The Bathtub Mermaid

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM-2512-23-DDOA-Gift-Train-.mp3 Description: 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 prompts are Gift and Train.  Excerpt: It was finished. Actually finished. She and Trisha had built it with their own four hands, two questionable YouTube tutorials, and one bottle of wine.   Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Gift Transcript: Train Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Music Used: 1) The Magic of Christmas 2) On the Snow Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: [email protected] Or, leave a comment on this page.  

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM-2512-22-DDOA-Ritual-Threads-Magic.mp3 Description: 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 prompts are Ritual, Thread, and Magic.  Excerpt: Across the Coalition of Aligned Worlds, she could imagine this same carol rising in a hundred places at once: sung in English, Centauran Creole, SolCommon, Vulhari, SynthCant. Sung in domed colonies, hydroponic farm chapels, mining outpost rec halls, starship sanctuaries. Sung by people who had never stepped on Earth, yet carried its stories like inherited starlight. . Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Ritual Transcript: Thread Transcript: Magic Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Music Used: 1) A Moment, A Miracle 2) Ding Dong – Jazzily 3) Silent Night Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: [email protected] Or, leave a comment on this page.  

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM-2512-17-DDOA-Candle.mp3 Description: 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  Candle. Excerpt: No one there was particularly observant. A few weren’t Jewish at all. But Hanukkah had a way of widening the doorway. Light was light, after all, and the station nights were long. Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Candle Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Music Used : “MAOZ TZUR” by “Noel Malekar” Video Link: https://youtu.be/53ptIa-5BrQ Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkKx-mTqoqjZPno7MbFKhA Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkKx-mTqoqjZPno7MbFKhA Follow on : Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cinematicnoel Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/cinematicnoel Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: [email protected] Or, leave a comment on this page.  

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM2512-16-DDOA-Icicle.mp3   Description: 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  Icicle.  Excerpt: She snorted. “‘Cause of death: holiday décor.’” “‘Victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but was at least festively themed.’” Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Icicle Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Music: Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/tis-the-season License code: ZMILKRWZDTPZ2LWY Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: [email protected] Or, leave a comment on this page.  

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM-2512-15-DDOA-Flare.mp3 Description: 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 Flare Excerpt: “Daniel,” Jenna said, voice dangerously calm, “we live in Florida.” He looked at the wreath again. “…Right. So it might’ve been sand.” Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Flare  Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: [email protected] Or, leave a comment on this page.