Mother of the Sea

by Alyson Tait

One winter day, a strange woman named Temse arrived at a seaside village, begging for shelter and work. The elders obliged, offering leather clothes to replace her seal-skin dress and a list of children to care for.

Long red hair swished around her smiling face, and children told distracted relatives that she smelled of cold-caught fish and deep blue saltwater.

On the anniversary of her arrival, Temse wrangled the neglected youth onto the snowy tundra. The air filled with laughter as they threw handfuls of soft, bundled snowflakes. She smiled. The sounds reminded her of home, and her heart wrenched with longing. The time had come to finish her task.

Once tired of the snowball fight, she beckoned the kids closer and offered a choice. "It's time for me to go. Come with me for never-ending adventures and love. Or… say goodbye, returning to your parent's huts."

The obedient ones sulked home while the wildest followed her past the village. When they reached the frozen shore, she dug up her hidden treasures, donned her selkie skin, and handed enchanted furs to the children—a token to help them transition.

They slid under the ice, and their legs transformed into fins.

She felt the ocean fill. It would be less lonely with the youthful pack arriving to swim, hunt, and bark together.

She took one last look at the footprints of the village's few loyal children. They would survive, in their own way, until she returned to try again.

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About the Author

Alyson Tait lives in Maryland where she got married, had her daughter, and began her writing journey. She has appeared in (mac)ro(mic), Wrongdoing magazine, and From the Farther Trees. You can find her on Amazon, and Twitter @rudexvirus1.

© “Mother of the Sea” by Alyson Tait. All rights reserved.