Fish Out of Water

Chapter 3

Still reeling from the shock of my discovery, I stayed in my room for a while after that. It has a window, but it doesn't look out over the ocean. Instead, it looks over the rest of the village. There are more houses like this one, and a group of young children seems to be playing tag out in the street. A woman with dark hair like Kailani's is standing in front of the house closest to ours, waving at someone. A young man, maybe in his 20s, holding a fishing rod and a bucket of fish, walks into view and proudly presents the fish to the woman, who I now notice is quite a bit older. She smiles at him and together they go into the house. It makes sense that this is a fishing village, being so close to the ocean. I watch people come and go for a while before deciding to follow a delicious, salty scent downstairs. I see Kai standing at the stove, cooking something in a skillet. She turns to me as I reach the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, hey. I see you took a shower?" She says, glancing at my still damp hair tied up in a bun on top of my head, "I'm just frying some fish that I picked up while I was out earlier."

I walk over to see a plate of crispy, fried fish beside the stove. "By the way, where were you? You.. looked tired," I say uncertainly. Kai looks uncomfortable, and I quickly add, "you don't have to tell me. I was just curious."

"Ah, it's okay," she replied, "I was meeting with a friend to discuss some important work matters." I still got the feeling she was hiding something from me, but I didn't press her any further.

She places the last piece of fish in the pan. "There's some rice in the fridge. You can get it out," Kai tells me over the loud sizzling. I grab the rice and set it out on the table, then sat down to wait. I felt sort of out of place. A fish out of water. I don't know how to cook, so I can't help her, and I feel like a burden, eating her food and not contributing at all. Soon, Kai comes over with the fish and some plates and cutlery, and we dig in. That's when I remember something.

"Uh.. I remembered my name," I begin.

"Really?" Kai looks up, intrigued, "that's great! What is it?"

"Amphitrite."

"Huh? Like the goddess of the sea, Amphitrite? That's cool. I've never met anyone with a name like that before."

"O-oh, is it weird? M-maybe I should just go by a different name, for now. After all, I don't have proof that's really my name. It just.. came to me."

"It's up to you," Kai says, "but I think it's fine." I nod, and the conversation is over. We finish the rest of the meal in silence, the only sound our cutlery clinking against the plates. Amphitrite is a very "out there" name compared to Kailani, but I don't really have any other names to compare it to. How would I even come up with another name to go by anyway? I'll have to meet new people, and use their names to help me come up with one of my own. But in order to introduce myself to someone, I'd have to tell them my name. Maybe I can ask Kai to help me come up with something.

Suddenly, I'm hit by a wave of exhaustion and nausea, and push out my chair abruptly.

"Are you okay?" Kailani asks, watching me with concern.

"Sorry," I reply sleepily, "I guess I'm just tired. I'm going to sleep."

"Oh, okay.." She glances over at the clock, "it's only 7:30, so I'll be down here for a while longer."

Short hand to the 7, long hand to the 6. "Are you sure you don't want me to help with anything?" I ask.

"No, it's fine. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

I walk back upstairs and into my room. I haven't even been here a day, and I've already started considering the room my own - although what else am I supposed to call it? I guess for the time being, it is mine. I sink into the ocean blue sheets, and almost immediately succumb to the darkness and content of sleep.

Ka-shunk.

A spear lands in the sand right behind me, barely missing me. I swim faster in a panic as another spear cuts through the water beside me. I look back, trying to see my attacker, but all I see is darkness. Except.. blood? Am I bleeding?

Ka-shunk.

I twist around to avoid the spear, although this time it came dangerously close to impaling me. I look forward again. I can't afford to slow down and risk being caught. I'll certainly be killed. Through my frantic thoughts, I know that something is clearly wrong here. Not that I'm being attacked. Something else isn't how it should be. But I can't quite place it.

Ka-shunk.

I feel a sharp pain in my side, but I can't move, can't scream, can't fight back against my attacker, can't do anything at all, I'll die here.

I'll die here.

I wake up drenched in sweat and surrounded by darkness, gasping desperately for breath. My heart is thumping erratically in my chest. It takes me a moment to take in my surroundings and remember where I am. Kailani's house, in her spare bedroom. My bedroom. I untangle my limbs from the thin blue covers. These were wrapped tightly around me, that's probably why I couldn't move. That was such a strange nightmare. I remember swimming in the ocean, feeling perfectly content and at home, when someone decided to ruin it and start throwing spears at me. I still can't place what was so wrong in the dream.

I feel compelled to go to Kailani's room, if only to have the comfort of another human being. But I don't want to explain the dream to her, and I don't know how she'd feel about me sleeping next to her. I turn over and close my eyes, waiting for sleep to take me again. 

Soon I fall asleep again, only to be woken up immediately after - or so it felt. Sunlight streams in through the window, momentarily blinding me. Sighing, I stand and head to the bathroom. As I'm washing my face, the pleasant scent of eggs and some sort of meat wafts upstairs. My stomach rumbles, reminding me that I haven't eaten. I get a feeling of déjà vu as I go downstairs and see Kailani, once again, cooking at the stove.

"Something smells amazing," I say, coming up beside Kai to watch her cook some sausage.

"I made some eggs for you," she tells me, gesturing towards a plate on the table with eggs and rice decorating it, "and these sausages will be ready in a minute."

"Thanks," I say, feeling guilty. I'll have to learn to cook so Kai's not always providing for me. I bring up yesterday's hot topic - my name. "What should I go by?"

"Hmmm, I like the name Naia," Kailani suggests.

"I like it too. You can call me Naia, then," I say, swallowing a bite of rice. Kai comes over to the table holding a plate of sausages.

"I have to go to work today," she says, setting the plate down and serving herself a couple sausages, "will you be alright here by yourself?"

I nod. "I'll probably explore the village today." I take my time finishing my meal, while Kailani rushes to scarf it down and head out the door. 

"I'm late!" She explains, and with that, she's gone.