#and the asshole interrupting them was meant to be sylvester

[chesters-ocs]

Sandy Beaches

wc: 1k

Clear, endless skies display thousands of twinkling stars above the quiet, empty beach.

A lone man walks along it, lost in the vast expanse above. Mentally he maps out constellations and invents new ones on a whim, naming them after things he holds dear.

Deciding the rickety old dock is the best spot to stargaze, he makes his way towards it. Lazily, he brushes some of the wet sand aside and sits down, his legs dangling freely.

Both the sky and the ocean collide and blur into one black entity, littered with specks of white both above and below.

He was sure that if he kept looking at it, he would truly end up getting lost there. Lost in the beauty of the world surrounding him.

And for a moment, he did.

He listened to the waves, the wind, and for a moment he pretended the cricket songs were of the stars themselves.

And as another tune joined the choir of the night, he couldn't help but look around.

A chirp seemingly came beneath him. Beneath the rotten wooden dock.

'No way a dolphin is so close to shore, right?' he thought, brows furrowing, craning his neck forwards.

Brilliant sparkling eyes meet his and the chirps continue.

He can't help but jump backwards in shock and surprise, not having seen nor heard the young girl approach.

A thought of 'why is she in the water?' passes by him.

"Hello?" he asks softly, after steeling himself, and peers over the wooden structure back into the water. It's just a child. What could she do?

Her eyes light up again, and taking initiative, she grasps at the slippery wooden support beams, and pulls herself upwards. Enthusiastic sounds escape her, though he understands what none of them mean.

And only when she has got her upper body on the dock, does he realize what he's looking at.

Glimmering scales litter her body, but distinct patches cover her shoulders, her cheeks and forearms. Were it daytime, he could have made out the soft purple hues of them all. The hands gripping at the old boards showcase a translucent webbing between each digit.

A quick glance over the edge of the the construction reveals a short, stout tail, also covered in the same scaled pattern. It ended in wide, opalescent fins.

The stargazer could only stare at her in awe.

Old tales of these creatures come crashing back down on him, how people often seek out islands like his own in hopes of finding one for themselves. No sane person thought merfolk would be real, but it'd be a lie to say their myth didn't make for some damn good tourist activity.

The girl outstretches her hand, toying with the wood, seemingly fascinated by it. Her hand lies flat on it, and she traces circles along the wet, worn down material, taking it in.

Her yelp seemingly startles them both, as she recoils her hand quickly, flapping it uselessly. Discomfort and pain is evident on her face.

'She looks so... human.'

"Hey, hey," he decides to call out to her, outstretching his own hand, wanting to see what happened. A likely situation already playing in his mind.

"Shh... It's okay. Give me your hand," he speaks, voice deep as he reaches for her slowly, doing his best to at least look inviting.

Grasping her hand, he looks at her palm.

Lo and behold, a splinter. Bad enough to also draw blood, if the running substance means anything.

"Shh," he continues to soothe, and with precision, removes the small bit of wood, brushing it to the side. The high-pitched squeamish squeak escaping the girl reminds him of the patients he takes care of on the island.

He barely has anything on him, having just expected to be by himself this evening. But something in him refuses to let this marvelous little child escape his grasp without at least bandaging the small cut.

Still holding her hand, he rummages trough his pocket for any spare gauze he may have forgotten to take out.

Luckily, the faiths seemed to shine on him once more this night, and he pulls out a strip of it. With as much gentleness as he can muster, he wraps it around her hand. The process also gives him extra time to admire the way it looks, with sharp, pointed claws in place of nails.

"There. All better now. Be more careful next time!" he can't help but chide, having been used to doing so.

Though, the girl ignores him, or perhaps doesn't understand him. Instead, after inspecting, and even sniffing, the (to her) strange thing covering her hand, the brings both of them up to her neck.

A necklace made of shells, seaweeds and peals is pulled from her neck, and extended his way.

"Is that for me?" he asks.

She only blinks, wiggling her hands a little, as if waiting for him to do the honors.

As he is about to reach out and take it, another, much louder, chirp is heard, and both of their heads whip it's way.

In the distance, theres someone else surfacing above the water by the huge, mossy boulders, which protrude from the ocean.

The other being is perched on the smooth stone, repeating the strange, almost dolphin-like thrills.

Without giving him much time to think, the girl just quickly pushes the necklace in the man's arms, before returning into the safety of the waters below, causing ripples in her wake.

By the time he tried to look back up to the figure by the rocks, it was already gone.

In the morning, when he wakes from his bed and inspects the necklace further, he notices that he's seen none of the shell types in his books, nor does he recognize the types of seaweeds used to craft it.

For now, it will remain safely tucked away. Until he can hopefully see the otherworldly creatures again.

With the increased walks he takes by the sandy beaches, he hopes it's sometime soon. And that it was not a one-off instance.