The Tail Of Tris Prior

Chapter 3

I am so ready to scream right now. I'm leaving the ocean. I can't believe I'm going to see legs. Well, I've seen legs before when I'd pop my head, no, eyes up to the surface every once and a while to watch the children play in the sand during the summer.

"Beatrice let's go!" Caleb calls. He sounds as excited as I feel. I rush to where my parents are.

"Ready?" my mother asks and I nod eagerly. She smiles and starts swimming. My father beside her.

"Now listen it will be new, walking I mean. But it will only take you a few minutes to get used to it. 15 minutes at the most. What our tails cover up is a part you should never show anyone. Make sure you are all covered up ok. The weather can change at any time so don't be so surprised when one second it's nice and sunny and the next it's cloudy and windy." My mother says and we nod.

"Mom where will we be keeping our things?" I ask as we near land.

"We have an old friend, David. He lives not 30 feet away from the water. Yes before you ask he was a merman. But he met a human lady and fell in love. But she died a few years back. But don't worry he is not one of those grouchy mean old guys. He is kind and gentle." She talks about him like she knew him very well. Closer than me and Tobias kind of relationship. Nobody comes closer than me and Tobias.

"Ok ready for your first walking lesson." We nod. "Caleb go with your father. I'll stay with Beatrice." Dad leads Caleb a few feet away. She takes a hold of my hand and gives it a squeeze. "Ready?" I nod with a smile. She leads me on to the sand and with her hands moves up. I follow.

The wind blows in my face and I breathe it in enjoying the soft silk like feeling on my cheeks. "Watch me." she says and runs her hands about an inch from her tail. The water floats up and she dumps it back into the water. I do the same. The water floats in mid-air and I too dump it back into the water.

Before me is a beautiful sight. Two legs. Two very lightly tanned legs with two pairs of feet and ten toes. I move them up and down. I wiggle my toes. This is so new. So awesome. I love it! I try and stand up. My legs wobble and shake from being a tail for now 16 years. I now claim this as my best birthday ever! I topple forward my legs still shaky. My mom catches me just in time before I fall on my face. She holds out a large rectangle piece of cloth.

"Towel." She says wrapping it around my body and tucking it in front. "Keeps you covered and warm." My legs still wobble but not as much. She holds my arms so I stand and wraps a towel around her body as well. "Why don't you try walking." I make a step forward a shake a tiny bit. I take another step and then another until I'm full on walking. I smile and laugh out in joy.

"Beatrice!" I hear Caleb call from behind a rock that blocks us. He appears from the other side of the rock. His own grey towel wrapped around his waist hiding what he isn't supposed to show. His hair is still damp like mine and he is wearing a smile. Like me.

Our parents lead us to a small but large house. Mom was right not even 30 feet away. "David is out for now but he will be here when you guys get back from school tomorrow." She says as we stand at the front door. She reaches under a rug and grabs ahold of a key. She unlocks the door.

The house looks decent and clean. Leather couches, wooden chairs with a black cushion. A large TV and a black coffee table with the remote a magazine and a few books. A large window with thin white curtains. I can hear the ocean from here.

She leads us upstairs to a bedroom. A single bed a wooden drawer, a lamp, and a smaller TV are in the room. Must be the guest room. Mom goes over to the tiny closet and takes out two backpacks looks filled with school materials and two boring outfits. Grey sweats and jackets, black socks, and sneakers. She hands them to use and Caleb and my parents leave so I can put them on.