The King's Decree

The warm glow of the setting sun had long since faded, and the lighthouse was bathed in the soft, silvery light of the moon. Esmeralda's father sat on the couch, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the horizon. Marisa stood by the window, her gaze lost in thought as she stared out to sea. Esmeralda, sensing a change in the atmosphere, felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Marisa's eyes seemed to be gazing into the very soul of the ocean, and Esmeralda felt a pang of unease as she watched her mother's expression change from calm to concern. The air was thick with an almost palpable sense of foreboding, and Esmeralda's heart began to beat a little faster. "Marisa, what's wrong?" her father asked, his voice low and husky. Marisa turned to him, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "It's come," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The king's decree. I've been called back to the sea." Esmeralda's father slumped forward, his head in his hands. "I knew this day would come," he muttered. "But I never thought it would be so soon." Esmeralda felt a cold dread creeping up her spine as she realized what was happening. Her mother was leaving her, and she didn't know why or for how long. She felt a surge of panic and ran to her mother, clinging to her tightly. "Mom, don't go!" she begged, her voice shaking with fear. "Please don't leave me!" Marisa knelt down, wrapping her arms around Esmeralda. "My little one, I have to go," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "But I'll always be with you, in spirit and in heart. You'll always carry the sea with you, and I'll always be a part of you." As Marisa spoke, the sound of the waves outside seemed to grow louder, and Esmeralda felt the ocean's presence wrapping around her like a shroud. She knew that her mother was a siren, and that the sea was calling her back. Esmeralda's father stood up, his eyes red-rimmed. "I'll take care of her," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I promise." But as the days passed, Esmeralda's father fell into a deep despair. He stopped playing his guitar, stopped telling stories, and stopped leaving the lighthouse. Esmeralda was left alone, with only her thoughts and the sea to keep her company. One day, as she wandered the empty rooms of the lighthouse, Esmeralda heard a faint whispering in her ear. It was her mother's voice, carried on the wind. "Esmeralda, my little mermaid, be brave. The sea will always be with you, and I'll always be watching over you." But as the whisper faded away, Esmeralda felt a sense of loss and abandonment wash over her. She was alone, and she didn't know how to cope. As the days turned into weeks, Esmeralda's world began to crumble. The lighthouse, once a beacon of hope and love, seemed to be falling apart around her. And Esmeralda, once a happy and carefree child, was left to face the darkness alone. The sound of the waves outside seemed to grow louder, and Esmeralda felt the ocean's presence wrapping around her like a shroud. She knew that her life was about to change forever, and that she would never be the same again.