Species Unknown [Book 2: Pisces)

09. A WARNING IN THE DARK

I SHOULD HAVE stayed in the car. I should have followed Noah and drove home, but the soft whisper of the evening waves across the shadowed sand drew me in like a spell.

It was like a drug. I've spent so long ignoring the ocean, and now that I've finally given in, I couldn't stay away.

The sand was cool on my bare feet as I made my way down the beach towards the water. The night was still, the morning breeze and the song of birds had long vanished with the sun, leaving no sound other than the hypnotic chorus of waves crashing against the sand, over and over again.

The further I got from the highway, the darker everything became. Without the sun, the water was pitch black, but beautifully speckled with light from the reflection of twinkling stars in the sky above. It was an otherworldly image.

As I approached the water's edge, I pulled out my phone and turned on the flash light. With my light, I began searching the coast for my lost necklace. Hoping that it might have washed up by now.

I counted the waves as I searched. They came in even counts. Every three seconds. One, two, three. One, two, three...

Until they didn't.

The splash of the expected wave came too early, a one time occurrence before returning to its normal rhythm. But it was enough to make me pause in my steps and send my heart racing.

Clutching my phone, I slowly turned to point the light to the ocean, towards the splash. I held my breath as my light scanned the waves, searching. My breathing was quick and unsteady as I searched the dark water.

That's when I saw it.

The shadow.

I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was so sure I saw something the water that day. But as time passed, memories aged, and details began to blur. I was starting to think I had imagined it or that it was just another hallucination. Perhaps a small part of me was even hoping it wasn't real. But there was no denying what I had seen and what I was seeing right now.

There it was, out in the water. Far out enough that it couldn't possibly be standing, but still enough that it looked like it was. It stayed just out of the light from my phone, but I didn't dare try to illuminate it.

I waited for it to move, to do something. But it didn't. It just was there. Out in the water, watching, waiting.

Waiting for what?

The longer I waited, watching the shadow as it watched me, the clearer the answer became.

For me.

Letting out a shaky breath, I lowered my phone and turned off the flashlight.

What I was about to do scared me. But I had been waiting for this moment since I first saw the shadow the night I almost drowned. Curiosity had me by the throat, and all I could do now was hope I didn't choke.

Setting my phone on the sand, I made my way towards the water. Sucking in a breath, I stepped into the water. The reflection of stars danced around me as I waded further into the dark water. It must have been cold, by the way my body shook uncontrollably the further I waded. But I didn't pay any attention to that, I kept my focus in front of me, on the dark figure that waited in the distance.

I stopped walking once the water reached my chest. Any further and I would have to swim.

It was dark without my phone, but I was close enough to still see the shape of it's dark outline. I watched in awe and horror as the shadow began sinking under the water, vanishing before me.

I took a step back, fear replacing my sudden curiosity. I realized now what a mistake I had made. I had waded out too far into the dark water to run quick enough. Now, whatever shadow watched me was hidden beneath the cover of water, able to emerge and attack me at any time.

Gripped with panic, I turned away only to come face to face with the very thing I tried to run from.

I gasped, stumbling back.

It's face was shadowed, but I could see the outline of its features. Illuminated by the bright moon and reflection of the stars in the water, I could see the sharp jawline and steely eyes that regarded me. A face that, even in the dark of night, was distinctly masculine.

"Why are you here." A chilling voice seethed from the shadows. It was as cold as the night around us, with a slight hiss that was threatening enough to send my heart racing even faster.

I swallowed, "I want to know who you are." I answered quietly, trying to hide how my voice trembled.

"You should leave." It replied. It spoke with an accent unlike anything I had ever heard, as if speaking was foreign to it.

"Why?"

"It is not safe." It said, moving in the water. I watched as it began to circle me, the water rippling around it.

That gave me pause. What's not safe? Was it...warning me?

"What do you mean?" I asked, following its movements with my eyes.

The figure stopped, now between me and the shoreline. Turning to regard me, the figure moved closer, until it was barely a breath away. I could see it's face more clearly now. It's skin was a sickening pale color, and it had long white hair that cascaded down its bare back and disappeared into the water. But it's eyes are what stood out to me the most. An eerie shade of blue that glowed white like the stars around us, gazing down at me with an indescribable intensity as if I was some kind of puzzle.

"Were you the one who brought me to shore?" I asked suddenly. It's why I came out here, I wanted to know what happened. What I saw.

"It is not safe." The figure repeated sharply, before turning away. I watched as it once again began submerging in the water and disappearing completely under the black waves.

After a few moments, I realized that it would not be reappearing again tonight. With that, I let out a sigh and began making my way back to shore.

Once back on the beach, I began to shiver. The cold was finally taking its toll on my body. I searched the beach until I finally came across my phone again. As I reached down to pick it up, I froze. My eyes widened at what I saw.

Next to my phone, was my mothers pearl necklace resting perfectly in the sand. Carefully, I picked it up and looked at it in disbelief before looking back out at the water.

I think I had the answer to my question after all.