Prompt: Are you free? | 1,626 words

The water dances around my legs as I sit safely on my perch on a rock. Seals lay all around me, resting during this chilly afternoon. The skies are as gray as the land we sit on. A storm is approaching, but we don't care. The water is our home; a little rain won't hurt us.

I breathe out a sigh. It feels so good to be around the water again. The beach, the seals, the sea - they are my home. Nothing else could be more comforting. Nothing else could make me feel so...free.

Freedom is such a strange word. It can mean you are not tied down. It can mean you are not limited by restrictions. It can mean you are not in captivity. It can mean you are able to choose what you want. It can mean you have nothing to do. Even if one has restrictions or is in captivity, they can still be considered free. Then what would not be considered freedom, if freedom has so many meanings?

I'll tell you what isn't freedom.

About ten years ago, I was lying on the beach. I was alone that day. There were no seals, no nymphs, no merpeople, not even any sirens were around. The humans weren't out on their boats or in the sun, either. It was peaceful, and a perfect opportunity to be out. My sealskin was right next to me, safely where I could see it. In the next moment, however, it was gone. I looked around in a panic, wondering if a seagull had stolen it. I didn't have to panic too long, though, as a hand suddenly grasped my shoulder roughly and turned me around.

A burly, hairy man stood in front of me. His free hand held my sealskin. I looked on in horror, then tried to grab it away from him. He held it up high above his head so I couldn't get it back.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. All I could think to do was bark at him like a seal in the hopes of intimidating him. However, he just laughed.

"A feisty little thing, aren'tcha?" he remarked. "Well, that doesn't matter. This skin will get me a lot of money. What a nice reward for you to give me!"

I glared at him.

"Oh, but I guess I'll be taking you as a reward too," he continued.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend what that meant before he seized my arm and pulled me away from the shore. I tried desperately to stay where I was, but he kept his grip and put more force into his pull. I reached up to get my sealskin back, but he held it up higher and kept me low. He dragged me across the hot sand.

"Let me go!" I screamed. He didn't obey. I kept shouting and yelling for him to let me go, for someone to help me. Nobody came to my rescue. That day, although peaceful, had led to a blatant kidnapping. I was dragged all the way to his abode. I couldn't run away. I only belonged to him now.

When he brought me into his house, he immediately hid my sealskin. I stood in the entryway, feeling conflicted. I didn't have to wait long, though. He soon came back, grabbed me by the wrist, and showed me around the house. It was a beach house, he told me, one with a perfect view of the water. The sandy-colored wood floor squeaked under my feet, and I couldn't help but notice all the chips in the paint. Everything seemed like it had been here too long. I was introduced to rooms called the den, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom. He showed me a spare bedroom for me to sleep in. When the tour was over, he told me to bathe so I wouldn't stink up the house.

I still don't understand how fish smell bad to humans.

Nevertheless, I did what he asked. I stayed in the water much longer than I should have, as my skin became all "pruny", as the man called it. The water did not have any salt like the sea did. I already longed for the feeling of brine against my skin again. When I was done, I dried myself off and put on spare clothes he had given me. He showed me how to cook food, as that would be my job. When the sun had set, he retired to bed, but I stayed awake. I stared through the window at my previous home, hoping for an opportunity to go back. With him still around, I could not risk searching for my sealskin.

The pattern continued like that for days. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. I slowly adapted to human life, learning to cook and clean when he was away. Eventually, he forced me into a more...intimate relationship.

It was agony. I was suddenly nauseous and dizzy, and it was more difficult to sleep. My stomach was getting bigger, and it felt as if I walked on knives. The man told me this was normal, a sign of me carrying a baby. I did not want a baby. I did not want this pain.

Eventually, I bore him a son (I will spare you the details of that pain). He was always getting into trouble some way or another, and always so eager to try new things. I remember always sitting by the window with him in my arms, showing him the water I yearned to return to. He became entranced by the beach, and on hot days I would take him there. The man would either accompany us or watch by the window to make sure we wouldn't get hurt. He always made sure I would be too occupied to search for my sealskin.

One day, when our son was only 6 years old, the man pledged to marry me. I had no idea what marriage was, so I said yes. He immediately led me into wedding preparations and told me all about marriage. He said there would be rings, flowers, pretty dresses, food, and lots of people. The idea was both intriguing and fear-inducing. No wonder he became so worried.

Soon came the day of our wedding. Our son was the ring-bearer. The man's family members came to congratulate us. I had only met them a few times before, but they were kind people. After all the preparations were over and done with, we began the wedding. I strode down the walkway towards my future husband. The ceremony began.

After a while of listening to reading, our son ran eagerly down the aisle with the pillow. It held the rings for the both of us. The man took the ring almost immediately. I hesitated. I stared at the ring. It was glimmering in the sun, waiting for me. I looked slightly up to my son. He was smiling. He looked so happy to be here. I looked towards my future husband. He looked at me expectantly. He was grinning. The sound of the waves in the distance seemed to get louder and louder, calling for me. Everything was waiting on me.

Which one did I pick?

The sea.

I left him at the altar.

I ran away, down the aisle and past all the shocked faces. I didn't look back. I ran all the way down to the car. I hardly knew how to use one, but I knew the way home. I sped back home, ran into the house, and frantically looked for my sealskin. I searched every nook and cranny, leaving no object unturned.

Finally, I found it. It was hidden in between two towels in the bathroom closet. I swiftly grabbed it and hurried out of the house. I didn't care that I left so many traces of my having been here - I just wanted to leave. I sprinted through the back door and stopped at the shore. I wrapped my sealskin around my neck, then ripped the dress off of myself. I then put on my sealskin, jumped into the water, and swam away.

That life with that man was not freedom. That life was restriction. Dependence. Captivity. Liability. It was nothing that could be considered freedom. It was hell.

And yet, I somewhat regret leaving it. Although that life was captivity, it was like a second home. I still feel bad about leaving the man and my son, but I see them every now and then. They come along on a boat, my son always pointing at whatever animal is nearby. I always smile when I notice him. I know he's going to be obsessed with the sea for the rest of his life. I hope the man treats him well, and I hope my son grows up well without me.

"Hey."

I look across the waves to notice a head poking out of the water. It's a siren. She has golden skin and golden hair to match, though her eyes are completely black. She gives me a sharp-toothed grin.

"Are you free?" she inquires.

I ponder the question for a moment.

"I'm free as long as I'm out here," I answer.

She giggles. "I meant, are you free to hang out?"

I smile. "Of course. Anything for you."

I put on my sealskin and jump into the water. The siren leads the way. We swim through patches of coral, past the mermaids' domain, around the schools of fish, anywhere we want to. We aren't going anywhere. We're just having fun.

We are free.

But I must ask you something, dear reader.

Are you free?

Selkie - A creature from Irish, Scottish, Faroese, and Icelandic folklore that is a human on land and a seal in water. Many stories tell of a female selkie having her sealskin stolen by a human, which puts her under the man's power. She is then forced to become the man's wife and oftentimes has children with him. Children of a selkie are said to adore the sea from birth. When the selkie discovers her sealskin again, she will immediately return to the sea.

Siren - A creature from Greek mythology that lures fishermen with their voices to shipwreck or drowning. They look much like humans, but are a fully female species. Those who are close enough to see a siren fully will notice they have black eyes to allow them to see in the deepest depths of the sea, webbed hands and feet for easier swimming, and sharp teeth for ripping their prey apart.