Forgetting that I was human and not a fish, the back of my mind registered that my lungs were dully burning. I treaded water and took my time bobbing in the air pocket. Water droplets gathered on my eyelashes and I wiped the saltwater away with the back of my hand. My heavy breaths echoed on the smooth walls of the small cave and bounced back almost musically.
I slipped back down, submerging myself in the silky black. I felt around for clusters of oysters in the cool sand and slipped them into the rope tie belting my tunic. Satisfied with how many I had collected, I pushed back through the seaweed and re-emerged, straight into a school of fish. I couldn't help but laugh, bubbles of precious air floating upwards. Slightly heavier from the shells, I kicked through the water and made a clean slice through the surface, bobbing gently in the waves. I floated on my back in the general direction of the dock, my hair fanning out around me. I patted my belt, checking my inventory of shells and predicting the probability of them all containing pearls. The sun was warm on my eyelids and I smiled to myself, feeling like I would be lucky today.
I gracefully climbed out of the water and wrung out my long, tangled hair. Salt-water streamed down my body and onto the already-soaked, sun-lightened wood beneath my bare feet. I self-consciously pulled my soaked, clingy tunic away from my body. I wiggled the oysters out of their nestling place in the curve of my waist and threw them into a rectangular wire crate with a frayed rope handle. Shifting my balance, I hoisted it onto my shoulder and swept my hair to one side of my neck. I absentmindedly untied my rope belt and retied it in various complex knots on my way home.
"Hey Bay," my mom smiled at me, using her favorite nickname for Basil. I set down the crate by the door to lightly and quickly crossed over to her. I kissed her on the cheek, carefully curving myself away so I wouldn't drip onto her.
"You look worn out" she gently stroked my salt-crusted cheek and I nodded, pressing my lips together.
Once in my room, I stripped off my tunic and draped it across the window frame to dry. In front of the mirror, I tilted my head and studied myself. My frame was small and slight, aerodynamic and able to do whatever and get wherever. My collarbone was sharp and defined, and I traced my eyes over the curve of it. My ribcage bumped beneath my skin and I pressed my fingertips to my heart and counted the beats in a raspy whisper. A slightly hollow but taut stomach transitioned into jutting hipbones. My knees were knobby and raw from sand, my feet narrow with tough soles from being barefoot all the time.
I stepped closer and tucked a loose piece of sun-lightened hair behind my ear. My long blonde waves normally fell to my belly button, but now my hair was tangled and knotted. My skin was tan from countless hours of sun, and the bridge of my nose and my shoulders were sprinkled with freckles. Now, my face was blotchy from salt water. My nose sloped slightly and the tip was peeling a little. I stared into my seafoam green eyes and leaned closer, pressing my nose to the mirror, so I could see the scattered gold flecks that stood out especially when my eyes were red from saltwater or from crying. My dark eyelashes were clumped and wet. I pulled back and traced the faint scar on my jaw with my pruny fingertips. I shifted my weight and let out a small sigh, before twisting my hair high onto my head and securing it with a length of twine. I slipped another tunic over my head and crawled under my light sheets, pulling them over my head despite the humidity. When I closed my eyes, I dreamt that I was swimming in phosphorescence, with no distinction between my body and the water.
='O such beauty....
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