Between the Land and the Sea - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,10
the ship had been coated with a layer of asphalt to level the walkways, and there were several holes covered with metal grates. Looking down through the bars into the guts of the ship you could see black water swirling around jagged openings with surf pouring in and out.
I continued on until I was stopped by a chain-link fence blocking off the very front of the ship. A sign explained that a violent storm had wrenched it apart several years earlier. I peered down through the wire and saw twisted metal bars sticking out of jumbled concrete blocks.
Waves washed over the broken hull, splashing foamy brine on the barnacles and mussels that clung to every available surface. Beyond the wreckage the intact prow of the ship sat at a crooked angle.
What initially looked like wet black asphalt caught my eye. It was moving, writhing like fish caught in a net. Closer inspection revealed a family of sea lions hauled up onto a flat slab of cement. A new member joined them, awkwardly flinging itself out of the water and competing for a foothold while the rest barked discontentedly and wriggled aside. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I sat down on the bench that faced out towards the wreck and pulled open my bag.
Fishing out my sketchpad, I balanced it on my lap and surveyed the scene.
Several of the sea lions craned their necks to study me. Concluding that I was no threat, they went back to their naps, occasionally jockeying for position amid flurries of grunts and barks. I started to draw the little group.
As I sketched my scalp prickled with the eerie sensation of being watched. I turned to look, but no one else had joined me on the ship’s deck. Shrugging it off, I gripped my pencil and went back to drawing. With a start I glanced down into a woman’s face intently peering up at me from behind the jagged ruins. I gasped as our eyes locked and shock waves ran through my body.
She had large wide set eyes and full lips that were as pale and ghostly white as her face. I had the strangest sensation of looking into a frosted mirror. Her eyes narrowed and she cocked her head to one side as if to study me. I sprang to my feet and with a splash she was gone. I ran from one side of the ship to the other but could see no swimmer in the water. Confused, I gathered up my things. After one final search of the water I headed back towards the pier.
As I made my way up the steps my mind was racing. What was that girl doing in the water?
Where did she disappear to? And strangest of all, why did she look so familiar? As I passed the lone fisherman our eyes met and he smiled knowingly at me. Taken aback, I hurried off the pier and down to the beach, scanning the horizon for any sign of a swimmer or boat.
When I reached the top of the secret stairs the fog was swirling around, dissipating into a thin veil of silvery mist. The sun finally broke through, and brightest blue took over the sky.
Now the thought of the strange girl at the ship seemed much less disturbing. Maybe she was scuba diving. Could I have imagined those eyes?
By the time I got home I’d convinced myself that it was nothing at all. I let myself in and went to the kitchen, splashing some cold water on my face and neck; when I looked up from the sink my reflection in the window was the face in the water.
I snatched a piece of fruit from the counter and wandered to my bedroom, picking a promising book from Abby’s shelf along the way. I kicked off my shoes and curled up on the bed to read but had a hard time focusing. Looking over at the shopping bags reminded me to call Evie.
“Marina!” she cried, picking up on the first ring. “I was just thinking of you! I’ve been to see Madame Fatima and she’s had a vision. You are going to have an extraordinary adventure this year– you must be prepared!”
“Exactly what kind of adventure?” I asked skeptically. I had no doubt that Evie had let it slip to Fatima that I would be going away for the school year.
“You know the spirits cannot be specific,” sniffed Evie.
“Then how can I possibly prepare?” I asked teasingly.