The Black Water

My toes wiggled in the mud of the water. I knew I should leave it alone— my mum said it was cursed. The water was black and my feet disappeared as soon as they entered the water. I tended to spend my free time out there waiting… waiting for my dad to come back.

Dad had said something big was coming and that he had to sail to find a way to save the town. I didn’t believe him. I think he was running away from Mum. They'd been fighting recently, and I pretended like I knew nothing about it.

The sky was getting a bit dark. I probably should have headed home, but I waited for Mum to ring the dinner bell. I wanted to believe Dad was coming back, but it had been about a month. He wasn't supposed to go far.

The waves made a nice noise, the water calming me from my thoughts. Suddenly, I heard the waves break, as if something interrupted its rhythm and dance. I looked up to see a familiar boat.

“Dad?” My voice got caught in my throat.

The boat was like a lighthouse soaring across the waters, its wood glowing with burnt embers. Something happened. The boat wasn’t slowing down either.  It was coming straight for me.

I dodged out of the way, nearly being taken out by the burning boat. I slowly got up and I could feel the heat all around me. I looked up and saw a woman dressed in drapes of cloth. Her eyes shone the colors of embers and she gave me a sinister smile. I couldn't breathe. Everything felt like it was on fire.

I quickly crawled into the water to stop the burning. Looking up, another woman dressed in treasures and shells looked at me, her head cocked to the side. She seemed nice, but her eyes told another story. Looking past her, I could see a familiar coat. My dad’s.

The body was burned and looked as if his flesh had become one with the boat. It felt like a nightmare, it couldn’t be real!

Suddenly, I heard a ringing. Mum's dinner bell. I screamed for my mum in hopes she would save me. I heard her running through the tall grass. Seeing her face, I burst into tears. She was here to save me. I stopped crying upon seeing her demeanor change. Was she mad?

I looked around, looking for the strange women, but everything was gone. My mum was going to think I lied. Did I really make it up? She rolled her eyes and reminded me about dinner, then went home.

I was left speechless looking out at the water, wondering what just happened. I didn't make it up, it was too real. I put my toes in the water again and watched the water. Something hit my foot, wrapping around and hugging my leg.

I pulled it up and my eyes widened. It was my dad’s coat. I turned around and shouted for my mum. She didn't come this time. There were only eerie crickets and silence.

Suddenly, the night was greeted with light and my home went up in flames. My mum was gone. I heard laughter behind me in the water and I felt a chilling breath along my neck. Those same waves I loved to listen to and watch greeted me and danced around me as I became a part of it. I finally closed my eyes and let it take over.