In order to interrogate the girl, River first had to learn her language. They hoarded every book in the library on sign language and started to study.
After a month of intense studying, they decided to give it a try as they saw Maya searching for a book near the table they had claimed theirs.
They quickly fetched the mermaid drawing that seemed to have upset Maya back then and walked with it to the girl.
They tapped on her shoulder. As she turned around, River started to sign.
"Do... you... want.... to.... eat.... me.... with.... the.... drawing?"
Maya looked at them with big question marks in her eyes.
"I guess you mean talk to you about it instead of eating you with it?" she signed.
Silence. River had no idea what she just said.
Realizing this, Maya continued: "Okay, stop, let's take it back for a while. I'm M(aya). What's your name?"
River understood this last phrase: lesson 1, the introduction.
"I'm R...i...v....e...r," they meticulously spelled out their name.
"How did you learn sign language?"
River pointed at the table filled with books.
"Why did you learn it?"
"So I could eat you."
"You mean speak with, I hope?"
"No, eat."
Maya took River's hand and guided them to the table. She grabbed one of the books and searched for the right page. When she found it, she showed River.
On the page was an illustration of the sign River kept using. Next to it was the word eat.
River's eyes widened as they signed: "Not eat, not eat."
They searched the book for the word speak and pointed to it.
"Just as I thought." Maya smiled. "You do know that you can just verbally say what you want. I understand it. You don't have to sign."
"I want to learn how to sign it so I actively learn the words you use to communicate," River said out loud. It was still too difficult to sign.
As they looked up, they saw Maya smiling brightly with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I'll teach you," she said.
YOU ARE READING
Out of the Blue & Into the Deep
Short StorySince their encounter with a mermaid, River has been obsessed with finding her again. Will they succeed in tracking her down? And what will the mermaid think of it?
