Water's Memory

1. Age

1st Person POV

I was woken up by knocking at my door.

I didn't even know what time it was, but back to the knocking.

It was the old fisherman, he lived in his fishing boat just by the dock near my house.

I say it's my house, but to be honest with you, it's my mom's.

We've-...I've...lived in this house my whole life, my older cousin Afine has practically raised me my whole life. My aunt, his mother, lived on an island across from Kailani Isles, she send hims over everyday to bring me meals.

But besides that, back to what I was saying.

The old fisherman had woken me and my cousin Afine, up.

He was stood right behind me to my left, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and scratching at his belly beneath his shirt.

"Yes Uncle Yuzuku ? Is there something you need at- "

I look over at the oven's clock in all my tired confusion.

"5:53 in the morning ?"

I turned back to see him holding out a paper. A white piece of paper that had clearly been worn down with time.

Bits torn, yellow at the edges, ink barely visible from what was written, it seemed like this was given to him ages ago.

I grabbed it from his wrinkled, yet soft hands, my cousin leaning over my shoulder to peak at the paper.

For him being 5'8, he sure can make himself look small.

As I turned the paper to face me, so the writing on it was right side up, I nearly dropped it.

It read,

Dear Adhira, I know I left you all these years ago, but I promise it was for a reason, it was hard for me to leave, but it was for the best, I'm sure you've grown into a beautiful young woman, by time you've read this you'd probably be around 15, that's for the best.

I'm not here to tell you this in person, though I wish I could be, I promise you I'm still alive-,... but, I've got a job for you, I need you to-

The letter was cut off, as if the last half had been burned.

"Who needs me to what ?"

I asked aloud, my cousin's head now rested on my shoulder.

"I found that in a bottle I fished up by the shore this morning, it was all that came in the bottle besides this-"

The old man held out a paper with some coordinates.

I grabbed the paper, rushing over to the map of the world I had hung up beside my fridge, don't ask, I just love geography.

"Fuck..."

I whispered, my eyes skimming the paper before shooting up to the map, letting my hand slide along the map and around the thumb tacks I placed around the map.