by Jacquelyn Croy

Created on: July 07, 2010

Aurora lived in the ocean. She was a seahorse, you see, and seahorses are denied the great many wonders that belong to the air-breathers. She lived in the shallows. “Defenseless,” she hummed (she fancied her self more humming-bird than seahorse), “I have defenses. I have a tail.” It was the hermit crab that had her riled up with talk of vulnerabilities which seemed to belong to her species alone. Frailty was her least favored word and limitation was a concept that haunted her. She wanted to be above water . But it was only with his help, that she was able to break through the barrier that separated her world from his. She was strong, but she was still a seahorse.

Rocker sang. The other motmots did not sing. Rocker was not like the other motmots. He flew above the shoreline, watching the shimmer of colors in the water below. Birds were denied the great many wonders that belonged to the water-breathers.

Rocker knew Aurora. And Aurora knew him. It was his fault she hated the ocean. He had shown her air. And it wasn’t an atmosphere that restricted her from breathing. It was all this damn water. She could drown in it.

He would not swim and she would not fly. The world was cruel to them both. Cruel for the introduction and cruel for the circumstance which kept them apart. She hummed his song, and he sang hers. They were alike in many ways, but fundamentally different. Once it didn’t matter to either one. Rocker would sink. Aurora would soar. But all to briefly.

Aurora went to see the mystical killer whale. (It is common knowledge among sea creatures that Killer whales have the magic ability to grant wishes…if they so chose to.)

“Killer whale,” she said. “I wish to be a bird. I wish to fly.”

“Why?” he asked. The Killer whale did not grant wishes unless there was a very good reason for them to be granted.

“For the greatest reason of all,” said Aurora. “For love.”

“No.” Said the Whale. And Aurora swam away with tears in her eyes.

The next day Aurora went back to see the Killer Whale. “Killer Whale, I wish to be a bird.”

“Why? Asked the Whale again and Aurora sighed.

“Because I haven’t the strength to hoist myself above the water. I am dependant on the bird for brief, unsustainable moments of happiness and it makes me feel weak and sad.”

The whale pondered before telling her no this time. It was not the emphatic no from

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