once upon a starless night, the ocean glowed with an unearthly light and at its surface splashed a tail, a pair of flippers, and a frightened wail: "not a soul on earth did see... ...what my dear sister did to me. yet i'm still here, yes, i still breathe-- and as a selkie,
now, i'm free. 'twas a dream she'd had one night... ...being chased in dim moonlight. in her final breath, a prayer. no time to gasp a lung of air. she was one of sisters, two. she, the youngest; hair, black-blue. the elder glowed with golden crown;
her beauty praised all through the town. as years went by, their natures sparked; the elder fair, the younger, dark. and while the elder showed disdain, the younger loved to feel the rain. dark gave no care for how she seemed,
she spent her time lost in her dreams... of sailing off to lands afar; to be at sea, free as the stars. " 'tis time to wed! ", announced the fair, " 'tis time i made part of a pair... ...and if all goes along with plan, my groom will be a handsome man." "marry not!" begged sister dark. "come sail with me the map i've marked!
for we will know what few girls do... does not the sea call out to you?" a handsome man soon did appear from lands afar to stay a year. and in short turn, fair laid her claim. he was hers alone, for *her* to tame. he spoke of things they did not know... of winter's flames, and summer's snows. yet far more time he spent with dark.
she loved his tales, but left her mark. she grew upon his hardened heart. but when he asked, she'd have *no* part. fair had watched with narrowed eyes. fierce with scorn, a plan devised. "i'll go with you," said fair one night. "who needs a man? you are the right! we'll sail the seas, i hear their call... let's not stay trapped by these four walls."
what frabjous night this was for dark! with sister dear, and map well-marked! the ship was set, her compass true-- --now icy cold in briny blue. sister fair, she made a plan. dark must leave her to her man. in fury blind, and greedy clutch. of consequence, she thought not much. but after she had done the deed,
guilt stabbed deep, and shame did bleed. "dear sister dark! what madness, i ?!" the crashing waves did not reply. so down sank dark, with heavy heart. she must have cracked her skull apart... she tried to swim, to fight, to flail. still down, and down; to no avail. glimmering keenly, like a blade,
a mermaid spied the fading maid. sweetly slow, she pressed a kiss... ...upon dark's frozen, bloodless lips. what happened next, no angels know. from out dark's eyes, poured eerie glow. her silhouette began to shift... her human form had had a rift. skin and bone, it fell away... ...and in its place, a selkie lay.
suspended deep in flecks of light-- --of filtered moon, that starless night. in several moments, dark then woke. lungs filled with sea, a startled choke! one frantic kick, her face broke sky... she splashed back down... <
in hopes to speak, she made strange sounds. alas! her voice seemed to be bound... "there's nothing human left!" she feared, yet her throat, it held a souvenir. < in tangled kelp, she searched her heart: "how can i so angry be? what did fair take away from me?" dark still could swim to lands afar, be lulled to sleep by tide and star... "what a lovely life!" the girl rejoiced. out came a whistle for her voice. a human bone stuck in her throat; it interfered with every note. to clear her pipes, she tried all things, but instead, the whistling bone would sing. dark fell in love with her new life, as it lay before her, bright. if only sister truly knew; if only dark had left a clue. exploring on the rocks one day, a shadow cast over dark at play. lightning fast, the net did slip over her form, with tightened grip. "so beautiful!" her captor sighed, as he gazed at his new prize. never had he seen such grace-- blue-black sleek, and sweet of face. had only the man observed with care the anguish with which she fought the snare! she thrashed and clawed, most fiercely wild. all lost on him, he stood beguiled. "oh, won't you make a pretty pet? our show will now be fully set! we shall place her in the ring... she's fitting for the likes of kings!" and out dark's mouth, the whistle came. which made him giddy, all the same. "oh, sweet sound! like meadowlark!" ...and so the circus stole poor dark. in heavy chains, she'd close her eyes... feign the wagons rocked like tide, till at long last, the troupe had found a place to pitch... in her old town. in the span of one whole year, dark had returned to sister dear! in the crowd, 'twas fair she spied... and out dark let a mournful cry! sweet fair, she was no more the same. her hair hung limp from withered frame. though the handsome man sat by her side, fair was no more consumed by pride. indeed instead, she seemed not there-- her eyes, they darted everywhere. she searched to exit from the show. 'twas somewhere else she longed to go. for fair had never missed a day of vigil where her sister lay 'twas the man who tarried so, who had her stay, when her heart bid, "go!" but the tent went dim, the ring lights glowed... the music faded... and time did slow. the crowd, it hushed from front to back. all eyes on creature, sleek blue-black. with bated breath, the group remained. fair leaned in close, her knuckles drained. she slowly felt her soul go pale. this second chance, she dared not fail. fair had returned alone that night. a shock of hair, once gold gone *white*. no sign of dark. when asked, fair winced. not one word she'd spoken since. witnessed all her swift decline. watched how the madness stole her mind. every day, she'd disappear to the cliffs, from which she'd peer. now, *no* mistaking who light saw... at the ring, she stared in awe. her every ounce remained transfixed... her gaze, it crossed the river styx. a whistle soft, and sweetly keen sliced through the hearts of every being! all in tears, no eye left dry. only fair had heard the bone's true cry: what my dear sister did *for* me... yet i'm still here; yes, i still breathe... and as a selkie, i was free.>> jagged pain lanced through fair's breast. she'd free dear dark, or never rest! before she knew, dark's captors chased. her cart, it fled at dangerous pace... "oh dearest dark, forgive me, pray! my life lost *all* that cursed day! you've been my heart, since you were born. i'll set you free, you'll never mourn!" "my sweetest light, pray stop!" begged dark. "you risk your life; i beseech you, hark! you've been my savior, don't you see? you gave me life by ending me. 'tis my true form, this selkie pelt! i'm freer than i've ever felt! now 'tis time for your own start, to rid the guilt that plagues your heart... clear yourself of inner strife. love, let me go and live your life!" yet in light's haste, she raced the cliffs. she failed to trace the narrow lip. the horses spared, yet wagon snapped... down to the rocks and waves that lapped. selkie and maid plunged to the sea. dark's heart it broke, light paid the fee. with tearful kiss, dark lay light down under the waves with coral crown. the weight of loss dark could not bear. her darling light, with golden hair. "oh, grant us peace!" she begged, alone. "she's all i've had, she had atoned!" dark cried to sleep upon a rock. she cared no longer, took no stock. up above, the silvery moon gazed down upon, and granted boon. from far beneath, there came faint glow... skin and bone, it fell away. and in its place... ...a selkie lay. and so they swam to lands unknown... saw winterflame and summersnow... found treasures deep and sunken ships, together loyal, without eclipse. so, should you glimpse a selkie pair one starless night; one dark, one fair, then by this tale remember, true-- how selfless love spared kindred, two.
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