Escape

Her soft grey eyes scanned the blue vastness in the distance. She gazed calmly at the rich azure waves as they cascaded across the uneven, yet perfectly smooth surface of the ocean. A gentle breeze lightly moved her hair across her shoulders as she continued to look into the distance. Thoughts of loss filled her mind. At seventeen loss was a frequent experience, and one that she knew well. She was used to loss, usually superficial loss, such as shallow boyfriends or jealous friends. This time, however she felt lost in herself. She felt as if every sense of self she had ever had was slipping through her fingers. 1

It wouldn’t have been as bad if she had just been better. As she sat on the cold, wet sand she felt the cool water splash over her feet before retreating quickly into the enormous mass that somehow stayed connected to the planet and didn’t just float away. She kept thinking of her imperfections and figuring all the ways she had to improve. The world around her was as cold as the water that played at her feet. It forgave no one their imperfections.2

Wouldn’t it be great to just get away from the cold world into a place where nobody would care, and she could be free. Such a place could in no way exist. However the girl continued to wish, for a dream escape, where she would have no worries of everyday life. 3

She rose to her feet and brushed off the back of her dress, before taking several steps forward in to the water. As her legs were entwined in the water she wished the rest of her would be as well. She stepped awkwardly further into the water and now as the water touched her skin it no longer felt cool. It now felt almost warm. Her eyes had not yet strayed from the vast empty scene before her. Now her gaze fell down to her legs. As the water fell away from her skin she could see it glisten as formerly tan skin now turned to golden scales. She thought to scream, but quickly decided that would get her nowhere. 4

As the she continued to look down the realization that the ocean was not as cruel as the world she now inhabited, but instead was free and embracing began to dawn on her. The thoughts continues to spin slowly in her mind as she mauled them over realizing that this is what she had wanted all along. This was her chance to slip away from all the pain and confusion and enter a world where no such thing existed, a world where only passion rules. She took another step forward in affirmation of her thoughts and felt the cool water turn warm on her skin as it turned more of her legs to scales. 5

She started feeling better, more free already. She stood in the water and an urge to escape the confines of her clothes took over her. Every inch of her buzzed in anticipation of freedom as she peeled her knee-length dress from her skin and held it in front of her. There in her hands was the confining stereotypes and hatred that society placed on her. She looked back and threw the dress back onto the sand, threw it back to her old life. She turned back confident it had landed far from her and would no longer disturb her. She now stood completely bare with the ocean surrounding and splashing on her skin converting more and more into her new image. 6

She continued to step slowly into the dark blue water that embraced and warmed her skin. The scales spread to her waist then stopped filling in her tan skin. Now as she stood chest-deep in water only patches continued to form. Splashes that reached her neck began to form what looked like gills. Her hair thickened and grew as the water splashed on dark strands. Growing tired of standing and waiting for the transformation to complete itself she dove into the rich waves. As they enveloped her she became radiant. Maybe it was the ocean or maybe her happiness but, where she had been pretty before she now had a glow that cause her to appear truly beautiful. 7

She swam further away from the shore, running from her past and praying to make a clean escape. When she was satisfied with the distance she rose from the water and turned back toward what she was leaving behind. Her dress lay on the beach along with all of her old worries. She was now away, in a new gentler world. She dove back in and as the water cascaded around her she splashed goodbye with her long golden tail.8

She sat on the beach feeling the water splashing over her feet. In the distance above the rich water, dark clouds were beginning to form. She rose to her feet and brushed off the back of her dress. After one last glance out to the freedom she longed for, she turned and walked slowly back up the beach. She strolled back toward the life and world whose cruelty she wished to escape.9