A Mermaid Talks To an Alien in a Sea Cave
by PJ Stephenson
‘I thought you said you were Martians?’
‘An app translation error. We’re marsh people. From our planet’s wetlands.’
‘So why come to Earth?’
‘Plenty of water and food. Ideal temperatures. It seemed perfect until we met intelligent life.’
‘Dolphins?’
‘Yes, they explained their suffering. The nets, pollution, fish extinctions, climate
change.’
‘You talked to humans too?’
‘Not successfully. Their language is basic; doesn’t cover the higher frequencies. A male
attacked us so we submerged.’
‘Ever since our ancestors first encountered humans at sea, there have been terrible
stories of abuse. We avoid them now; especially the men.’
‘We’ll do the same.’
‘But you’ll stay?’
‘We have no choice. Our planet is overheating worse than yours; drying up. But we
think we can make a home here.’
‘Fantastic. We need an ally.’
‘And, of course, Earth has one redeeming feature: the oceans are full of our favourite
food.’
‘Seaweed?’
‘No. Plastics!’
PJ is a conservation biologist and environmental consultant who writes short stories when he can. His work has appeared in publications such as 101 Words, Flash Fiction Magazine, Flash Frontier, FlashBack Fiction, Friday Flash Fiction, Spillwords, Splonk, The Fiction Pool, WestWord, Writing Magazine and several anthologies. Follow him @Tweeting_Writer.
This story was shortlisted in the November 24 Monthly Micro Competition.