Transluent Like the Waves

Chapter 2: The sea

What happens when you're drifting body collapses in the waves? The dwindling rush of ripples piercing through your lungs, what happens?

I thought I'd be dead.

Considering the circumstances, the amount of water taking away my consciousness. No one knew i was there. No one knew i was drowning. No one would come looking for me.

Almost as if i was sleeping, i felt able to think; not to wake up but still able to understand what was going on around me. I could feel the weight of my own body as my arms, legs and torso stopped moving. Stopped working.

It was calm.

Tranquil.

As my limb lifeless doll like form swung there, a miracle happened. My eyes blinded by salt water leaving my vision unaccounted for, my side left something brush against it.

Translucent like the waves, the force grew stronger but i could not deem my body awake nor would my eyes creep open to see what it was. In the state of confusion i couldn't think. Only the idea that something was there, the loudest silence.

Something latched onto me. Hoisting my torso in its grasp. Softer than the waves; it wasn't harsh but instead gentle. I wanted to stay aware for longer but no...

I would drown before seeing what else was in the waves with me, the object in the ocean which was right there in front of me.

***

Water. Sea water.

It poured from my mouth.

There i was alive. My soaked body sprawled on the beach, my upper body turned to the side coughing up water. My eyes were open. Hardly open but even the stinging bees couldn't keep my curiosity from peeping at what was around me.

Blallabllaa. I coughed out some more. Wheezing like an old dude as i tried to collect my long neglected friend, oxygen. Huuuuh. I gulped up the air. More water filling up my esophagus as i heaved it out.

Taking one hand to my chest, the texture was dry. I pushed down hoping for more to come up. But i wasn't pushing down on my chest as i thought i would be. With my hand, i lowered my gasping to concentrate. I moved my finger against it as bet i could, i was consumed by another sudden gush of water and again emptied it from me.

Dumping my body back onto the sand i lay taking breaths through my nose.

"Take it easy".

The object on my chest stiffened. My hand gripped against it. A hand. A person. A saviour. My saviour.

Someone had saved me! A fisherman perhaps? Or another keen swimmer? Maybe even a scuba diver?

I felt easier, shutting my eyes. Hint of a smile forming on my lips, "thanks" i affirmed. Swallowing at last, able to not take in water.

"I thought you wouldn't wake up," she voiced angelically. The words falling at my ears in music notes sent from the heavens. Her hand cupped mine. I couldn't resist. I wanted to thank her, hug her; at the time it was just the idea of recovering.

When eventually able to open my eyes fully, i could see that it was dark. The crimson moon hiding in the sky. Using the hand not holding hers i shifted myself onto my elbows, still looking at the stars, puzzled over the entire situation.

"No don't!' my saviour spluttered. Sharper than before as if something was world. That the world would implode if 'i did' what did that even mean.

I glimpsed down at my torso. My shirt all too revealing as the skin tight material, an open window to my body, drooped mathematically at my waist. "Why?" i managed as my breathing had at last returned.

"You can't-"
Lifting my head. My eyes met hers. She was on her stomach. Face half a meter from mine. "Wow," i croaked.

Her eyes were the deepest shade of ocean blue. Her skin radiant and glowing like a treasure chest. The button nose placed from a kiss in just the right place. A correlation of freckles dotted down the right side of her face. Aqua blue streaks shredded through her sun kissed hair. Hung over her shoulders, still damp from the water.

"Wow?" she questioned lightly. Almost inaudibly as her eyes met mine. I was transfixed. The feeling was translucent like the waves. I watched from the corner of my eye, how the raspberry radiated from her lips, the pearly white teeth gleaming as her mouth opened.

With a bite of the lip, "You saved me" i told her. Taking one hand to her cheek.
She flinched at the touch. Though my hands were dry; glittered in sand - i could still feel the surface of her face. Almost too smooth to be skin.

"What's your name?" she asked.
I smiled like a love sick fool, "what's yours?" my girl shook her head with a light giggle similar to that of a swimming fish. I hadn't heard any laugh like hers, her voice too. It was too delicate for her to even be real. The way her skin glowed in the moonlight was something only a goddess or fairy tale creature could possess.

"Thalassa." she beamed.

"Thalassa." i repeated to myself. Leaning in toward her slightly. Such a mesmerising name. So heavenly!

"So water boy," she teased as her face inched further to mine, "what's your-"

We were interrupted.

A bunch of imbeciles frolicking across the other end of the beach.

At first her eyes widened. Then she turned to look at them. Then back at me, the glow erased from her face. The colour drained from her lips. Her face lifted from our glance, she had turned her head toward the ocean.

With outstretched arms Thalassa flung herself forward with great force. I watched the way her hair turned over her shoulders, i was about to ask what was wrong when i looked down at her body; at Thalassa and what she truly was. On my elbows i shuffled back, spooked from the lack of legs, she seemed too perfect to be real and here it was before me.

A tail.

Scaled from waist to fin. Perfectly designed flippers at the end. Gold all over with a fading glistering shine.

The voices from up the beach had seen it too. Storming over in curiosity.

Another second later, she reached the water. Looking back once over her shoulder at my face smashed against the floor, a broken mirror rested on her face.

To the water she fled.

"Woah did you see that?!" the first screamed back to his mates. Another nodding rapidly. The other three shared a blank expression. "What was it?" one questioned. A bundle of discussion until the second came to a conclusion. "It was a mermaid!"

The others denied it; what i knew was true. Their conversation collapsed as they continued on their way.

Automatically, i looked at my palm. Remembering her touch. Shocked that she wasn't human. Sure. But i wanted to see her again.

I smirked. "Thalassa's a mermaid." my head turned to where she had been, "A mermaid. Translucent like the waves".