pushed the boy as far onto land as she could. She watched his weakened crawl up the shore, and saw how he turned to stare back at her as she rose and fell in the heart of a wave...
The cliffs were next. Luce closed her eyes, trying to shut out the impending horror, but she still kept swimming.
His voice came into the darkness of her closed eyes. The same mangled version of her song, but this time the voice was sad and the melody moved like something half asleep. Luce swam directly below him and stopped, stirring her fins to hold herself in place a short distance from the shore. She could hear the song break off with a sharp cry.
“You did show up! Did you find my drawing?”
Luce made herself look up and meet his gaze. He was leaning eagerly from his perch on the cliff, his hair gusting across his cheeks. She saw the same wide-set ochre eyes and strong cheekbones, the same big, slightly crooked nose, all blue-dusted with evening glow. But there was something that Luce wasn’t prepared for at all. She’d pictured him glaring down at her, his eyes slick with venomous hatred.
Instead he was smiling. Warm and relieved. He actually seemed happy to see her.
Luce didn’t say anything; she only gazed at him. If she got into a conversation with him, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
“Okay. I know you must think I was trying to mess with you. I really wasn’t. I’m even glad you didn’t get in trouble. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I kind of felt bad about doing that.” How could he behave so familiarly? From his casual, open tone, anyone would have thought he talked to her all the time. Tears blurred Luce’s eyes, and she tried to fight them down. She shifted her position in the water. Just a few feet to start, being careful to keep herself where he could look into her face. She had to draw him back in the direction of the village.
He came along a few steps. Confusion creased his forehead.
“Why won’t you say anything? I know you speak English, remember? You talked to me that time. You told me to take a deep breath.” Luce began swimming very slowly as the trees came between them. He kept weaving away from the path and leaning out between the trunks to look at her. “Is somebody watching you? Like, one of your friends? Is that why you won’t talk?” He was suddenly speaking far more quietly, and he stopped pushing his way out of the cover of the trees. “I thought I’d figured out that you aren’t supposed to talk to me. I got that right, didn’t I? Okay. At our beach there’s this giant boulder at—for you it would be the left side. If we stay behind it they won’t be able to see us.”
Luce couldn’t see him anymore, but she heard his steps as he took off running.
It was a start, but she had to lure him past that beach. If she could draw him close enough to the village, he’d probably get the idea of filching a boat and rowing out to her. As long as he stayed on land there wasn’t much she could do, but in the water she was far stronger than any human.
Our beach, he’d said.
When she’d seen him before, he’d called her evil and sick. A monster. And much as it had hurt her to hear him say that, Luce found herself wishing urgently that he would lash her with insults again.
It would be so much better than the way he was acting now. Almost as if they were friends.
***
She was there way ahead of him, waiting. She didn’t slip behind the boulder he’d mentioned, though. Instead she floated in place offshore where he would see her as soon as he came out from the woods but far enough out that he wouldn’t be able to speak to her without shouting. The fog was pressing in on the coast and a midnight-colored haze swallowed the cliffs where he’d stood minutes before. She could barely hear the crunch and scuffle of his steps as he leaped out from the shadow of the trees, almost falling as the stones skidded away beneath him, and gazed wildly around the
The cliffs were next. Luce closed her eyes, trying to shut out the impending horror, but she still kept swimming.
His voice came into the darkness of her closed eyes. The same mangled version of her song, but this time the voice was sad and the melody moved like something half asleep. Luce swam directly below him and stopped, stirring her fins to hold herself in place a short distance from the shore. She could hear the song break off with a sharp cry.
“You did show up! Did you find my drawing?”
Luce made herself look up and meet his gaze. He was leaning eagerly from his perch on the cliff, his hair gusting across his cheeks. She saw the same wide-set ochre eyes and strong cheekbones, the same big, slightly crooked nose, all blue-dusted with evening glow. But there was something that Luce wasn’t prepared for at all. She’d pictured him glaring down at her, his eyes slick with venomous hatred.
Instead he was smiling. Warm and relieved. He actually seemed happy to see her.
Luce didn’t say anything; she only gazed at him. If she got into a conversation with him, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
“Okay. I know you must think I was trying to mess with you. I really wasn’t. I’m even glad you didn’t get in trouble. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I kind of felt bad about doing that.” How could he behave so familiarly? From his casual, open tone, anyone would have thought he talked to her all the time. Tears blurred Luce’s eyes, and she tried to fight them down. She shifted her position in the water. Just a few feet to start, being careful to keep herself where he could look into her face. She had to draw him back in the direction of the village.
He came along a few steps. Confusion creased his forehead.
“Why won’t you say anything? I know you speak English, remember? You talked to me that time. You told me to take a deep breath.” Luce began swimming very slowly as the trees came between them. He kept weaving away from the path and leaning out between the trunks to look at her. “Is somebody watching you? Like, one of your friends? Is that why you won’t talk?” He was suddenly speaking far more quietly, and he stopped pushing his way out of the cover of the trees. “I thought I’d figured out that you aren’t supposed to talk to me. I got that right, didn’t I? Okay. At our beach there’s this giant boulder at—for you it would be the left side. If we stay behind it they won’t be able to see us.”
Luce couldn’t see him anymore, but she heard his steps as he took off running.
It was a start, but she had to lure him past that beach. If she could draw him close enough to the village, he’d probably get the idea of filching a boat and rowing out to her. As long as he stayed on land there wasn’t much she could do, but in the water she was far stronger than any human.
Our beach, he’d said.
When she’d seen him before, he’d called her evil and sick. A monster. And much as it had hurt her to hear him say that, Luce found herself wishing urgently that he would lash her with insults again.
It would be so much better than the way he was acting now. Almost as if they were friends.
***
She was there way ahead of him, waiting. She didn’t slip behind the boulder he’d mentioned, though. Instead she floated in place offshore where he would see her as soon as he came out from the woods but far enough out that he wouldn’t be able to speak to her without shouting. The fog was pressing in on the coast and a midnight-colored haze swallowed the cliffs where he’d stood minutes before. She could barely hear the crunch and scuffle of his steps as he leaped out from the shadow of the trees, almost falling as the stones skidded away beneath him, and gazed wildly around the
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