Nightly Dive

Hi. My name is Jasmine.

I’m 27 and I am ideally imaginative.

I live in two worlds. One consists of the real world where I try to make a living as a professional and fulfil my familial role as a nurturing daughter to an strict aging father and as an older sister to a bit of rebellious buy loyal College student younger sister. The other, is where my brain resides to relax its muscles from logical thinking. Decision making, logical thinking, work, love, stamina, etc. Those things would have to take a back seat for now as my other world will take its position in my consciousness.

I just came home from work and at seven-past in the evening and as I’m typing on my laptop with Shrek 3 playing in the background (the cable is on), the gentle whoosh of my surroundings caress on my skin, smoothly flowing by on my words as they appear on my page after the cursor. One letter after another, a bit of coldness brush along my body but the sensation does not hinder my thoughts. I am quite aware that I was in this situation before and I know how to handle this. I’m alone in my room. My dad isn’t in the other room yet. He is probably out on a short alcohol stint to lessen the beat of his anxious nerves. My sister is in the living room bumming out on our carpet-made-into-sleeping-mat watching endless MTVs to later download new songs she would come across too.

I’m talking too much of the nightly routine in the house. I bet everyone has the same scenario in their own houses. What my family doesn’t know is, during the night…

12:00

I wake up to find our bedroom door open with a black cat standing, waiting for me to follow him. It’s dark, with only moonlight from a full moon outlining the cat’s silhouette and making its eyes shine. With light feet, I feel myself move away from my bed and my sister, who’s bed is nearer to the door. I went out of our room to stand on our landing. There are two stairs down to get to the first floor. It’s not a big house but I know that if I jump head-first I will not only get a concussion but may loose my life. Still, I know that I have to jump. Since the cat is with me there is nothing to fear.

The cat settles on the landing’s edge. It looks up to asking with its eyes if I am ready. I nodded yes. Together, we look down. Closing my eyes and arms outstretched, we jumped head first to the first floor, waiting for the impact…

I feel the coldness brutally wrap around as my body lost its warmth and my blood, frozen to the core, momentarily stopped flowing through my veins. My hair flew in all directions and I feel myself being swirled faster and faster, so fast it will make anyone puke even with their eyes closed.

Out of the gloomy lit environment, my eyes flew open. Genetically brown eyes are now glowing blue with light flecks of gold which can glimmer in the dark. Pale white skin has become paler than ever it can glow in the dark. Scanning my surroundings, I move and wade myself out of the congested matter of space, pushing, weaving out of tangled but orderly mess of gently fleeting house furniture. I work my up the landing and with one push, breaks the surface.

Sunlight warms my face from our now un-roofed two-storey house. Everywhere is water. The land of the earth has lessened and in this part of the globe, water had run its course to dominate land life, including humans. Holding on to a still whole window edge, I look back and playfully swish my shiny tail across the water. I never grow tired of that. Within this element, I feel very much at peace even if those around me feel otherwise.

Looking up, nearby still standing buildings house frustrated two-legged humans, who has not accepted the current way of life. Humans being an adapting race has put that fact into shame. The chance to be of another kind, to be part of legends and myths is not a accepted by everyone. Humans are indeed young and have much to learn.

As for my adaptation in this new world, it has put my heart at ease. Crawling out of the window, I dive into the water and find our kamias tree waving its branches underwater like a coral reef. I like that tree, it has so much strength to hold on to its roots, literally. Swimming closer, I see fishes swimming along its branches, rubbing their scales along its length, feeling this particular land specie within their environment.

Swimming over the first-floor of the house, I made my way into our streets. There I find other mermaids and humans-turned-mermaids weaving in and out of our neighbors’ houses. It’s fascinating. I would like to join in their games but I had other things in mind.

Swimming back to the house, I made my way to the front porch, where I saw my dog’s cage lying on the far side of our once green garden. I miss my dog but I think it was best he drowned thinking he was trying to save me. We would both suffer from not being together. She will be lonely knowing I can’t be with her and I the same. That was how close we were.

I made my way to the second floor again. Rummaging in a very wet and chaotic bedroom closet, I find a wet and dirty white blouse. It was my mothers. Wearing it, I settle myself on an uncovered part of the roof and lazily stretched myself under the sun’s rays. The soothing water around me, the earth experiencing its rebirth, the sun shining its blessings…

It’s fascinating how this world comforts me.