Mermaids in Miami
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 2: The Net
The shadow passes overhead only for a moment before drifting on, but a faint rhythmic tremor lingers in the water. Naida feels it first. A shiver ripples along her spine. ‘Do you feel that?’
Nerissa lifts her head from the sand. ‘Perhaps it’s just another boat.’
But the vibration grows stronger. Louder. Closer.
Naida’s curiosity sparks. She swims upward a few body lengths, peering into the bright haze above. ‘Let’s just look.’
‘Naida …,’ Nerissa begins, but it’s too late.
Something drops through the surface. A huge net. It unfurls like a monstrous jellyfish, ropes spreading wide, weights dragging it downward in a deadly curtain. The twins freeze for a heartbeat; just long enough for the net to swallow them whole.
‘Swim!’ Nerissa cries, but the net is all around them, tangling their arms, their hair, and their tails.
Naida twists violently, trying to slip through a gap, but the mesh tightens. Nerissa grabs her hand, anchoring them together as the net sinks deeper, scraping across the sand and scooping up everything in its path. The net isn’t particular in what it takes; a score of fish, seaweed, shells, and two terrified mermaids.
The trawler above continues onward. The net drags behind it, sweeping the ocean floor. The twins are jolted forward, tumbling among flailing fish and swirling debris.
‘We can get out,’ Naida insists, forcing calm into her voice. ‘We just need to find the edge.’
Nerissa nods, though fear pulses through her thoughts. Together they push toward one side of the net, pulling at the ropes, trying to widen a gap. Their tails thrash, their fingers strain, their hearts pound.
For a moment, it works. A small opening forms, just big enough for a shoulder, maybe a head. Naida shoves her arm through. Nerissa follows, twisting her body, forcing herself sideways. The ropes dig into their skin, but the gap widens another inch.
‘Almost there,’ Naida whispers.
But the trawler changes direction. The net jerks violently, snapping the opening shut and slamming the twins back into the tangle of ropes. A cloud of startled fish bursts around them. Nerissa cries out as a knot tightens around her tail.
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