The Fairy, The Witch and Lost Items

7. Random meetings.

"More interesting and more interesting!" Eve said it with a curiosity, "but now you need to sleep."

...

Terry has awoken in the darkness. She was feeling much better, so she stood up and went upstairs, on the deck, where she found Eve sitting on the edge, looking away into the darkness. She didn't even turn to look at her.

"Restless." She said it with no emotion. "Why are you not sleeping? Sea sickness?"

"I'm fine, just an insomnia." Terry stood along. "And you?"

"Just an insomnia. I broke my sleep schedule a long ago." Eve glanced at her, then back into the night. "You're doing great for a landlubber."

"Uhh, thanks, I guess?" Terry chuckled. "I know that isn't my business, but what are you doing here?"

"I live on the yacht, but every so often I like to take a step or two on solid ground. So I should be on the beach for today's night. Counter-question. What are you doing here?"

"That's...complicated. I'm starting to hate this word, though, too many things are become complicated last days."

"We have all night."

"What a generous offer! Uhh. Where to start? Alright. A week ago, I had awoken in my house in Budapest..."

Eve was looking away throughout the story, but Terry felt that she was listening very mindfully. "That's..." she said it slowly, when the story ended, "in the other circumstances I should've said that it's just freaking unbelievable, but here is a plot twist. I believe in your story. Guess why?"

"No clue." Terry was surprised, but hid that.

"Do you know why I'm named my yacht 'Clara'?"

"How can I know?"

"True," Eve chuckled, "well, it's a complicated story." They laughed. "But short... I know someone named Clara. But we lost each other a long ago, I mean, literally lost, we got into the storm one day, and...yeah. I was yet to find her." She hesitated a little. "Do you believe in mermaids?"

No. It's impossible.

Terry forced her voice to not crack. "Clara the Mermaid. Green eyes, blue and green tail. Of course." Silence became absolute, and in this silence she heard Eve sobbed. Oh, poor girl. She hugged her from behind and felt how she flinched.

***

Later, they were sitting in the cabin again, with a single light barely dispersed the darkness, Eve's face was hidden in shadows.

"Are you okay?" Terry asked with an uncertainty in her voice.

"I don't know," she replied in a dead tone, "it was years. I almost gave up."

Years. Terry felt like a cold ran through her spine. Hell, years. It was just days for me and it was like an eternity. Can't even imagine how years would feel.

"Well, now you can find her for sure. She is in Esztergom. Or you can contact The Counterbalance, tell them I sent you. They will help you."

"How is she?" 

Terry understood the question. "More than alive, thriving. I'm sure she will be happy to see you." She looked at her. "Hey, look at me."

Eve raised her head.

"You need to sleep. And I need to sleep too. Tomorrow I will move forward, but if you want to move as well, you need to rest. Do me a favor."

"Yeah?"