I laid against my mom's side, listening to her heart beat. We were sitting in a huge open area, enjoying the view. I slowly dozed off to sleep.
In my dream I was rushing through open water, swimming faster than anyone had ever gone. I felt free and light, like nothing in the world could hurt me.
I smiled as a pack of dolphins swam above me, dancing in the waves. I pretended like I was one of them and swam as fast as I could in the same direction. I spun around in lots of little circles and imagined that I was as beautiful as them.
Then the dream changed. The water became icy cold and the dolphins disappeared. The waves sounded harsh and dangerous and I couldn't move on my own the water was pushing me where ever it wanted me to go.
There was the sound of large objects falling into the water and then shadows began to surround me. My voice caught in my throat as I tried to yell for help.
I woke up.
The nightmare didn't end.
My mom was pulling me through open water. Dragging me to supposed safety as tons of plastic trash was falling into the ocean.
I had only the word yesterday but it was already my least favorite word. I had heard horror stories about the stuff, how it killed and maimed and separated families. But I had always thought of them as stories. Not now. Not ever again.
As we swam as fast as we could I thought about all the things that I loved about life. My home. My friends. My family. I thought about the stories of the beauty of the ocean. I thought about my grandma and how she told me about the monsters that lived above. Stories I never took seriously. I wish I had.
I watched as the trash consumed us.
"I love you, mom!" I screamed as loud as could.
And then ever thing went dark.
When I opened my eyes I was in open water. I yelled in victory and smiled so big that I hurt my cheeks.
"We did. We're alive!" I cheered.
I turned to face my mom but she wasn't there. I was holding a piece of plastic.
My heart stopped as grief gripped me.
"No! Mom! Mom! Where are you?! Mom!? Mom!? Mommy!? Please mommy answer me! I need you! Mommy, please! I can't do this with out you. Mommy, mommy...please...mommy..."
I was crying as stood there alone. I was alone. The plastic had taken everything from me. I gripped the piece in my tail as tight as I could. It was going to be my sword. I was going to have my revenge. The monsters from the world above had destroyed my world, killed my people, my friends, my family. The monsters had left me alone.
A single baby sea horse, alone in the huge ocean.
I gripped my little piece of plastic like a lifeline.
I will make them suffer.
They will pay in blood.
