Short Stories

fantasy 01

Sometimes we're too blind to see
that there's beauty in fantasy
the childish hope and imagination
that brings unity to different nations
what's unreal can serve as a story
that there is hope and love even in the darkest
sea

"Mom, how can I be anything but lame? Everyone picks on me even if you and coach say I'm one of a kind." I whine.

Mom looks at me from the kitchen. She's making my favorite seaweed balls with some pink lemonade.

She prepares them and sets the snacks on the table.

"People are picking on you because they are insecure and jealous of how amazing you are. You're the best swimmer in the county, one of the smartest too, and you can sing real well. Many people don't have those skills and so some are trying to put you down to they'll feel better about themselves. Don't let them." Mom says, biting into a seaweed ball. "I love these."

I smile and bite into mine too. "Thanks mom."

"How would you like to go the beach today?" She asks, smiling at me.

I nod excitedly and we hurry to pack a few things before getting into the car.

We love having a little getaway knowing that the world tends to judge us.

Adults look down on mom, saying she married a crazy guy or that she's the one who's crazy and so he ran off. Mom doesn't like to talk about it.

As for me, everyone looks down on me for being the best swimmer, inhuman-like as they say. I also seem to understand things at a faster rate on subjects most kids my age don't think twice on.

We reach the beach and mom parks the car at our usual out of the way parking spot. Mom and I spend our time at the far end of the beach with a cave halfway underwater. People don't come here due to the deep water and the darkness that looms over the water once the sun sets. But mom and I love it here.

I sit on a rock inside the cave, the upper half of my body above water. Mom swims outside the cave, as graceful as a mermaid.

I smile and take a deep breath. If only we could just live here, away from prying eyes and judgemental thoughts.

The walls start to glisten as the sun starts to set. The green and gold colors of the gems stuck on the cave walls reflect into the water.

"Beautiful." I breathe out.

Mom swims in and sits beside me. We watch the sun set and the gems glow as the last light of the day touches them.

"How did father give these to you?" I ask quietly.

Mom never explained but just said that my dad gave these gems to her as a wedding gift. How they've grown on the cave walls, I have no idea. I haven't seen him since I was three.

"He has a-" She pauses and thinks of the right word. "way with things like that."

I nod and get that she doesn't want to explain further. I know that what people say about their marriage affects her more than she admits.

"They're beautiful."

She smiles and nods. "Just like you."