I hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July for those Americans who celebrate. With the weather we’ve been having (hot and humid, a killer combination) I’ve been longing to spend time in the water. Since I haven’t had the chance to, at least more than the usual shower, I’ve decided to write about someone spending time in the water. This is probably more a vignette than a full short story but I hope you enjoy.
A Basking Day:
Clip Tail stirred as a shadow fell over their back. When it didn’t move on Clip Tail raised their head to look up at the surface. The water wasn’t supposed to get stormy today, the currents still calm rather than swirling the way Clip Tail had learned meant rough waves and a need to head to deeper, calmer waters. Instead of the passing grey they expected there was a large, finless shape floating on the surface.
A two-tail shell.
After a moment’s consideration, Clip Tail shook off the sand they had buried themselves in and drifted closer, curious. Two-tails weren’t much of a threat to Clip Tail, not now Clip Tail was over twice the size of even the largest two-tail. At least, so long as they didn’t carry any of the loud, fast spines.
Clip Tail was nearly under the floating shell when the first two-tail fell into the water, all black except for an odd, white head and bright yellow tail fins. The two-tail startled, dipping above the surface, then dropped back down. The two-tail treaded water, then made an odd circle sign. Clip Tail had seen this before, it was a greeting of some kind the two-tails shared. Clip Tail mimicked the motion back.
After a moment the two-tail turned and away from the shell and dove down.
Clip tail dove after them, tail moving languidly. The two-tail went down to a small grey buoy in the sand dunes on the sea floor. Clip Tail had swam past it many times crossing from their cave to the reef and back. Clip tail watched curiously as the two-tail moved things around the buoy, shaking off bits of algae and one persistent string of seaweed. After fiddling with the buoy the two-tail turned and started ascending back to the shell. Clip Tail watched as the two-tail scrambled up onto the shell. After a time the shell began to drift off.
With a huff Clip Tail drifted a little way from the buoy and settled back into the sand, eager to bask while the sun lasted. Clip Tail’s side fins rippled into the sand to blur the edges between the sand and the patterning on Clip Tail’s back.
Clip Tail let out a sigh, crossing their hands under their head and settled down, content to bask in the sunlight until the afternoon shadows meant it was time to hunt.
