Page 24 - The Mermaid Call

“Right tell me everything about the Lake Mermaid!” she said, an excited swing to her voice – and her high ponytail – as if our mermaid was a real, living, local celebrity. It looked like she had eyeliner on too. I suddenly felt a bit childish in my ancient blue anorak. I discreetly pulled out the glittery purple slide I’d pushed into my hair.
“Okay, sooo, err, there’s always been a legend of a mermaid at Lake Splendour” I started, a jagged edge to my voice. There was something about Alice’s direct, unwavering gaze that put me on edge, as if I could disappoint her any minute.
A storyteller clear of my throat. “The fisherfolk used to call her Mesuline. That’s my mum’s name too,” I added.
Alice made a mouth-shrug.
Another throat-clear. “They used to beg Mesuline for a full net and not to drown them. The mermaid, not my mum!” I added.
Silence. Alice can’t have realised I was joking.
I took a wobbly breath, “But then, ta-da –,” extending both arms upwards dramatically, “– the legend went crazy with these two.”
Alice’s gaze followed mine. Just as a pigeon pooed on the flowing bronze hair of one the girls.
“Sorry about that,” I said, flushing as if it was me who’d done it. “Meet Lydia and Violet who claimed they got called to the Mermaid World in 1914.”
“Claimed?” Alice said, a concerned crease between her eyes. She did that direct gaze thing on me again. “Or did?”
I smiled uncertainly. “Well, they said she ‘illuminated’ them and so they followed her into the quarry cave above the lake.” I pointed to the path that went round the water, towards the Shell Grotto then up to the Illuminated Caves. “And they both completely disappeared.”
Alice’s crease vanished too. It gave me a quick buzz of confidence and I wiggled my fingers spookily to keep her interest; a ghostly tone. “They only returned after the First World War started and they told their families the Lake Mermaid was named Emmeline and she had