybe it was partly jealousy—but there was more to it. Arielle wasn't just taking over her life. She was hiding something.
And then there was her name. Arielle. Red hair. Green eyes. The way she seemed to know things about the sea that she, shouldn't, considering she was supposedly from a landlocked town. It all lined up too perfectly.
It was crazy, wasn't it? Thinking someone could be a mermaid? But Aurelia couldn't shake the feeling.
When she brought it up to Layla, the girl had burst out laughing, choking on her soda. "A mermaid? Seriously, Aurelia? Next, you'll tell me she sings to dolphins."
"It's not funny," Aurelia had muttered, cheeks burning.
But no one took her seriously. They laughed it off, dismissing her as paranoid or bitter. Still, the feeling lingered, gnawing at her every time she saw Arielle's too-perfect smile.
Aurelia knew one thing, she had to find out the truth, even if it meant going it alone.
Aurelia thought, if she wanted the truth, she'd have to be direct... in her own way.
That afternoon, after school, Aurelia made up her mind to confront Arielle directly. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had been building ever since Arielle arrived. She cornered her by the lockers, forcing a smile that she hoped hid her suspicion.
"Hey, Arielle," Aurelia began, her tone casual. "Do you like the sea?"
Arielle's face lit up, and her response was immediate, as if she'd been waiting for the question. "Oh, absolutely. It's so vast and mysterious. There's something comforting about it, don't you think?"
Her answer was smooth, almost rehearsed. Aurelia decided to push further. "Do you believe in mermaids?"
For a moment, Arielle faltered, Her green eyes darkening a bit. she hesitated before answering. "Well," she said, her voice light but careful, "the sea is a big and deep place. Who knows what's inside it besides the creatures we already know about?"
The way she said it made Aurelia's brow crease. It wasn't a denial, but it wasn't an admission either.
"Okay," Aurelia said, forcing a shrug. She let the conversation end there, even though her mind was racing.
Her friends had told her to drop it. "You're overthinking," Layla had said, rolling her eyes. "You're just jealous because she's, like, perfect."
But Aurelia couldn't let it go. There was something about the way Arielle spoke, the way she laughed, and especially the way she smiled. It was enchanting, yes, but there was also something beneath it—a guardedness, as if she were hiding a part of herself. She just seemed too perfect to be human
That night, Aurelia flipped through her collection of books about the sea and its myths. One passage caught her eye: *Mermaids, though capable of hiding their true nature, can only reveal themselves when submerged in natural bodies of water such as lakes, seas, or oceans.*
That was perfect. Living near the sea gave her the ideal opportunity to test her theory. She needed to see Arielle near the water—really near it. The idea struck her like lightning.
The next day, Aurelia proposed the plan to Layla. "Let's throw a beach party," she said nonchalantly.
Layla's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! We haven't done anything fun in ages."
"We can invite everyone," Aurelia added, trying to sound casual. "Even Arielle."
Layla didn't hesitate. "Of course, this is going to be amazing! "
Aurelia's heart raced. Perfect. Now all she had to do was wait—and watch.