“Ocean Daughter”: sirens, goddesses, and water myths // StayHomeWriMo Day 5

Hey everyone!

Today’s post is a little bit late because I didn’t pre-write it this time, but I quite like the premise of it. I’ve gotta say, I’m disappointed in the end, though. It had potential but I wasted it

Prompt: write a fantasy short story using the word ‘Sea’ as a motif.

The waves crashed gently around the girl, pulling her in closer as her dark, curly hair spread out under her as she floated under the surface.

Deeper, she thought. Take me deeper to the Ocean.

The waves obeyed her. After all, she was nearly one of their princesses. They pulled her under, tugging her down dozens, hundreds, thousands of feet into the inky until suddenly-

Come, my dear. The Ocean beckoned to the girl, wrapping its arms around her soothingly. You’re safe, love.

The girl floated in the sea, nestled into two perfectly shaped waves that moved around her, solidifying into the shape of a woman with beautiful brown skin and long, white hair. She was gorgeous and formidable, with the regal look of a queen.

“You’re safe, Taea. But what have I told you about not staying out too much?”

The girl looked up into the eyes of the Ocean Goddess. “Yes, Mother. I will not repeat my mistake.”

The Goddess smiled, her lips twisting upwards. “Good, my love. You know how much I worry about my daughters’ safety.”

Taea nodded, unable to pull her lips apart and form words. She had been on the surface for much too long; almost five hours which was quite past the limit of a young siren, which was three hours. If she stayed too long, her body would start to chill, to freeze.

She had only been a siren for fourteen years, now. Her mother, the Ocean, birthed her from the sea foam, just like she did with all of her baby siren girls.

The sirens came from the foam, the mermaids from the seaweed, the naiads from the beds of ponds and lakes, and the sprites from the driftwood.

Taea knew that the Ocean Goddess didn’t care much for her naiad daughters after they grew up and became permanently attached to their life tethers- the lake or stream or pond that naiads lived in. Plus, She didn’t take care of sprites either. They could go live among the humans after they aged.

Long, long ago, before the Ocean’s daughters were forced to hide so much, She would have hundreds of daughters at once. But now, as humans scoured the seas, there weren’t many places left to hide.

Taea was the youngest siren out of only five sisters. Malika, Camille, Lora, N’aami, and Taea. She was even the youngest out of the twenty mermaid step-sisters she had. The youngest Ocean Daughter other than her was Hesse, a seventeen-year-old mermaid, and Malika, Taea’s twenty-year-old siren sister.

“What are you thinking about, little one?”

Taea looked up at the Goddess. “My bones are warming up, Mother. I’m okay.”

The Ocean Goddess brushed a kiss to her little girl’s cheek. “Sure, darling.”

Taea knew she was in good hands. The Ocean Goddess would never let anyone or anything hurt her.

She loved Taea more than anything.

And that’s a wrap!!

What did you think of this piece? Have you read ‘The Siren’ by Kiera Cass or ‘Siren’s Lament’ on Webtoon? Do you think the ending could have been better? What are your favorite mythical female creatures?