Mariana: Treasures or Trash

Mariana dragged the mirror gently across the sand as a barrelfish swam in circles around her. Occasionally small streams of tiny bubbles escaped its mouth. But Mariana tried to ignore it, as it slowed when it was in her eye line and sped up when behind her. Frustrated with trying to haul the mirror back, even with the water helping to make it less heavy it was big and hard to carry in a way that didn’t feel too awkward, it didn’t help that Barry kept swimming in front of her face, and that he wouldn’t stop yapping in her face.

“Blub blurb?” Barry asked.

“Yes.” Mariana said, “I do in fact need it.”

“Blup blup blub?” Barry asked.

“Of course not.” Mariana said.

“Bloub?” Barry asked yet another obvious question.

Mariana sighed. “Oh course I know its broken but it still works a missing piece doesn’t make it not work. Its a mirror not a…” she paused, she didn’t know the name for the thing she was thinking of. “The dohicky.”

“Glub Blub Glub?” Barry asked.

“You know the thing. The cranky thingy-a-ma-hozit.” Mariana said. “Drat, what’s it called?”

“Glooub.” Barry answered.

“No, the other thing.” Mariana said, annoyed. “The thing with the handled that the spiny crushy thing.”

“Blooup.” Barry replied.

“No…” Mariana took a breath before she got mad. “It doesn’t matter. My point stands. I can look at myself in it, it works. Not like that sword.”

“Bup?” Barry stopped swimming for a second and Mariana almost smacked face first into him.

“I’m pretty sure it was cursed. Like one of those ‘I will make you the king’ and it makes his ghost possess you or something. No thank you.”

“Glulb Blulb?” Barry interrupted.

“I’ll make space for it, and if you have such a problem with it you carry it back to the ship wreck.” Mariana said.

“Blub…” Barry replied.

“It was sarcasm Barry.” Mariana said, as she reached the entrance to her secret hideaway.

Barry did what could best be described as the fish version of a ‘huff’ and swam off.

“Bye to you too Barry!” Mariana shouted to the retreating fish.

Mariana dropped the sack of trinkets by the entrance first then dragged the mirror inside. And was greeted by a few ‘click click clacks’

“Hello to you, Shellby.” Mariana said, standing the mirror up right in a corner of the cave.

Mariana turned to see a hermit crab in a bright but faded purple shell. He clacked his claws and jittered from left to right and back again in small steps sometimes more to one side than the other.

“Everyone is a critic today.” Mariana said puffing out her cheeks. “Barry said the same thing.” Mariana inhaled and put on a preposterously posh accent. “Dear girl, what are you doing with a broken mirror, have you lost all reason?” “Pfft.” she said going back to her own voice. “Its not that broken.

*click click clack, shuffle shuffle* Shellby said.

“It's hand carved.” Mariana said. “And made of real tree.”

*click click?* Shellby said.

“What kind of tree?” Mariana repeated Shellby’s question

*shuffle click shuffle* Shellby said.

“I know that’s what you asked.” Mariana said, “I just don’t know why you think I’d know that. Do YOU know what kind of tree it is?”

*shuffle clack clack click shuffle* Shellby said.

“Oh! Okay then don’t be rude.” Mariana said. “Asking me what kind of tree it is, is like asking a dry-lander to name all the kelps.” Mariana muttered.

*clack shuffle* Shellby said.

“Fuddy-duddys don’t get presents.” Mariana said, as she pulled open the water rotted table cloth.

*Shuffle clack* Shellby said.

“Yes you are.” Mariana replied.

*Click click click click click.* Shellby said frantically.
“Yes.” Mariana said, teasing. “No present.”

*shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle clack* Shellby said.

“Of course I’m serious. When have I ever lied to you, except that one time, and the time before that. Like 5 maybe 30 times tops.” Mariana answered.

*click click* Shellby said.

‘Fine fine. You convinced me.” Mariana said, pulling out a new shell for her crabby pal. Though it looked more like a decoration covered in tiny shiny things. When she sat it down Shellby examined it, lifting it a moment before putting it down. And looked at Mariana.

*click clack clack click* Shellby snapped rapidly.

“Fine.” Mariana rolled her eyes and turned around facing her back to him. “Just click when you’re done.”

After a few moments there as a click and Mariana turned around to see Shellby in his sparkly new shell. “The other crabs are going to be so jealous. Especially Frimeur, him and his silly big claw little claw. Pick one jeez.”

*click shuffle clack shuffle* Shellby said.

“I know right!” Mariana laughed.

After a moment of laughter Mariana poked her head out of the cave. “Drat…” she turned to Shellby. “Stay here.” She said before swimming towards the surface. Poking her head above water for a moment to see a setting sun. “Double Drat.”

Mariana pulled her head back under water and started to swim back towards the cave but froze. Seeing some black shape on the sea floor. Vaguely shaped like her but in something black. She’d seen a knight before and he kind of looked like one, a bit skinny though. She was about to do the noble thing and try to save him from drowning. Though he’d likely be too heavy and it would be fruitless it was the thought that counted. But she watched him take a few effortless steps before kneeling, digging in the sand and moving on a few more steps.

Mariana swam off. She wasn’t going to deal with something like that alone. “Father! Father!”

A man with the same red hair as Mariana, but built like an ox with the beard of a northern warrior stopped picking sea-grapes and turned to Mariana “What is it dear?” Lir asked.

“I saw a dry-lander at the bottom of the sea.” Mariana said.

Lir looked puzzled, “You’ve seen dry-landers who have fallen over board the ships before what is so special this time.

“He was walking.” Mariana said.

Mariana’s mother Isla, a thinner woman with skin closer to an eel but the same red hair, piled high on a messy bun, turned from her work as well. “I’ve seen dry-landers sink and take a few steps thinking they can somehow save themselves. It’s not special.”

Mariana sighed “But I saw him. He was walking without a care.”

Lir grumbled. “Sweetie, if a dry-lander is walking around on the sea floor, he’s one of those ‘lizards’ and no good.”

“Wizards.” Isla corrected.

“Whatever they call themselves they are trouble.” Lir said, “Best leave him alone till he leaves, or learn why he’d best be on dry land.”

“Don’t wish a dry-lander drown.” Isla chided. “But your father is right. If he’s willing to come down here looking for something best let him find it or get frustrated and leave.”

Mariana puffed her cheeks a bit. “Fine…” but what she thought was “I’ll just go look when he he leaves.”

Mariana waited for a while and returned to the spot she’d seen the strange dry-lander. She’d have never really known if he took anything but the only thing she knew of where he’d been looking that she’d not found already was the disk things. She’d not expected to find anything but she did, she didn’t know what to make of it but found a strange bit of metal, shaped a bit like a bowl but gigantic, she could stand in the middle of it. Despite it shape it would never hold water, too many holes, but that wasn’t the interesting part, all the metal disks were melted together and a the edge of the bowl it looked like the stuff around the black part of a ‘candle’, not that she knew what they did, just knew the name from a box she’d found. But this was proof she’d really seen someone down here. She’d have to figure out how to move this and show her mother and father.