When Kelly Michaels first met Clara Mitchells, it was in the waiting room at the therapist Kelly's mother insisted she see. It was obvious neither girl wanted to be there and when Clara excused herself to use the bathroom, Kelly found herself doing the same thing a few minutes later.
There was something about the other girl that almost reminded Kelly about herself and rather than find the toilet cubicle occupied, Kelly found the blonde haired girl leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette.
Torn between what was right and wrong, Kelly said nothing as she stared at her wide eyed. There was something familiar about her. Maybe they had crossed paths before or maybe it was because they wore their eyeliner in the same dark cirlces around their sea green eyes?
"I'm Clara. I've seen you here before." She greeted casually, blowing a plume of smoke out from red painted lips. Kelly had always wanted to wear lipstick, but her mother never allowed it.
"Kelly. My mum thinks I need help." It was a strange thing to tell a stranger, but surely Clara would understand if she was in this place too.
"Don't we all?" Clara sighed wistfully. "What do you need help with?"
Kelly thought back to when her problems started. It had been just before her fiftteenth birthday and she had begged to go to the beach for weeks despite the fact it was the middle of winter. Upon arrival, she had revealed her biggest secret to them; she was a mermaid. Without any hesitation, she jumped off the jetty into the ink coloured depths of the ocean.
It didn't matter to Kelly that she couldn't swim or that her human lungs were not made to breathe under the water. Even there in the bathroom she could clearly remember the taste of the salt water, the feel of it in her stomach. Te doctors didn't believe she belonged to the sea. Neither did her parents who had always thought she simply had an over active imagination.
The doctors diagnosed her with depression and loaded her up on medication to remove the symptoms; a cure for an invisible disease. They thought it was all a suicide attempt, but Kelly didn't want to die. She just wanted to be a mermaid and go back to where she belonged.
Clara said nothing as Kelly admitted her problems, and finally spoke with carefully thought out words. "I believe you Kelly. You were meant to be a mermaid."
"I'm glad someone does. What are you here for?" Kelly thought it was only polite ask.
"I lie. A lot." She said seriously, inhaling deeply on the cigarette causing the end to burn a little a brighter.
"Oh." Now Kelly felt stupid and her cheeks began to burn.
"Not to you. To them. You should lie too. The pills they give you only stop you from being who you are meant to be. This is my final appointment because I am so good at lying, they don't even think I'm doing it anymore!" Clara boasted, putting her cigarette down the sink.
The sizzle of the hot ash hitting the water had Kelly looking over at it curiously and as Clara went to walk out, she stopped. "You want to know why I believe you were meant to be a mermaid?"
Kelly nodded, completely captivated by the other girl. "Because I am meant to be one too."
~ ~ ~ ~
YOU ARE READING
Big Book of Little Stories
Truyện NgắnThis is a collection of some of my short stories, most of which have been made for competitions, and some others which I did just for fun. I hope you enjoy them :)
