Did...did I faint?

     I guess I did. I'm laying on the sand and an extremely bright light is shining into my eyes. I squint as I sit up to see what happened to my tail...

Oh my gosh! My tail isn't there anymore! It's split in half! Are these the human things that Mother told me were called "legs"? And does that mean I'm...

     I'm not underwater anymore! How am I not dead? The bright light that made me squint earlier is the sun, and I see the glittery ocean surface stretched out before me. I am wearing a white dress that looks like the sails of abandoned pirate ships I've found.

Oh my gosh again! Am I on human land? 

I dive into the water as fast as I can and kick my weak little legs as best I can. I take a breath of relief. I'm safe!

     But the breath of relief...didn't...really work. Water fills my lungs and I can't breathe! I swim as fast as I can up to the surface and throw myself onto dry land, coughing and wheezing like I was caught in a pool of squid ink. I guess I really am human.

     I open my eyes and, for the first time, see the human world.

   It's beautiful. Adorable little houses are lined up in colors of pastel pink and blue, and there are little shops lining the beach. The sky is almost as blue as the ocean, with little puffs of white suspended in the air here and there. On the ground, there are vast expanses of what look like teeny tiny seaweeds. So this is land. It doesn't look so bad.

     I push myself off the ground in a weak attempt to stand up. I stand on my...legs for a few seconds before flapping my arms and falling right back down. I try again. Fail. I pout, discouraged.

     I eventually am able to stand up and even take a few steps before falling down. Well, it's progress. All through this, the thought is still ringing loud and clear in my head:

I'm a human.