Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Writing Challenge - Summer Skin

Here is my challenge story for this week from Indie Ink. I got the prompt, summer skin, from Liz Culver. I challenged Find A Skinner Me. Please let me know what you think!

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Marina was admiring herself in her full length mirror as she did most morning. She had long blonde hair and alabaster skin. Her features were more than pretty, which led to her having a dozen suitors who longed to marry her.

The thought of her suitors brought a frown to her rosy red lips. Her mother continually was running off her suitors, just saying that she was too young to think about married. She stomped her petite foot as the anger welled up inside of her. "I'm 17 years old," she said out loud, "Nearly 18 in fact. I'll be an old maid if I let this continue."

There was a gentle knock on Marina's door to which she automatically said, "Come in." The door opened and her mother entered causing Marina to frown again. "Mother," she said as she moved away from her mirror, "We need to have a talk."

"Indeed we do, daughter," her mother said, a hint of regret in her blue eyes as she looked at her only child, "You may have wondered why I had discouraged your many suitors in the past." Marina's eyes widened and then she nodded. "There was a good reason," her mother continued, "You have been promised to another since the day you were born. I just had to wait until you were about to grow your summer skin before I told you."

"Summer skin?" Marina asked, her face creasing as she looked puzzled, "And who is my betrothed?"

"We are going to journey to his kingdom as soon as you turn 18," her mother said, motioning for her child to follow her into the room that held Marina's bathtub. "As for summer skin," she said as she began to disrobe, "It is part of your heritage."

Marina watched in amazement and horror as her mother, who was now completely naked, run a bath. She climbed into the water and her skin began to change to have a blue-green cast to it. Her legs melded together to form a tail which flopped in and out of the large bathtub.

"You have lived as a human all of these years," her mother told the shocked young lady, "But it is time to embrace your true nature."

Marina fainted away, collapsing in a very unladylike way as her world crumbled in front of her.

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5 comments:

  1. this was wonderful. What an interesting look at the myth of mermaids.

    Fun story!

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  2. Wow, this was a great take on the prompt. I loved the mermaid twist. Thank you!

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  3. Ha! This prompt was fascinating and you did a great job with it. You certainly enhanced the myth of the merpeople. :)

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  4. Very interesting - I'd love to hear the rest of the story! I love mermaids - this was awesome :)

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