The girl from the Underworld

-a story about friendship and never giving up-

Once upon a time, there was a girl. Her beauty was breathtaking: she had long, bright red
hair, and her eyes were piercing blue. She was kind-hearted, adventurous and caring. One thing
about her was extraordinary though: instead of legs, she had a tail. And instead of living in the
ordinary world that we know today, she lived deep, deep in the Oceans. What made Nina different
from you and me is that she was a mermaid.
Nina and her friends lived alongside other mermaids in a city called Underworld, a place
beyond the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Surrounded by sea tangles and marine wildlife,
the Underworld was a lot more advanced than the world we know today. Tall, colourful buildings,
with towers and statues, along with towering lanes completed the orphic world. Everywhere one
would look, they would see giant sea-horses, that mermaids used for transportation, as well as other
abyssal creatures. Everyone lived a blissful, peaceful life, away from mankind. It was vital for
humans to remain unaware of the existence of the mystical creatures. Although on a few ocassions,
some inattentive nymphs were spotted by fishermen, no human actually believed the firshermen'
stories.
Nina's house was situated in the heart of the city, but she lived alone. Her parents left her
when she was a baby and never came back. This is the story that she was told by her aunt, Elena,
her only relative. Elena took care of her from the moment she was left on the porch of her house,
back when Nina was just a little baby. Affectionate and kind, she didn't think twice before adopting
her: she was living alone, anyways, and always wanted a child. Nina grew up to be a very
intelligent young girl, the first in her class at Triton School. Years passed by and her aunt got sick,
and eventually she passed away. Nina was heartbroken, and relied on the support of her two best
friends: Hera, a beautiful, gracious mermaid, and Damian, a merman with a brilliant mind. The two
of them managed to comfort Nina, and turned into a family. Following Elena's death, the friends
devoted most of their days taking care of the coral reef and other injured sea creatures.
The Underworld was ruled by King Perseus, a very strict man. Loyal to his people, he had a
established a fundamental rule for all the inhabitants: none of them were allowed to go near the
surface. Perseus believed that the humankind was evil, malicious and made it clear it was better for
his people to stay away from them. Many legends were circulating among nymphs: some thought
Perseus's parents were human and had done something bad to him, some thought his long lost wife
was stolen from him by humanity. But no one truly knew what to believe. They all respected their
King, and didn't want show disrespect by starting to ask questions. It was not like anyone would
ever see him that often, though. Perseus spent the majority of his days locked up in his castle, the
tallest building in Underworld, with statues of anemonas and never-ending towers, guarded by
colossal starfish.
However, Nina, Damian and Hera were very curious. They used to go near the palace
during the night and, looking through the giant windows, they could see maps and drawings of what
they believed represented the world of humans. Getting more and more interested in what was
forbidden, they showed up near the King's castle every other night and tried to ask the starfish
questions, but were always told that ''You, children, shouldn't be sticking your nose where it doesn't
belong!'' or ''Move your tail faster or I will tell the King!''. Desiring answers, the three of them
planned to go where they knew for sure they would find them: the surface. Nina, Hera and Damian
started planning, but it was far more difficult than they initially believed. No one could leave
Underworld without presenting a serious motive, or else the whales securing the city wouldn't allow
it to happen. The friends decided to sneak away while the whales were sleeping, so one night they
swam to the city gates. Upon arrival, they were stunned by the sight: the whales were not only
awake and lively, but they also had swords in their fins. Hiding behind a rock, Damian and Hera
wanted to go back instantly:
-Nina, it is too dangerous. We could get hurt and you know they give punishments to mermaids that
stand up to the whales..., said Hera, with a cracking voice.
-Agreed, nooded Damian. Nina, there is no point in...
-Enough, said the bright mermaid, her eyes flickering with excitement. We did not come all the way
over here for nothing. Besides, we knew it would be precarious. We should wait until they look
away, and swim as fast as we can. I am sure there is not long to go, my darlings.
Although the words were encouraging and both Damian and Hera decided to remain in
position, hours passed and the whales were giving no sign of tiredness. At one point, Nina decided
to take the matter in her own hands, and standing up, she plucked her necklace, which had whistle
as a charm, a gift from Elena, that was offered to Nina back when she was only a child and her aunt
would leave her home alone for hours, while she was working at the Mermaid's market. Whenever
Nina felt in danger, she could whistle, and any ocean soul would come right away and help her. It
was a magical whistle. And she was going to use it. Whistiling as hard as she could, she then threw
the object as far as she could, and the whales immediately followed it. Then, the three friends swam
their way through the exit.
-Wow, Nina, you are a genious, laughed Hera.
-Congrats, you saved us! exclaimed Damian.
But Nina, although happy they managed to get out of Underworld, was looking rather
heartbroken. The whistle was the only thing that Elena gave her, and she lost it forever. ''But at least
I will finally find out what lies there beneath the surface...'', she said to herself. The three of them
kept swimming and after what seemed the longest time, they finally saw the sunlight reflected in the
water. They were so mesmerized by it that, at first, none of them noticed a little shape, right up their
heads.
-Wait! What is this? asked Damian, reluctantly.
-Let's go and...., tried to say Nina, before everything would come down in seconds.
A huge cage dropped on the red haired mermaid, capturing her, before Hera and Damian
could do anything. Nina tried to escape the enclosure, but the bars were immovable and heavy. She
found herself up on a boat. There, a tall creature with brown hair, earthly-coloured eyes, was
looking at her, too. Instead of a tail, Nina saw a pair of legs. She screamed in despair:
-What is going on? Please, please, let me go!!
-Calm down, calm down or I will make you regret it, yelled the man.
Nina looked around. The barge was filled with instruments. She had never seen such
things before, but she could tell they would hurt her. Needles, knives, and injections were just some
of the utensils the man brought up with him.
-No one believed me, did they? laughed him, grinning from ear to ear. Now, wait until they see this,
this is amazing...they will not make fun of me now, no, no, no...
He took a knife in his hand and approached a terrified Nina. She had tears coming down
her face, finally realizing that King Perseus was right: she should have never left Underworld,
because humans are truly vile. The man opened the cage and pulled her by her hair, while cutting a
part of it. Nina started screaming in fear, when suddenly a huge wave almost sunk the boat.
-Nina, Nina, we are here! shouted Hera and Damian.
She couldn't believe her eyes: the two friends were riding on the back of the whales, while
Hera was holding the whistle that Elena threw so they would get out of Underworld. She realised
that her friends went back to the mystical kingdom and found the magical instrument that would
help her live. The man was scared to the bone: he had never seen whales swimming as close to the
shore, let alone mermaids riding them. Damian whistled again and one of the whales used her tail to
turn the boat upside down, while Hera quickly set Nina free, and the three friends started swimming
along the whales back to Underworld. Waiting for them was King Perseus who, although angry
they had not respected the rules, was thankful they were alive and well.
Upon returning home, the friends realised that the experience not only helped them learn
about the importance of friends, people you can count on, but also about never giving up: even if
the adventure itself was a disaster, that wouldn't stop Hera, Damian and Nina from exploring more
in the future!
Caliga Delia-Ilona, anul II, LMA germana