The Cafe

Casey was reading a book quietly at her favourite café when someone passed her a note. It was freshly written, the ink still wet. Casey looked up as the note-giver scurried away as fast as her tiny feet could take her. It was a little girl, no older than 4, wearing a full-on fairy princess costume, tiara and all. Casey smiled to herself as she looked at the note, reading it for the first time.

Are you a mermaid? The note asked. It’s ok to tell me, I can keep a secret. At least that was what Casey thought it said. Mermaid was spelled with a y. There was a drawing at the bottom of the note that Casey initially took for a shark, but it could be a mermaid... Casey tilted her head and frowned in concentration. Definitely a mermaid. She looked up and caught the little girl staring intently at her, awaiting an answer. Casey put on a very serious face, twirled a lock of blue hair around her finger, and nodded.

The little girl’s brown eyes widened to the point of hilarity as her mouth fell open. Casey brought a finger to her lips, silently urging the girl to keep the secret, as she’d promised. An enthusiastic nod answered her, almost dislodging her tiara.

Casey smiled to herself and went back to her book, the latest in her favourite author’s flagship series. The main character had just cut off the head off a monster after a long battle and was now flirting with her love interest. Casey mentally rubbed her hands together as she dove into the chapter. She hoped this would be the book that they stopped dancing around each other and finally got together.

Some time later, Casey looked up from the table as she drained the last of her fourth latte. The angle of the sunlight told her that it was time to go. The light looked so pretty, drifting in through the plate glass windows, bathing the café in the golden hue of late afternoon. Casey looked around the room, taking in the kitschy artwork and the mismatched furniture. She really loved it here. Casey took a deep breath of coffee and muffin scented air as she glanced at the patrons. She’d seen most of them on more than one occasion and wondered who else had noticed her aside from the little girl who had passed her the note.

Reluctantly, Casey got to her feet and headed to the door. She glanced back and her gaze fell upon the little girl. She waved her tiny hand, her curls bouncing with the motion. Casey waved back, hiding a smile.

Casey would have to tell her sisters about the note. They’d think it was funny, ironic even. She exited the café and turned toward the beach as the sun began to set. She felt a twinge of resentment as she watched the bright orb begin to be swallowed by the ocean. Crisp sea air tickled her bare skin as Casey stored her belongings, her book among them, in her hiding spot. She slipped into the water just as the last of the sun’s rays were engulfed by the waves.

She stuck her head underwater as her gills flared open. The bottom half of her body turned from legs to a tail as the ocean water surrounded it. She swam further out to sea, faster than any human could dream of. She would have to go and see the sea witch, as she did every day, and tell her of life above.

At least here, under the waves, she had her voice.