Moonlight Night Stormy Seascape (123RF)
My name is Celia McCodrum. Daddy is proud of our Scottish name and says it means “of the seals.” Tonight is a full moon. When the moon is out Mom looks extra beautiful. Her skin shimmers like the sea. Her hair is wild and free. She hums a strange tune, like what you hear when you put a shell to your ear.
Tonight, we’re baking cookies. I help mom sprinkle our secret ingredient on top, salt flakes. We cuddle up on the couch to eat them and read stories about mer-people, which are my favorite. Mom does the best pirate “arrggh” and “ahoy matey!”
I point at a page and ask Mom, “Why can’t we be like them? I want to swim to the depths to find treasure and make fish friends.”
Her eyes get wide. She chuckles softly. Somehow it sounds sad. She closes the book. “I’m thirsty. Want some water, Celia?”
I shake my head no. Mom always drinks extra water during the full moon.
I steal another cookie and sneak into my room to play. I think I’ll play mermaids. I try to open my chest of toys and dress-up costumes, but the latch is stuck again. Daddy is out fishing so I can’t ask him to grease it up. I put the rest of the cookie in my mouth and push my feet against the wood. I pull the latch as hard as I can.
“Ouch!” I mumble through cookie crumbs. The chest topples backwards and so do I. All my things have spilled out! My tiara, my gloves, my sparkly green tail! Even Mr. Bubbles my stuffed spotted seal! As I dust myself off, something catches my eye.
There is a piece of wood sticking up from the bottom of the chest. Oh no! I’ve done it now. My hands shake as I reach for it. It’s a false bottom. Something is inside. I pull out a glittering blue-grey piece of fabric. It must be a beautiful ball gown!
“Celia?”
My ears prickle.
“What’s that?”
Mom stands in the doorway. Her eyes lock on the mystery gown. Part of me wants to hide my new treasure.
“It…it was an accident. I didn’t mean to break the chest, but Mommy look how pretty!” I hold up the gown.
Mom’s eyes fill with tears. “Sweet girl!” She wraps me in a giant hug.
As she pulls away, the dress slips through my fingers. Mom puts it on. Suddenly her legs grow longer and her feet fan out into a tail. Her skin matches the pretty grey shimmer of the dress. Her hair is longer, adorned with starfish and rainbow shells. She’s smiles so big.
“Darling. I must get back to the sea. Can you help me?” She falls to the ground, her tail flops on my pink fuzzy rug.
My heart stops. This is the moment I’ve been dreaming of.
“Are you a mermaid Mommy?” I pause, “Am I a mermaid too?”
“No darling, I’m a selkie: one of the sea-folk from the northern seas. I fell in love with your daddy long ago when he sailed into my home. When you were born, I asked him to hide away my seal skin, this gown you’ve found, until you were old enough to understand. Clever man, hiding it in your toy chest. Oh, how I miss the sea, my seal skin lets me be my true self.”
My heart sinks a little, but I know I must help her. Mom deserves to be free.
“I have an idea!”
I run to the shed and grab our old wheelbarrow. I pull Mom’s arms while she flops herself in. We make it outside and down the path to the water. I dig my feet into the sand and finally we make it to the water’s edge. The wheelbarrow topples over. I raise my arms to block a huge splash of water.
When I open my eyes, mom is gone.
“Mom?” I whisper into the quiet night.
“Mommy!” I wade into the water until it’s at my waist.
“Mom! Will I ever see you again?” I shout. Tears roll down my cheeks. I turn back towards shore when a warm hand cups my cheek.
“Don’t cry darling. I’ll be back every time the moon is full to see you and your daddy. I love you both with all my heart.” She squeezes my hand. She dives down into the water, her seal tail reflecting the stars in the night.
In the distance an orange light scans the sea. Daddy’s boat. What on earth am I going to tell him? I open my hand. A fat silver pearl sits in it. On the horizon, Mom waves back to me, even more beautiful than a mermaid, and I know my new wish is to one day be a selkie.
