#tidal changes

Laura asked her mother, once, about how the grotto had come to be. “How did no one know it was here?”

“Perhaps it did not exist before our treaty with the Sirens. The Isles would have had no need for it, else.” Her mother had smiled at her skepticism. “Remember, Laura: we are only stewards of these lands, and the magic runs deep in its veins.”

Now Laura turns, the lantern and Natasha’s change secure, and smiles to see her friend basking in the cool salt water. Natasha’s hair spreads in a loose halo around her sharpened features, gleaming as much as the tail she is stretching out to its full length in the darkness.

“Relaxed?”

Natasha answers by way of dipping a shoulder and rolling over with a splash. Her fins snap and flick a spray of water that catches Laura in a cool mist. She’s laughing when the Siren resurfaces and pulls herself up to the ledge.

Laura answers the silent invitation and makes her own way to the water’s edge. She ignores the discarded fabrics to lower herself to the ground, tilting her head to rest their foreheads together. For a moment they simply breathe.

It’s here, in the quiet of the grotto and the peace of knowing Natasha has safely returned, that Laura finally feels whole again.

“I missed you.”

Photographer Documents Dramatic Tidal Changes Around Britain

Whether ogling the pretty ladies, going for a swim or soaking in the sun, it can be easy to forget how awe-inspiring and massive the sea is. British photographer Michael Marten’s ‘Sea Change’ series gives us yet another glimpse at the power of the sea and how insignificant it can sometimes make us seem.

The pictures perfectly illustrate the sometimes dramatic changes that can occur in a given…