#laxum

“Lance, come on,” Hunk said, “It’s getting dark.”

“She’s coming back,” Lance said bitterly, sitting on the dock, “I know she is,”

“Lance….” Hunk held his head in his hands, “Look, I know...I know what you think you saw but-but maybe it was just a dream or something.”

“Doubt me all you want, Hunk,” Lance said, looking through the binoculars at the ocean’s surface, “I know what I saw, and she’s coming back.”

Hunk sighed. “I’m going to be in the house. Please come in at some point, I don’t want you catching cold.”

Lance nodded absentmindedly. When their parents took them on a joint vacation out to a beach house, Lance had been excited to spend all his time with Hunk. But that was before he got stuck in an undertow the other day and dragged out to sea. Lance was a good swimmer, but the ocean’s waves were rough and he was having trouble, until he got help from a mysterious stranger. A stranger with beautiful big blue eyes and a long, long fish tail.

He was determined to see her again, believing she’d return. Well, hoping. Wishing. He wanted to see her so badly, to thank her.

As Hunk warned, the sun set over the distant horizon, leaving the ocean an inky black. Lance’s binoculars became useless. He put them to his side, using his own eyes to look between the waves for any sign of light.

One by one, the lights of the beach houses went dark, leaving Lance with little more than the moon and stars to see. He should probably head back in, he knew. Even if she did show up, ten feet away with a big sign over her head that read ‘hi’ he wouldn’t be able to see it.

He slumped on the wooden dock. Who’d’ve thought sitting and doing nothing but stare at the ocean all day would leave someone so tired? Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a second….recharged for the walk home…

Next thing he knew, he was waking up, blinking his eyes open, and staring up at the stars. And the stars….the stars were blinking back at him.

His eyes focused in the dim light and he saw the silhouette of a young woman, but a very strange young woman, with two long flaps on her head like hair and big wide bug eyes that were nearly black.

He jolted, realizing who it was. She slid back, hopping off the deck, but he reached out to her, “Wait!” he called, trying to grab her wrist but it slipped out of his hand.

The call apparently got to her, as he watched her silhouette sit in the water, torso above the surface. She looked up at him, waiting. “Who are you?” He asked. She didn’t respond. “Do you speak English?” Still, nothing. “No Español either, huh?”

She tilted her head, using the dock to lift herself up and examine him. Lance put a hand to his chest. “I’m Lance.”

The girl mimicked him, putting a hand on her own chest, “Imlance,”

Lance let out a giggle. He must have been in a disney movie or something. Gingerly, he took her hand, putting it back on his own chest, “Lance,” he corrected her.

“Lance…” She repeated, thinking. She took his own hand and put it to her chest in turn. “Plaxum.”

“Plaxum,” Lance repeated, “that’s beautiful.”

Plaxum said something to him in a series of clicks and squeals. Or maybe she was just making noise, it was hard to tell. “I’m sorry, I can’t understand you,” Lance said. “I….I wanted to say ‘thank you.’ For yesterday.”

She tilted her head again, probably still not understanding. He didn’t know how to mimic the word ‘thanks.’ “Thank you,” he repeated, putting in all his earnestness and honesty that he had to give.

“Thank you,” She repeated, mindlessly. He smiled. Close enough.

There were more clicks and squeals in the ocean, making her turn her head. “Will I see you again?” Lance asked. She looked confused. “Here.” he patted the dock, “Tomorrow, when it’s night.” He pointed up at the sky.