Sea Spell

Chapter Seven

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Sea Spell.
Where had she heard that before?
Sea Spell.
It seemed so familiar.

Lanakila writhed down the shore in an army crawl, the gritty sand digging into her forearms. It was black and textured, unlike any other beach on the island. The trees were stockier, with wider leaves, and the water gave the eye an illusion of depth.
Lying in the shallows of the ocean, relieved as gentle waves lapped over her back, she thought about where on the island. Murky, shifting waters were not untypical for Northern Guadeloupe, but she'd never seen black sand.
She turned her neck at a ninety degree angle, squinting as far down the winding land as possible. There were no signs of people as far as the eye could see.
Lana lowered herself further into the ocean, the awkwardness of her new tail making it a difficult, enduring process. It splashed unnaturally, resisting commands from the brain to sit still.
This is gonna take some getting used to, Lana thought.
As she sat in the now waist-deep water, it occurred to her that she didn't have the slightest idea how to swim.
She dug her nails into her palms so that they imprinted half circles. Swishing her tail in a serpent-like motion, she dipped her head underwater, inhaling sharply. Water gushed up her nostrils, giving her a throbbing headache. Determined to learn how to breathe underwater, Lanakila repeated the idea several times until she felt dizzy.
Next, she tried inhaling through her mouth, exhaling through her nose. Then, inhaling through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. Nothing seemed to work.
Fazed as she spat out a mouthful of saltwater, Lana wondered what classification she would fall into. She definitely wasn't human anymore- or, at least completely human. Did that make her a mermaid?
Snapping quickly back into reality, she was embarrassed by her immature thoughts. There were more vital things to do. There always would be.
She tilted her head to the side and ran her hands briskly over it, raising her eyebrows at the newfound ridges in her skin. When flexing her forehead, they would flare out, and when she released, they shrunk inward. Gills, oblong and textured.
Popping under the surface one last time, she wrinkled her forehead and breathed in, bubbles flourishing out one side of her head. She released the muscles and exhaled, and fine stream of water shooting out the other side. She did this again and again, until finally, she could take minuscule, uneven breaths underwater.

Since she had washed ashore, Lanakila felt herself smiling, her new, exhilarating skill pushing aside worries. I can breath underwater!
Skidding along the floor, she dove in, being careful to breath the way she had discovered. Her tail pumped up and down, up and down, unsure at first, then steadier as she wove her way around the coral reef.

Neon schools of fish lit up the reefs, circling it in an intricate pattern. Strips of sunlight hit the ocean floor, and sea plants danced in the currents. It was an entire forest, growing here undiscovered.

Lana stretched her arms in front of her, paddling as she experimented swimming with a tail. Occasionally, she would take an incorrect breath, and submerge, afraid that she would drown. She had always been a strong swimmer, spear-fishing since she was merely six years old. Breathing underwater, and learning to maneuver her tail, however, was something entirely foreign.
Humming gently to herself, she felt almost content at last, here in the sea, gliding slowly against the bottom. Bits of rock and seashells scraped up against her stomach,
Lanakila preferred the ocean over land, where the only sounds were of her rhythmic breathing and heartbeat. Life was so much more peaceful down here, it's quiet, lulling patterns making it easy to forget about the troubles of the world that hovered just above the surface. In the sea, it was as if she was a normal teenaged girl, not plagued by anxiety and decisions.
So lost in her newfound tranquility was she that the sudden drop-off took her by great surprise. Gone were the shallow, inviting waters of the coral reefs. The ocean now presented itself in full form, water darkening as it extended endlessly below. It was silent and motionless except for tiny particles that floated about, isolated in an eerie way that sent shivers up her spine. At any moment, something could be watching her vulnerable self, hungrily waiting for its next meal.
She would have retreated back to the shores, would have decided to be on the safe side it weren't for the odd, flickering lights coming from below.
Curiosity caught onto her and dragged her further down, the air pressure nipping at her lungs until they felt combusted. Lanakila wrapped her hair into a deformed knot and ground her teeth together. Now that she'd progressed this far, there was no point in turning back.

Looming in the near distance was a ginormous cave, standing at an apprehensive hight. Monstrous, stacked boulders stood, with haunted-looking vines creeping from every edge and crack. From within, she could see the dimming lights as they blinked faster than before.
She sucked her stomach in, a sinking feeling of fear setting in. The entire place gave off a foreboding message, it's pointed corals at the opening like jaws prepared to enclose whoever ventured inside. She should turn back, right now.
Glancing down at her arm, the writings still engraved upon it, Lanakila cleared her throat. Bravery would be what got her home, not her intuitiveness. There was only one way to find out what lay ahead, to get the answers she so desperately needed.
Taking a deep breath, she swam inside.
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Hey guys, can't believe we're already here at chapter seven! Thank you all for the positive feedback and new readers. I love it!
Vote, comment, read read read if you'd like.
xoxo
payton.