The seahorse chronicles and Stanley’s love search.
(Author’s note: This story began several years ago. The first chapter can be found here. As humanity explores deeper depths of the Ocean, the discovery of strange and unusual things becomes more common. However, some things create more questions than answers and the fabled Mermaid is no exception. Especially as far as one particular Seahorse is concerned.)
The knot on his head smarts. As does his pride. Stanley looks in the reflecting pool and frowns. She’s going to think he’s some oddly shaped sea unicorn, instead of his normal seahorse self. He floats over to the deep freezer and grabs a jellyfish squeeze. Time to plan his next move. After a long swig of the refreshing jellyfish beverage, he decides to begin with more research. Trying to follow the lovely Mermaid got him left in the sediment. It was very embarrassing. How would he ever get her to notice him, if he couldn’t even keep up?
Besides, what had he been thinking? Wasn’t it common knowledge that Mermaids are the fastest swimmers in the Ocean? No mere Seahorse can keep up with such lightning quick moves. A vision of her silky smooth hair flowing beautifully behind her as she effortlessly swam the shifting currents, fills his mind. Surely there was a way he could keep up with the lovely Mermaid. At least long enough to ask her name.
The Seahorse Chronicles
He remembers turning around and nearly fainting when he discovered her behind him. And then, the way her eyes searched his, just before he knocked himself out. Absently he rubs the knot on his head. How beautiful she had been in the few moments before his unscheduled nap. Now as he begins searching on the aquanet, he knows there must be something he can do to catch the lovely Mermaid’s interest. Then, on page two of the blog, ‘How to Catch a Mermaid’, an idea begins to swim into focus. He studies the details carefully, and takes another swig of his jellyfish squeeze.
After just three minutes of reading, Stanley has his answer and a plan. And the very next day, he sets his plan in motion. The currents are flowing swiftly when Stanley arrives at the reef. He sets his lunch pail on the sandy bottom of the Ocean and assembles his lounger chair just below the reef’s outer edge. He intends to be as close to her path as possible.
With this in mind, he opens his lunch pail, and pulls out a few crustaceans. His research confirmed that Mermaids might enjoy a crustacean or two for an appetizer. Next he pulls out his favorite sea novel. The aquanet research he did the previous evening was very thorough. Mermaids love to read. And according to his favorite search engine Wave, they love to read fairy tales too. When they’re not being extremely elusive, he thinks to himself. Then he smiles, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Love Search
Stanley stations himself right alongside the busy seaway. Occasionally, a heavy rush of current sweeps by and ruffles the pages of his book. He barely notices. In fact, he becomes so engrossed in his book, he forgets that he is a seahorse sitting right beside the busy currents. The afternoon wears on and Stanley maintains his quiet vigil. Soon he realizes that he completely lost track of time. Furthermore, the currents are empty, and the surface above is growing dim.
Feeling rather foolish, Stanley closes his book. Apparently he needs to do some more research. He sat here all afternoon and the lovely Mermaid never swam by. Of course, there was no way to know if she would ever return. And he hadn’t been able to get her name before he knocked himself out. Then Stanley has an uncomfortable thought. What if he had only imagined her?
It is no secret that Mermaids are enchanted, as well as the fastest swimmers in the sea. He is just a seahorse and not enchanted at all. In fact, he still has a knot right in the center of his head. He bookmarks the page in his book and folds the cover to close the book. That is when a rather beautiful, and quite delicate hand, stops him from closing the book.
Seahorse Chronicles
Stanley freezes. And he dares not look around. In fact, he isn’t sure he could move if he wanted to. His mind is racing and his heart is thudding, and even though he knows; he is so beside himself he isn’t sure what he knows. Then a flowing lock of the most beautiful, and softly radiant hair, falls across the page and that is when Stanley’s heart begins to race uncontrollably.
Slowly he turns to see who is floating behind him. Although he knows that he already knows, he is unprepared for the beauty and radiance of the lovely and stunning Mermaid. Therefore, upon seeing that it is indeed her, he flips. He literally flips a cartwheel and would have knocked himself out yet again, if not for the quick action of the Mermaid. One moment Stanley is flipping through the current, and the next he is gazing into the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. And not only do mermaids blush, but so do seahorses.
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