Eternal Love
The Most Suspicious of Muffins
For one of my classes in my MFA program, we were asked to write the beginning paragraphs of Moby Dick in another genre. I chose romance. I decided to expand upon my original short work for this prompt.
Call me crazy. Many people have so far. They don't believe what I've seen, don't understand what I feel.
A few years ago, I was low on cash and had little interest in continuing my life on land. They say the most peaceful wat to die is by drowning. I sold what little I had and bought a small shack by the sea. I intended to walk into the salty ocean spray and let it drag me under. I've always loved the sea, felt most calm there, even on my darkest days. I wanted to give my life to the sea, but she had other plans.
As I allowed myself to be caught up in her chilled embrace, another pair of arms encircled me. I found myself on the shore, gasping for air like a fish out of water but in reverse. When I opened my eyes, despite how they stung from the sea salt, I saw something beyond imagination.
Bathed in silver moonlight was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid my eyes on. Human from the waist up but with the powerful body of a seal from the waist down, covered in shiny white fur. Their deep brown eyes were round and seal-like but human enough to make my pounding heart jump in my chest. As I stared I took notice of the deep sadness their eyes held. They seemed pained by what I had tried to do, hurt even. I reached for them, but they disappeared into the water before I could confirm I wasn't dreaming.
After that day, I began searching for the beautiful creature I saw. No one believed what I saw nor what I felt. They all called me crazy. Some even warned me about becoming obsessed with something that was likely just an ordinary seal with an odd coat. Putting extraordinary attributes on something ordinary and obsessing over it was dangerous, they said. I didn't listen to them, though I would regret that later on during my search.
When my searches near the area where I had been saved brought me nothing but sorrow, I began considering the idea of buying a boat. Unfortunately, I didn't have anymore money to do so, having spent it all on my shack.
This lack of funds lead me to joining the crew of a ship known as the Pequod. The captain, Ahab, was a frightening man. It was hard to tell if his disposition was caused by the pain he was in, having recently lost his leg, or if he was just naturally maniacal. Honestly, it seemed like both considering his false leg was made of a sperm whale's jaw.
We left the docks on Christmas day. I remember the crew consisting of many men from different countries and races but that hardly mattered to me. I was more interested in the chance of finding my savior as we roamed the sea.
Unbeknownst to me, fate had a roundabout way of helping me toward my goal. It was a path I will never forget, a voyage of terror and madness. After leaving shore, Captain Ahab made a strange announcement. He nailed a golden doubloon to the mast and declared that whomever killed a great white whale known as Moby Dick would receive it.
Admittedly, I was suckered into the prospect of the reward. The golden doubloon would put a nice dent in the money I needed to buy a boat of my own and put me closer to searching for the beautiful white seal-creature more directly. Foolishly, the other crew members and I accepted the challenge. But no matter of preparation or number of harpoons could have prepared us for the hunt of Moby Dick.
Over the course of three days, the crew and I were pulled along for a terrifying whale hunt. Captain Ahab's lust for revenge against this whale knew no bounds. He was relentless in his desire to find and destroy Moby Dick. Many whales were killed on out journey but none of them were the whale Ahab wanted most.
His obsession frightened me and I began to consider by own obsession over finding the white seal-creature. Would my own search make me as mad as Ahab was? The captain seemed to be chasing his own death; would I catch my death if I pursued my savior with the same mad fervor? The very idea of becoming someone like him chilled me to the bone.
Eventually, we caught up to the fearsome whale but our attempts to harpoon him failed miserably. The harpoon boats were destroyed soon after they were deployed and the whale escaped which only incensed Ahab more. The day after that, the whale was sighted again. This time we managed to harpoon him but he was too strong and dragged one of our crew members overboard before escaping again.
The third and final day was the worst. Ahab was practically rabid by this point but his madness was put to a swift and unfortunate end. During our attack, Moby Dick sank the Pequod and yanked the captain from his harpoon boat to his death. The rest of the crew members were dragged into a whirlpool created by the battle and the sinking ship. I had gotten flung from the ship just far enough to avoid being sucked in myself but watching the men all drown made me wish I was.
Despite having avoided the whirlpool, the sea seemed determined to have me now as I had wanted not long ago. I could feel her icy clutches sinking into me, ready to pull me to my grave. With my life flashing before my eyes, I vowed and promised to give up on my search for the white seal-creature. As much as I desired to find them, I now knew that such an obsession would bring me to my end if it was not already at hand. I prayed for my life as I flailed in the cold water, struggling to stay afloat.
Just when I thought all was lost, a pair of arms wrapped around me. Despite the burn of the salty water, I opened my eyes to find the same beautiful creature from before. Their eyes were sad again and a sweet voice broke through the wall water around my ears.
"Why is it I always find you trying to drown?"
I couldn't answer but I managed to move my lead filled limbs and clung to my savior's body. They were real and the joy of knowing that made me find peace with my death; my death that never came.
After my world went black, I woke on a strange shore. I coughed and sputtered up sea water but the burning of my lungs hardly mattered when my vision cleared. My beautiful white seal was there beside me, rubbing my back as I struggled to breathe.
I could finally see them properly and they were even more beautiful than I had thought. White hair rested on tanned shoulders, a bare torso lead down to the body of a white coated seal. Their round brown eyes regarded me with affection and I had never been so happy.
"What are you?" I asked between salty, watery coughs.
They laughed and smiled at me, flashing a sharp rounded canines. "I am known as a selkie."
I blinked at them, admiring their form once more. "...why did you save me? Now and before."
Their expression saddened some. "It hurt me to see one as handsome as you wanting to die. That is why I saved you before. As for now... Well, I knew you were looking for me. I feel some responsibility for you ending up on that madman's ship."
"You knew? But then why did you not show yourself to me?" I asked.
"I was scared. Humans steal our seal skins and imprison us on land..."
I grabbed their hand urgently. "I would never dream of such a thing. If anything, I would rather be with you in the ocean."
"Do you truly mean that?" They asked with some caution.
"Yes, I have always found peace when I near the sea. That was why I tried to be a part of it when you saved me."
"...do you still wish to be a part of the sea? There is a way to make you like me, part of the sea but still alive and free."
"If it means you will be by my side then yes, I do. I will do anything to be with you... except go on another voyage with a madman."
The selkie laughed then and their soft lips met mine. I returned their kiss eagerly and by some sort of magic I didn't understand, I felt my body begin to change.
When our kiss broke, I found that my body was like theirs; a seal from the waist down coated in shiny white fur. Playfully, my selkie companion left my side and slipped away into the cold, salty surf. I followed eagerly and never returned to the land I had initially tried to escape.
I am happy here, in the sea, just my selkie and me.