The Girl Who Pulls the Tides - ONC 2021

chapter 7

By the time the first faint stars start flickering to life in the light-blue, late-afternoon sky, I know I have to go home. But I really, really don't want to. Sitting here on the sun-warmed sand of Pemaquid Cove, asking Evyana question after question and frantically scribbling down her replies in my journal; I could stay here forever.

Evyana chuckles as she responds to the question, how old are you?  Idly swirling a drop of saltwater between her fingertips as she speaks, her thick accent wrapping wondrously around the words. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting Nereids to be like. I wasn't expecting them to be as murderous as everyone says they are—all sharp teeth and shark fins and scales, creatures with a knack for drowning sailors and stealing their ships; creatures who seem to get more and more dreadful with every scary story whispered in the nighttime, or every time-twisted legend told a blue moon—but I also wasn't expecting her.

I don't realize that I'm staring until she catches my eye and tilts her head. "What is it?"

I avert my eyes from her sharp silver gaze. "Oh, nothing. I just can't believe I'm actually talking to a Nereid."

She leans in conspiratorially, letting out a small, disbelieving giggle. "I will be in so much trouble if my family finds out."

I think about Jack. He doesn't talk about it much—he doesn't talk much, period—but I know he blames the Nereids for our parents' deaths. What would he do if he knew I was speaking to one right now? Maybe he'd yell at me. He's never yelled before; perhaps this would be a worthy reason for him to finally raise his voice.

"They think I'm reckless," Evyana continues.

"Are you?" I ask, leaning back on my hands.

She looks at me, surprised, as if she wasn't expecting the question. Then she answers truthfully, "Yes."

I smile. "Me too."

I look down at my journal, flipping through all the notes I've written today. I've filled up nearly six pages with my scribbling text, despite having only asked Evyana simple, surface-level questions. We didn't have enough time today to get into the deep stuff. I sigh, looking once more at the sky. The moon and sun are in the same place on either side of the earth, hovering just above the sea. I turn back to Evyana and reluctantly tell her that I have to head home.

"But we will talk again, yes?"

I nod my head enthusiastically. "Definitely. I can come back tomorrow after school."

"I will wait for you here," Evyana says. "Also, what is school? I hear you humans speak about it often. Is it painful?"

"Painful?" A laugh bubbles out from my throat, echoing off the cliffs. "Why do you say that?"

"You all speak of it with such hatred."

I laugh again. "No, it's not painful. Not physically, at least. School is a place where kids and teenagers go to learn stuff about the world. People don't like it because there's a lot of work we have to do for our classes."

"What do you learn?" She asks. "Does the earth teach you its wisdom as the ocean teaches us?"

"Um...no?" I answer, unsure. "I don't think so. I've never heard any wisdom from the earth."

Her eyebrows furrow. "Then what do you learn?"

"Lots of algebra," I say. "And history, science, and writing."

"What is algebra?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you."

She smiles. "Will you tell me more about school tomorrow?"

I shrug, "If that's what you wanna know. It's kinda boring."

"It sounds fascinating," she says, curiosity turning her silver eyes starry.

I chuckle and stand up, wiping the sand off my trousers. Luckily, Mabel's rowboat didn't float away after I took a dunk in the ocean; Evyana recovered it, and we dragged it up onto the sand. A shudder rolls through me at the thought of getting back onto the boat.

Evyana side-eyes me, noticing my discomfort—maybe she can smell it? I'll have to ask—but she doesn't say anything. Good, I think. It would be difficult to explain my deathly fear of the ocean to a sea spirit.

"Do you have to row far?" She asks as we walk to the boat.

"Not too far. Only about a mile that way," I say, pointing in the direction of the harbor. My shoulders ache at the thought of rowing all that way against the waves.

"I will help," Evyana decides. "Get in the boat."

All the hair on my arms shoots up, goosebumps rolling in waves across my skin. I feel my throat tighten, but I don't want Evyana to see me freak out. So I do as she says and shakily climb into the boat.

Before I can even grab the oars, Evyana has pushed the boat into the water. My stomach lurches as the boat rocks in the rolling waves.

Then we're flying through the water, faster than a speedboat, so fast that we glide over the surface. I look over my shoulder and see Evyana beneath the water, pushing the boat from the back, her strong, slender body cutting through the water with unbelievable speed. Our wake is even bigger than the wake Jack's fishing boat makes when he's cruising at top speed. (Then again, that's not saying much; if he goes above twenty-five knots, the whole thing threatens to fall apart.)

The bow breaks over blue-and-white waves, sending sea spray into my face. I let out a hysterical laugh that gets lost in the whipping wind. Only a few minutes have passed before the harbor comes into view. Thankfully, it's still empty; the fishermen haven't returned from the wide-open sea just yet.

The boat slows as we near the docks. I look down at the water, searching for Evyana. She pops up beside the boat, smiling up at me. Her jet-black hair is somehow still dry. "I shouldn't go any closer," she says.

"Thanks for the ride," I say, sounding sheepish.

"It was fun, no?" She watches my face intently as if analyzing my response.

I clear my throat, self-conscious beneath her piercing gaze. "Yeah," I answer. "It was fun."

"Good," she says, nodding. "I will see you tomorrow after your school classes."

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the goofy smile from spreading all over my face. "Can't wait," I say.

"Goodnight, Fionn Miller."

Then, without so much as a splash, she's gone; lost beneath the rolling blue waves. 

☀︎

(we've officially made it to 8455 words! yay!)