Meeting Dylan: A Merman's Tale

When something is not planned beforehand it will never happen.

I gazed out at the sea, watching the waves crash against the rocks on the shore, spraying sea water into the air. The moon cast its brilliant light upon the black inky waters. Every time I looked at the sea I was reminded of him. His name was Dylan, and he was my best friend and my true love. I had met him on a night similar to this one. I had been walking down the beach, along the line where the water meets the sand before it runs back into the sea. I loved the feeling of the wet sand between the toes on my bare feet. I continued to walk across the shore, until I came to a small pale pink shell partially buried in the sand.I picked up the shell, dusted off the small grains of sand, and examined it closely. I stared at it in wonder. It was perfectly shaped, and it amazed me that it had not been destroyed by the waves when it had come in with the tide. “Do you like it?” a voice from behind me asked.Startled, I turned around to see who it was. A male figure sitting upon a rock near by. All I could see was the top of his bare chest. “Yes, where did you find it?” I asked in curiosity.“At the bottom of the sea of course. Where else would I find one that perfect?”“But how were you able to retrieve it from down there?” I asked with confusion sounding in my voice. “It is easy when you have one of these,” He stated calmly, flipping his tail over from behind the rock. At that moment I lost all of my sanity. Sure I had heard legends of mermaids when I was younger, but I never would have dreamed that they would be true. “I’m Dylan, by the way.” With that he jumped from the rock into the water, and swam to the edge of my feet.I knelt down on my knees, and shook his hand. “My name is Marie, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I figured if I was going to lose my mind, why not have some fun with it. “So you’re a mermaid?”“Uh, merman. I’m not a girl.”I laughed. And from that night on I would visit Dylan every night.Each night was an unforgettable adventure. Sometimes he would bring me treasures from the sea floor, everything from more shells, to starfish and sea sponges. But my favorite was a small gold locket that he brought me from a shipwreck. And I still wear it to this day. Some nights we would merely sit on the shore and talk. Other times, we would journey down the shore. And occasionally he would take me into the water and we would swim through the sea. I slowly found myself falling in love with him. And to my great joy, he felt the same way. Even promising to find a way for us to be together. We remain happily in love and visiting with each other every night until one fateful day. His father, a king, needed him to leave to another sea, and fight some battle with a rival kingdom. The last night I saw him he held my hand and asked me to remember him, knowing he would probably die in battle. I promised him, saying I could never possibly love another man. He slid a light pink coral ring on my ring finger, kissed my lips, and uttered the words, “I love you Marie.” And with that he was gone. That happened fifty years ago. My hair has grown gray. My skin has lost its youthful luster and my once emerald eyes are now an aged green. But that ring still remains on my finger, and I still stand at the balcony every night waiting, hoping, for my beloved Dylan to return into my arms again. I used to believe he could come any time, but I’m slowly realizing that he will never come at all. It seems the old proverb is true; Any time means no time.