Page 17 of Mermaid on Heels
The dresses were of different light shades, made of the softest material Liriya had ever touched, long, simple, and flowing. The next thing she had to figure out was how to put them on.
Sessa posed as the model and Liriya tried the dress on her, in all ridiculous ways imagined, until she finally figured it out. The dresses were too long for Sessa while Liriya and Ella found sizes that fit them. Promising Sessa that she would do something to make hers fit, Liriya took her sisters and the dresses back to their cave.
She obviously had no idea what to do with Sessa’s dresses. It was, after all, something that was unworldly to her. How could she possibly doanythingwith something she didn’t know about?
However, luck was on their side. A thought struck Liriya to tear the hem of the gown until it fit Sessa’s height. Although a little ridiculous with its torn hem, it succeeded gradually, and Sessa thought it was exquisite.
The following night, at the same time as last, Liriya led her sisters to the surface wearing their dresses. It amused her to swim on it, her tail making it flutter with each move, and at seeing her sisters wearing them.
The whole night, until the first light of dawn, they practiced walking and postponed their sleep to daytime. Falling, stumbling, forgetting to take one foot at a time, gradually, Liriya managed to get a grip and helped her sisters do the same.
Sessa insisted on going about the land that day itself, after catching up on their sleep. Liriya tried to protest saying they needed more balance and to practice at least one more night, but decided against it as she realized they had indeed gotten the balance.
By afternoon, after their nap, Liriya led her sisters to the surface in their dresses. She made sure the coast was clear before they rose to the land and transformed.
Sudden nervousness and uncertainty hit Liriya now that they were actually about to go on the land and meet the humans. She fiddled with her fingers as she stood on the shore, watching her sisters walking coolly one minute and stumbling the other.
I can do this.
She waited until they garnered the grip on their footing. Their dresses and hair were dry by that time and Liriya sucked in a determined breath. “Let us go.”
Chapter 5
Liriya led her sisters to the path she believed would take her to the shore where Luke and his brother were just the other day. However, she was wrong. Instead, it led them to an open, deserted road that stretched deeper into the land. Liriya hesitated at first, but continued forward, looking behind and around her often to memorize the way. They would need to head back eventually.
“This feels so weird,” Sessa said distastefully, looking down at her sand covered feet, referring to how irritating she felt the sand against her skin.
“Everythingis weird,” Ella countered matter-of-factly.
The deserted road widened into a crowded, bustling marketplace after a few minutes of walking—or hobbling, rather. Liriya hesitated at the sight of the crowd, and stopped them to observe.
“So that is what humans are…” Sessa marveled in awe.
“As if you have not seen any,” Ella teased with a chuckle.
Sessa’s eyes narrowed at her. “Ofcourse,I have not seen any.”
“So what do you think arewenow? Octopuses?” Ella laughed.
Realization dawned on Sessa. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. “I almost forgotthat!”
“Shhh,” Liriya shushed her, fighting back her amusement. “Try to keep your voices down, angelfishes, or it will grab people’s attention.”
Ella shook her head at Sessa dramatically. “Please do not make me regret calling you an intelligent creature, Sessa.”
Sessa smiled slyly in response.
“Alright, I want you to listen carefully to what I am going to—”
“Hear ye, hear ye!” A high pitched, rough male voice practically roared from the direction of the marketplace.
Sessa hid herself behind Liriya. “Was that a pirate?”
“Sharks and dolphins!” Ella gulped and inched closer to Liriya’s other side.
Though taken at first, Liriya composed herself and put her arms around her sisters, holding them close. “Hey, we have nothing to worry, sweethearts. Even if thatisa pirate, we have nothing to be afraid of. We are not mermaids now, we are humans, keep that in mind, alright?”
“And you think pirates are nice to fellow humans?” Ella asked in a whisper.