Angels of the sea (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 10 The Pod and the truth

 I wake up gasping, "That was a weird dream" I gasp to myself. I look over at James, who's just sitting up on his bed looking at me, he sighs deeply, and then he whispers "You know, don't you." Blinking my eyes, "know what?" I ask him in a sleepy mumble. He stands up and slowly walks over towards me "My family's secret?" he asks as he walks, I sit up on the side of my bed, "What Secret?" I ask James as I yawn and stretch out my arms. "Well, the one you just figured out" James replies in a duh tone. “What do you mean I just figured it out?" I ask in a confused tone. "Zoe, it's the same one you saw in your dream" James bends down, chuckling, "How did you know I had a-" I gasp. James slowly nods, then looks over to the right towards Kyle's bed, "Yo, Kyle!” James calls out "Wake up mom, dad and Pops she knows" James says as Kyle lifts up his head.

Kyle walks out of the room a few moments later, leaving me and James alone for the most part. "I know what James that you're a do-lph- in" I sputter out that last part, James nods and then says "Well my whole family are, we're a Pod" James says as he stands back up, "James mom, dad and Pops are ready for us" Kyle says as he stops at the doorway for a moment before starting to walk back up the hallway, all the kids run out of the room and start to fallow Kyle up the hallway.

 "Come on Zoe" James says as I stand up slowly, I feel like my legs are numb. "To where James?" I ask him, Mom, dad and, Pops are calling a Pod meeting and you're the guest of honor" James replies. "I can't feel my legs James" I say, James turns his head towards me "Grab hold of my neck" James says warmly, I grab a hold of his neck and James scoops me up bridle style and begins to walk slowly. "So why am I the guest of honor?" I ask looking up at him, "You'll find out" James replies, looking back down at me.

 As me and James join the others at the kitchen table, John and Joe are lighting two candles in the center of the table. "Yawl are late" Joe says as she looks up at us from lighting the last candle, "Sorry mom, Zoe got cold feet" James says as he gently puts me down. I take my seat and, James sits right beside me. "Where's Kyle?, He's never late for a Pod meeting" ask James, "He's going to wake up Bryan" Joe replies as he sits down in her chair. Kyle walks in a moment later and sits down in his chair, "Bryan doesn't feel like getting up, he feels weak" Kyle says after he sits down. "Well, who can blame him, " says John sitting beside Joe.

"So Zoe, what would you like to know first?" Joe asks me, "I want to know if you guys are pulling my leg" I reply. "Yo'll get that answer ether today or tomorrow" Joe says, "Mom, I think I should be to tell her the history of the Pod" James says to his mother, "Very well James" Joe says as she gives him a nod of her head.

James then turns his head to me, "Zoe do you remember when you first arrived and I told you the story when some kids fell off of a rainbow and their Goddess turn then into dolphin's, I nod my head. Well, I only told you half the story, there were four kids who fell off that rainbow.The first two were completely transformed into dolphins, but the other two were only halfway transformed into dolphins. The magic was in thire blood, so when they swam to the mainland, they shifted back into their human forms and went on with the rest of their life. Well, time skip, we've been here for six generations" James says.

"Okay the next thing I want to know is, when do they have their first shift and, how do they do it?" I ask looking at Joe, "Well their first official shift is when they're first born, when the mom goes into labor she goes out into the water to give birth.Unlike most mammals Dolphins are born tail first, because they need to swim to the surface as they're first born. However, in one of our kind when they take their first breath, they shift into a human baby, then their mom shifts back herself, picks him or her up up out of the water and takes her new baby onto dry land, the baby won't shift again until it's at least ten years old" Joe explains.