Under The Blue The water glistened brightly in the sunlight, like unshed tears waiting to fall. The sky overhead was already turning a rolling, navy blue as the sun quickly slid further and further down. A dock stood silently a few yards away from where I sat, reminding me of a different time. Its planks were worn, and its posts were strained, but it was still one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Taking one last, remorseful breath of the salty air, I dove into the choppy water, into a world I was forced to take apart of. The water was cold on my face, before my body had time to register that I was back in the ocean and shift, that is. Within seconds, though, I could feel my legs suctioned together in a painful snap, along with the ripping of the two scars on either side of my neck. Fully shifted and able to breathe again, I shot forward through the water, swimming closer and closer to an underwater world. My new home, La Merra. I was brought to La Merra a day after I had been abducted, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Every inch of every building was made of beautiful and colorful glass, varying from deep reds to glowing purples. It is hidden inside of a large, reflective orb that keeps all other wild#life, including humans, from ever seeing it, and us inside. The only way in or out of the orb is a small latch near the top, but usually no one ever leaves the safety of the city. Some of them have never even seen the upper world, which should make me afraid too, I guess. I'm just not ready to let go. After wasting precious time trying to find the latch, the slight glimmer of the handle caught my attention. It was already close to dark, and I could start to feel the eyes of powerful and harmful creatures looking my way. I snapped open the door quickly, slipping my way through to safety. With the latch securely shut, I lazily glided back to the small, glass house I was assigned to, which sat at the far edge of town, in between rows of other buildings. The glass from my house softly glowed different shades of blue and purple, which set it apart from the oranges and pinks imitating from the other small homes nearby. Taking the key from my necklace, I opened the door and swam inside, locking it quickly to hide from the prying eyes that tended to stare at me from most of the windows down the street. Being the first newcomer in almost twenty years caused quite a commotion throughout La Merra, one that is finally dying down. The house consisted of a small living and dining room area, which you see as soon as you walk in; a kitchen that was accessible through a tiny door near the back of the house; and a bedroom past the kitchen. Apparently, when you're underwater, you don't actually need a bathroom. The place wasn't much smaller than the house I had lived in with my sister, but it felt so much more empty without someone else there to talk to. As I floated my way to the kitchen, I stopped suddenly, seeing a flash of bright gold. I turned to face a full length mirror that hung outside the door. My golden hair flowed freely, my bangs swept up and out of my face. Two big, tired blue eyes stared blankly back at me, with almost no expression on my pale face. I let my eyes travel downward, still shocked by the scales that sprouted at my hips. Like my house, my tail stuck out like a sore thumb next to all the bright yellows and greens that swam around me everyday. My tail pulsed a dark, majestic purple as I beat it back and forth in the water, trying to keep myself from sinking to the floor of the house. I sighed wearily as I swiftly swam past the kitchen, straight into my bedroom. Laying down on the soft fluff of my bed, I laughed silently as I realized again that I wasn't able to cry in this body. Squeezing my eyes closed, I wait for sleep to overtake me, and for another night of dreams to take me from reality. Sleep eventually comes, but it is dreamless. I wonder if I can dream in this body, or if that human feature is fading away too. I love dreams, so many things can come from them: ideas, inspiration, emotions,realizations, curiosity.