Mrs. Jones returned to the docks with a covering, like the outer layer Carolina wore. This one had fur around the edge. It wasn’t damp or matted but moved as the woman walked. Pearlina had never seen anything like it before.
The newness of the clothing interested her, but an opportunity neared, and she couldn’t ignore it. With one sharp movement, Pearlina could smash the human’s head against the rocks. If she grabbed Mrs. Jones and swam under, maybe she’d be home quicker than she thought. Though diving into the water with the human in tow would take forever. And she didn’t have the strength after her swim to shore. As much as she disliked the humans, she had to carry out her plan the first time without fail.
Mrs. Jones tossed the covering onto the rocks and stepped back from the water’s edge. It was as if Pearlina had spoken her plan aloud. This human had shown her kindness. Pearlina admitted to herself she was curious about land. There was no harm in learning about humans for one day. Pearlina lifted herself from the water, and Mrs. Jones turned away.
Were these humans that modest? She slipped the covering over her shoulders. It was long enough to cover her down to the knobby bones halfway down her new legs. Knees, she recalled from her conversation with the other females.
‘You decent?’ Mrs. Jones said.
Pearlina shivered. ‘Y-yes.’ She tucked the sides of the covering over her bare chest. She climbed onto solid land, pressing her feet against the rocky surface. She wobbled, but Mrs. Jones grabbed her arms.
Those kind eyes lifted to Pearlina’s once more. ‘You’re going to get hypothermia. Come inside.’
It took a few steps to get her footing before Pearlina walked closely behind Mrs. Jones.
The creaking of the docks and the gentle lapping of the water against the boats became distant sounds as they walked further from the sea.
Similar-looking structures rose from the land. Houses. The dwellings where humans lived. Mrs. Jones led Pearlina to a door. She took out a tinkling set of keys and fished through them for the correct one. When Pearlina was young, she had found some at the bottom of her cove. She had kept the shiny metal for a time, even though she had no clue about their use. After Daryah’s betrayal, she’d rid her home of all human trinkets. She had dropped them over the ceremonial cliff into the depths of the ocean, forcing them to disappear with the humans the Drywalkers captured.
Unfamiliar terms bubbled through her mind. Windows. Doors. Rooms. Walls. They were the basics of human homes.
The woman pushed inside. The sound of the door brought Pearlina to the present. She entered behind the human.
When the door closed, darkness blanketed the room. Pearlina jumped back, pressing herself against the wall.
As quickly as the door closed, light filled the space. Pearlina searched for the source since the sky light had disappeared when they entered the structure. A smaller sky light appeared to be attached to the wall. Pearl stared at it.
Mrs. Jones let out an amused sound, and Pearlina glanced at her.
‘If you’re intending to go blind, keep staring at that.’ Then, she muttered something under her breath before walking away.
Pearlina quickly kept up, momentarily disoriented by the intrusion in her eyes. It took a few seconds for the dark spots in her vision to disappear. She climbed upward, following Mrs. Jones.
Through an open door at the top, sky light filtered into the bright space. There were items of furniture Pearlina recognized and others she didn’t. The arrangement gave her some idea of their use, more than she had when she found these pieces floating around various locations in the ocean. She wondered how they had come to be in Mrs. Jones’s home, but she had a bigger problem to figure out.
‘What size are you?’ Mrs. Jones asked.
Pearlina blinked.
‘Your clothing size.’
Pearlina nodded her head, not wanting to alert the woman to the fact that she had no clue what she was talking about.
‘Wait here,’ Mrs. Jones said.
Dividers separated the space. Passages led to smaller areas, each decorated differently. Mrs. Jones’s home reminded her of underwater caves and caverns she’d explored on her own before Syrene was born.
Mrs. Jones returned and handed over a stack of clothing. ‘My daughter is around your size. Here’s a pair of shoes too. I hope they fit. At least they will get you to your destination.’
‘Daughter?’ If there were another human around, Pearlina wouldn’t need to travel too far from the water to find her victim.
‘Monique. She’s living in the southern part of the state. I’m sure she won’t mind you borrowing them.’
‘Thank you,’ Pearlina said, and opened the layer that was covering her body. It was much warmer inside, and she no longer needed it.
‘The bathroom is over there.’ Mrs. Jones pointed to the smallest space with a white chair inside.
Pearlina walked into what Mrs. Jones called a bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted another female. She jumped back, banging against the door, and it closed behind her. She reached for the handle and tugged at the same time as the human. But as she struggled she noticed her hands were the only ones on the knob. Her body stiffened. The female turned to face her as realization dawned. Pearlina lifted her hands, and her reflection did the same. The female was her.
In her life, she’d only seen a smaller version of this reflective glass. The one she remembered had intricately designed metal coiled around it. She had used it to reflect the sky light into Syrene’s eyes. Her sister’s reaction had amused Pearlina, and they played with the human item for some time before Syrene grew bored since Pearlina never allowed her a turn.
Pearlina recalled what she had looked like on the reflective surface. Mirror. Now, her dark hair was much longer than it had been, and her face had lost its roundness. It could have been from the loss of thickness under her skin, but the strangest part was not seeing the slits across her neck. For some reason, she couldn’t stop smoothing her hands along the flawless surface.
‘Everything all right in there?’ Mrs. Jones asked.
Pearlina started and quickly said, ‘Yes.’
‘Would you like something to eat? I made muffins this morning. I can warm you one.’
Pearlina moved her hands to the bubbling feeling in her stomach. Even though she’d eaten her fill of fish before the ceremony, she wasn’t sure when or how she’d get her next meal.
‘Yes.’ Pearlina pressed her ear against the door, listening for the sounds of Mrs. Jones retreating. Then, she got to work. She lifted each piece of fabric and tried to remember where Mrs. Jones wore them on her body. She understood the mechanics of the top cover, but the lower took her a few minutes to figure out. At first, when she slipped it on, the button in the back was impossible to clasp and was extremely uncomfortable. It wasn’t until she turned it around that she got somewhere.
Then, she had to deal with the fabric shaped like a foot. She pulled them over her toes, after several failed attempts. Then, the shoes. Those were easier. They were a little bigger than her feet, giving her room to move her toes. She’d found enough of them floating in the water throughout her years to understand they were protection for feet against the harsh terrain. There was so much these humans had to do to survive, she wondered how they would fare in the ocean. They probably wouldn’t last long.
A satisfied smile crossed her reflected face. The clothes made her look and feel more like a human. The fabric was soft against her body, but not as comfortable as the movement of the water across her skin. It would do for now, and she was no longer shivering. After she claimed her sacrifice, she’d never have to wear clothing again. The pearl necklace glittered against the light, and she quickly tucked it under the shirt. It was her only possession, and she had no idea what would happen to her legs if she took it off. Images of Daryah’s legs turning back into a tail filled her mind. Then came the screaming.
Pearlina shoved the door open and tumbled out of the bathroom, willing the screams to stop. The room was empty. Mrs. Jones moved around the other room, preparing the food. Pearlina glanced around the area for insight into the human mind. There were images on a wooden shelf above a brick part of the wall with an opening. A sharp scent filled her nose as she neared it. Fireplace. It wasn’t pleasant or unpleasant, but somewhere in between.
The still depictions of life beckoned to her. Photographs. Humans were able to capture the essence of their physical form in that way. The older generation warned the younger ones about avoiding the possibility of humans stealing their spirit. If captured in the pictures, they would no longer be safe. The humans couldn’t know of their existence in their true form, or else it would prove a threat to the troop.
‘Food’s up,’ Mrs. Jones said from the other room.
The older female sat on a chair at the table, her eyes sparkling and hopeful.
A sweet scent made Pearlina’s mouth water. She couldn’t take her eyes off the source, resting on a plate. She grabbed a part of the food and took a tentative bite. Flavors exploded in her mouth, and she nearly choked as she breathed them in. A sweetness coursed over her tongue while a familiar saltiness swept through on top of it.
‘Hold on there,’ Mrs. Jones said. ‘Have a seat. Stay a while.’
Pearl licked her lips, savoring the food. She studied Mrs. Jones and situated her legs into a seated position.
‘What’s your name?’ Mrs. Jones asked. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier. I wanted you to get inside first.’
‘P-Pearl—’ Her tongue stuck on the last part.
‘I haven’t seen you around these parts before, Pearl,’ Mrs. Jones said, cutting her off.
The shortened version of her name sounded both pleasant and strange. Pearl. Pearl lifted the muffin from the plate, not meeting the human’s eyes. Mrs. Jones had cut it in half, and there was a yellow sheen to the cut side.
Her new name gave her a temporary life on land.
‘I’m visiting,’ Pearl said before stuffing her mouth with the muffin.
‘With who?’ Mrs. Jones asked.
Pearl’s eyes flashed.
‘Reason I ask is that The Burrow is a small town. Most of us know each other. Visitors don’t come into town much during the off-season without us noticing.’
Pearl didn’t like the way Mrs. Jones’s gaze raked over her face as if memorizing each detail. She looked down at the hard, circular dish in front of her and took another bite of the muffin. It soured against her tongue.