Page 15 of Blood of the Sirens
This gravity thing was going to be a problem.
My two legs had large muscles in them, but they didn’t look large enough to support my upper body. My tail was much bigger! Nevertheless, I steeled myself and tried to stand.
I fell over immediately, hitting the deck with my elbow first. A jolt of hot pain raced up my arm, and I grit my teeth in agony as the wood bit into my delicate human skin.
Slow. Goslow.
Again.
I carefully put my legs under me, and slowly raised my body inch by inch, letting myself adjust to gravity’s pull on me. They taught us about gravity in guppy school. I hated it.
I wobbled and wiggled, but didn’t fall. I kept my arms thrown out to the side like Barrett had suggested. I don’t know if it helped or not, but I stayed upright.
Now to take a step.
I slid my brand new foot across the wood. This was a poor decision as small, stinging pains immediately assaulted me. I stopped and hissed in annoyance. It felt like being grazed by a jellyfish. I sat back down and saw bits of wood sticking out of my new flesh.
I understood now why the footwear was so crucial.
I picked the few slivers of wood out, bleeding lightly. I put the flimsy rubber coverings over the bottom of my feet, not seeing how it would help all that much. I stood again, slinging my pouch over my bare chest.
Now I was a proper-looking human. At least, according to Barrett.
I would have brought him along to help me, but I couldn’t risk him scenting my female. I wouldn’t risk her for anyone.
So here I was, trying not to die as I took my first fewsteps. I kept them small, with my arms out to balance. I took three, then five. Then ten, and then more, until I made it off the dock and onto dry land.
With a jolt, I realized this was the first time I’d ever been on dry land.
Well, no turning back now.
I carefully walked toward the darkened house, keeping to the edges since I didn’t want to scare her if she was inside. Dark was the word I used, but I found over the years that nothing above the surface was truly ever dark unless one surfaced far, far away from land. The humans used fake lighting that was much harsher than our bioluminescence. They should stick to the light of their moon and fire, though my father could go on for ages about the fire.
Maybe just the moon, then.
Either way, nothing up here was ever as truly black as the deep sea.
I shivered unconsciously.
The house had a myriad of shining windows that reflected many things, but I didn’t see another door besides the one facing the ocean, and that one was enclosed.
The female’s scent hung heavy here, but not recently. She hadn’t been here since this morning. I was unsure where to go, so I simply followed the scent where I could.
My footwear did not seem appropriate for this, since small rocks and twigs easily got stuck in between my foot and the rubber. The rock path in front of me was clearly a road, so I followed it, since her scent went that way as well.
At least I’d get plenty of practice walking.
Perhaps too much. The rubber foot protection rubbed painfully against my skin. Was it supposed to hurt?
The rock path led out to a much harder, firm road that was black and painted with yellow and white lines. A pair ofeyes came at me from a distance, rapidly getting closer. It was a loud beast and very large! It—
FWOOSH.
It zoomed past me and continued on down the road as I yelped, falling backward onto my bottom. Weakly, I realized it wasn’t an animal at all. It was a machine and the two eyes were lights. Just like the lights the larger boats had so the humans could see at night. It was a land boat, of sorts.
Embarrassed, I picked myself off the ground, managing to stand in half the time it took the first time.
I kept walking in the opposite direction that the land boat went, following the scent of my female. My goal tonight would be to get her name and give her mine.
