A Secret from Her Child

A light drizzle of the rain as the moonlight hits the soft waves of the sea. Sheila, a petite woman, slowly emerges from the waters. She moves her long black curly hair away from her face.

Where did we put it last time?

She heads near the rocks off to the side of the shore. She lifts a rock – a size of a six-week-old baby – easily aside, revealing a pair of pants, a shirt, and undergarments rest beneath.

I wonder if they will come in this rain. The last time we met, Chris asked us why we meet mommy by the sea? Why can’t I be normal?

--

Chris watches the streams of water falling on the side of his window as he kicks his feet on his car seat. “Daddy, do you think mommy would be out there in the rain?” Joseph, a slight slim man and Chris’s father, looks into the rear-view window. “Yes, she loves you so much that she’ll even see you all the way to the moon.” Chris giggles.

--

Should I head back home? Sheila thought. She slaps her cheeks and breathes in. I hope nothing happens to them. I miss them so much. Sheila sniffles as she looks out to the sea. Please come, guys.

“Are you okay, mommy?” Chris tugs at her pants. Sheila wipes her face and smiles. She stoops down to Chris’s level and gives him a tight squeeze. “I think that’s too tight, Sheila.”

Joseph loosens her grip a bit on Chris. “Better, bud.” Chris nods. Joseph tries to kiss Sheila on the forehead but is unable to. “Sheila, what about me?” She opens her arms, inviting Joseph in. “I missed you guys.”

Chris tries to squirm his way out after a while. “Can we play?”

“I agree,” Joseph says as he moves Sheila’s arm. “Just give your mom and me a second, okay? Remember the buckets? I placed them right in the center of the beach.” Chris makes his way over there.

Joseph turns his attention toward Sheila. “What’s wrong?”

I thought I hid it well. I guess nothing I do gets past Joseph. Should I tell him about my fear of Chris… not yet? I don’t want to burden him.

Sheila sighs. “No, I think I’m just tired from helping out in the dolphins’ territory. They keep getting attacked lately. It’s basically like last time when I couldn’t meet you guys.”

“We can meet next month, then.”

“No! I wanna play with mommy today!” Chris stands firmly in front of his father. “Chris, you’re supposed to be playing with the buckets.”

“They were boring.” Chris grabs his mom’s hand and directs her to the sea. “Let’s play in the water, mommy.” Joseph holds her other hand and pulls her back. “Chris, it was raining. It’s not good to go into the water.”

Joseph leans into Sheila’s ear, “You can’t go into the water. You haven’t told him yet, remember?”

“But I want to.” Sheila looks at Chris, trying to pull her toward the ocean and back towards Joseph. “I won’t transform.”

“You transform into a sea-goat when you touch the water.” Not always, Sheila thought.

“Ah, yes.” She tries to wiggle her hand out of Joseph’s. “Ah, yes? How did you forget? Do you want Chris to know this early on? I’m fine with that. But are you?” He lets go of her hand, and Chris falls to the ground. “Are you okay, baby?” Sheila helps Chris up. “Take off your jacket, okay? I’ll join you.”

Sheila turns to face Joseph. “Don’t worry, it’s a full moon, remember. I’ll only transform if I dive in deeper.” She chuckles. Joseph looks past her. “Chris, we will be floating by the shore!” He looks at Sheila and smiles. “That’s better for me.”

“But I won’t transform by swimming on the top.”

Joseph has taken off his clothes. “Are you getting in to float or float?” He laughs to himself.

--

They lie on their backs, looking up at the nicely lit night sky. “Isn’t this great?” Joseph turns to look at Sheila and Chris. Sheila raises her hand with his hand intertwined. “Is this really necessary?”

Chris’s eyes are slowly closing. He pops them open every once in a while. “I wanna play.” Sheila and Joseph look at him. “I do, too.” Sheila looking at Joseph.

“We are playing. And yes, this is.” Joseph lowering their hands.

Chris’s eyes have closed shut, and he is sinking into the water. Sheila feels a tug and yanks her hand out of Joseph’s. She goes into the water and transforms into a beast with a large black body with a short fishtail at the end. Her face intaking a goat-shaped head as dagger teeth hang outside of her mouth. A jade horn appears on each side of her head twirled below the side of her face. Chris’s eyes popped open to this sight when he no longer felt the warmth of his mother’s hand. He doesn’t see his mother in view, so he arranges his body to try to swim away. Sheila places her body beneath his. He is swimming away.

He’s running away from me, Sheila thought. She stops in her tracks.

Joseph grabs Chris and carries him to shore. “Are you okay, bud?”

Chris is breathing heavily. “There’s a monster in the water, daddy!” Chris responded. Joseph moves Chris’s head toward his chest. “Just go to sleep here.” Chris tries to look around. “Where’s mommy? There’s a monster in the water!”

“Just go to sleep, bud.”

“But where’s mommy?” Joseph pulls Chris away from his chest. “She’ll be back. Just go to sleep, okay? You’ll see her next month. Trust me, okay.” Chris lies his head against his father and closes his eyes. “I hope mommy didn’t get eaten by the monster.”

“She didn’t.”

--

My son. Am I that terrifying? I should never tell him. Sheila looks up at the moon from beneath the water. Why am I like this? Can I be normal like Joseph? Just once…

--

Moments passed. Sheila emerges from the water, looking down at the ground. “Is he asleep?”

“Can you look up at us?” Joseph opens up a giant towel. Sheila joins him beneath it. “You’re wet, you know.” She smiles.

“I lied to you earlier.” She looks at his face. “I know.” He looks at her.

“Of course, you did.” She looks at her hands then up at the sky. “Do you think it’s time, Joseph?” Joseph looks down at Chris and pats his head. “Do you remember about the constellations?” He looks up at the sky. “Yes, and how some of the stars are planets that shine.” She chuckles. “Which one is me again?” Joseph looks at her and then at the northern sky again. “The one to your right.”

“So, am I right, Joseph? About the time?”

“Maybe.”