AR-131

Sitting by the Ocean

The wind blows across me, rustling the sand. I dig my fingers and toes in, feeling the grittiness and the cool hidden underneath the heat. I can feel better than I used to, ever since Selene crafted me a skin with her strange green fingertips. Every little pebble whispers its presence.

My hair brushes against my shoulders, and I'm still not used to it. But as I look out at the glittering, deep blue expanse, where the light blue sky kisses the sea, I can't help but like it.

Selene takes a big breath next to me. "I love the smell of the ocean."

I still cannot breathe, smell, or taste; those sensations are far harder to program. I smile at her anyway and nod. The sun blankets the two of us, and when I look at her, she is a dazzling gleam, so beautiful she takes my eyes away from the ocean. Her thick black hair is done up in a large bun, with small tendrils hanging around her face. She wears a mint green bikini top and a sheer, colorful wrap. I feel something clench inside me, but I don't know what it means.

I look down at my body; I could pass for a female human now if the edges of my skin weren't tinted with green. Still, if one wasn't looking too closely, they might not take a second glance. A real smile stretches across my lips, and I look up to the children playing in the moving water.

I get up.

I stretch and begin walking toward the ocean.

"Ari! What are you doing!?" Selene calls behind me.

"I want to do what they are doing." I point to the children and run.

I enjoy running. Stretching my legs over the sand and feeling the wind on my face calms me as I speed toward the water, awaiting this new experience.

I've almost made it when a hand grabs my arm. I look back at Selene, her face screwed up and her hair awry.

"You can't swim, Ari," she says quietly. "You'll die."

A pang of shock rings through my hollow, metal chest. I look back toward the ocean.

"Come on," Selene whispers. "Let's go home."