Celeste

15.

"Celeste, this is Nina, your dolphin." Mitch said, stroking the creature affectionately.

I remember looking out to sea whilst waiting for my father. The glittery surface was often broken by a flashing figure leaping from wave to wave. Dolphins, I was told. I'd never think I'd see one up close.

Oily shiny skin, beady intelligent eyes and a bouncy attitude, punctuated with cheery clicks and whistles. A crisscross of straps lay across it.

"... Nina." Was all I said.

Mitch looked sad. "Don't you want her?"

"Nonono! I do, honest! But I've never... Is it dangerous?" I asked.

He laughed, "Nina wouldn't hurt a fish, cel. I raised her. Have you never seen one before?"

"Only in the distance..." I flushed.

Nina chirped and clicked.
"I think she likes you. Go on, stroke her."

Swallowing, I put my hand out towards her, hesitating before placing it on her snout.Cool and slick skin greeted my fingers. I felt it vibrate as she clicked in content.

Mitch smiled.
"Alright, let's strap you in." He said, picking up a bundle of straps from where it lay on the sand.

"What!" I said, backing away.

"You may have noticed you have a tail. You can't sit like you would a horse. Her skin is slick, no way you can hold onto her fin. So, we simply strap you close to the side, and adjust a safety strap."
He says, clicking a belt about his own waist with ease.

"Surely there not that fast... I could just swim alongside, I'm getting better." I say firmly.

"Thought you'd say that." Mitch let lose a long whistle, using his fingers.

Nothing. "What was that f-"
Was all I got to say as another dolphin shot past, turning me upside down in the wake of its big tail.

I rightened myself, staring wide eyed at the sight of a dolphin swimming circles around Mitch, chattering and whistling. It was going so fast all I saw was a silvery streak.

"This is Sam. Short for salmon. He's fast. About the same as Nina." Mitch laughs. "I love doing that."

Nina nudges my side.
I look at her, absent-mindedly tracing patterns into her skin.

"Ok. Strap me up, Dr Dolittle." I say.

He does so carefully, explaining which strap goes where. Soon I nervously hold the straps, feeling the leather buckle on my hip.

"Now, Sam is the leader, ok? Nina will follow him. Ill try to go slow. Ready?" He calls. Shaking away my nerves, I call back, "okay!"

If I thought that swimming was fast, I was sorely mistaken, and grateful for the strap keeping me to Nina.

We raced behind rocks, twirled in tunnels, and shot past shells, winking on the seabed.It was incredible. I whooped at every loop we performed, Mitch's laughter falling on my ears. I could barely see past my squinting eyes as I clung on tight.

Then, we slowed suddenly. I peered past Nina to see a shipwreck, a twist of metal and wood with a huge hole in the hull.

"Most mer scavenge from shipwrecks, and use the dolphins as pack animals to carry it back. Wanna check it out?" Mitch asked. I stared in wonder at the hulking wreck, a tattered jolly Rodger the only thing moving in sight.

"Let's do it." I smiled.

I unstrapped myself from Nina, copying Mitch as he took Sam's reins and led us forwards.

The hole held treasure, broken glass and moulding food.

Silver coins weren't the only things here, there were bodies too, lying face down in the sand, partially chewed. A fish darted between them.

I cringed, swimming over them as best I could. Mitch was already begining to fill Sam's bag. I did the same, finding necklace chains and a wonderful green pendant of a bird.

These were pirates, stealing every shiny thing they could. And now, we were doing the same to them.

my bag was soon bursting, and I even saw a box of fine silky dresses, neatly folded. I held one against myself, imaganing being in a beautiful dress shop with gold guilded windows and enough lace to choke on, twirling in a rich blue dress with beaded stars dotting the fabric.

But the texture was wrong under my fingers, more like mushy straw instead of silk or cotton. This dress made my scales itch.

Sighing, I put it back in the box, neatly folding despite the fact that it would be eaten away by sea creatures.

"You ok?" Mitch asked, strapping the bags onto Sam, who patiently waited.

"Just thinking of home..." I said sadly, loading up Nina, who bounced with excitement.

It wasn't long before we were racing away again, twisting  under corals, looping around rocks. At every turn I felt my worries melt away, replaced by a rush of excitement.

The ship we explored was closer to the surface and we could see well enough. Now we plunged towards the inky black sea that held home. For now, at least.

Mitch slowed as we approached, nodding to the guard as we swam inside. I saw dozens of myself in the mosaic entrance.

We made our way to the market, and bartered for jellyfish lamps and sea silk robes. The best we kept for ruby, handing it to the guards there with instructions.

I made my way home, to a wreck I painstakingly painted stars onto which glittered in a mystical way. I re-hung the old curtian entrance for a beautiful pink sea silk one that held beautifully against the door.

My jellyfish lamp I put in the darkest corner, and began to unpack the rest. The yellow jellyfish moved in slow circles on its leash.
Fish strips went in the storage box, my bed was remade with a weaved seaweed throw that had a dusting of alge.

I dusted the planks with my seabird feather duster, and settled down for a rest, rubbing where my buckle had dug into my skin.

Tomorrow I shall have to go to the history cave and look at the carved slates again, perhaps joing the sewing circle or learn about sea silk. I mussed, staring at the wood ceiling, where I had put a map of rosewood made from memory and even more alge there.