The Crashes of Waves

School? High school? She had to be dreaming. This couldn't be real. What were they trying to do to her? This was so unfair! She slammed the door and angrily whipped a rock at the porch light, smashing it into hundreds of shining splinters of glass. "I hate you!" she hollered back towards the cottage. It was a large wooden cabin situated comfortably in a clearing within a collection of large, majestic willow trees. Her parents had lived there since before she was born.

Blinking away the warm tears that were now streaming down her face, Leila ran towards the crashing ocean waves; her true home. She felt the water splashing around her ankles, jumped a few feet forward, and dove. The familiar, mystical tingling sensation on her legs began. As she followed the rocky bottom, it gradually became easier and easier to swim.

She shot through the waves and a small amount of her anger was left behind. Leila hoped that if she swam fast enough her problems wouldn't be able to keep up either. She wished life was like a fairy tale, that she could sing, like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and that it would make everything okay. Ha, ha.

Pondering over the movie, she wondered, if she could sing but not walk, would she trade her voice for a pair of legs? Not if it meant never getting her tail back - not a chance. But this was just fairytale garbage: damsel-in-distress-saved-by-strong-handsome-boy-they-fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after. Real life answers were what she was looking for.

Leila supposed life wasn't that bad: she appreciated her legs returning when she wanted them to, and she’d miss her parents and sisters without this luxury. On the other hand, if she didn't have legs, her selfish, good for nothing parents couldn't force her to go to school, and they really wouldn't have much choice but to let her stay where she truly belonged; in O’Goncho Reef with the other mermaids. "I'm not a child," she muttered angrily to herself.

Leila took a deep breath, gulping down as much oxygen as she could from the salty water. She attempted to calm herself by admiring the mystical, magical world into which she had escaped.

She lived for these moments, literally. Her tail gave a subtle twitch and she shot to the surface, flying into the air and sweeping downwards, one with the sea, and the air. She really did have the best of all three worlds. With her legs, she explored land: forests, sandy beaches, and busy cities. With her fins, she ventured into the sea: a dancer, graceful in every way she moved. Even in the air, Leila was superior to many, throwing herself meters above the surface and feeling the strong wind pulling back her long blond hair.

Leila was different, and not just because of her "mythical" connections. Her opinions were strong, and she didn't seem to think in the same way as the people around her.

Sometimes she felt as though she was just on a completely different wavelength to everyone else, living in some kind of parallel universe; alongside the people around her, but not really with them.

The mythical difference, though less believable, was a lot easier to understand. In Leila's opinion, this difference was a gift, but her parents did not see it that way. There were other girls like her, and Leila knew it. She craved to meet another, to feel as though she truly belonged for the first time in her life.

Mermaids are supposed to stick together - they just don't fit in with other people. Leila’s parents, however, did not believe in this simple way of life that their daughter so craved.

Leila’s difference was not planned. Mermaids are conceived under a stormy sky, within meters of a beach. Her parents were not aware of this, until almost nine months later, when they were visited by a stunning young woman by the name of Celine, who informed them of their daughter’s gift. The couple was horrified; they hated the idea of having a mutant as a child. Deeply offended, Celine left, never to return.

Mermaids don't have a permanent tail; it only forms when their legs are submerged in salt water. A mermaid’s body relies on this transformation; their skin depends on nutrients from the sea, their gills need to be exercised regularly, and it is very difficult for a mermaid to sleep above water. Leila loved the ocean, and was happiest and most comfortable when swimming. The closest things that she had ever had to friends were dolphins, manatees, turtles, otters, and other species of the sea.

Leila attempted to hold in the tears which seemed like they'd just keep coming forever. She settled down in her favourite place, a small cave in the cliff’s edge, about 30 feet below the surface.

She was sixteen, but looked much older. Her hair was naturally silky, soft, and radiant, her face was blemish free, and she already had the perfect figure, so she naturally attracted attention wherever she went.

However, it wasn't only her stunning good looks which made people feel so compelled to be as close to her as possible.

Mermaids are said to have a magical power, making them completely irresistible to those around them, especially men. Legend has it that they lure men into the ocean with their beauty, then either holding them hostage for their own entertainment, or devouring them at the bottom of the sea.

Leila, being unusual in mind as well as in body, hated this aspect of her gift. She wanted others to like her for who she was, and hated that so many girls seemed to think that their pretty face and attractive body were all they were good for.

Leila felt as though other kids her age were completely out of her league, she idolized them, but also felt sympathy. She loved her gift, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. She loved her life. Leila was the oldest of four girls, but the only mermaid. Her parents weren't likely to make that mistake twice. She did love her parents, and they loved her too, even if they liked to pretend she wasn't different. Being home schooled was great, she definitely didn't have a problem with her parents keeping her away from those other rowdy kids.

She sighed, trying to digest the fact that life as she knew it was now over. High school! In less than a month! The idea was ridiculous. How would she open up to people, make friends, with this huge secret? Leila could just imagine it now. "Oh, you're having seafood for dinner Mrs. Little? I'll have to refuse, you see, that fish might actually be my cousin." Or, "sure, I’d love to have a sleepover. Oh no, don’t worry about getting a bed ready, I'll just sleep in a bathtub filled with salt water, thanks. Maybe, if you’re feeling really generous, throw in a couple goldfish to keep me company?"

Leila’s chuckle was smothered quickly with a far heavier feeling of helplessness. Hanging out at the beach was the thing people did around here, she’d have to pretend she couldn't swim or something, and they’d all think she was insane. But just what would they think if they knew the truth? She thought that she'd rather be considered insane. Leila rested her head on a piece of coral, and drifted into a restless sleep.