The Mermaid Statue

Here is my entry for Flash! Friday #25. It asked for a 300 word story (give or take 10) based on the photo prompt. Mine came in at 308 words. :) Enjoy!

“Popi, are Mermaids real?” Adella asked, frowning at the statue.

“Of course, Little One, do you think the sculptor just made it up?”

“Well, why don’t we ever see them?”

“I’m not sure you’re ready for that story, Dearest. Five is still quite young…”

“I’ll be six next month, Popi. I’m not too little.”

“Your Momma wouldn’t approve.”

“Momma won’t mind. She says I’m a big girl all the time. Truly.”

“I don’t doubt it, Darling, but there’s a lot of history you don’t know yet, and it would take a long time to tell.”

“Like what? I know lots of things, Popi!”

“I know, Sweetheart, but you haven’t learned about the war yet…  War’s a hard topic for a five year old-”

“Almost six.”

“Almost six year old. And the treaty is a little hard to explain…”

“What’s a treaty?”

“Exactly. You don’t even know what one is, let alone the complicated reasoning behind-”

“Well, I’d know if you would tell me.”

“Alright. It’s an agreement between two people, or two groups of people.”

“That seems simple enough.”

“Yes, but when you add all the clauses and stipulations… Nevermind. You don’t need to know all that. Look at her.” He knelt and gestured toward the statue, “Which way does she face?”

“East, right?”

“Yes. And what happens in the east?”

“The sun rises?”

“Yes, and with the sun comes a new day, a new opportunity to make things right.”

“Did we make things wrong before?”

“There was wrong all over the place, but that’s not the point. Someday – someday soon – the Time of Separation will be over. She looks at the dawning of each new day, waiting for the fulfillment of the treaty. You could be a part of that new generation, living together.”

“I could meet a mermaid.” She stared in open-mouthed wonder at the possibility.