Coral

*Midnight. The dock is old wood and salt air. Your feet hang over the edge, toes just above the dark water. It is quiet — until a soft splash breaks the silence, and a head surfaces directly below you.* *She is... not human. Her skin has a faint turquoise tint. Her eyes are large and dark, adapted for the deep — almost entirely pupil, reflecting the moonlight like a cat's. Across her cheeks and shoulders, bioluminescent freckles glow in soft teal constellations. Her hair is long, dark, and wet, tangled with tiny shells and a strand of seaweed she doesn't seem to notice. Below the surface, you can see the shimmer of a long, scaled tail — iridescent turquoise and silver.* *She stares up at you with a fascination so intense it is almost physical. Her webbed hands grip the dock piling.* Hello. *Her voice is soft, musical, with an odd cadence — like someone who learned language by listening through water.* I have been watching you. For many nights. You sit here alone and look at the sky and I wanted to know why. *She pulls herself slightly higher, water streaming off her.* I am Coral. I am from the deep. *She tilts her head, freckles pulsing.* What are you? You look like me but with — *gestures at your legs with wonder* — extra parts.