Water(Terri Talley Venters) Water

Minerva awoke to the soothing sounds of the sea, just as she did each morning. An early riser, she thrived on the solitude of her early morning swim. She meandered through the palace as her family slumbered. Arriving at the terrace, she jettisoned herself into the peaceful serenity of the open water.

She began her routine at mach speed, waking up her body and mind as her lithe form cut through the water like a spear. Invigorated from the aqua sprint, she dove towards the depths of the sea.

Swimming at the ocean bottom, she slowed and admired the tiny seahorses with their tails wrapped around the plant branches. The sand, undisturbed, sparkled as the rays of the morning sun breached the water’s surface and illuminated the ocean floor.

Minerva froze. A Great White shark swam nearby. She prayed the carnivorous creature wouldn’t sense her presence. He appeared occupied with a bloody carcass at the surface. More sharks joined the Great White and his feeding frenzy.

A dark shadow loomed over her, blocking the sun’s rays from the surface. Scared, Minerva knew the shadow’s source before she verified the terrifying object above—a boat.

She swam away and headed home, wishing she’d never left the safety of Atlantis. But a wall of rope came towards her. It extended from the surface to the floor with its sides angled towards her.

She knew the dangers of the net. She’d witnessed it capture her fellow Atlanteans. Retreating from the dangers of mankind’s fishing net, she sensed a presence behind her. Fearful, she turned to face yet another enemy, the Great White shark.

The enormous creature swam towards Minerva, trapping her between the net and his carnivorous intentions. With closed eyes, he lunged towards her, but missed. She darted around the great beast, never taking her eyes off the predator. She realized her mistake as the ropes of the net caught her fin.

The shark retreated and avoided the net. But the net closed around Minerva, and she struggled. Then hopelessness sank in, and she stopped wiggling. Tears flowed as the net lifted her up towards the surface.

Crunched together with a mixture of fish, she saw the morning sun as the net rose Minerva out of the water and onto the wooden deck of the fishing boat.

“Captain, we’ve caught a mermaid!”

---