Ava and the Song of the Sea

Ava had always loved the ocean—the crashing waves, the salty breeze, and the way the water whispered secrets only it seemed to know. Every day, she would run down to the beach near her house, collecting shells and imagining what lay beyond the horizon. But one evening, something strange happened. As she walked along the shore, her toes sinking into the cool sand, she heard something unusual. It wasn’t the waves or the wind. It was a song. A soft, haunting melody drifted across the water. Ava froze. The song was beautiful, but it was also sad. It curled through the air like a whisper, calling her closer to the sea. The ocean shimmered under the moonlight, and just beyond the waves, something glowed. A figure sat on a rock. Ava gasped. It was a girl—but not just any girl. Her hair flowed like silver water, her eyes glowed like the deep sea, and her voice carried the song through the night. A mermaid. The girl turned and met Ava’s gaze. "You can hear my song?" she asked, her voice as soft as the tide.

Ava nodded slowly. "Who are you?" The mermaid sighed. "I am Calla, a Keeper of the Sea. But I have lost my song." "But I can hear it," Ava said. Calla shook her head. "That is only a piece of it. My true song was stolen by the Tide King. Without it, I cannot return home." Ava’s stomach flipped. "Stolen? Why?" "He wants silence so he can rule the sea alone," Calla said, staring toward the horizon. Ava clenched her fists. That wasn’t right. "How do we get it back?" Calla studied her. "You would help me?" Ava nodded. Calla smiled. "Then come with me." She reached for Ava’s hand. The moment their fingers touched, a soft glow wrapped around them. Ava’s breath caught as the world shifted. The sand beneath her disappeared, the sound of the waves changed, and when she looked down, she was no longer standing. She was floating. Her legs tingled. Before she could panic, they changed. Her feet disappeared, replaced by shimmering scales that glowed in the moonlight. She had a mermaid’s tail.

Ava gasped. "I… I can breathe!" Calla laughed. "Of course. The ocean welcomes those who wish to help it." With a flick of her tail, she dove beneath the waves, and Ava followed. The water was alive. Schools of glowing fish swam around them. Coral towers stretched toward the surface like castles. Giant sea turtles drifted by, their shells covered in tiny, twinkling lights. But as they swam deeper, the beauty faded. The water darkened, the coral lost its color, and the fish vanished. Ava shivered. "What happened?" Calla’s voice was tight. "The closer we get to the Tide King’s lair, the quieter the sea becomes."

Ava’s heart pounded as they approached a massive sunken ship resting on the ocean floor. Its sails were torn, chains wrapped around its hull, and at its center sat a throne of coral and bone. On that throne sat the Tide King. His skin was as dark as the deep, his eyes like swirling abysses, and shadows curled around him like living eels. Ava swallowed hard. Calla squared her shoulders. "We have come for my song." The Tide King smiled coldly. "Your song belongs to me now, little siren." Calla glared at him. "The sea does not belong to you. The ocean must sing." The Tide King leaned forward. "And what will you do, child? Fight me?"

Ava’s heart pounded. She wasn’t strong like Calla, wasn’t fast like the fish, wasn’t powerful like the tides. But she had something else. She had a voice. Taking a deep breath, she sang. It was not a mermaid’s song. It was her song—the sound of laughter in the waves, of running along the shore, of the wind playing in her hair. It was the sound of the ocean in her heart. The water stirred. The coral glowed. A soft hum filled the sea as fish returned, their tiny lights flickering. The waves answered her, rolling and crashing against the Tide King’s throne. Calla’s eyes widened. "Ava… keep singing!" Ava poured everything into her song. The sea awoke. The Tide King’s shadows shrank. The chains around the ship cracked. The stolen song rose from the depths, swirling into the water like golden light.

Calla caught it in her hands. Her eyes glowed as she pressed it to her chest. The moment she did, her voice returned. The mermaid sang. And the ocean sang with her. A great wave rose from the depths, sweeping through the Tide King’s throne. His scream was swallowed by the sea as the darkness vanished. The ocean was free. Ava gasped as the water around her shimmered. The glow wrapped around her like a warm tide. Before she could react, the world shifted again. She blinked. She was standing on the beach. Her legs were back. The ocean was calm. And beside her, sitting on a rock, was Calla. The mermaid smiled. "The sea will always remember you, Ava." Ava’s chest swelled. "Will I ever see you again?" Calla’s eyes twinkled. "Whenever you hear the ocean sing, you will know I am near." Ava listened. The waves rolled gently against the shore, carrying a soft, familiar melody. She smiled. She would never stop listening.