Cranberry Clairvoyant (Azealia Banks Story)

Loneliness and Fairytales

Why did Ezekiel remember?

Darrius claimed to have the power to erase the memory of the one that he healed. So if he erased his friend’s memory—which I can guarantee that he did, for Ezekiel was oblivious to his own death for days—what caused him to suddenly recall the event? It was his fault that I was here now on the island of nowhere, deprived of food and other luxuries the ship granted me.

They probably thought that I was busy searching for Darrius as they sailed away, so it would take a while for them to become seriously worried about my whereabouts. By then they’d be far, far away, and I would be here.

Stuck. Alone.

I got up from my seat against a palm tree and swallowed. If I was going to make my temporary stay at this place worthwhile, I’d have to explore. My feet sifted through the thick, warm sand and toward the clump of foreign trees. The trees were dense with leaves that stuck close to each other on top like a cult, but the branches were evenly spaced out and allowing room for me to walk. I trod through the forest, hearing all kinds of insects and birds from afar. Just keep going, I told myself, and I did just that until finally light showed again and I was out of the timberland.

Here, to my surprise, were just more trees! They were rather far apart though, which is why I assumed it to be clear land. The trees were thick and very tall, their only connection being green, leafless vines hanging from branch to branch. When I left this jungle-like scene, there was a field at last. It almost looked like I was on land, in a park. The field of grass seemed to go on forever like a horizon, but I could see water over the edges. This had to end at some point.

I walked into the field cautiously and slowly; I wouldn’t spend much time here anyway, because there was no vegetation here. I took another step only to feel something slimy and scaly beneath my feet. I jumped back to see a frightened chameleon. The poor devil changed from its camouflaged green to pink, and scurried off. I screamed out to no one, in anger and sorrow, and wiped the bottom of my foot of nothing.

Now I was back to the jungle. Fruits littered the trees and only now did I see that the vines also kept chameleons, camouflaging into the scenery. I sighed; at least the fruits were below the chameleons and accessible. The only one I recognized was an orange, which I peeled and devoured in only a minute.

Now I was back at the front of the island.

 “Come back! Please!” I yelled into the sea as if the ship could here. Nothing and no one came to my rescue. I stomped into the water, raged, and began to swim. The water pushed my feet forward; my toes brushed against the seaweed of the ocean floor until I was deep into the water. The sun was extremely bright today, causing me to look down at the water instead of forward or up into the sky. I could see nothing but fish beneath the surface, and a little bit of sand. Hopefully, there were no sharks in this part of the world.

Where was I?

Oh yes, the Taiwanese Islands. That was on our list of destinations. I was on one of these little ignored islands. Maybe there were more people further into the island?

If anybody else was going to be here, I’d like it to be Darrius.

As I watched the waters and the unexciting events that occurred below, something flickered in front of me. It came and left rapidly; I followed it, going even underwater to get a better view. This looked like a large fish from afar, but as I neared it, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A mermaid!

Now I swam at top-speed and didn’t stop until I was right next to the beauty—and that’s what she was, a beauty. She was the first real mermaid I ever saw: her tail was scaled pink and blue, changing to either color in different angles of light. Her hair was long and a sandy-blonde color that complemented her green eyes well.

We rose from the water simultaneously, and she even smiled at me.

“Is…is that real?” I asked, pointing to her tail. She dove head-first into the water and left her tail sticking out for a few seconds, showing how it perfectly morphed with the rest of her torso and wiggled when she wanted it to. She then came back up and looked at me.

“Look real enough to you?” I asked.

“Yeah!” I squealed with delight. “I love mermaids so much. Meeting you is spectacular, really. I wish I had my camera.”

I felt a sudden pang of sadness as I remembered my little Polaroid camera that I used to capture a false mermaid. Now when I needed it, I didn’t have it. No one would believe me without a picture.

We swam back to the island and she told me what it was like to be a mermaid.

“I’m a fish, that’s what I consider myself to be. Since birth I had human legs that were bound together like that of a mermaid’s. The scales began to appear as I grew. And now look at me,” She grinned. Her name was apparently Emily.

“Where were you born?”

“In a cave on the shore miles away from here. It was on one of the Taiwanese Islands, but I don’t know which one.”  Emily replied. “Where were you born?”

“I’m from Alaska, born and raised. It’s beautiful out there, really. When I say Alaska people think snow and cold, but it isn’t all that cold all the time. The scenery is breathtaking. My parents own a private school in the woods, and I and the rest of the students were on a cruise ship for summer vacation. But then I left the ship accidentally, and they sailed off without me.” I explained, not so painstakingly.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I hope they come back for you soon,” Emily told me.

“I hope so too.”

“You’d make a beautiful mermaid, you know?” She said. I blushed and thanked her, and then we spoke until the moon came out. She said eventually that she had to go back under the water to sleep, but she’d be very near and I could come and find her if anything happened. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” She informed me.

And I slept right there on the edge of the shore with a content smile on my face.

Emily was the only highlight of my fortuitous Taiwan vacation so far.