"Who is she?"
"I don't know; she's definitely not a fish."
"Do you think I'm stupid, Pond? She doesn't have fins."
"Yes, Quash, but she's not like the residents here either. Look, she's hairless."
"Elephants, hippos, and many of the residents are also hairless."
"I know, but this animal's head is hairy, unlike those with very slippery heads. So ... hey! She's moving!"
Melody blinked, trying to make sense of the blur clouding her vision. At first, everything was a hazy swirl of blue. It shifted and warped like a dream she couldn’t grasp. The world around her felt different, as if she were trapped between reality and something unknown. Her breaths were slow, her body heavy, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure of her own state or her surroundings.
Then, two figures started to become visible. One was a white shape, while the other had a brownish tone that blended in with the surroundings. Their outlines wavered, faint and unsteady, like shadows struggling to take form. As they got closer, their shapes became clearer. They moved slowly and deliberately, gliding through the water toward her.
"Are these her eyes?"
"It seems so."
Melody winced and pressed her hand to her aching head as her consciousness came back fully. The pain made her breath hitch. She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to steady herself, then exhaled deeply. The lingering ache refused to fade, but she forced herself to ignore it. Her fingers trembled slightly as she steadied herself, willing her mind to stay focused.
As her awareness sharpened, the world around her came into full clarity—no longer a blur. She blinked, scanning her surroundings, but nothing looked familiar. A strange unease crept over her, tightening around her chest. Confusion clouded her gaze as she struggled to remember where she was—and how she had ended up here.
"Where is this?" Melody muttered, but the moment her gaze locked ahead, her heart raced. "Don't come near me! Go! Go away!"
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" The white approached Melody, attempting to calm her. "Don't be scared! If we were evil, we wouldn't wait for you to wake up before eating you, right?!"
Melody processed the words as she looked at them in disbelief. She had never imagined seeing those two figures in the ocean and being able to speak. It seemed impossible, except in dreams. Curiosity tugged at her. She felt the urge to explore this strange encounter, even as questions filled her mind.
"Who are you, and how can land animals like you live in the sea? Wait ..." Melody took a deep breath and exhaled, then touched her face. "Why can I breathe underwater and see?"
"Of course you can breathe and see because you're alive, and you're seeing us!" the brown laughed. "We are sea animals, not land animals. Only the poultry are on the land, and fish are in the air. The fish are the predators, not us. So calm down, my friend. We're not them! We're not sharks!"
"Yes, yes, yes. We're not jellyfish either."
Melody still remembered the animals she saw before losing her sight. "A rabbit cub and a kitten that can talk in the water? No way, this must be a dream."
"Do you think we and all this are in a dream?" the rabbit cub pinched Melody's hand.
"It hurts!" Melody winced.
"You see, right? This isn't a dream," the rabbit cub smiled with a broad grin.
"If this isn't a dream, then ..." Melody furrowed her brow. The incident that had happened to her flashed in her mind, making her panic. "How can I be here? And where are my mom and dad?"
The kitten sighed. "You have so many questions. What a weirdo!"
"You're the weirdos!" Melody said, annoyed.
"No, you're the one who's weird!" The kitten pulled Melody's hair, causing her to let out a small scream. "We've never seen an animal with fur only on her head."
"Let go of your hand!" Melody swatted away the kitten's paw. "Listen, I'm not an animal! I'm human!"
"Human?" The rabbit cub looked at Melody, surprised. "You mean a human-like animal, like I'm a rabbit?"
"What kind of question is that, Pond? She's definitely an animal, and her species is human," the kitten said.