Mermaids in Miami
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 1: Sisters of the Coral Kingdom
Sunlight dances through the turquoise water in shimmering ribbons, scattering across the ocean floor like spilled treasure. A perfect playground for mermaids. Naida glides through it with effortless joy, her silver‑blue tail flicking in playful bursts as she spirals upward. Nerissa follows at a calmer pace, her slightly darker tail sweeping in long, graceful strokes.
‘You‘re going too fast again’, Nerissa‘s gentle voice murmurs in Naida‘s mind with a hint of amusement.
Naida flips upside down, hair drifting like a cloud around her face. ‘You‘re going too slow again’.
Nerissa rolls her eyes, which only makes Naida grin wider. They‘ve had this exact exchange at least a thousand times, but it never loses its rhythm. They are twins, after all.
Below them, a forest of coral stretches in every direction, bursting with colour. Parrot fish nibble at the edges. A pair of curious sea turtles drift lazily past. The water is warm, calm, and familiar. These waters have been their home since the moment they opened their eyes nineteen years ago.
Naida darts toward a cluster of rocks. ‘Race you to the shipwreck’.
Nerissa sighs, but she‘s already angling her body forward. ‘You always say that like you’re giving me a choice’.
‘I am. You can choose to lose gracefully.’
‘Or I can choose to win’, Nerissa replies, and suddenly she surges ahead with surprising speed.
Naida twists in delight and rockets after her.
The sisters streak through the coral forest, weaving between sponges and sea fans. Schools of fish scatter in glittering clouds as they pass. Nerissa keeps her lead just long enough to feel smug, before Naida slips into a narrow gap between two boulders and shoots out the other side, cutting the distance in half.
‘You‘re cheating’, Nerissa mutters.
‘No, it‘s strategy’, Naida corrects.
The shadow of the old shipwreck appears ahead, its broken hull resting on the sand like a sleeping giant. The ship sank decades ago, long before the twins emerged from their mother‘s womb. Now it has become their favourite playground. Barnacles cling to its sides. Seaweed drapes over its beams like curtains. Small fish dart in and out of the broken portholes in its side.
Naida reaches the bow first and slaps her hand against the rusted metal. ‘Victory!’ she shouts through their mental link.
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