The Musings of a Teenage Something

Marria

There once was a girl. Born on a houseboat and sent out to sea. She grew up alone, learned to do things on her own, and was very lonely. She had no way to drive the boat back to the shore that always seemed to taunt her. So close to civilization, but so far.

The girl grew depressed as she grew older, but she didn't register depression as we do. Her idea of what we call depression is normal to her. It's the only thing she's ever known.

One day, as she approached her sixteenth birthday, she got the idea to swim to the mainland. After all, not a day goes by where the girl doesn't think about how nice it'd be to have a friend, and she wouldn't have to swim too far.

The girl thought hard about whether to go or not. Finally, as her sixteenth birthday passed, she decided that the pain of being alone wasn't worth staying. She prepared herself for many days, thinking about her timing and the weather.

She had her things all laid out on her bed. Her swim suit, her swim shoes, and other things she might need for the trip. She had hopes of coming back to the boat with a new friend.

As she lay in bed the night before she'd leave, she couldn't sleep. Her mind buzzed with what she'd say to anyone she saw. "Hi, I'm Marria, I'm sixteen, my favorite color is blue because it's the color of the sky and the sea, my favorite animal is the bird because they can fly, and if I could have anything in the world, I'd like to have a friend."

Marria wanted nothing more than a friend.

Finally, the morning dawned and Marria got dressed. She ate breakfast and stood, leaning on the rail that for all her years have separated her from others. Marria looked up at the blue, blue sky, the same color as her eyes, and smiled. Today was going to be a good day.

She smiled at the shore. She'd get there. She needed others.

Marria climbed on the other side of the rails, holding on to it with her hands, and leaning out. She took a deep breath of the ocean she'd smelled all her life. She was ready.

Marria let go of the rail and jumped in the water. She sank down a few feet before bobbing back to the surface. Then she sank again, going back under. She didn't have time to breath. Her head pounded. She tried to push herself back to the surface, bringing her arms up and down, like a bird.

Marria hit the surface, took a gasping breath, coughed and again was under the water. Coughing, she got the salty ocean water in her mouth. She swallowed it, gagged at the taste, and got more water in her mouth. She coughed, water going right in her lungs.

She was drowning. No one ever taught her how to swim. She was dying just because she wanted a friend. Anything can happen with a lonely heart.

If you read Wendy is Gone (that I wrote) you might recognize this story. I actually wrote Marria just for Wendy is Gone.