That morning was the start of the rest of my life. September 24, 1787 I was on my way to school. It was a crisp Monday morning with the smell of the salty waves fresh as they crackled on the rocks below the path. I could always hear the seals barking like dogs who wanted to be fed. They woke me up in the morning and put me to sleep at night. Ever sense I was little I was told to stay away from the sea; that it would be bad for me. But I never did listen. I have always loved the sea. I used to dip my toes in and feel the water swirling around them. But this morning was different. As always the seals showed up and watched me. But this morning they stared at me with a different sort of emotion. I could feel there silent pleas, begging me to come in. I don't really remember what happened next but I found myself running into the icy cold waters of the Irish coastline. I ran until I was out of ground to run on. It was only then that I realized I didn't know how to swim. My limbs refused my commands and did their best to keep my afloat. I could feel the weight of my dress as it threatened to drag me down and forced me to work extra hard to keep my head above water. The seals had gone by this time but I could feel them waiting for me just under the water's dark surface. I realized I was staying up just fine now; the water temperature no longer bothered me either. I looked down and gasped. Were my legs had once been now was the glistening body of a seal. I was a selchie, creatures from Irish mythology, a girl in the skin of a seal. I have never been so free. I felt the world around me like I never had before. I could see everything and finally realized the sea was full of life. Everything spoke to me, the rocks, the waves, even the kelp. The seals showed me the way. We swam deeper and deeper, the deeper I got the more I understood. I learned more in those few minutes the anything I ever learned in school; how the tides were affected by the phases of the moon, how kelp grew so fast and how the current and the waves were formed. It's timeless that deep. The sea remained the same because of the fact that there was no current and storm season was a ways off. I swam a ways out from the bottom and hung there in the water column. It was nice forgetting about my little human troubles...then I saw my sister's scarf. Somehow I knew it was hers. She stowed away on a ship bound for England and the ship was lost at sea. All my memories and troubles came flooding back all at once. I felt the weight of my dress returning and my lungs begin to scream for air. I swam as fast as I could to the surface and emerged gasping. I found my limbs had learned how to swim and they quickly brought me back to shore where I curled up trying to keep the stinging wind off my wet face. There I sat curled up in a ball crying until about midnight. My clothes were dry and the light of the near full moon provided more than enough light to see by. I looked out to sea and saw the seals staring back and looked up at the house and saw a light still on; my parent were waiting up for me. The seals eyes pleaded to me but I knew I had to return home. "I...I'll be back n...next summer." I whispered. The words tasted strange in my mouth because I was mute. That is how the seals changed my life. I will never forget that day.
