She clambered and shambled, her feet digging in the sand, struggling to pull herself out of the water. She rolled onto her back, half still submerged, feeling the wet sand rubbing into her scaly skin. She breathed in the salty air that sent her eyes swerving to the back of her head. She stretched her arms out, the waves charging to grab them but failing. She kicked her legs, shaking the currents, sending them flying into the orange radar of the rising sun. She squinted against the new light, shielding her eyes with her webbed fingers, capturing the lingering yet fleeting image of the candy-coloured sky. She pushed herself into a sitting position and pulled her legs out of the water, shedding the gelatinous film off her body. She breathed hard and stood steadfast, rubbed the last grains of sand out of her eyes, and finally started her day with the sun grinning down at her and the waves sadly retreating.
(photo via AnOthermag.com)
