Eywa's Marines

Chapter 21

He looks down at me as he hovers in the water.

'Sorry' I sign to him. He tilts his head at me. His friends come around the corner and see me too. They stopped what they were doing and watched me.

I began to swim away after signing sorry again. I rose up and got into land. I hear waves and splashing behind me and I look back as I straighten myself to Ao'nung. He walks up to me. I fully face him.

"Do you want to swim with us?" He asks me, trying his best to convince me with his mother's smile. I think for a moment as I see the others surface too.

"Oh I'll just slow you down, my leg still hurts a little." I excuse.

"No you won't" he says and comes up a little closer.

"My shoulder isn't healed fully either" I excuse further.

"The water will heal you" he says he then grabs onto my hand and pulls me into the water. I try to pull back but he was too strong and I lost my balance as I was keeping weight off my bad leg.

*SPLASH*

He pulls me deeper into the water until we're submerged. His friends behind us then pull at my shoulder bandages. I spin around and face them. They back away while laughing. I throw them a confused face in return.

I then feel tugging and Ao'nung pulls off my leg bandage. I turn to face him again then my shoulder and rib bandages were pulled off too by his friends once I had my back to them.

"Mmm!" I mumbled to them audibly whilst keeping my breath. They began laughing. I turned around to Ao'nung again and tried grabbing my bandages off him. He held his hand back as I tried to reach. He laughed more then let go of the bandages, letting them rise to the surface. I swam past him and tried to go after them.

I feel a tug and I'm pulled back to him by my tail. I hold onto my tail and furrow my brows at him. I sign 'stop' but he doesn't and his friends tug my hair back. I lost a bit of oxygen as I gasped, bubbles floating to the surface. 

I swatted at them but they got out the way fast. I turned to face Ao'nung.

'Fine we can go swimming' I sign, thinking that's what he was teasing about. He smiled, showing his teeth. I waited there for him to lead but he didn't go anywhere. I tilted my head to motion him to lead. I then felt the need to breathe and a few bubbles escaped my lips. I covered my mouth and pointed to the sky to tell him I was gonna get a breath. He nodded to say yes so I took it as I had permission.

I swim up and a hand grabs my ankles and I'm pulled down, my hair covering my vision as it waves opposite in my face. I try to free myself but can't. I then swim quickly upwards once he lets go.

I finally get to the surface and breathe as much as I can, nervous that I'll get pulled under again. I quickly reach over to the rocks and pull myself up on land again. I then hear them laughing. I turn around a little pissed off.

"What was that for?" I ask him. He walks up. I step back this time.

"My dad says you're a freak, are you?" He asked. Ah, now I see.

"What?" I asked, not believing what I'm hearing.

"He asked if you are a freak" the smaller friend with short hair said to me, making fun and taunting me with a stupid smile on his face.

"He aSkEd iF YoU- shut the hell up who even are you" I mocked him back, matching his energy. His face then dropped slightly, not expecting that as he looked at Ao'nung for help. Ao'nung didn't look too pleased but I couldn't help but smirk to myself. His eyes narrowed onto me. He stepped closer, his chin close to his chest.