The Seashell’s Hidden Secret Ep.3

Marvela uses water magic to seek Tanya’s help locating the Talkback shell

When a young girl finds an unusual shell on the beach, it’s not all that it seems. The mermaid who’s lost the shell is now unable to communicate with her sisters

Tanya was excited to return to the beach. While Mum relaxed with her audiobook, Dad and Oliver had gravitated to the wet sand most recently smoothed by the receding tide to set up stumps for French cricket.

Seagulls wheeled overhead making raucous shrieks, as Tanya surveyed the ruin of the ornate sandcastle she built yesterday. When Dad warned her that the tide would sweep the beach clean, that hadn’t prepared her for complete obliteration. There were faint mounds where she’d built turrets, but the moat was smoothed and all the shells she’d used to decorate were gone. She’d start again and build it better.

The bright sun made her squint when she approached a rocky outcrop where she found that fabulous seashell. Today her search turned up shells which were pretty, but nothing as large or unusual. She wondered about the mysterious voices she’d heard coming from the shell the previous night, and the words she’d picked out, spoken in the clicking voices.

Battle, king, danger, fight, loyalty, mermen.

What could they mean? Who was the king and why was he in danger from the mermen?

Tanya climbed the rocks and crouched over a pool of water while considering what she’d overheard from the shell. She saw her reflection in the clear water, light hair wafting in the salty breeze, but then the water shimmered and a different face appeared. Its hair was long and dark, waves of emerald, and the eyes that looked back at her were wide and tilted, green like sea glass.

Tanya was too startled to move, instead she watched in fascination as the face broke into a smile, its iridescent blue lips showing sharp teeth.

“I am friendly.”

When the creature spoke, Tanya yelped, recognising the same harsh speech and clicks she’d heard coming from the shell. She looked around, unsure if her Dad or brother were somehow pranking her, but they were still absorbed in their ball game.

“Who are you?” She spoke to the strange face in the rock pool.

“I’m Marvela, a princess from under the sea.”

Tanya’s eyebrows shot as high as her fringe, but as she wanted to know more, she responded.

“I’m Tanya, my family’s on holiday here.”

“You built that castle yesterday,” Marvela stated.

“You saw that?”

“Yes, I watched you comb the beach for decoration.”

“You watched me? From where?”

“The sea, near the buoy.”

Tanya looked out to sea, where a seagull sat atop the marker.

“You could see me, from there?”

She was skeptical, alongside the niggling worry about talking to strangers.

“When you collected shells yesterday, did you possibly find one of mine?”

“One of yours? Shells don’t belong to anybody once living creatures no longer need them.”

Marvela made a strange sound, which hurt Tanya’s ears, but her face remained smiling. Perhaps it was a laugh.

“Usually, yes, but this is a very special shell. About this big, it swirls to a pointed end. It’s very shiny with pale pink inside.”

Tanya watched Marvela gesturing the size of the shell with pale elegant fingers, and knew she was describing the one she’d found yesterday. Her heartbeat picked up, drumming inside her chest.

“Why’s it so special?” she shrugged, as noncommittally as possible.

An emotion flickered across Marvela’s face which Tanya couldn’t identify, but the princess continued to smile, showing her pointed teeth, which looked as if they could rip and tear. Tanya guessed her diet was probably raw fish, so she was glad the creature wasn’t there in person.

“Can I trust you to keep our secret?” Marvela said.

Tanya nodded.

“My family and I use it to communicate.”

That made sense, after all Tanya had heard voices talking.

“I need it to speak to my sisters!”

“What are you?” Tanya asked.

Before Marvela could answer, Tanya heard her Mum shout, and saw her Dad wave.

“I have to go, my family is calling me.”

“Do you have the shell?” Marvela pressed, her smile looking more forced than before.

But it was too late, Tanya had gone running to join her family for lunch. Marvela clenched her teeth and tried not to scream with frustration.

It was always quite difficult to eat a picnic on the beach, the wind could blow away lightweight items and the sand usually got into your food, no matter what. Mum had wrapped bread rolls filled with cheese in silver foil, and there were slices of tomato or apple and sticks of peeled carrot. The family gathered around the pots of food on the checked blanket, to eat.

“I don’t like cheese,” Oliver moaned.

“You like cheese triangles,” Mum reminded him.

She produced a roll prepared specially for him, using the processed cheese he liked.

“Can I put crisps in it?” he asked, almost placated.

“This is a picnic, so you may.”

Dad helped Oliver with the fiddly task of sliding cheese and onion potato chips inside the roll.

Tanya crunched her own crisps thoughtfully, wondering what to do about the shell, should she just hand it over? Knowing it had magical powers Tanya was even more keen to keep it. She hadn’t told anyone what she’d overheard last night.

“You’re very quiet Tan,” Dad pulled gently on the tips of her hair. “Did you have a nice morning?”

She didn’t want to share the conversation she’d just had. Which was almost like facetime, using a rockpool, and she couldn’t quite believe it herself.

“I was collecting treasures. I have to build a new castle.”

“I’m sorry yesterday’s got washed away, but I took a picture of it,” Dad said.

“Will you use that big shell? The one you showed us last night?” Mum asked.

“No,” Tanya said, “it’s too special.”

“You burnt my crisps!” Oliver interrupted with a wail.

“Don’t be so dramatic sweetheart,” Mum soothed, “I didn’t cook them, they came ready baked.”

“But look,” he pointed to the dark edge on a potato chip.

“We’ll throw that one away, you needn’t eat it,” Dad soothed.

“Oliver — don’t actually throw it!” He raised his voice.

But it was too late, immediately Oliver flung the offending crisp onto the sand, a black headed seagull swooped down and snatched it up to eat.

This brought their lunch to a swift close. A flock of shrieking, squawking seagulls swooped to investigate this new food source. The family had to hurry to pack their food back into the cool box. Mum shook the picnic blanket at the gulls, attempting to shoo them away.

“I’m going to build my sandcastle,” Tanya told them.

“You don’t have long, it looks like rain.” Mum called after her.

Carrying her bucket of treasures, Tanya strode over the sand. Behind her, Mum was folding up blankets and deckchairs, as if they would return to the car soon. Tanya picked up speed, she needed to find that same rockpool.

When she got there, the water looked still and clear, with no sign of Marvela’s face. Tanya straightened up and turned to the sea, focusing her gaze on the waves around the buoy. She thought she could see a head bobbing, was that the princess?

“Tanya?”

Hearing her name in that strange, barking voice startled her. When she spun around, she saw Marvela’s sharp features and undulating green hair within the smooth surface of the pool.

“I’m here.”

“Do you have the shell? My father is in danger, I need it.”

The princess looked desperate, her jade green eyes imploring the young girl to help.

“Yes, I have it.”

Tanya dipped her hand into the plastic bucket, as she spoke. She moved aside cockle and mussel shells in search of its glossy surface. When she could not feel it, panic crept over her. She tipped the contents of her pail onto the sand, and it was quite obvious the special shell was absent. Where could it be? Tanya had taken it from under her pillow this morning, and there was no way she’d dropped it.

“Please give it back,” Marvela implored, holding out her hand.

“It’s not here.” Tanya’s voice was flat.

The undersea princess looked puzzled, then distraught.

“You had it, but you lost it? How?”

“I can’t understand how I lost it,” Tanya was trembling.

She could tell by Marvela’s face how important the shell was.

Then she heard her name, her family calling her back. They were going home, as were most of the people on the beach. Charcoal coloured banks of clouds were gathering, and the daylight had taken on a yellowy tinge. The threat of a storm seemed very real.

“I’m sorry, I’ll keep looking. But I have to go.”

“But the shell …” Marvela was ready to beg, but Tanya couldn’t stay.

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” she flung the words over her shoulder as she began to run.

“What am I to do?” Marvela spoke softly to herself.

It was as if her fate, along with her father’s, was dangling off the edge of the cliff, and the person holding the rope that could pull them back was the young girl, Tanya.

[To be continued …]

This story is a spin off from the magical world I introduced with Courtly Love. I’ve written to participate with Monday Mash-ups #6 for which I would’ve earned 4 points, except I’ve failed on wordcount!