by Jordan E. McNeil and Kat Weaver
The beautiful princess wakes by the sea. Her long tresses trail behind her, winding into the sand and the sea foam. As the sun rises, she begins to take her pearl comb through her hair—slowly through the knots, the tangles, releasing the debris into the sea. Creatures of water and sand dart about all day as she works, sustaining themselves from the stray flora and fauna she discards. When the sun begins to set, the princess finally reaches the ends of her hair, her aquatic subjects full and happy. She smiles at her place in this small ecosystem, lays her head to rest on the loamy sand, and sleep until morning, when the ritual will begin again.
© Copyright Jordan E. Neil and Kat Weaver
Jordan E. McNeil [she/her] writes fairytales, rages at videogames, and takes selfies with goats. Her work can be found (or is forthcoming) at Arsenika, Liminality, and Sad Girl Review, among others. She can be found on Twitter, @Je_McNeil, and at Patreon.com/JordanEMcNeil.
Kat Weaver’s illustrations can be found in Lackington’s, the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows anthology, the American Historical Association’s magazine, and elsewhere. Her portfolio website is http://kathrynmweaver.com, where you can also find her written publications. Her novella, co-written with her wife Emily, is forthcoming from Neon Hemlock in 2022. They live in the Twin Cities with their two birds.
Read the Rest of the September Issue
- wildgirls by Cislyn Smith
- Seaside Princess by Jordan E. McNeil and Kat Weaver
- The Mermaid Speaks by Jose Luis Pablo
- Send Feet Pics by Nelly Geraldine García-Rosas
- A Stone’s Throw from You by Jenn Reese
- Mermaids of Alabama: An Environmental Assessment by Ellie Campbell
- What Do Merfolk Notice on Land? by Priya Chand
- Puffin Queen by Jordan E. McNeil and Kat Weaver
- Witnessing by Tiffany Morris
- Beyond the Blue by Yuan Changming
- Selkie’s Bones by Marisca Pichette
- Mermaid Galleon by Alex Nodopaka
- A Mermaid Reports from Okeanos by Pat Tompkins
- Water Bites Back by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu
- Freshwater Life by Anne E.G. Nydam
- Mer Crowley Angel by Arrick Corble
- the hunter by Jasmine Arch
- I Swim Up From Below by Sarah Gailey
- The Siren’s Song by Angela Gabrielle Fabunan
mermaidsmonthly.com 