drying of your tears [o]

[KAIYOU]

S i N G !

US A SONG • A SONG TO KEEP US WARM •
THERE'S SUCH A CHILL • SUCH A CHILL

An erratic line of footsteps disturbed the otherwise smooth sand the tide spilled over. Walking, running, skipping: the small prints did it all. They even came to a stop, bare feet squished into the sand only a few yards from where the sand turned to rocks and the rocks turned to massive cliffs. She was small, her body wrapped in a thin dress that glittered in the later afternoon sun like a jellyfish. Chocolate colored hair spilled over her shoulders, pulled into pigtails on either side of her head. And big, empty eyes stared down, down at the fish that lay dead on the beach. The sun didn't even glitter off it's scales, one eye staring glossily up at the sky. Above it, the girl was still for another moment before taking a step closer and kneeling down beside it. There was another beat of stillness, her chest rising, it's not. Slowly, she reached out, gently fingers running over the scales.

"Poor thing," she mumbled absentmindedly. Death was a natural part of life. Creatures in the sea ate others to survive. She ate to survive. The sea itself ate to survive. Mourning every death was impossible, but the girl knew that the sea did. She could hear it, the sad sound the waves made, the creatures, her own movement. It mourned with the fever of a mother and with the same amount of love and care. The little fish caused it to weep as well, a child lost to its arms. Kaiyou smiled, a sad sort of thing, gently scooping the fish from the sand. She stood, turning toward the sea and walking until the water nudged against her knees. A wave rose, small, but stopped before her, the water rushing to keep itself afloat. "Home." With that word, she set the carcass on the wave. It shifted and seemed to swallow the fish, sinking back into the sea. Kaiyou watched, pleased to see it almost looked like it swam away as the sea carried it out by her force.

Kaiyou put the fish out of find as it moved out of sight. It was dead and, by giving it back to the sea, she gave it to a creature to eat to live on. It was a vicious cycle, but any fish would rather be eaten by other sea folk than by a create of land. Kaiyou spread her hands out at her sides, water twisting up to clean her hands of the fish she had sent back to the sea. She smiled again, this time in joy rather than mourning. The water shifted again, spinning around her and raining down over her head. Shaking herself out like a dog, Kaiyou turned back to land. For a moment she only stared. The sea was her home. Land was only an exotic place, one that held her curiosity for now. The sea wept for her as well, as she traveled on foot. But she would be alright. She could bring the sea to her. Unhindered by the press of water against her legs, Kaiyou bounded back to the shore, crouching down once more to dig her fingers in the sand. "Goodbye, goodbye. You're free. I'll come home again. Believe me." Kaiyou sang the words softly, smoothing over the sand, before she stood again, walking slowly up the beach.