Breathing Water

CHAPTER 17

I practice swimming around the reef near the cliff's beach. I see different kinds of fish that seem happy to see me. After a while the area starts to get a little darker. I look up and the sun is setting. I quickly swim towards the beach with less effort than swimming before. As I reach the shallow water I realize I don't how to get out or get my legs back. When I get to the shallowest part of the water I place my elbows and fore arms on the mostly dry sand and use all the strength in my upper body to pull myself out of the water and onto the sand. Just then the tide comes back and helps push me farther onto the sand. As the tide goes out again I make the same movement as before and pull myself onto the sand. Now all that is left in the water are the fabric like fins. I flip myself over and use my elbows to stay propped up. Another tidal wave splashes up on the shore and only my fins are washed over. They flap as the tidal wave returns to the ocean. I push with my elbows again and watch as, like my feet would, the fins push on the sand. I push a few more times and end up on a slightly grassed area of the beach. Its about where I ended up when I drowned. I laugh out loud at the fact that a few days ago I was in the ocean for the first time and drowned, and here I am now pulling myself onto dry land after having been in the ocean for the second time and breathing under water. I still have a smile on my face as I stare at the tail trying to figure out how to become human again. I think about how some fictional mermaids have magical powers to make their tails disappear. As I'm thinking about how some use evaporation I see steam in front of my face. I look at it curiously and it fades. I look down and my legs have returned, with my clothes. The seaweed and string have disappeared from my arms. I reach up and touch my hair and the headband was gone.
I hear a faint, "Oyster," up by Cliff House as I tried to find my land balance again. I look up to the cliff, but don't see anyone there. I hear the faint sound of my name being called again and star walking up the beach to the cliff. My name continues to be called growing louder and more familiar as I get closer. It sounds like Shelly. I jog the rest of the way up to the meadow of the cliff. I see Shelly's magnificent car sitting next to my plain car. I turn towards the house and Shelly is standing near it searching for me, I guess.
The sun just reaches the horizon as I call "Shelly," and walk over to her. She turns her head quickly and her long strawberry blonde hair follows smoothly. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." A genuine smile appears on her face and I start to smile too. "I saw your car sitting there and figured I might come talk to you, but then I couldn't find you."
"I was done on the beach doing some thinking and clearing my head." I tried to act calm like thats all that happened.
"Oh did something bad happen?" She sounded truly concerned.
"No, not at all. I like to just think sometimes."
"So what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing important."
"Okay, then are you hungry? Want to grab something to eat?"
"Sure, I know a place we can enjoy." I then start walking to my car, Shelly following me.