A Sea of Magic

All my life, I have been fascinated by the ocean, and the deep secrets it holds. Every time I drew my gaze upon it, I could see past the lightless depths and deep into the endless void that hosted the most bizarre and beautiful sights no human could ever imagine.

Giant sea serpents that used hidden cave systems to move around in secret, elusive selkies that would often notice my gaze and wave in greeting, merpeople that made magical music that went unheard to ears above the water—the mysteries and wonders the ocean bore were limitless, yet I could not speak of it to anyone, for no one except my mother had the same vision as mine.

I learned my lesson long ago in first grade when I tried to show Macy, my best friend at the time, a group of selkies that were swimming past our boat. Macy couldn’t see it no matter how many times I pointed them to her. She thought I was making fun of her and started to cry. Our class teacher even intervened and thought that I was bullying her.

I didn’t know what to say after that. When I told this to my mother that same day, she told me that my special gifts were beginning to manifest; she said that, like her, I was a sea witch. Mom asked me never to speak of it with anyone, and to keep my abilities a secret, lest we have an angry mob on our doorstep.

And so, I remained quiet. I told no one of these wondrous sights, no matter how much I wished to do so. Becoming a sailor when I grew up was at least comforting, for even if it were my secret to take to the grave, I could still be around the magic that never grew old in my eyes.

Now, I travel the vast oceans around the world and see countless new magical creatures I have never seen before. This may be a long, solitary journey, but it is one that I am grateful for with all my heart.