| For a Moment by Christy Chapter 4 The next morning, Melody was again running down the beach to the sea, stripped down to her underwear. As she let the waves carry her out, her mind was ablur with thoughts of Esther. Someone else shared her secret dream. It was still so hard to believe. She glanced over her shoulder and squinted at the shore, thinking she might see the girl in the chair again today. She didn't see the girl in the chair, but she did spy a little red spot lounging on a nearby rock. "Hey Sebastian!" she called. "Just the crab I wanted to see!" "Oh brother!" Sebastian groaned. "Not again! What does one have to do to get a few moments of peace and quiet around here???" Melody swam up to him. "Hey Sebastian," she said, "could you do me a favor?" "Dat depends. What is it?" "Would you tell Grandfather and all my aunts and all my undersea friends that I'm having a birthday party at the sea next week and they're all invited?" asked Melody. "ALL of dem???" exclaimed Sebastian. "Yes," said Melody, "I'm making up for lost time." Sebastian moaned again. "One of deese days I'll be able to relax without deese teenagers giving me problems!" Meanwhile, not too far away, at the spot where the sand is so damp that a foot barely leaves an imprint, another girl sat on the shore letting the waves embrace her. Her brown hair blew in the sea breeze as her blue eye sparkled. Yes, it was Esther, now half-dressed and absorbing the waves as they brushed up against her, getting her skin accustomed to the chill of the water. She closed her eyes and inhaled the salty air. Here in the ocean, she felt like she belonged. In the ocean, it didn't matter whether or not you could walk, for here you could fly. And fly she did. She leaned foreward and caught a wave. That wave was her wing. Swimming was a bit difficult, since she had to do all the work with her arms, but still she moved gracefully through the water. She darted her eyes at any sign of movement, hoping that perhaps it might be a mermaid. This particular movement wasn't a mermaid, but it could very easily be mistaken for one. Melody certainly was able to move like a mermaid, and her figure at times resembled one. Esther swam up to a rock and leaned against it for a better look. For a brief moment, the gleam of the sun made it appear that there really was a mermiad, but all too soon the truth was made known. "Hey Esther!" called Melody, swimming up to her. "Oh, hi Melody," replied Esther. "So, what are you doing?" asked Melody. Esther didn't answer right away. She gazed at Melody, thinking about how she had looked a moment ago. She seemed so beautiful, so poetic, so......free. "Esther?" said Melody. "Is something wrong?" "Oh....I was just wondering...." Esther said softly. "Wondering what?" Esther lowered her head. "I was wondering...." she mumbled, "....what it was like to be a mermaid." Melody came extremely close to saying "It's spectacular!!! I know because last year for one brief but wonderful moment I was one!" But she said nothing. If Esther knew about her time as a mermaid, she'd want to know the whole story, and Melody wasn't sure if her parents wanted other people to know. But.....there was one thing she could tell Esther. "Hey Esther," she said, clearing her throat. "You know, my birthday is next week." "Well happy birthday!" smiled Esther. "Thank you," replied Melody. "You know, I'm having a party to celebrate. Would you like to come?" "Well," said Esther, "If my parents would let me...." "I'm sure they would," said Melody. "If they did," said Esther, "I'd love to come!" "Great!!!!" exclaimed Melody. Perfect, she thought. What a surprise it would be for Esther to meet real mermaids at the party! "Gosh," breathed Esther. "I wish there was something I could do for you....wait, I know!" "What?" "My parents are having a little party at the lake tonight," explained Esther. "They said I could come if I wanted, and they also said I could bring a friend. Would you like to come?" Melody smiled widely. "I'd love to!" To be continued... Back to Non-HoND Fanfic Back to Index |