Writing Major Oninye-Che Burge ('27) has published her short story "Let's Play Mermaids" in Issue 29 of Northern Spy: A Journal of Literature and the Arts .
Here's an excerpt:
The Pool Master scrapes the side of the silver rocks that meet the yellow sand beach. Beer bottles and garbage bags collect at the base of the boulders, coalescing in colorful messy piles. Caroline thinks they look like sea glass, shining and reflecting the East Coast sun.
The hand-held net catches against the Thing. Poking it back then pulling it forward. The fishing net swallows it down and she lifts the Thing up. It’s a thick and pulpy sack about the size of a basketball and all sorts of sallow shades of green. The sun thrums oppressive and unrelenting as Caroline pulls the Pool Master toward her. Her arms tighten and threaten to buckle. Even worse, her sweaty palms threaten to lose the handle. She continues carefully. [ . . . ]
You can read the rest of Oninye's story here: https://northernspyjournal.com/iss-29/lets-play-mermaids
Way to go, Oninye!