MARIAH MCCOY - WOMAN OF THE SEA

Mariah McCoy is a Full Sail University student, studying Creative Writing for Entertainment. In order to enhance her writing career, Mariah is building a blogging website, as well as creating her first book. In her spare time, she maintains a YouTube page called “The Pride,” where she documents her life.
 

                
                                     Woman of the Sea

​
            The Beach Lady stepped onto the sand, circling her toes deep within the ground. She rocked side to side, with the wind waving her silk robe in the air. The Beach Lady raised her arms just inches above her dreaded bun. She unraveled the knot of her bun, and each lock draped over her face and floated on top of the water. Her nails dug into her scalp to scratch the dryness of her roots. Several flakes fell slowly in the air like thin, weightless sheets lying next to her beads.
            The sun met with the Beach Lady and nothing could come between the two. Even the compelling commotion on shore, repetitively shouting their chants, weren’t a distraction. She sunk her body deeper into the water, now sitting on top of the shells that lived underneath the sea. She relaxed her bottom lip on top of the small waves that pushed through, and allowed the water to fill up her mouth until she swallowed. She tilted her head back, fulfilling the thirst of each strand of hair. Once a calmness swarmed her body, she closed her eyes and floated.
            “Pray for Tulsa Oklahoma!” the crowd chanted. Several people of the community swarmed the beach grounds pounding their fists in the air as they marched by.
            The Beach Lady still floated in the sea. She stroked her hands against her stomach, then caressed her chest while her breast peaked through for air.
            “Pray for Tulsa Oklahoma!” The community continued to shout. Everyone gathered around the voice that was leading them all.
            “This day will be marked in history! The town people will now know what our people can do. Every fishermen, every teacher, every nurse, and every shoe-men- don’t let this tragic loss end your fight for freedom!” the voice said.
            The crowd let out a roar that soared through the skies. It gathered the attention of all that was surrounded. The force was so compelling, it drew an opposing audience from the entrance of the beach. They carried fire burning sticks in one hand, and stones in the other- “No Tulsa, no more!”
            “Pray for Tulsa Oklahoma!”
            “No Tulsa, no more!”
            The Beach Lady turned her body around toward the chaos. Nothing but her eyes were shown above the surface. She watched the two groups approach each other with a sudden halt. She squinted her eyes and plugged her ears with her index fingers. As soon as a stone was thrown, The Beach Lady dipped her head into the water.
            Though the surface trembled from riots, underneath the water there was no violence. As The Beach Lady swam below, she could see sea urchins living comfortably in their habitats. She held her breath for the longest. Even though the sea water stung her eyes, she refused to escape from this moment.
            A pearly white shell glowed in the sand, and The Beach Lady could see its shine from the corner of her eye. She turned her glare toward the shell and swam to its destination. Once she arrived, she reached down to capture her treasure, until two arms grabbed her from above. The Beach Lady stood up, gasping for air. Immediately she scanned her surroundings, with her chest pulsing up and down. She yanked away from the arms that carried her back to land.
            “Get off me!” she screamed.
            “Mary Anne, you shouldn’t be out here- not today,” the man said. His shirt was torn and piles of sand was in his hair. 
            The Beach Lady snatched away and slapped the man across his face, then let out a scream. She stumped her feet between the fire and stones being thrown in the air and departed from the sea.