It was nighttime, almost ten o'clock. The Atlantic ocean sparkled in the light of the moon. It was the beginning of June, so the sea would soon be filled with many people, human adolescents and adults alike. However, it was too early for that at the moment. No one was swimming out here now-at least, not above water. Below the surface, two creatures that called the sea their home swam beside each other, one fully grown, and the other much smaller. The older one took the small one's hand, guiding her along through the ocean. She smiled, her teeth sharper than any human's would be. Despite her human-like appearance, she could hardly be mistaken for one of them. Above her torso, she had tanned skin, wild green and black hair, blue eyes, and slender arms that ended in hands with greenish nails. Past the woman's waist, though, was a green fish tail that moved up and down to propel her through the water. Her ears added to her otherworldly appearance. They were more like iridescent fins than ears, but they served their purpose. She was a mermaid, and the little one beside her was her six year old daughter. "Mom, where are we going? We've been swimming for hours!" The girl cried. Her dark hair waved behind her, pushed by the current. "Violet, you know it's a surprise, and we've only been swimming for a couple of minutes. Be patient." She kissed her forehead gently, but this didn't make her feel any better. "Being patient is boring," she replied, drawing out the last word. "I want to see it already. Where is it?" "There." The mermaid mother pointed a webbed finger up to the surface of the ocean. They were approaching it quickly. The child's eyes widened. They were a bright golden color, like the summer sun in the afternoon. "Cool! What's past there, Mom?" The mermaid smiled again. "Something even bigger than the sea." Violet became speechless at her mother's answer. The two swam up farther and farther, until the little girl's head broke through the surface. Light blinded her momentarily. She blinked at the brilliance of it, then opened her eyes to see her much anticipated birthday present. Her jaw dropped. Her mother surfaced beside her, and laughed at her youngest daughter's expression. "I told you it was worth the wait," she said. "What do you see?" The girl squinted to see past the bright barrier. "I see...lights. Lots and lots of them! What is it?" "A city." "Like ours?" "No. Well...sort of. It's a human city." "A human...city?" Violet tested out the word in her mind. "What's a human?" "Go see for yourself!" She beamed and hurtled forward, her purple tail carrying her towards the edge of a dock. She grabbed the edge of it, her fingers scraping it. Her mother pulled her off of the dock and held her up so she could see, but only her head was visible from where they were. "Wow," she gasped. "Oh wow, oh wow! Can we go out there?" The mermaid's happiness faded. She shook her head and pulled her baby down into the ocean again. "No," she murmured. "I'm sorry, but we can never do that." Violet looked at her mother with growing curiosity. "Why not?" "It's not safe for our kind to go on land, dear. Your aunt went up there once, and never came back. You wouldn't want that to happen to you, right?" The little girl sighed. "Right. Wait, why did you show me if I'm not allowed to go out there?" "Your father fears the humans. He would never show you. I thought you should have a glimpse of this world before he can keep you in the castle." The mermaid hugged Violet, making her giggle. "I understand his concern, though. You are the princess of the sea, and he just wants you to be safe." "But I will be safe!" Violet protested, her golden eyes sparking. "You never know what will happen, my dear. It's best to just do what he wants." The young mermaid didn't say anything to her mom then, and just looked out at the shining city lights. Her mother smiled faintly. "Yes, look at those buildings. Take it all in, baby. This may be the last time you will ever see it." A sudden whirring noise startled the two mermaids. A contraption that Violet had never seen before appeared on the surface of the water. It was white and black, and it carried three human passengers. "What's that?" Violet asked. "A human motorboat."

"Oh, okay!" With that, the little girl broke free of her mother's grip on her and swam towards the boat. Her mom gasped and hurried after her. "No, no, no! Violet, stay away from there!" It was too late. The boat came to a stop and the little girl grabbed the side of it with her webbed fingers. The two adults on the boat didn't notice her, but the boy on board did. He looked at her hands and her sodden face and smiled, his blond hair reflecting the moon's glow overhead. "Hi!" Violet hadn't expected a response. "Oh. Hi!" She smiled back at him. "What's your name? I'm Violet." "Me? I'm Ryan." The boy's expression became one of curiosity. "Why are you swimming out here at night? Aren't you afraid of sharks?" Violet giggled, her hands holding her steady as the ocean's current tugged on her concealed tail. "Oh, no, I'm not afraid of sharks! Why should I be? They're just big softies!" Ryan's eyes widened. "Really? That's not what my parents told me." Violet nodded. "Yeah. I would know!" The sea's tug soon became too strong for her hands to keep holding onto the boat. She let go of it and waved. "Bye, Ryan! It was nice to meet you!" Ryan smiled and waved back at her. "Yeah, bye!" Hands grabbed Violet's tail and pulled her backwards. It was her mother. "How dare you go and talk to one of them!" she yelled. "They could've hurt you!" "The humans?" Violet shook her head. "No way! They're really nice." "No, they're not. You're lucky that the bigger ones didn't see you. I was able to use a spell on the little boy to make him forget." She took her daughter's hand then. "You must never talk to a human again, you hear me? They're evil, and they would kill you if you got too close!" Violet was hearing what her mother was saying, but that couldn't be true. Ryan's blue eyes were so much like the ocean she lived in, and the way he'd spoken to her had to be proof that he was nice. He would never hurt her, and one day, she'd find him again and prove it.