The vast sky is pinkish red, with the puffs of clouds reminding me of cotton candy.
The glorious sun leans down to kiss the surface of the ocean goodbye.
I watch the evening sky set in, before the sun fully sets and the stars come out to play.
I watch this scene unfold before me as I sit perched on an uneven rock.
The coarse surface hurts my bottom, making me regret sitting here in my nakedness.
I glance down at my body once again,
paying more attention to the limbs that were under my hips.
I stretch my legs alternately, wiggling each of my tiny toes- a perfect ten in total.
This is something I will have to get used to.
I stand, slowly steadying myself.
And just when I think I have enough balance- I fall.
Gripping onto the corner of the rock for support, I slowly elevate myself once again,
not letting go off the rock for fear of falling.
I place my right foot forward, and when I'm confident; I place my left.
I leave the rock by repeating this process of movement; leaving a bloody trail behind me.
No, I wasn't injured; my body was free of impurities.
I was bleeding through my feet.
Witch Hazel had promised it wouldn't hurt-
all that would happen is just the splitting of my tail into legs.
I dreamed of having legs ever since listening to my Grandmother tell the story of Ariel-
the one who had gave up everything for nothing.
| Ariel was adventurous, and had seen the people above countless of times.
Of all the humans she has seen, one had particularly caught her eye.
He was a dashing young prince, who had still so much of the world yet to explore.
And on the day that she first saw him, she promised him his heart.
To meet her prince, she had to first get a pair of legs.
She went to Witch Hazel for help, and in return she gave up her voice.
She soon met her prince, and they both fell in love.
Unfortunately, not in the same way.
The prince was promised to his father to a princess of another kingdom,
and a wedding was soon held.
Ariel, the girl whom the prince loved as his own sister,
could take the pain no longer.
Given the choice to once again return to the ocean,
but only through the death of the prince's fiancee,
Ariel decided to take her own life instead.
Returning once again to the ocean in a different form. |
Ariel's story is a tragically sad one, I must admit.
Ever since Ariel's death, the idea of inter-marriage was no longer promoted.
But, I, however, am a strong believer of the impossible.
After all, if it is possible for a strange group species to move around on legs,
would it be any stranger to want to be like one of them?
I look down once again at my drippy feet.
Well, I suppose all transformations have their side effects,
a little loss of blood couldn't hurt too much, could it?
Looking around cautiously, I spot a large brown sack in a fishing boat nearby.
The sack, nice and warm, fit me smugly.
A tip I always remember was to cover myself up when in the presence of humans.
They detest nakedness- something which I find utterly bizarre.
I leave the beach and begin making my way to the row of houses located by the pier.
My family, friends and aquatic home all play their memories in my jumbled mind.
Tears begin to well up in my eyes but I stifle them, reminding myself of the reason I came here.
I walk up to a house, rap on the door, and greet the world with a smile.
