Yesterday I wrote a story inspired by a dream I had. Today my dad told me about the only dream he actually remembers – his name was Khan and he walked… people called him “walking Khan.” That’s all he remembers- he has no idea what else happened or why.
My parents were proud squirmers, they used to tell me about how their ancestors lived in had to stay in the sea and the great “land revolution.” They’d tell me how learning to squirm was the best thing that ever happened to us, because now we could go between land and sea.
But I was a freak. I couldn’t swim well and I certainly never squirmed. I was born with legs, at least that’s what I called them. They were like my parents fins but they were bonier, and had little flat pads to balance on (I called them feet).
I was very self concious of it when I was young but now I am older, it’s my defining feature. People even call me “walking Khan” (walking is what I’ve called the way I move about). Even though I’m not a great swimmer I’m very fast on land. I go for long walks into the land and tell the others what is beyond the shore. Many of the squirmers now want to be just like me.