Seaside
She sat on the rock, enjoying the warming sunlight as waves broke on the shore. A slight breeze made the day chilly but she had still gone to the beach. She stared out towards the horizon, her otherwise happy face showing a twinge of an old pain coming back to her mind. A memory she would rather keep repressed floated to the foreground. It was like a discarded plastic bag rising to the surface no matter how often the waves pull it back down.
Back in elementary school she was often bullied for being such an odd hybrid, the child of both a giraffe and a shark. The worst was not being held underwater, though it certainly was a horrible experience coughing up pool water. It was the feigned innocent explanation afterward that left words in her head that stuck with her to this day. "We're sorry; we just thought a shark could stay underwater longer."
Her long tail with its fins swayed behind her, the end splashing occasionally against the ocean water. She had no gills, but the tail was a visible reminder of her ocean-dwelling ancestry. Her emotions were torn between finding the land safe and nurturing, and the ocean inviting and freeing. She suddenly felt cold, and looking up realized the sun had rolled behind some clouds. As raindrops started to patter against her smooth skin, she sighed and slid down off the warm rock and made her way back to her car.
Safe inside, she went limp against the seat as tears started dripping from her dark black eyes. Another failed attempt to enjoy the water she loved so much. At least this time it was caused by the weather and not her own emotions.
Webster Leone, 22 February 2012
