Open Eyes

The forest grew frosty by the moment, time felt slower where she was.

She coughed out water, with sore eyes stuttering to open normally.

"Where- Why am I not swim- Who brought me up?" She bite her tongue, stuttering out of answers.

She swiftly stood up, putting her hands up in a fighting stance. "Come out, water human thing!" She started to raise her voice in terror.

The wind grew stronger with disruption. She felt scared and she had nobody to talk too about it.

"Guess I should've gotten a counselor in the normal world, it might've helped." She joked to herself. Suddenly, the water splashed her.

She flinched and started to wonder if she'd ever meet the creature that put her on land.

She walked over toward the water, sat and put her feet in the water. "The one who brought me up to land.." She paused, thinking. "Show yourself." She smirked, looking at the water, waiting for a response.

She got none. Not even a splash.

"That's it?" She got up, getting ready to go. She looked at her body, drenched in pond water and growled.

"A cold girl drenched in water, outside.." She made a face. "How sufficient." She barked.

She started to march away, looking for warmth and then something tugged at her hand.

A very warm feeling came across her hand, it felt alive. She was speechless, she didn't know if she should even turn around.

"Human?" She heard it speak with a very confused tone as if it hadn't seen one before.

She slowly turned around then gasped silently in joy.

"What? Never see a 'sirena' before?" They smiled in sarcasm.

Willow shook her head in shock and excitement.

"Are you a boy or girl?" Willow questioned the sirena, tilting her head.

The sirena stood up, clearly still in water form. The tail whipped back n' forth as they began to speak. "Neither." It finally spoke, excited to hear Willow's response.

Willow made a 'huh' face, in confusion. "Humans tend to like labels, I think that's what you call it." They lower their stance, releasing Willow's hand. The sirena tried to relax in a sitting position.

"So I have no gender. It is normal where 'we' live." They smiled in joy, spreading positivity with a sparkling smile. "We?" She glanced up in alert. "There's others' here!? I am not alone?" She stood up, ready to dance in excitement.

"Yes but don't get your hopes up. Some of us aren't like me, some are pure evil." The sirena warned her.

Willow nodded in agreement.

"Where are the others?" She smiled excitedly. "Scattered around the forest, meadows, ponds and lakes." They replied. "Oooh, so you have any friends?" She asked in curiousity.

"I do not need friends, I have water and fish." A fish sprinted into mid-air, seeking attention from the sirena. "You don't get lonely?" Willow asked, relating to the feeling.

"No? Why would I? Fish talk, play, and enjoy my presence." They smiled in joy.

"Oh, I like having friends. It's magical! It makes me have a purpose." She looked at the sirena's shiny tail. The sirena didn't understand what she meant. "Magical and friendship is different.. Our home is 'magical'. Without the beauty it's nothing to us. For you humans, apparently 'magical' is friendship.. For us, we find beauty in.. beauty. We don't always need friends or aqqantiances to be happy since most of us have learned how to be alone." The sirena put their hand-claws toward the fish and held it, while keeping their hands in the water.

They beamed with enlightment, playing with the small fish.

"Yeah I guess but being independent must be tiring. I mean, I have always dreamt of being in a fantasizing place before with no problems. But, now I see beauty with my eyes and I think inner beauty has more meaning as well. I got thrown here, and I thought I had no purpose here but now I do." She went deeper into thinking.

"I don't like being on land for long, so I will go into the pond soon." They looked up, away from the fish. "Oh ok. Well, I think I was put here for a reason. Maybe it was to see that nowhere has no problems but I think it is more than that." The sirena listened with inspiration.

"You love talking, child." The sirena giggled quietly.

She smiled in response. "I do. Especially since I was alone for a few days, I got lonely." Willow looked down.

"We all get lonely, it's alright. Anyway, what's your name, dear?" The sirena scanned her outfit, a damp pair of clothes.

"Willow, it is a kind of tree. Since I will probably be stuck in this meadow forest place, I should be 'willow tree'." She giggled at her joke.

"I like both names. My name is Oakley and I love the water. I wouldn't change my name if it was an option." They continued playing with the tiny fish. The fish splashed Oakley.

"I like your name! It reminds me of a tree name too." She played with her hair.

"It means meadow trees. Anyways, I will go swimming. My time here is done since I like to stay in the water longer than being near land." They waved as the fish waited for Oakley to go back into the deep pond.

"Wait, I forgot to ask! Are you the creature that brought me to the surface?" She blurted out.

"Yeah, but I like dramatic entrances."

They both began laughing.

Willow wanted to ask Oakley why they had no gender and looked like a girl but she decided not too.

"Bye!" Willow waved, as Oakley backed up and dove back into the pond along with the tiny fish.

Willow felt happy, finally she felt less alone.