Until the Tide Returns

My entire life had been spent- wait, the gross majority- in the desert. My father, unsuspecting as he was, knocked up my mother without knowing everything about her. Or anything for that matter. Like her name. The way he tells it he was out camping in the woods shortly after graduation and wandered off into the woods by himself only to discover a girl alone by the lake.

Nine months later I was in a basket, a deep blue blanket wrapped around me along with a note. That was the last he heard from her. Sure, he could have dropped me off at the local orphanage. I was nothing to him. He didn’t know I had been conceived. Though the lack of protection he used should have hit him at some point before I showed up. He was a freshman in college partying it up in the dorms, he wasn’t asking for a kid. One look at me and he knew I was his.

Around the age of two he noticed something peculiar about me. Water clung to me. It wasn’t in the normal way it clings to you after you get out of the shower or pool. No. Every inch of my body was covered in a wet sheen. Of course it came off, after using a towel to absorb it. As I got older it became more of a problem. When I was five and in kindergarten the girl next to me at lunch spilled her water, it flew the remaining two feet and clung to me. So we moved to the desert.

Now at 17 my very lonely, complicated life had a routine. Showers were a pain seeing as my skin began to absorb the water as of late. If my father needed to shower or do anything involving running water or boiling water (that one had left a mark or two the first time it happened) I had to go hide in either my room or the garage depending on which was further away.

I was home schooled by a tutor who was told I was allergic to water. While she thought it was odd that I would be home schooled considering where we lived she didn’t say anything. Maggie knew not to turn faucets on. I knew leaving the house was dangerous. I couldn’t even go to a public restroom without chaos ensuing. But if I didn’t leave the house soon I was going to lose it.

So I snuck out. It was stupid really. My dad had gone to a work function on a Saturday and I took my bike into town. It was a small town, he didn’t want us living near too many people in case something happened. Though after 12 years I think we were safe.

I wore a tube top and shorts, the less fabric covering me the better in case something suddenly happened. The less wet my clothes became the better.

I entered a small clothing shop and began to browse. I had my fathers credit card, I did all of my shopping online.

“Where are you from?” A girl with pin straight blonde hair asked from behind the counter. She looked like she was around my age, she was half bent over the counter a magazine in front of her.

“Excuse me?” She had completely caught me off guard.

“Well you don’t go to my school, so clearly you aren’t from around here.” Her eyes slid to the orange top in my hands, “Try the blue one. It will match your eyes.”

“Oh, thanks.” I pulled out the blue shirt like she said and began browsing some more.

“So where are you from? You’re too pale to be from anywhere remotely close to here, no offense.”

“Actually, I live here. I’m just home schooled.” Her eyes widened and her mouth formed into an ‘o’.

“Oh, you’re the girl that lives on Chestnut? Don’t you like never come out of your house or something?” People knew about me? I mean yeah this wasn‘t the first time I snuck out, but I always assumed no one noticed me. Even if they did they never spoke to me. “Sorry, you’re just sort of like an urban legend around here. The girl no one knew for sure existed. What’s your name?”

“Beckett.” I wasn’t too fond of my name, it wasn’t very girly but it was what my mother had named me. I looked it up once, according to this one site it meant ‘dweller by the brook’.

“No, your first name.” I picked up a skirt.

“That is my first name.”

“Oh. Cool.” She didn’t sound like she meant it. I couldn’t blame her. “I’m Loraine, not that you asked. Though, I didn’t really give you a chance to.”

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled politely.

“So why don’t I ever see you around? I mean it’s not that small of a town but I would have noticed you before now.” I just shrugged and walked towards the dressing room. The blue shirt fit perfectly, but the skirt made my hips look three times wider than they actually were. So not getting that one. I guess it didn’t really matter since no one ever saw me except on the rare occasion I snuck out, but I cared anyway.

“I’ll just take the shirt.” I said placing it on counter. Loraine looked up from her magazine and rung up the shirt. I handed her the card.

“Where did you get this card?” She looked slightly angry.

“It’s my dads.”

“No it’s not. I know Jason. He works with my dad. He doesn’t have kids.” Did my dad not tell people about me? Was he ashamed of me?

“Look, I don’t know why he never mentioned me but either you accept it and swipe the card, or you hand it back and I don’t buy the shirt.” It really shouldn’t have been that hard to figure out, except for the eyes I was the female equivalent of my dad.

“Or I keep the card and return it to the guy you stole it from.” Before I could move to get the card back she opened the register and placed the card inside.

“I need that back.” I pleaded. “I’m not supposed to leave the house. Like ever. If he finds out I left I’m dead.” My already lonely and boring existence would be left without television, books, and internet. The only things I had. I couldn’t even have a pet. They would always go thirsty with me around.

“Leave or I’m calling the cops.”

“He’s at the company picnic today.” I had to convince her. “He was wearing a light blue polo and khaki shorts. He has a scar just above his left elbow from a skateboarding accident, and a burn mark on his thumb from Thursday when he was pulling the pork chops out of the oven. The tattoo on his right shoulder is a wave. If you look closely enough you’ll see my first and middle name in it. Beckett Jane. Ever see him drink plain water? You never will.”

“Beckett?” I froze and turned around slowly. Now matter how much I plead with Loraine to give me back the card it wouldn’t save me now.

“Hey Dad.” He stood in the doorway of the store, another man behind him.

“Jason, you never said you had a daughter.” He always said it was us against the world. Apparently it was more like ‘I’m just going to hide you from the world.’ Yeah his family knew about me and a few of his college buddies. But they didn’t live anywhere near here. I guess the only one around here who knew about me was my tutor.

“Don’t worry.” I snapped staring my father down. “He doesn’t.” I pushed my way passed them and out the door not bothering to unlock my bike and ran home.

He, of course, caught up with me easily seeing as he had a car. “Beckett.” He sounded hurt. Which considering what I had just discovered he had been doing for the past 12 years he had no right to be.

“Save it.”

“It’s going to rain.” I looked up at the sky and sure enough dark clouds were rolling in. No matter how bad the rain was people would the droplets diverting their original path to absorb into my skin. That would be fantastic. I sighed in defeat and got into the truck, my bike already in the bed. “You know I’m going to have to ground you for leaving the house? It isn’t safe.”

“Are you sure that’s why?”

“Do you have any idea what could happen if you were exposed?”

“What? The world would find out you have a daughter?” A frown etched into his face. “Sorry you got stuck with me. If I knew where she was I would be more than happy to go live with Mom and leave you unattached and happy.”

“You know that is not what I think.” I rolled my eyes and stared out the window until we got home. Only a few drops managed to hit me before I got inside. I went up to my room and locked the door. It only took a moment before the door began to shake while he tried to open it.

“Beckett!” He yelled from the other side. If he didn’t feel the need to tell his friends he had a daughter then I didn’t feel the need be the good little girl who did what her daddy said. My rebellions over the years were small. Sneaking out on occasion to keep my sanity. Gorging on junk food all day while my dad was at work. I normally did everything he asked. And he never told anyone he had a daughter? Screw him.

I guess I had fallen asleep, the light coming in through the window told me it was evening. I could smell food and my stomach grumbled. “Yeah yeah, I know.” I decided I better face my dad. My only other option was to starve. Halfway down the stairs boiling water flew to me and absorbed into my skin.

“FUCK!” It hurt badly. The places where it touched my skin were now a soft pink. I was suddenly grateful that the strangeness that was my life had progressed beyond simply sticking. That would have left worse burns before we could have gotten it all off.

“Are you ok?” I looked up at my dad, if he was even that anymore. “I’m so sorry. I should have warned you.” He turned and left going into the back yard. I walked into the kitchen and sat at the small table. “Hold your arms out.” He placed a large aloe leaf on the table and grabbed the hair tie I had left on the table.

“Wait.” I don’t know what possessed me to do this but I felt the need to do so. I stood up and walked over the sink adjusting the faucet to cold and flipped it on.

“What are you doing?” I didn’t say anything and just watched as the cool water absorbed itself into my skin soothing the burns. After a few moments all of the pink, all of the pain, was gone.

“Well that’s new.” I held up my arms and stared at them amazed. I poked a spot that had been bright and I felt fine.

“How did you know to do that?” He tossed the aloe into the trash.

“I just had a feeling.” I shrugged and turned around. The doorbell rang. We both looked at each other silently asking if either of us were expecting someone. “Should I go hide? Don’t want to ruin your little secret.” He frowned. “Fine then.” I left the kitchen and answered the door.

“What’s up oh mysterious one?” Loraine stood there in front of me. A red car parked in the driveway. I always wondered if I would be allowed to drive if I were normal. Now I wondered if Dad would admit he had a daughter if I were normal.

“You tell me.” I shrugged. “You’re at my house.”

“Right. Just thought I’d return this.” She held up the credit card she had taken from me.

“Thanks.” I took the card from her.

“Loraine?” She smiled uncertainly at my father who now stood behind me. “What are you doing here?”

“Returning your credit card. I thought she stole it from you so I held onto it.”

“Oh, well thanks.”

“Why doesn’t anyone know about her?” Loraine raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like she’s hideous or anything. In fact I’m pretty sure guys would be asking her out left and right. I wouldn’t mind the competition. In fact I would appreciate it. You have no idea how boring it is.” She pushed me aside gently and walked into the house. “What are you making? Smells good.”

“Loraine.” My fathers voice was gentle but I knew he was angry. “You need to leave.”

“Oh, right.” She nodded and looked back and forth between the two of us. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it before, you too look exactly alike. Except for her eyes. They’re so blue.”

“I think you should go home.” He said. I kind of wanted her to stay. Anything to keep me from another night alone with him.

“You’ve known me since I was like 10. You know I’m good people. Plus Dad has kinda been freaking out since this afternoon. He’s gonna want some answers.”

“She’s allergic to water.”

“So? I mean except for today it barely rains. I don’t see why that means she has to be locked up in here all the time. Certainly doesn’t explain why you always said you never had kids.”

“Oh I can explain that one.” They both looked at me. “Because he’s a self centered prick.”

“Beckett!” I ignored him again and ran back to my room locking myself in. My stomach grumbled in protest but I ignored it. My already lonely life just got a hell of a lot lonelier.