Becoming One of Them

Raven placed her head on the ground next to the turtle and took a deep breath before releasing a slow exhale. She nuzzled him once more and mumbled just enough for him to hear, “You will transform now. You will become one of us.”

He blinked his owlish eyes at him. Transform… what did she mean? And one of them? One of who? What is she going to do to me?

Once again, fear gripped at his heart as the uncertainty washed over him. Was she a foe? Was she going to eat him? By transforming did she mean he will transform into her food?

The feminine being rested her snout on the small body. The hatchling started to glow and lift off the ocean floor. The turtle’s eyes widened with fright as his body lost contact with the ground. He watched as the distance between him and the ground grew. His flippers lifelessly dangled beneath him, and when he was several feet above the sea floor the bright light that traced him engulfed his whole body.

His eyes clamped shut at the blinding light. He could feel the heaviness being lifted off of him. Life was starting to rush back into his body. His body was starting to come back to its senses.

He could move his little paws again.

His long tail swayed back and forth beneath him.

He could stretch his arms and legs again.

He could control his body again!

Wait…

Paws? Long tail? Arms? Legs?

He didn’t have any of those! Or..did he..? Bewildered and confused he glanced back down at his body and to his horror and shock...he couldn’t recognize it.

He had tufts of fur on his chest that went around to the back of his neck. His body was turquoise with shades of pink blended in. His flippers.. Oh his flippers were now gone and in their place arms and legs. At the end of his arms were hands...paws..feet(?).. Limbs with three digits. He curled his tiny fingers, opening and closing his fist as he did. Behind his newly formed limb, he could see the ground approaching him slowly.

His feet softly landed on the sand. He was standing upright. He was bipedal!

The baby turtle..if that’s what he even is anymore, snapped his head towards the strange being. Bewilderment, puzzlement, and shock were evident. He stared up at the stranger with wide questioning, and yet anticipating, eyes. He waited for her to explain. Explain who she was. Explain what she did to him. How she did it. What he was.

What was he? Wh-Who was he? His memories...they were blurry. He couldn’t clearly identify who he was. It was at the tip of his tongue...his identity...He…

The thought of his missing identity pushed away any other thoughts and questions he had about his strange situation. Despite the rolling ice ball of panic in his gut...blankness clouded his eyes. He turned to face the stranger in front of him, and with a flat tone he asked, “Who am I?”

“Who are you?” The dark being crossed her paws then tilted her head at the question, “you are you.”

“No..” The tinier being shook his head in desperation. He fell back to behind and brought his legs up to his chest before burying his face into his knees, “I-I..” after a few quivering breathes, he lifted his tear-stricken face, “think I lost my identity..” His voice shook with sorrow.

The emptiness he felt scared him.

Not knowing who he was scared him.

The uncertainty clouding his mind scared him.

Being a stranger to himself terrified him.

Grief washed over him in waves, with each wave impacting him more and more. It was taking control of his mind and emotions. It was slowly becoming his entire being.

Raven frowned. She watched as the new esk drown in agony and despair. He was losing himself to the heart-break tormenting his mind and soul. The older and larger esk, pulled the younger closer to her body with her tail. She comfortingly pressed her cheek against him and hummed, “it’s ok. It’ll be ok. What you’re going through is common in transformations. I know it’s scary… but everything will be ok now.”

“Transformation?” the small esk sniffed and rubbed his eye with his tiny fist, “what is that?”

“A transformation is when a lost soul becomes an esk”

“What is an esk?”

“An esk is well…” Raven lifted her head in thought. “Well an esk is someone like you and me. We’re not animals...or plants. But we’re alive just like them.”

The young sniffled and pressed closer to the other for comfort, “Are we aliens?”

“What? No!” The lithe being let out a soft laugh then shook her head, “we belong on this planet as much as any other living being! The main difference between us and the rest of the world I guess...is that we are from souls that have lost their way beyond recovery and have entered the esk domain. Another difference is our nature features.”

“Nature...features..?”

Raven nodded towards the large rock salt on the smaller’s back and tail, “like your shell and tail, or my fish poison tree. They..are kind of a manifestation of our spirit. Nature features can vary depending on where your transformation occurs. Nature features are like the trademark for esks.”

“Oh…” the down-casted esk curled his little around his body and fell into silence. It was so much to take in! From the mystery of his identity to learning about a new species of..of...lost souls? Uncertainty swept over him. He didn’t know where to go from here...or what to do.

He didn’t know who he was before this...transformation. The feeling of sadness dominated every sense and emotion in his body. Despair was etched into his small face. It felt as if every cell in his body soaked in the woe and have molded it into his body.

He didn’t know who he was, but there was one thing was certain...and that was before becoming an esk...he felt a great amount of sadness and it has transferred over from his last life to this.

“Raven…” He gazed up at his fellow esk, his voice dripping with despondency, “Do I at least have a name?”

Raven stiffened. She didn’t know. He probably did, but she didn’t know his name. But with the look in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. The fact that the younger was clinging to the hope of having his own name, of the hope of claiming something of his own, to have a piece of identity to hold onto, was evident. She blinked down at the sad being and smiled, “Kaui…”

“Kaui?” The small esk’s eyes perked up.

“Mhm..” She nodded, “it means youthful and beautiful.”

“Beautiful..? Me?” doubt laced itself to his question.

“Of course!” Raven exclaimed before nuzzling his small body, “not only that but you are so adorable! I could just eat you right up!”

A giggle erupted from the small esk as he flailed his tiny arms, “N-nooo don’t eat me!”

Her heart soared and warmth filled her body. His giggle was like an auditory hug, for it enveloped her heart with mirth. Kaui glowed with innocence and yet with such sadness. Earning a laugh from such a heart-broken being was like winning the lottery.

Welcome to our world, little Kaui.