The Valentine's Contest 2018- Anthology

[ENG] Nova

By lalamorina 
I sprawled my body across the jagged boulder, impatiently waiting for the drifting boats. I gazed at my surroundings, searching for any sign of them. There was none. The sun was setting, painting a majestic scenery across the horizon. A body of vibrant oranges and reds reflected on the still sea. I slapped my tail against the calm ocean, frustrated the boats weren't here yet.

My fingers lingered on the surface, awaiting the creatures who controlled the boats. My father called them "humans". Humans fascinated me. They were nothing like us. We lived here, in the ocean-- they lived there, on land. They stood upright on legs which my father informed were manufactured for humans to be mobile.

Majority of their species weren't naturally skilled swimmers like us. The boats were their only way of probing the ocean. I felt sympathy for them. Not being able to explore the depths of the ocean, it's unfortunate for them.

The sea hissed, creating small waves that scraped against the boulder. Excitement enveloped my body, the boats were coming. The ocean fizzed and seethed, slapping larger waves into the stones. An enormous wave splashed against me, nearly knocking me off of my boulder. A slick seaweed clung stubbornly to the stone, it would take more effort to push us both down.

Movement of the ocean was always a sign of boats sailing back to the deck. The more aggressive the tide was, the closer the humans were. I was always careful to keep a safe distance between myself and them. Apparently, humans have no knowledge of our existence, and my father believes it should be kept that way.

I disagree. Humans should know about us. We should be able to communicate with them and befriend them.

Countless boats sailed across the sea. Small boats appeared like miniature versions of the massive ships that sailed beside them. The haunting horns roared in the once silent air, the sound pressing into my head.

I fixed my posture on the boulder, keeping my neck stretched long and my head high so I could get a better view. I memorized each boat and who they belonged to. The male with long greasy hair belonged to the boat with a dozen fishing rods hanging on the side. A separate set of males owned the large ship with black curly letters inscribed on it.

Although I was familiar with a couple of the boats and their owners, there was one I had never seen before. Boisterous melodies played from the boat, I think it was music. Their music was different from ours. It had various levels, the pace would alternate depending on the style of music. They even used a thing called instruments to create it.

Laughter erupted from their boat. I observed a couple of humans dancing along with each other. Their bodies swayed gracefully, their steps were precise and effortless. My gaze narrowed to a boy leaning against the railing of the boat. He stared at the ocean, he seemed unhappy. I wondered why he wasn't dancing with his friends.

I took in the features of him. His dark brown hair was shaved down to a buzz cut. He wore a sky blue dress shirt with a patch on the left side. I noticed his friends wore the same exact shirt. I enhanced my vision to zoom tighter into the patch so I could get a more clear sight of it.

Nova Academy for Exceptional Students.

When I adjusted my eyesight to its normal view, the boy's hazel eyes were fixed on me. A smile formed on his mouth and he lifted his hand to wave. Too shocked by this encounter, I dipped into the ocean.

A human had noticed me.

I swam down to the burrows of the ocean. The name on the patch flashed through my mind. I was curious to know what kind of school they attended. Nova Academy for Exceptional Students. It repeated in my thoughts. I needed to speak to Hamisi. I knew he could tell me what it was, he knew everything.