The Deep

Chapter 2

*Mack*

I've lived in many places. My parents and I used to travel all the time before they got divorced. I stayed with my mom in the States for years after the divorce, but I would visit my dad in Scotland every chance I could. When he died, my mom and I thought it would be best if I stayed here with my grandpa. So, my mom stayed in Minnesota, and I moved here.

As a child, I obviously heard about all the legends and myths of faeries and such. I never paid much attention to them, but my friends did. They all grew up with the stories, so I don't hold it against them. It's been engraved in their minds since birth. I think about the childhood memories here as I drive back home. Music blasts from my speakers, one that I recognize, and I begin to drum my fingers against my steering wheel. Beautiful Loch Corran Bay is stirring with the incoming storm to my right. I need to get home before it hits and floods the roads. I look back at the road and see a girl just casually standing in the way. I slam my brakes, gripping the wheel in panic.

"Holy shit!" I take a few breaths. I can't see her face clearing due to the glare of the light, but I can definitely see the rest of her. She's completely naked. Her dark hair reaches all the way down below her hip bones. Her skin is sickly pale; she looks anything but sick. "Holy shit." The wind blows the longer strands behind her. I take off my seatbelt and get out of my car in a rush. "Are you alright?" I leave my car door open as I step towards her. She says something that I can't make out over the roaring wind. "Is anyone else with you?" I glance over at the loch looking for any other person. I don't see anyone else. It's strange to see someone out here in the brink of a storm. No one in town would dare go out after dark. Superstition and all.

She could've been taken by the currents and ended stranded here. The shock might've left her in this state. "Do you need help?" I look at her again. "Where are your clothes?" She doesn't answer. She just glares at me with her striking eyes. Hostile and on edge. The car lights make her eyes glow strangely. I step towards her, but she jumps back in response. "It's ok," I hold an arm out, "I can help you." I gesture to myself, but she tilts her head with a blank expression on her face. She's thinking, deliberating, but her eyes never leave me. Then, her lips part and a beautiful melody pours out of them. It leaves me breathless.

The world disappears and it feels like we are the only two people on the planet. My heart beats faster and harder than it has ever done before. All I can see is her beautiful, delicate lips. She's... beautiful. My brain gets assaulted by weird images. Waves rolling into the beach. Dark eyes staring into an abyss. A creature baring sharp teeth with a loud snarl. A car horn pulls me out of my trance. The girl is gone, and I'm left alone in the middle of the road. A car pulls up beside me. "Are ya alright, Mack?" It's just my friend, Alec. I blink multiple times before answering. "Yea," I say slowly, "I just thought- I mean, I saw-" I point to where she was standing. It feels like it was a second ago. Was it real? She was real, right? "Mack?"

I shake myself out of it. "Yea, sorry." I scratch the back of my head. "I thought I saw something, but it was nothing." I walk back to my car without waiting for his response. I get back in my car, slamming the door shut. Music still plays through my speakers, but I can't focus on it. The song is bland in my ears. Boring. I shift my gears to drive and pull away. My eyes don't focus on the road. It just drifts back to that girl. My phone rings, the screen on my console lighting up. I answer it immediately. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe!" I rub my jaw, tired. "Are you close?" My eyes look down at my phone confused. "Close to what?" I hear her laugh among the rustle and bustle of wherever she is. "The pub, Mack!" Oh, that's right. I was supposed to meet a few of our friends tonight at the town pub. "I'll be right there, Ava," I tell her, involuntarily fisting my hand, "I'm just around the corner, alright?" Cheers of laughter and jokes sound from the other line. "Ok, hurry! I love you!" The phone call ends. Funny, I think, I feel an odd sensation deep in my gut. My vision clouds and my mind wanders.

I unconsciously pull up to the pub, still in deep thought. Shouts of cheer ring loud from inside. I get out of my car, slowly walking in. It's loud and crowded, just like it normally is here around this time. I shove my hands in my pockets as I look around for Ava. The smell of alcohol reeks from everyone in the room. It's practically fermenting in this small space. "Ah, you're here!" Ava comes out of nowhere and jumps into me, flailing her arms around my neck. "I've been waitin' for you." She giggles in my ear and kisses me deeply. I can taste the liquor in her breath. I slightly push her away. "I can see you're having fun."

Ava laughs and sways. "Jamie and Kaylee are somewhere 'round here," she takes my hand and pulls me into the crowd. There are people dancing and singing too drunk to remember this tomorrow. "There he is!" Jamie pats my back, a little too hard, and shakes me out of Ava's hold. "Did the ole boss keep you in his clutches afterhours?" Ava punches his shoulder. "Don't speak of my dad that way!" I chuckle at her face. I shrug off my jacket and drape it behind a chair. "Ava, the man doesn't know when to stop. He uses our poor Mack for his brain, the way you use him for his-"

"Ok!" I interrupt him-before he does any damage tonight, "I'm gonna get myself a drink. Jamie, come with me." I tug him with me, forcing him to follow me. We push through the throngs of drunken people. "Why do you always have to do that, Jamie? Why start things?" Jamie mumbles something under his breath. I ignore him. Jamie and Ava have been going at it for the last few years. I've known Jamerson and Alec since we were kids. Our parents went to school together so when my dad moved back, they were practically together all the time. When I would visit, I would also hang out with them and their kids. The three of us got really close; especially when I moved here.

I met Ava four years ago. Her family moved into town to open a new base for their company. Everyone in town were a bit skeptical about them at first but little by little, Ava's dad began to bring new jobs to the community. Naturally, the people in town grew like them. In the last year, Ava and I started dating, but I've been working within the company for two, almost three, years now. Jamie hated that I decided to work with him. He despises the rich and the damage they do to small communities like ours. I agree with the second part but seeming as I am almost as well off as Ava, I don't necessarily share the same feelings.

"Cap'ain!" Everyone cheers, raising their drinks in the air. I look over to the door. Cap is the town's sheriff. I can see his curly red hair above everybody. They all greet him as he weaves through. "Hey," I pat Jamie's arm distracted, "I'll be right back." I don't wait for his response and step in his direction. Cap has been the sheriff for decades now. He's famous around here for his 'leadership'. Whether they mean his time in office or anything else, we'll never know. Cap is like any other myth in this town. His whole life story, at this point in time, is just one exaggerated version after another. "Hey, Captain," I greet him with an outstretched hand.

"Mackie!" He snatches my hand and shakes it firm. It almost makes me lose my balance. "How are you, boy?" I chuckle at his enthusiasm. They're just something about him, his character, that's infectious. "I'm good." That's a lie. "Um, listen," I rub my jaw, conscious of the people around us, "has there been any missing boats? Uh, due to the storm?" He laughs and smacks a hand on my back. "Good ol' Mackie, looking out for everyone." He shakes his head. "No, I havena gotten any reports of a lost boat." I clear my throat and lower my voice, "W-what about missing people? Have you heard of anyone missing from the town over or something?" Cap give me an odd look. His eyes search my face seriously. "No, no missing people." My mind reels. Her face invades my brain. Her hair blowing with the air. Her voice... "I, uh, need a drink," I laugh, forcibly.

I say my goodbyes and walk off. Jamie greets me with two shots in his hands. I snatch both and drown them down my throat. It burns but I don't care. I need something in my system to quiet down my thoughts. My doubts. Am I out of my mind? Was she just a figure of my imagination? A hallucination? "I need more shots!" Jamie's smile spread into a wicked grin. "You don't need to tell me twice, Mackie boy!" He pulls me back to our table and I try to forget everything that I saw tonight. I try to forget about her.