Dark Water

Chapter 1

Ireland, 1784

Mihris undid the ties to her boat, the light rain pattering against her skin. it was cold, the middle of the fishing season, the air salty from the wind. Her bluish-black hair was tied back tightly, her coat tightened around her waist to keep her warm.

She had thought of cutting her hair when she first began her career in fishing, but the men treated her the same, even inviting her for drinks occasionally when she wasn't busy. She pushed the boat out with her strong arms, climbing in and opening up the sails. She had her nets, her hunting knife, her harpoon, and a few canteens of warm coffee and food in case she became stranded till morning. The bay was shaped like a horseshoe, the opening to the cold unknown ocean. She guided the sail the best she could, finding a nice spot near the edges of the bay, lowing her anchor before putting her gloves on. The rain picked up slightly, the icy wind becoming harsher by the moment. She took her net, casting it into the water, before letting it sink then pulling it up. despite the rain, there was quite a lot of fish still in the bay, as she hoisted up net after net full of a variety of fish, big and small. She decided to take a break as the wind and rain calmed, sitting down, and opening her canteen of coffee, and taking a sip of the rich, warm liquid. She gazed around at the twinkling lights from the still lit houses, before staring up at the stars for a while, still twinkling through the clouds. She was drawn from her thoughts as she felt a bump on the bottom of the boat, it drifting slightly from the force, leaving little ripples in the water.

She stood up slowly, noticing thick fog had formed, the lights of the houses and docks out of sight. it was dark and quiet, and she shivered as her breath came out in white puffs. something knocked the boat again. enough to make her stumble, as she fell onto the hardwood. She quickly sat up, grasping one of the large fish from her catch and throwing it out into the water. She stayed on her hands and knees as she watched it float in the water before something came up and snatched it from the surface with a smack. She slowly threw another in, and the same routine commenced, it floating for a few seconds before being pulled under the surface. She waited in silence aside from the patter of the light rain, before the boat harshly rocked, the anchor line breaking. She tried to stand up, but the boat was quickly forced in one direction, and she fell once again. it seemed to be moving on its own and continued when every so often she threw a fish into the water. The docks slowly came into view, only a few feet off from where she was. She went to the bow of the boat, grasping a rope and hopping up onto the dock, pulling it and tying it into place. She collapsed on the dock, her heart beating out of her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed when she felt a thud against the boards against her, and she quickly sprung up, looking around at the black water. She quickly went and pulled some fish out of the boat, tossing them into the water. They quickly disappeared, and she tied up her nets in the shed that they kept for a fresh catch, signing her name on the log.

"When are you going to get to the interesting part?" Kieran interrupted her story, and she took a sip of her ale.

"I have to tell the whole story. It didn't just happen one day that I stumbled upon her, it was much, much more than that." He was about to speak again but Oisin shushed him, and he grumbled in response.

"As I was saying."

Mihris had run back to the cabin, leaving most of her gear in the boat, opening the door and closing it, locking herself in. Before the fire, she lit the overhead lamp, taking off her wet clothes and exchanging them for a blanket. She took out her journal, documenting her catch, and the strange occurrences.

"January twenty, seventeen eighty-four. A strange occurrence has happened to me out in the bay tonight. My boat was rocked back and forth by an unknown force, with my anchor tie cut. The rope was sliced clean, although it could have been a rock. A strange fog appeared from nowhere, and my boat was pushed back to the docks, although I lost a few of my large catch fish in return. Whatever it was, it enjoys arctic char. I'll make sure to bring some next time I go as a thank you, although it could have just been a sea lion and an odd current due to the storm." She set the pen back down in the inkwell, placing the book on the shelf above her bed before covering herself with the warm quilts. She had an uneasy feeling in the back of her mind, unable to sleep as though there was something still watching her from the sea, from afar in that deep, black, water.