Kira wrinkled her nose and shuddered. She could picture the fight, and wondered that he had even survived.
“And another time he told me that they’d see the giant squid sometimes when they ran into a sudden fog. As if a cold wet cloud just fell out of the sky and swallowed them, like Jonah and the whale. Yup, those were his words. Odd fellow, that Bill,” Cody muttered and shook his head. “My dad says he’s senile, and he’s mixing up real events with fairy tales from when he was a kid. You never know what to believe when he gets going.”
Kira said nothing. She was more confused than before. She decided she’d have to return to the library and do more reading. About squid, and seals. The merrows she’d leave to her crazy dreams. It appeared that Babbling Bill’s dream world had merged with his real life, past and present. A shame, she thought, but there was probably no more to learn from him.
Chapter Five—
Stormy Seas
For the next two weeks, Kira remained in or near the house, doing all her chores faithfully and efficiently. She usually finished just before lunch, and spent the remainder of her day reading books from the library. She was trying to learn everything she could about seal life cycles, biology, and ecology. On one of her trips to the library, Kira was surprised to discover that Cody had checked out two of the books she was looking for. Mrs. Doyle peered down at her with her huge eyes and said, “You two must be preparing for a school project on marine life. I’m impressed. It’s the middle of July!”
Kira only nodded her head. She didn’t feel like trying to explain her own interest in the subject. As for Cody, she found it odd that a science geek was also checking out fairy tales and folk legends. Maybe he was looking for evidence that selkies might be more than myth and fantasy. Or maybe he found it all a big joke.
Besides learning new facts about the feeding habits and different varieties of seals and dolphins, the books increased Kira’s longing to be back on the beach. She yearned for the feel of silky saltwater on her skin again. Most days she saw Cody wander by, heading for the tide pools, she supposed. Each day she grew more restless and resentful that she was not free to go where she wished. She began to think more about her dream, and visions of Paradise Pond flooded her brain. She couldn’t possibly drown in a small puddle of water that only went up to her knees. Her parents were being over-protective, worrying about something that could never happen.
Kira had to see the tide pools again. She convinced herself that her parents were being selfish and just wanted to keep her as a housework slave. “Maybe that’s why they adopted me,” she thought, feeling more and more sorry for herself.
Kira made a plan. If she was careful about the time, she could slip away right after lunch. Chances were good that her parents would never know. And if they found out? She would simply have to deal with the consequences.
Kira began to sneak out for an hour every other day. She became skilled at spotting movement at a distance and avoiding detection. The only people she ever saw out on the rocks besides Cody were occasional tourists. She would disappear behind the rocks and trees until they had passed by, or went in a different direction. Then she would look for new tide pools, and hang over them, dipping her hands in the water, staring at the webs that appeared between her fingers.
The webbing effect no longer frightened her, but was a source of wonder as she brushed her hands softly over the sand dollars and snails. Other times she passed them quickly over the sandy bottom to create muddy clouds in their wake. Kira pinched the webbing between her fingers but there was very little sensation, no matter how hard she squeezed. Her fingertips told her the webbing was real, though it felt tougher than her skin elsewhere. Each time she withdrew her hands from the saltwater they reappeared as normal fingers and thumbs, the webbing gone.
Kira often thought about Cody, and how they shared a fascination with the sea. She wished she could talk to him again, but she felt awkward approaching him. He knew there was something different about her, but until she figured out what was going on she didn’t want to discuss it. What if he told someone else? Kids at school would make fun of her for sure. They already found her odd, maybe because of how her parents treated her. Maybe because she was a loner.
By the middle of August, Kira had developed a pattern of visiting the tide pools every day. She went out in all types of weather, rain or sunshine, calm days or windy. On stormy days, the character of the pools changed. All the plants and animals seemed agitated below the surface. Even the colours were angry shades of purple and ochre and red. But when she dipped her hands into the water she felt calm, and whenever her hands were still, the movement around them slowed.
On one such day, she watched a group of four people climb out of a car, whooping and shouting as they ran toward the edge of the surf. The waves were wild and high, whipped up by the strong winds. Signs posted along the beaches warned people to stay away on exactly this type of day.
From the tree line, Kira could see them run toward the water, then dash back again as the waves crashed on the rocks just behind them. They were urging each other to get closer. Crazy show-offs, she thought. Kira recognized them as boys from the village high school.
She was about to slip back into the trees and farther down the shore when she heard a loud yell. Then, more frantic, louder shouts.
“Gary! Where’s Gary? He’s gone!”
“Gary, stop fooling around! Where are you?”
Kira looked back. There were only three boys now, popping up and down on the rocks, running back and forth. One of them must have fallen in. Been swept away.
Kira climbed up on a boulder, and scanned the beach. There was no one else nearby, no one who would hear them in time. Without thinking, she leaped over the rocks and ran toward the boys. Then she stood next to them, peering into the dark, frothing water, feeling the spray on her face, the push of the wind on her body.
“He’s gone!” one of the boys shrieked at her. “What are we going to do?” One of the other boys was punching keys on his cell phone.
Without another thought, Kira kicked off her boots, tore off her rain jacket and glasses, and dove into the angry, roiling surf. As she slid into the cold water she suddenly realized the insanity of her action. She felt herself sucked down by a current, deep into murky darkness. She was going to drown, she thought, along with the boy who was probably in the middle of the Atlantic by now. She expected to be numbed by the cold, but was surprised to feel warmth spreading through her body. She felt calm. Was she drowning? Had she already drowned?
Kira found herself sitting on a bed of kelp, gently tugged and pushed by the water around her. Like a massage, she thought, though she’d never actually had a massage before. She tried to stand up and found that she rose quickly off the bottom. Looking down, she saw that her legs had been replaced with a long, V-shaped tail undulating and propelling her through the water.
She had to be dreaming again. She was back in the tide pool. How odd, though, she didn’t remember going to sleep. Kira decided to enjoy this dream, and not to worry about sea monsters or giant, drooling dogs. She shot through the water, taking in all the details. She smiled at the silvery fish flashing by, all a normal size as far as she could tell. Good, no more Alice in Wonderland, she thought. As she gazed down below, she noticed a doll on the bottom of the sea floor, and laughed to herself. What was a toy doing in a tide pool?
With little effort, Kira zipped down to examine the toy, and realized as she approached that it was a much larger object than she had first thought. Oh dear, was she changing size again? She was beginning to get annoyed with this particular dream.
As she swept over the figure lying on the bottom, she realized with horror that it was a boy. A human boy, not a doll. Kira grabbed his shoulders and shook the boy, but he flopped like a raggedy Ann. He was larger and heavier than she was. He had to be the boy who had just fallen in! She was not in a tide pool, this was no dr
eam.
Kira gripped him under his arms and flapped her tail as hard as she could. They began to rise, slowly at first, then faster. Kira pushed with all her strength and could see they were fast approaching the surface. With the light coming from above, she could make out the spot ahead where the surf was breaking. She could see three boys scurrying back and forth, waving their arms. She could hear their faint cries over the roar of the surf.
Kira wanted to bring this boy back up quickly, but she did not want to be seen in her condition—a human with a fish tail! She slipped sideways around a rock outcropping and with a final shove pushed the boy out of the water and onto the beach. She took in a deep breath and shouted, “He’s over here! Hurry!”
Kira sank back underwater with her hands holding the boys legs so he wouldn’t slip back in. Within seconds the three boys had run around the rock and hauled their friend to safety. Still hiding beneath the waves, Kira swam around to the other side of the rock where she had first dived in. She hauled herself out of the water with a thrust of her tail, and landed, panting, next to her clothing. She looked down at herself fearfully. No more tail, just her own two legs wrapped in soggy jeans. Kira pulled on her boots, jacket, and glasses then crept around the corner.
The boys took turns pumping their friend’s chest, shouting encouragement. She couldn’t believe he might still be alive—it had taken so long to get him out. Or had it only been minutes?
“He’s breathing! He’s alive!” they cheered and gave each other high fives. He sat up, gagging, and they slapped his back.
Kira heard sirens in the distance. She kept low and scurried over the rocks and into the trees, hoping they hadn’t spotted her as she ran back home. Otherwise she’d have a lot of explaining to do, and she had no explanations to give
Chapter Six—
Suspicions
When the phone rang during supper that evening, Kira jumped. Her parents didn’t seem to notice how jittery she was. Her father continued to eat his fried haddock and mashed potatoes, while her mother answered the phone.
“Really?” she said. “Judy’s boy, Thomas? And he’s okay?” She paused to listen. “Oh, I see. And they don’t know who she was? Uh huh. Mmm hmm. Okay, Cyndi. Yes, we’re just having dinner now. See you tomorrow.” She hung up the phone and returned to the table.
“So?” said Kira’s dad, looking at his wife with questioning eyes.
“So,” she said, glancing at Kira before she continued. “Thomas Mahoney was the boy who fell in this afternoon. His friends said a girl with curly brown hair and glasses jumped in after him. Then she disappeared after Thomas washed up. They never saw her again.” She gave Kira another look, her eyebrows raised.
“The boys told the police about the girl. They searched all over but there was no sign of her. Or the jacket and boots she took off before she dove in.”
Her father, alarmed, paused with his fork lifted. “Was she swept away? Is anyone missing?”
“No, no one reported missing. Not from around here, not so far. Police thought the boys might have overreacted in their panic. Hallucinated maybe. You know, smoking something they shouldn’t have.”
Kira stared at her carrots, pushing them around with her fork.
“But all three saw the same thing? Hmm,” her father mused and resumed his meal.
“And where were you this afternoon, Kira?” her mother asked.
Kira looked up with a surprised expression on her face. “I was here, at the house,” she answered, trying to sound calm. “I heard the sirens.”
“So why are your jeans hanging up on the line? And your T-shirt?”
“I, uh, decided to wash them. They were dirty,” she lied again, but she met her mother’s eyes this time.
“You couldn’t wait until washing day?” her mother challenged her.
“It’s my favourite pair of jeans. They’re the only ones that fit me anymore, so I didn’t want to wait. And, anyway,” she continued, on a roll now, “I need a new pair before school starts. These old ones are so worn, they’re about to rip. You don’t want me to show up at school in torn clothes, do you?”
Kira’s father had a pained look on his face. Once again she felt guilty.
“Don’t worry, Kira, you’ll have new clothes for school,” he assured her.
Kira’s mother made a funny hrrumphing noise, and resumed eating. Kira had an enormous lump in her stomach and she could barely swallow. All she wanted at that moment was to disappear into her room, but she didn’t dare ask to be excused. She needed to act as normal as possible so her parents would not suspect that she was the mystery girl.
That night, huddled under her bed covers, Kira lay awake, more worried and confused than ever. Besides deceiving her parents, she had a much more serious problem. Who, or what, was she? Why did her body change under water? Under seawater to be exact, because this never happened in her bath or in the swimming pool. Mermaids were mythical creatures in fairy tales she couldn’t possibly be a mermaid. She had legs, she breathed air, she looked like all the other people in town.
Except for her eyes. They were larger than normal, and an unusual bright hue of blue-green that changed with the weather. Some called it azure, or teal, or sea-foam green. And, of course, her vision was terrible, except for her ability to notice the slightest movement at great distances and from the corners of her eyes.
Then there was the story of her own rescue from the sea. Who were her real parents? Were they mermaids or merpeople? What had really happened when they fished her out of the sea? What if her true parents were still alive and living somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean?
Kira began to cry, large salty tears trickling down her cheeks. She pulled the covers over her head and sobbed as quietly as she could. What a mess. She had to figure out what to do next. Should she confront her parents and confess to what she knew? Should she demand to know the truth about her origins? And if they admitted the truth, would that change anything? Would they no longer want her to be their daughter? Would they send her back to the sea? Or would they prevent her from ever going back to it? The only thing she knew for sure was that everything had changed for her, and she was afraid.
Chapter Seven—
Sea Folk
Things were definitely different the next morning. The wind had calmed, the seas still, the sky a bright blue with faint, wispy clouds. It was going to be a hot day, unusual on the northeastern seacoast. Kira’s mother had called in to the diner that she would be late for work that day. She dawdled in the kitchen and ate breakfast with Kira, as if this was her normal routine. She chatted about the start of school and going shopping for clothes. Kira answered her questions, but mostly she listened, nervous about what her mother might ask next. The oatmeal she had just eaten felt like a softball rolling around in her stomach.
“So, Kira, what are your plans for the day?” she asked brightly.
Kira looked at her mother, stunned. “Uh, the rugs need to be beaten and hung out to air. What I usually do on Thursdays.”
“And after that?”
“Well, I finished the books I borrowed, so I thought I might go to the library and get more,” Kira answered.
“Oh? What are you reading these days?” Her mother wasn’t much of a reader herself, though she enjoyed browsing cookbooks and studying knitting and crocheting books for new patterns.
“Mrs. Doyle said the last Harry Potter book should be back in today and she promised to hold it for me.”
“Ah, yes, Yvette Doyle. I went to school with her, you know. She always was a bookworm. She never remarried after her husband Harvey died. He was a fisherman, lost in a bad storm over ten years ago. We lost five men from our village alone. Two of them just boys a few years older than you, Kira.”
Kira had heard the story before. There were many such stories from their coastal communities. Fishing was a risky occupation, and a tough l
iving. They depended on the ocean for food, they were drawn to the water, yet they feared it. Everyone but Kira.
Her mother glanced at her watch and rose from the table. “I’m off now,” she announced. “I thought we’d have a nice salad with our sausages tonight.”
Kira nodded. “I’ll have the salad ready,” she said.
“That would be nice. Thank you, Kira.” Her mother smiled and patted Kira’s head on her way to the door.
Through the window, Kira watched her walk up the path toward town. Her mother had been unusually pleasant and chatty. Did she suspect that Kira had been at the beach yesterday? She probably suspected something.
Maybe her parents had seen her transformation before, when they had taken her out of the water as a baby. Or perhaps another time when they took her to a calm, sandy swimming beach. It would have been a frightening sight, a baby with chubby little legs suddenly flapping about like a fat eel in shallow water. Or maybe they just saw her webbed hands slapping the shallow saltwater of a tidal pool.
Kira gathered up her library books and left the house. She didn’t want to think about herself anymore, it was driving her crazy. She needed to immerse herself in Harry Potter’s world of wizards and forget about everything else. Kira was walking so fast, her head down, that she nearly slammed into Cody coming the other way, his arms also loaded with books.
“Hey, Kira! What a coincidence! I was just thinking about you,” he said. He flashed a smile at her, his braces gleaming.
“Uh, hi, Cody. I’m just going to the library,” she replied.
“Yeah,” he laughed, “I can see that. And guess where I’ve been!” He hoisted his books up in the air.
Kira saw the words Sea Monsters, part of a longer title on the spine of one book. She shivered.
Kira's Secret Page 3
