STORY WRITTEN AND READ BY HANNAH FLINT

Once upon a time, in the soft silvery glow of moonlight, a gentle mermaid named Milly glided through the calm, warm waters of a quiet ocean cove. Milly had scales that shimmered like pearls, eyes as deep as the sea itself, and a heart filled with curiosity and kindness. Every night, as the stars began to peek out, she would slip out of her underwater world and swim to the edge of the shore, where the waves barely brushed the sand.

Milly’s cove was a hidden place, sheltered by towering cliffs covered in soft green moss, and only a few knew of her nightly visits to the shore. In the quiet of the night, the only sounds were the gentle whisper of the waves and the soft sighs of the breeze. The cove was surrounded by trees with leaves that rustled like secrets shared among friends, and Milly loved this hidden sanctuary with all her heart.

She had a favorite spot, a large, smooth rock at the very edge of the water where she would sit, gazing up at the stars and listening to the hum of the ocean. The rock was warm from the day’s sun, and it made her feel cozy as she curled up there, her long tail draped over the edge, catching tiny droplets of sea foam.

One night, as she lay on her rock, Milly noticed something sparkling in the sand below her. She leaned over, reaching with her slender fingers, and discovered a small, delicate seashell. It was white with the faintest blush of pink, perfectly smooth, and glistening in the moonlight. She tucked the shell into her hand and smiled, feeling a sense of peace wash over her, as though the shell held a secret just for her.

For many nights after, Milly kept the seashell close by as she visited her rock, often holding it up to her ear to listen to the soft, distant echo of the waves. She began to feel that the shell was like a friend, keeping her company as she gazed out at the quiet sea and dreamed of adventures beyond the cove.

Milly was a gentle soul who loved everything about the ocean—the coral forests, the schools of fish that darted by in flashes of silver and blue, the hidden caves filled with treasures left behind by passing ships. But she was also a dreamer, and sometimes, as she sat on her rock, she felt a longing to explore the world beyond her cozy cove, to see what lay beyond the horizon.

One night, as Milly sat on her rock, she closed her eyes and imagined what it might be like to visit new shores, to see strange stars in the sky, and to hear the voices of people from distant lands. She drifted into a gentle daydream, feeling the warm breeze on her face and the steady rhythm of the waves against her rock. Before she knew it, she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

As she dreamed, Milly found herself swimming through an underwater forest, filled with towering kelp and soft shafts of moonlight that danced through the water like ribbons. She swam deeper, feeling the soft sand beneath her tail and the gentle brush of fish against her scales. She felt safe and free, surrounded by the beauty of the ocean, with the distant sounds of whales singing a lullaby just for her.

In her dream, she came upon a large, ancient turtle who looked at her with wise, kind eyes. “Milly,” the turtle said in a soft voice, “the ocean is vast and full of mysteries, but sometimes, the greatest treasures are found close to home.”

Milly awoke on her rock with a start, blinking in the moonlight. The dream had felt so real, and she could still feel the calm presence of the turtle’s wise words in her heart. She looked around, seeing her little cove with fresh eyes, and felt a wave of gratitude for the familiar comforts that surrounded her.

From that night on, Milly still dreamed of adventures, but she also felt a new appreciation for her beautiful, hidden cove. She spent her nights exploring every nook and cranny of her little world, discovering new colors in the coral, learning the songs of the fish that passed by, and feeling at home in the quiet embrace of the sea.

Each evening, as the sun set and the stars began to twinkle, Milly would return to her rock, the same seashell in her hand, and settle in for her nightly vigil beneath the sky. She found joy in the simple, quiet moments, listening to the lull of the waves and feeling the warmth of the rock beneath her.

The moon became her faithful companion, shining down on her with a gentle light, casting a silver path across the water. Sometimes, Milly would imagine that the moon was a friend from far away, watching over her as she rested, and this thought made her feel safe and loved.

As the seasons passed, Milly’s cove changed too. The leaves on the trees turned golden and then bare, before returning as fresh green buds. The waves grew gentler in the summer and wilder in the winter, but through it all, Milly remained, a quiet guardian of her little corner of the world.

One evening, as she watched the stars blink into the sky, Milly felt a sense of peace so deep that it filled her heart with a quiet joy. She realized that, while adventures might call to her from time to time, her true happiness lay in the simple beauty of her life at the shore, where each night felt like a gift wrapped in moonlight.

And so, with a soft smile on her face and her seashell cradled in her hand, Milly closed her eyes, letting the sound of the waves wash over her like a lullaby, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, knowing that her quiet little world was exactly where she belonged.