The Selkie

Agnes put her keycard in the door, stepping into the bright white entryway. She loved her job, but she hated how the entire building was colored in sterile shades of white. Also being called in at five in the morning on her day off wasn’t helping her mood.

Almost immediately as she walked into the door, a thin man with ash brown hair cut in a rather unprofessional floppy style, sprinted up to her calling out, “Agnes! Agnes, you have to come see! You will not believe what the home office just had delivered.”

Agnes and Steven were both lead scientists for a think tank that specialized in the biological sciences. The home office and corporate normally left their outpost alone, but occasionally they would send orders for a new project or a new specimen. She had never seen Steven act like this to any of those incursions, though.  At the very least he was little more coherent normally.

“Ah, Steven, can I buy a description?” Agnes requested, confused.

“Aggie, this is something you truly must see to believe. “

#

That was how Agnes wound up in an observation room watching the young dark-haired girl behind the other side of the glass.  The dark-haired girl couldn’t be more than eighteen, dressed in a white shift, her dark, almost black eyes terrified, curled up on the ground hugging her knees.

Agnes was horrified and baffled. What was she supposed to be looking at?

“Fishers found her off the coast of Scotland.”  Steven explained, “Just like in the old stories.”

Agnes’ eyes darted towards him.  He still wasn’t making sense. None of this was making sense. “What old stories?”

The other scientist hit a button, speaking into an intercom, “The subject will put on the cloak now.”

The only other thing in the room with the girl was a slick, dark brown cloak that looked to be made from some sort of seal skin.

“Steven, what are you doing?” Agnes asked, becoming more alarm.

“The subject will put on the cloak now.” Steven repeated, a bit more tersely, ignoring Agnes.

The girl tentively touched the cloak, looking around.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Agnes asked. This had to be some kind of elaborate prank.

Once again Steven ignored her, taking a stun gun and holding it up to the speaker before sending off sparks.

“Steven, what are you doing?!” Agnes exclaimed, utterly shocked. What was next, telling her to put on the lotion or she got the hose again?!

“Just look, she’s finally doing it.” Steven insisted.

The whimpering girl was wrapping the cloak around herself, her body transforming with it, the legs turning into a tail, the arms to flippers. Suddenly there was no longer a human girl, but a very distressed, floundering seal.

Agnes gapped, shocked, and still confused by what she was seeing.

“Aggie,” Steven smiled almost manically, “Have you ever heard of a Selkie?”

#

An hour later, their Selkie was swimming around a professional size pool, and Agnes was up to her elbow in Scot and Irish folklore. Even after a having time to process what was happening, she still asked, running fingers through her chestnut brown hair, “How much of this real?”

“Only one way to find out.” Steven said, standing up, “I figure we’ll preform some basic examinations, then we’ll send a memo to the home office, figure out an exact plan for her.”

“And why exactly would the home office want to plan for her?” Agnes asked, looking over the memo the home office sent them.  They really hadn’t sent that much instruction, except they wanted to know what she was if she was sentient. That seemed very important to the lawyers.

Steven balked. “Because we’re a biology think thank and this is—I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s biogeological!

Ages was quiet for a moment. She had to admit, Steven had point. This was at least somewhat in their wheelhouse.  She glanced out the window to the pool where the Selkie was swimming back and forth franticly, as if she was trying to get out. “When you say examinations—”

“Blood, saliva and stool samples, MRI, notes on her behavior.”  Steven listed off.

Agnes was still looking at the creature who was starting to make a series of distressed barks. “This isn’t right. “She turned back to look at Steven, “This can’t even be legal. She’s a sentient being, we can’t just—hold her like this.”

“We have no evidence she’s sentient.” Steven argued, “She’s yet to show any form of communication, she attacked the fishermen who found her like some sort of wild animal—”

“Have a bunch of strange men pull you from your home in a net, see how you respond.” Agnes countered, then took a breath to calm down. “Okay, Steven, there’s one way to settle this. We can have a phycologist come in, examine her, and then we’ll discuss how to proceed from there.”

Steven didn’t say anything for a moment, staring at her, hard.

“You know it’s a reasonable next step.” Agnes countered firmly, “Especially with what the home office wants.”

“Alright.” Steven gave in, “But good luck finding one without being psychoanalyzed yourself.”

#

Later that day, Agnes walked toward the pool where a sandy-haired lab tech was crouched by the side of the pool with a bucket of fish. “Come on,” He pleaded, “It’s fish, you’re a seal, you should like fish.”

The Selkie barked, trying to climb up the side of the pool. Suddenly Agnes realized what was going on. Or at least she thought she knew. There was only one way to be sure.

“I can take it from here, Wes.” Agnes said, stepping to the stairs.

Wes smiled gratefully hurrying to his feet while Agnes stepped into the water.

“Can you come over here, sweetie?” Agnes called out.

The Selkie turned her head towards the other woman, freezing, floating in the water.

“I know you probably don’t trust me,” Agnes began, “And I don’t blame you for not trusting me. But I can help you get out of this pool to eat if that’s what you want. Now if you can understand me, just—swim over to me.”

For a moment nothing happened, and Agnes thought that maybe she was out of her mind, when the Selkie swam towards her, stopping at the edge, looking at the scientist expectantly.

“Alright, just follow me.” Agnes instructed, walking down the length of the pool.

The Selkie followed, stopping at the stairs.

“Okay, you’re going to have to take off your cloak now,” Agnes instructed, “I don’t think I can get you out of there myself, and—you’re going to need legs to walk out of there.” Did she really just say that? Was this really happening?

Watching a Selkie transform into a human is much weirder than watching it turn into a seal. It was like the head was coming off her body, the skin transforming back into a cloak. Gripping it tight in her hand, she walked up the steps as Agnes got the pail and set it front of them.

“That better?” Agnes asked.

The Selkie girl nodded, digging into the fish with one hand, still gripping her cloak in the other.

“You know, it’d be easier to eat if you sat your cloak down.” Agnes coaxed.

The Selkie girl glared at her as if to say, I’m not falling for that again. However, after a moment’s thought to the problem, she sat the cloak on the floor, pouched on it before anyone would even have a chance to take it from her, setting on it cross-legged as she chowed down on the fish.

Agnes smiled at the scene, then her face fell as she remembered why the Selkie girl was so protective of the cloak. “I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
 The Selkie girl paused in her voracious eating to glare at  Anges accusingly.

“Alright, what we’re doing to you.” Agnes admitted. She paused in thought, as she watched the child eat.  She had just now demonstrated understanding. The ability to communicate. But she would need more to prove it to everyone else. “Sweetie, can you talk?”

The Selkie girl paused, for just the tiniest moment, then went back to eating.

“Sweetie, I know you don’t believe me, but I want to help you.” Agnes pleaded, “But we need to prove to my colleagues that you’re not just an animal. Proving you’re capable of coherent speech would go a long way with that. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

The Selkie girl looked up at Agnes with those dark eyes. “Aye.”   Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as surprise, but she spoke with a slight Scottish lilt.

Agnes sat there in surprise. “Aye?” She repeated, eyes wide behind her glasses, “That means yes, right?”

“Aye.” The Selkie repeated, sounding almost annoyed.

For a minute, the scientist in Agnes took over. “This is—amazing. I mean, I thought you could be capable of speech, but—” She leaned towards the girl, “Oh, I have so many questions.”

“If I answer them, will you let me go?” The Selkie asked hopefully.

Agnes’s scientific curiosity deflated as she remembered, right, she was talking to an actual person. An actual person who had to be so scared and confused and just wanted to go home. Wherever home was. “What your name honey?”

The Selkie girl just stared at her again.

“My name’s Agnes.” The scientist told her, hopping it would encourage the girl to open up, “Agnes Porter.” After a moment she added, “You know, I actually grew up around here, a couple of towns over. A tiny little place you’ve never heard of. No one’s ever heard of. Me and my brother use to spend every weekend on this small little beach, making castles from the sand, gathering shells, dancing in the waves. Even when it was freezing. “In spite of the situation, she looked off dreamily. “It was Heaven on earth.”

They both sat in silence until the Selkie girl said, “Greer. Me name’s Greer.”

“Well, Greer,” Agnes began, “I can’t make any promises, but I am going to do I can get you to your home.” Taking out of her phone, she added, “Starting by proving your sentience.” She held up the device, “This is called a phone. What I’m going to do is use a part of it that can record events and use it to show our conversation to my friend.”

“I don’t understand.” Greer responded, confused, leaning towards the phone for a closer look.

“Well, that’s as good a conversation starter as any.” Agnes declared.

#

Agnes watched Steven’s face he watched the video of her conversation with Greer, looking for any sign of what he was thinking. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to go on.  His face was blank, and when he did show emotion, his brow furrowed, as if annoyed. When the video had finished, he set the phone aside.

“So?” Agnes asked, ignoring the annoyed look, “We have to put her on the next flight back to Scotland, right?” Her mind became to race wondering how they would do that. Greer didn’t exactly have a passport.

“No.” Steven declared flatly, handing her back her phone.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Agnes balked. “Steven, you saw that video, “She can reason, she’s understands, she can ask questions and hold a conversation. I don’t know exactly how we classify her, but we can’t classify her as an animal.”

“But that’s just the thing, we can’t figure out how to classify her if we don’t study her.” Steven justified, “We just found a new species, we can’t just let that get away without properly documenting it, figuring out how that cloak works.”

“Even if it’s a violation of scientific ethics?” Agnes countered, “Of the law? Not to mention basic morality? Because that’s what we’re looking at if we keep her here against her will, and you know it.”

Steven didn’t say anything a minute, thinking.

“Steven,” Agnes repeated, “Steven, are you even listening to me?”

“I’m thinking. There has to be away around that.”

It took a moment for Agnes’ mind to compute what Steven just said, but even then she could scarcely believe what she heard. “About that? What does that mean?”

Steven ignored, beginning to pace the floor. Then he snapped his fingers as it hit him, “What if she wasn’t here against her will?”

“I’m not following.” Agnes admitted. Greer had been adamant, desperate. She just wanted to go back to the ocean and find her clan. By the time they parted she was pratically begging to be released.

“Talk to her.” Steven suggested, “Convince her to give her consent for some basic examinations like we talked about, then we’ll let her go. Now that we know how easily  she switches between forms—which you should have gotten on tape by the way– we can find somewhere to put her up, she’ll be humanely treated, it shouldn’t take but a few weeks, days if we work quickly, then we’ll drop her off back where we found her.”

Agnes crossed her arms. “And if she doesn’t agree?”

“Then we’ll drop her off back where we found her a little sooner.”  Steven agreed, “Come on Aggie, be reasonable.”

 Agnes sighed, “Alright, I’ll talk to her.”

#

She felt like she was holding some sort of ancient negotiations as went back and forth between Greer and Steven. The girl’s first answer was a flat no. Steven begged Agnes to go back. Then Greer wanted to know what the tests would entail. Agnes made Steven make a whole list in writing.  In the end, Greer agreed to give them samples: Blood, hair, saliva, stool nail clippings, even fur from the pelt. He also wanted video of her transforming.

Greer looked around the sterile room. The walls were painted white in the center of it was metal and while cloth device that Agnes said was called a cot. According to her, humans slept on them. The bright white of everything was almost painful to look at it, the room too cold. The clothes they gave her didn’t cover past her elbows on her arms, nothing was covering her feet. The clothes also felt uncomfortable against her skin.  Overwhelmed by the strange and unpleasant stimuli, she huddled on the cot, clutching at her hair and tears forming in her eyes.  Just then there was a knock, starling her.

“It’s only me.” The boy from earlier, Wes, she thought his name was, said, standing in the doorway some sort of  large sliver tube.

Oh what fresh Hell is this? Greer thought, curling up in tighter ball.

“Whatever you’re thinking, that’s not what’s going on.” Wes responded, “I realized you may be thirsty, you’re going to be, so I brought a water bottle.”

“Bottle?”  Greer repeated, having no clue what that was.

“It’s something we sue to keep things in.” Wes said, gently walking over, crouching down in front of her and handing out the bottle, “Just—take off the cap and drink from the bottle.”

Greer hesitantly took the bottle, removed what she assumed must be the ‘cap’ as Wes called it, and put the bottle to her lips, sucking the cool, refreshing water from her throat. Realizing how thirsty she was she started guzzling, even as she started to feel a little sick from drinking too much, too fast.

“You want me to get you more?” Wes offered.

Greer nodded. “Please.”

“I’ll be right back with a bigger bottle.” He assured her, standing up, “Something that’ll last.” Looking around he added, “Also, I’m going to talk to Dr. Porter about maybe getting a little color in here.”

#

By the next morning, there was a blue, green and red quilt draped on the cot, several metal water bottles, covered with flowers, and Greer was wearing a pair of bottoms Agnes called blue green and something brown and thick called a sweatshirt. The only trace of white in Greer’s clothing were shoes. They all provided more protection than the scrubs she had been given before were.

“Better?” Agnes asked, walking up behind her.

“Much,” Greer confirmed.

Just then another lab tech, this one a girl, came in. “Dr. Porter, we’re ready for her.”

“Thank you.” Agnes told her before motioning for Greer to follow.

“Will it hurt?” Greer questioned, following Agnes, “Getting these samples?”

“I won’t lie, the needles will hurt a little, going in and having hair plucked isn’t pleasant.” Agnes said,  “But we’ll do everything we can to  make it as painless as possible.

#

Gathering the samples was an unmitigated cluster.

Despite all the water she had been drinking it took two times for them to get the needle in her arm.  Then when it came time for urine and stool samples, she could give them one, but was too stressed to give the other. And then there were the hair samples.

“You’re doing so good.” Agnes soothed, plucking out the last of the hair samples.

“And that’s it?” Greer asked, “I can go?”

“As soon as we get these stored, I’ll make the arrangements.”  Agnes promised, “Now, clean yourself up, I’ll have Wes bring you some lunch. Heaven knows you’ve earned it.”

As Agnes was storing the samples, Steven came back in. “Hey, Aggie, I talk to you for a moment?”

Agnes turned around. “You know you can.”

“I need you to talk to the sub—to Greer again.” Steven requested, tensely, like he knew it wouldn’t be well-received.

“Steven,” Agnes began with a slight groan, “We just got done sticking the poor girl like a pin cushion—”

“I know, I know, I know.” Steven said, “But look, we could learn more if we performed an x-ray, maybe even figure out how she transforms, or what happens to her bones when it happens—”

“Steve, no.” Agnes cut him off, “We made a deal.”

“It wouldn’t take that long.”  Steven insisted, “I promise. Just one small delay.”

Meanwhile, Greer was looking perplexed at a bowel of creamy yellow liquid with white chucks of fish and pink-colored shrimp in it.

“It’s called seafood chowder.”  Wes explained, “It’s supposed to be comfort food. “ He gave her a knowing smirk, “You still like fish, right?”

Greer smirked back. “Yes.”

“But it’s hot, so you have to bowel on it, okay?” Wes instructed, “Otherwise it’s a good way to burn your tongue, and trust me, you don’t want that.”

Greer blew carefully on the concoction.

“There you go.” Wes smiled.

That was when Agnes appeared in the doorway, a grim look on her face. “Westly, may I speak to Greer alone for a minute?”

#

“I don’t even know if we can get x-rays of you transforming.” Agnes finished, “But we can at least have regular ones completed.”

As she explained what Steven wanted, she had watched Greer’s face twist in  agony. “You said after the samples it would be over. You promised.”

“I know, I know, “Agnes told her ruefully, “I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into Steven. But we both need to agree on this. If I can’t make him see reason, maybe this will at least satisfy him, and he won’t fight me when it’s over.  And what I can promise you, is that it won’t hurt like the needles did. In fact, it won’t hurt at all.”

Greer just looked at Agnes. How could she trust her again if she just went back on her?

But what choice did Greer really have?

#

The next day, after they finished with the X-rays, Agnes found Steven in his office at his computer. “Hey, Steven. What are you working on?”

“Just typing up our findings on the Selkie for the home office.” Steven answered, not looking up.

“Really?” Agnes asked, surprised he hadn’t told her he was ready for that, “Can I see?”

“Maybe in a minute, Aggie.” Steven said, closing out of the document, “I’m guessing you wanted to see me about something.”

“Yeah,” Agnes said slowly, trying to ignore the feeling that something about what happened was just—off. “I’m making arrangements to send Greer back to the cost where she was found, but international channels are giving me the run-around—”

“About that.” Steven began, “There’s just one more thing I want to do…”

#

When Wes heard the raised voices, he knew Greer was in for another round of test.

“If you wanted to do an MRI, why didn’t you bring it up two days ago?!” Agnes could be heard demanding.

“I didn’t think about it then!” Steven reasoned, “And frankly I shouldn’t have to, because we shouldn’t  be sending her away. This is the only specimen of its kind, why are we just—”

“She’s not a specimen, she’s a person!” Agnes, “And she’s complied with everything we’ve asked, we have a responsibility to—”

ENOUGH!” Steven shouted, and then Wes heard something crash.

Running towards the sound, Wes found Agnes fleeing the room, and Steven looking shocked, standing a few feet away from shards of shattered porcelain paperweight.

“A-Agnes,” Steven stammered, “Agnes I—”

“Don’t you dare say a word.” Agnes cut him off, an edge in her voice, “I’m going to go before I do something we both regret.”

At a trot, Agnes headed down the hall, Wes not far behind. “Dr. Porter,” Wes called out, “Dr. Porter, what just—”

“Wes, go check on Greer, stay with her until I get there.” Agnes instructed, “Don’t let Dr. Hayes near her, whatever you do.”

Realizing that crap could be about to hit the rotating blades, he turned down the hall to Greer’s room.

#

He found Greer sleeping on her side, her long back hair flowing down her side. Not wanting to wake her, Wes carefully sat back on the edge of the cot, wishing he had some sort of weapon, some way to protect the sleeping innocent next to him. Standing up, he did the next best thing, shutting the door and sitting next to it.

In her office, Agnes paced for a few seconds before sliding into her desk chair, still not able to believe what just happened.

Steven had thrown a paper weight at her.  He just exploded in rage, throwing the paperweight at her. He was like a man possessed.  Steven had always been dedicated to his work, maybe a little dedicated, but now he was starting to become unhinged.

Agnes took a deep breathe, eyes landing for a picture of her brother, Bowen, and his wife on their boat. Closing her eyes, she thought back to their days as children, dancing on the waves of the chilly beach, not caring about the cold.  Things were so simple back then.

That was when it hit her.  Bowen! He could help them!

Agnes jumped up and ran through the halls, making it to Greer’s door. She pulled on it, but it barely budged, like someone had locked or barricaded it. “Greer, Wes, it’s Anges, open up, please.”

The door opened, revealing a bewildered Wes.

“Wake Greer.” Agnes part-requested, part ordered, “I have a plan.”

#

If Greer was being honest, the MRI wasn’t that bad. That dark and confining compartment was frightening at first, but the again what hadn’t been frightening in the last week, but eventually, exhausted from the night before, she had actually fallen asleep, but next thing she knew, Wes was shaking her awake.

“Greer, Greer, time to get up.”

Greer’s eyes fluttered opened, and she found not only Wes, but Agnes standing over her. The woman helped her up and pulled her into a hug, whispering into her ear, “I’ve talked to Bowen. He’s getting together some members from his crew that he trusts. He says I should hear back from him in two days.”

Greer’s heart sunk. Two days? What could Steven cook up in two days?!

“I know, I was hoping we could move faster.” Agnes admitted, “Just hang in there, okay?”

She looked up just in time to see Steven watching them before he turned to go.

#

Greer tumbled with the red buttons on the black piece of clothing called as coat, causing Wes to reach out to help her saying “Here.” He pushed the button through the hole in the fabric. “Now you try.”

Greer did and managed to fasten the button.

Agnes hung up the phone. “Okay, Bowen will be waiting’s at the pier, my car’s waiting outside, security knows what’s going on and they’re on our side.  We can be at the peer by daybreak. His trawler can take you to the Atlantic, and he’s got a friend who drives pleasure craft you can take you to the Scottish coast.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for this.” Greer said, part of her not believing this was actually happening. That she was actually going to get out.

“There’s no need for that.” Agnes, responded, feeling a twinge of guilt. Like she was getting a metal for simply doing the right thing. Putting a lanyard with her keycard attached to it around her neck, turned to the doorway, leading the way out.

Even though they were suppose to be the only ones in the building, they crept through the halls, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Not for the first time, Agnes wondered how it had come to this, sulking around like a criminal through her own workplace.

They made it to the front door, and Agnes was about to run her keycard through the scanner when the door burst opened with such force she jumped back. Standing in the doorway was Steven, his eyes cold and stony. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Wes, go wait with Greer in the car.” Agnes instructed.

Wes kept a tight grip on Greer’s wrist as they ran for the door, only for Steven to block their path. “She’s not going anywhere.” He glared at Greer with this look up anger, but also a hunger, a desperation, like he would do anything to keep her.’

“Steven, don’t make me get security.” Agnes warned.

Steven, however, responded by grabbing Greer by her wrist, pulling her towards with such force it felt like he was going to pull it from her socket, causing her to scream in pain.

“Let go of her!” Wes screamed, not letting her go as she tried to pull away.

“You don’t get a say in this, you’re just a tech!” Steven screamed.

Agnes jumped into the fray, punching Steven in the noses, but somehow he still wouldn’t let go. Just then a beefy guard in a blue security uniform ran up to them finally pulling Steven away.

“Thank you, Carter.” Agnes breathed, leading the youths away.

“Aggie, please!” Steven pleaded, struggling to out of the hold, “Please, can we just talk about this?”

Agnes looked at her co-worker and friend, and suddenly, she felt pity for him. “Wes, Greer, wait in the car.”

#

Carter, the security guard, insisting on waiting outside the door of Steven’s office.

“You can’t just make these decisions unilaterally.” Steven ranted the moment Agnes closed the door, “We’re equals, you have no right, sneaking around like this.”

“You left me no choice, Steven.” Agnes countered calmly, “You’ve gotten out of control.”

Steven scoffed in disbelief. “I’ve gotten out of control?” He repeated, “I’ve gotten out of control?! You have lost –all objectivity, since that creature showed up. “ He gestured widely with both arms, “Act like her mother—”

“I’ve been acting like a human being!” Agnes cut him off.

“You can’t do this.” Steven insisted manically,” . I’ve already written the memo—”

“Steven, it’s over.” Agnes said, turning around and putting a hand on the doorknob to open it. Before she could, she attacked from behind, fingers digging painfully into the flesh of her neck, crushing her airpipe and stealing away from breath.

“You’ve had your way long enough!” Steven seethed into her ear.

While clawing at his hands, Agnes kicked him in the groin, loosening his grip, as Carter burst through the door. The larger man was able to swiftly rip Steven away from her, putting him in a headlock.

“Thank you,” Agnes breathed, “Lock him up until I can get Greer out of here. But first there’s something I have to fine.”

#

Agnes doubted Steve would tell her where the memo he was talking about was, so the best solution was to trash his office, opening drawers, throwing off papers. “Come on, Steven, where did you put it, where did you…”

That was when Wes appeared, walking down the hallway and freezing at the sight. Agnes lifted up her head and for a minute the pair just stared at each other. “You were gone so long,”  He said finally, “We were getting worried…”

“I was looking for a memo, Steven made for the home office,” Agnes explained urgently, “As long as you’re here, help me look. Maybe what I need is a pair of fresh eyes.”

Sure enough within a few moments Wes found a short sheet of paper. “Is this it?”

Agnes ran over, snatched it from the boy and began to read. It was just as Steven had said, save for the pack of lies about Greer being no more than an animal. “That rat…” She seethed, before throwing it at Wes. “We need to destroy this. And all our research on Greer.”

The pair spent the next half hour shredding documents, delegated computer files and videos. They finished by burning all the samples they had collected. Once again, selkies were relegated to myth.

#

When they walked outside, Greer was peering out through the back window of the car. Very calmly, Wes got in the back while Agnes got in the driver’s seat. “It’s alright,” Wes assured her, “It’s over now. It’s all going to be okay.”

Looking back at the youths one last time, Agnes put her keys in the ignition, driving off into the night.