Hope Terra - se 1 - ch 7: Fenced in

All of Hope's children are now teenagers. Hope can finally relax a little, as Aquid, Davitor, Animere and Shimmerita takes on more responsibilities. But there are still important information waiting to be told, and Hope realizes that she must soon tell her children everything they need to know...

One day the five of them are observing the Portal of Mersea South, in the hope of seeing a glimpse of anyone from the old Mersea group, Hope notices two black mermen out there!

They belong to the Mudder group, that she already told the four children about, briefly.

Hope understands that the Mudder group might be up to something. They probably hold negative powers, and want to conquer even more of the sea. Will Hope's family be safe when swimming near their little island, Hope Terra? Will the Mudder group learn to climb onto Hope Terra?

Hope decides that they should build more fences! They will need to make sure that the Mudder group members stay out!

Aquid and Davitor do most of the hard work. Animere prefers building skills, and she loves the chess game. Davitor spends hours on painting, and Aquid works in the garden, producing food. Hope thinks that food production might become essential if the Mudder group prevents them to dive down to catch fish. Both the boys do fish from land though, which should be safe, anyhow.

One year later the stone fence is built, and also the house expanded.

They now have a bathroom indoor, and the old shed is used for potting plants instead.

Hope urges to tell the children more about the mer people's story. She already took Aquid and Davitor to the Portal of Mersea North once, seeing for themselves how the toxics had polluted the Kelps and other plants down there. But back then they had to leave suddenly, because they got the uncomfortable feeling that someone was down there. She never had the chance to show them the story.

So, again Hope takes her family to the Mersea North. Animere is the only one not joining them, because she is the one who can't grow a fishtail when she swims. It would be to dangerous for her to join them.

Hope's old group, the Mersea group, used to reside these grounds. That was before the Mudder group forced them to move. The circle of huge stones defined their court hall, the place they used to hold important meetings to make the bigger decisions. The hole in the ground, and the magical stone is still there, it used to help the group make the right conclusions. Hope was always told that the stone lost it's value when the group left it behind, but if so, how can it still be floating above the hole? Is it a different stone?

Then she points out the real portal of these waters. The Portal of Mersea North! Any old member of the group that felt his or her time was up, would follow those stairs and find the portal to swim away - to die peacefully.

Aquid, Davitor and Shimmerita are all curious to know what exists behind those stairs, but Hope can't tell them. Only the elderly mermaids and mermen would know.

Suddenly they all freeze. Davitor whispers that someone is watching them, and Hope looks around. She sees nobody, but can instinctively feel that Davitor is right. Again they are observed by someone, and she thinks it must be the Mudder group! They do reign these waters, it's probably not safe to stay.

Silently they all return to the surface, and swim back home as fast as they can!

They decide not to return to the Mersea North ever again. Instead they try to live on focusing on their everyday tasks. The teenagers keep contact with the teens of the mer people, probably the Mersea group. But they can't communicate, and Hope has totally lost her ability to talk the mer people language. Occasionally she witnesses a familiar mermaid swimming by, but there is no point in shouting. If she waves, there is a small chance the mermaid out there will stop, and wave back. They are fully aware that Hope resides on Hope Terra with her four half-mer kids.

Hope has a feeling that the Mersea group, that she once belonged to, is getting smaller, counting fewer individuals. Will they be many enough to secure her four children with spouses? In a few years Aquid will grow up and require a wife. Will anyone dare to climb onto land, just like Hope did herself - long ago?


Next update April 10th (closing season 1)


Shimmerita had a birthday, she is now a teenager, so below is her new fact card. On the Hope Terra main page you will find all the household members' current cards :)