Hey all! This is an old story I wrote back during the dawn of time when I was a college student. It was for my Writing in Fiction class, and it didn't turn out half bad, if I do say so myself. XD This is the first half of this story— the second half is in the next chapter! Please be sure to comment and like iy you are interested in me continuing this story!

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Another seal splashed into the water and Jackson quickly recorded the dyed mark on the seal's back in his notebook.

"Looks like grey seal #091 is recovering just fine," he murmured to himself as he sat perched on the rock jetty. 

Since coming to Acarsaid, he had quickly come to love Saturdays. He could go about his own personal research and remain, more or less, unbothered by the rest of his older colleagues. They were good fellows, honest and cheerful, but they were too inquisitive and skeptical about his research topic. Sure the species that he was researching hadn't been seen in the last 104 years, 8 months, and 20 days, but that didn't bother him. Yes, of course, it bothered him, but he was certain that he would be able to find them. His answer to the problem was located right in the cove of Fergesen Beach.

In the clear, mid-afternoon June weather, he could see all the way across to Irvine's Point; beyond that was the vast all-consuming blue of the Atlantic that melded with the horizon, creating the image that there was no difference between the sea and the sky. Reaching out his right hand toward the neverending blue, he stared between the gaps of his fingers. They're out there somewhere. I just know it. I'll be the one to prove it, the world will see!

He had sworn that very same thing as he left Idaho to begin his researching abroad. Except out there he had sworn it with his hand stretched to the September sky, surrounded by a sea of drying corn stalks. No one doubted his capabilities, he was the smartest in the William's family. He had just finished getting his bachelor's in environmental science and anthropology at the University of Idaho, summa cum laude, no means a small feat. His family was extremely proud of him for that. His post-graduate plans were what they were disappointed with. They had hope in him to do better for himself, to help out the family by getting a good job as a doctor or a professor in the city. But no, he wanted to be a researcher, but not studying any respectable "normal" kind of species. He wanted to study extraordinary life forms, "E.L.F." and for his graduate research, he wanted to find a mystery species that was extinct for over a century.

It was a fool's quest, his distinguished peers and mentors at the conservatory informed him so daily. Their research was already on the bizarre and unusual end of science, so for them to consider his graduate project insane, was very, very comforting. Despite their discouragement, he remained determined. After all, he had traveled all the way to the Acarsaid Observatory, located in the second largest town in Orkney, Scotland. He was convinced by the year of prep and researching that he spent at the University of E.L.F., that there was enough evidence to prove that this species of E.L.F. still existed and that he knew by what methods how. He blinked against the sun glaring into his eyes and tugged his cap lower onto his head. She'll be here any minute now.

A pod of grey seals emerged onto the beach and he patiently waited knowing that she would be joining him shortly. He started sketching the bay in his notebook but paused when he saw that the whole pod had finally made it to land. It still took his breath away every time that he watched that scene: all of them stretched out, bellies or backs up to the sun to dry out of their pelts. He watched as they slowly flopped one way, then another, as they wiggled and wormed their ways out of the backs of their seal pelts as if they were simply Speedos. Then they would step out, completely metamorphosized in human form.

And completely nude, damn Selkies. Absolutely no shame. Shaking his head, he returned to his sketch, which was starting to look pretty good in his opinion.

"If it's erotic again I'm going to throw it into the water."

There Eibhleann was, standing directly behind him out of view, but her sea blown hair draped over his shoulder and into his face. He looked up to see her peering down at him with eyes that matched her dark brown hair. Playfully swatting at her face he said, "If you're asking for a special commision, I might consider it."

She threw her head back and let out several short barks, the Selkie version of a giggle. "You're a piece of work, ain'tcha?"

Nodding, he turned around to see her better and wasn't surprised by the rest of her appearance. "Come on Eve, didn't I tell you to get changed before talking to me? I get that you're comfortable being nude and all that, but I'm not and I would appreciate it if you wore something."

She giggled again, sending more sharp barks into the air, mixing with brethren down along the rest of the beach. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it someday."

"No, I don't think I will and I think you should learn to have some decency," Jackson replied firmly.

"Well," Eve dragged out, pausing for a moment causing her face to crumple up before her face brightened and she quipped back, "Well then, I think that you need to reconsider how you define decent!" Cheerily she dipped down giving him a peck on the cheek. His face flared and once again she giggled. "Knew you would like that."

"Of course I would, but enough of that."

"Why? Are you afraid of her?" Jackson shook his head, "But you know how it is."

"Why, no, I do not know how it is, Jackson. In my mind is quite simple. You liked her at one point in time, it got dull, she no longer tries and neither do you. Enter the great me. I add some spice to your life, plus I know how to find the creature you're looking for. You leave her, you find the species and you get me. Seems like a win-win, yes?"

"Well, yes, but... it's complicated."

Eve sighed dramatically and flopped most ungraciously onto the sand, "Ugh, men. Both grypine and human, both indecisive and not wanting to hurt anyone, yet subsequently crushing all the hearts in their path."

"Hey, that's an unfair comparison!"

"Well, you're an unfair comparison, love." Eve agilely sprang back onto her feet and brushed the sand off her body. Using the notebook as both a shield from the sand flying off of her as well as from staring so much at her body, Jackson said, "Enough toying with me, are you ready to help out today? You say that you're almost ready every day to me and it never seems that you are. We never seem to accomplish all that much and you know that time is of the essence for me."

Eve sauntered over to him, leaned into his shoulder and deeply inhaled. Jackson was weirded out by it the first few times that she had done that before, but he was used to her weird antics by now. "Yes, yes, Americans always in a rush, never take their time to let things flow. Well, you have managed to be patient enough. I believe that today is the day. Just as you said before though, I do need to make myself decent and then I will be prepared to help. Sounds good?"

Jackson blinked a few times, was she finally ready or pulling his leg? He looked into her eyes, yes, she really was ready. "Where should I meet you?" "At the observatory, where else?"

"Alright, I'll see you shortly in my office."

"Sounds good love, oh, one more thing."

Eve snagged him by his shirt and pulled him in for a long kiss. Jackson stumbled back, pleasantly surprised he asked, "What was that for?"

"To remind you that you need to trust me no matter what."

Watching her receding figure down the beach, he couldn't help but be impressed and spooked by her uncanny intuition. Jotting down a quick note about it in his notebook he started his walk back to the conservatory. Damn Selkie.