Melissa Bartell : The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub

<p><a href="https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2727" src="https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02-1024x576.jpg" alt="DDOA-02" width="698" height="393" srcset="https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DDOA-02.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 698px) 100vw, 698px" /></a></p> <!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');</script><![endif]--> <audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-2726-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM2512-02-DDOA-Hearth.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM2512-02-DDOA-Hearth.mp3">https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM2512-02-DDOA-Hearth.mp3</a></audio> <h3>Description:</h3> <p>Welcome to the Dog Days of Advent. I made a list of prompts, and wrote a bite-sized story for each one. They don’t live in the same universe, but they’re all a little off-kilter from what you might expect from holiday fare. And if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the last line of each story becomes the first line of the next. Today’s prompt is <em>hearth.</em></p> <h3>Excerpt:</h3> <blockquote><p>Outside, the church bells strike midnight — exactly on time.</p> <p>Inside the café, the world softens around the edges. The espresso machine has gone quiet, its metal belly releasing one last sigh of steam. She wipes down the counter in slow, practiced circles. When she finishes, she pours herself a small mug from what remains in the pot — lukewarm, but still comforting — and brings it with her as she turns.</p></blockquote> <h3 data-start="698" data-end="809"><strong>Episode Cast:</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://www.missmeliss.com/">Melissa A. Bartell</a></p> <h3>Links and References</h3> <ul> <li>Transcript: <a href="https://www.missmeliss.com/2025/12/fictionadvent-02-hearth/">Hearth</a></li> <li><a href="https://dogdaysofpodcasting.com/">Dog Days of Advent</a></li> </ul> <h3>Credits:</h3> <ul> <li><em>The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub</em> is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity.</li> <li>Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of <a href="http://remoran.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moran Media</a></li> <li>Sound Effects and Music are from <a href="https://freesound.org/">Freesound</a> and <a href="https://uppbeat.io/">UppBeat</a></li> </ul> <h3>Contact:</h3> <ul> <li>BlueSky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/melysse.bsky.social">@melysse.bsky.social</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/missmelysse">MissMelysse</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melysse/">@Melysse</a></li> <li>Mastodon: <a href="https://tenforward.social/@Melysse">@Melysse</a></li> <li>Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></li> <li>Or, leave a comment on this page.</li> </ul> <p> </p>