Odd Humans

It was a beautiful sunny day at the city beach, or at least it had been. The bright sun had long since set behind the horizon, and the humans who had once filled the beach with laughter and joy had all returned to their homes. As the last embers of the campfires began to fade into darkness, I knew the time had come for me to emerge from my watery home. You see, this beach had a dark secret. A secret that was unbeknownst to the locals and tourists who populated the beach during its daylight hours. This sea, the very same sea that they spent so many of their summer days playing in, was actually filled with various creatures and monsters…

…And I was one of those monsters.

As the tide crept low under the moonlight, I slithered out from the briny depths of the ocean. The cold water rushed down my backside as I burst from the blanket of the sea. My yellow eyes shone brightly in the darkness as my fearsome shadow fell across the beach. I smothered the remaining campfire embers with my tail as I slithered across the sand. You see, Despite living near humans for most of my life, I did not understand them very well at all. Because of this, every night I would emerge from the waters to collect anything the human’s had left behind. I knew I could never talk to them, but I thought that maybe by studying their possessions and culture, it might help me to understand them just a little bit better.

The first object I found was certainly a strange one. It appeared to be a wide green pipe of some sort, but upon further inspection it seemed to be defective. I tried to look through it, but the bottom was closed off, covered by the same material as the sides. It appeared that the object was made of some sort of plastic, which was a material I was very familiar with, having lived in the ocean for most of my life. Making the object even stranger was the odd white strip that ran across the open end, almost like some sort of strap or handle. “Curious.” I thought to myself as I held the object in my claws. I knew humans had a passion for wearing objects on their heads. Perhaps this was one of them? I tried to place it on my own head, but it got caught on my horns. “No, that couldn’t be it.” I thought, taking the object off. It was then that I noticed some small cylindrical piles in the sand nearby where I had found the object. The mounds of sand were the exact same shape and size of the inside of the green object. Perhaps this was a protective cover? I slid the object over one the sand structures, and it was a perfect fit. As I looked down the beach, I saw dozens of these small sand mounds dotting the landscape. What was the purpose of these sand structures? Why were there so many of them? Perhaps they were of religious significance? I knew humans were all about religion a few centuries ago, so that maybe that was the purpose of these sand piles. I bowed my head to the sand, as I did not want to be disrespectful, before I slithered away, looking for my next treasure.

It was then that I saw something in the sand gleaming in the moonlight. I eagerly slithered over to see what it was. Half buried in the sand, and shining in the moonlight, was a strange gold ring. I picked the object up, holding it between my two claws. It was small, but beautiful. Most of the ring was made up of a thick gold material, with a thin wire connecting the open ends. I knew humans gave each other rings to show each other their love. Maybe this was one of those rings? Of course, I began to worry as to why it was left here. Maybe it had been lost or forgotten? Or maybe the human who received it didn’t share the feelings of the one who gave it to them. Still, the idea of confessing your deepest feelings to another being sounded absolutely wonderful. I slid the ring over my own claw, and tried to imaging a human on their knee, giving it to me. What would that feel like? I felt one of my hearts flutter at the mere thought, but it wasn’t long before the sadness of reality set back in. My fantasy of a human confessing their love to me was just that. A fantasy. No matter how much I wanted to engage with the humans, deep down I knew I never could. I had no doubt that some humans would be open to the existence of me, but there would always be others who wouldn’t. It would just give them another reason to fight with each other, and I didn’t want that weight on my conscience.

As I combed the beach looking for more trinkets, I passed set after set of footprints. The small prints leading into the tide must have been a child's first steps into the sea, and the scuffled set near the shore looked as though it had been the place of some sort of game. It was then that I noticed two large sets with a smaller one between, all walking side by side. It must have been one of those things humans called: a family, which was something that I had never known. I followed the tracks only to see the set split, with one of the large footprints veering off away from the others. What could have happened here? The prints then reconvened, but something was different. The stances looked confrontational, and were a lot of scuffs and storms in the ground. The tracks then led away from the beach, and that was where their story ended. I had no closure as to what became of the humans. I knew they were together, then they weren’t. Then they were again, but something was different. I hoped that whatever happened was able to be reconciled, but knowing humans, I didn’t expect it to.

As I thought heavily about the situation I had observed, I came across another set of the strange sand piles. Upon remembering the religious significance of these structures, I clasped my claws and bowed my head in prayer. I wasn’t sure to which of the gods the humans prayed to, but I hoped at least one of them would be listening. I prayed that the family that had struggled on this day would be brought peace, and that whatever conflict had transpired would be quickly resolved. As I unclasped my claws, I saw that I was still wearing the ring from earlier. I sighed deeply as I looked at it. I knew the human who lost it would likely never come back for it, but that didn’t make the ring mine. As much as I wished it was, it never could be. I took it off my claw and set the ring and the plastic object with the other lost trinkets I had found over the years. I had a great pile of them at the point where the sidewalk met the beach. I left them there in hopes that if the humans who lost them returned, they would be able to claim what was rightfully theirs. Some objects had been sitting there for weeks, with some even staying for years. Eventually, they would always disappear, but whether they were taken by the human who lost them or by someone new entirely, I did not know. All I knew is that they were here one day, and gone another. Just like the humans on this beach. By tomorrow, all of these footprints would be gone. They would either be washed away by the tide, or replaced by new ones. The beach never stayed the same for long, but that was why I loved it. I loved searching for the trinkets that had been lost or left behind by the humans. I loved looking at the footprints and trying to piece together what their lives were like. I loved humans. These strange, confusing, wonderful humans.

“Humans certainly are odd creatures.” I said wistfully as I laid myself down into the sand. “Still…” I started, looking up at the night sky, “I would love to live as one, even if just for a day.” I said as I watched the stars twinkle in the moonlight. It was true that humans were very different, but in some ways we were the same. We both longed for things, like love and family. We both felt things, like curiosity and compassion. While it was true that we came from completely different worlds, we all lived under the same stars. Maybe someday, I would reach out to them. Maybe someday, I would even make a friend. However, that day was not today. Humans still had a lot to learn, and I was no different in that regard. As the stars began to fade, I heard the sound of car engines humming from the beach’s parking lot. As quickly as it had begun, it seemed that my time on the surface had come to a close. I slithered back over to the sea as fast as my tail could carry me, and after taking one last look at the beach, I dove back into the sea. I would return to the surface again, but not until the fall of night. Not until the beach was completely empty. Then, and only then would I return, and I would live out a day in the lives of these humans all over again.