Linksshifter II

A Path Between The Waves - ~~

Sonali shivered. It couldn't be – it couldn't be real, not this random sea story that Naresh was passing on from some random guy out from the isles, out where they probably still left bread on the doorsteps every night for the elves. This Liam kid hadn't been dragged down into the bottoms and devoured by a sea horse – he would be found drawn and dry in some corner of an old woodlot where he'd had a bad fall, some speccy guy with a failing shop would be arrested in the blare of BEAST BEAST BEAST headlines, or someone in his family would end up in court on a tip from social services and their whole estate would be torn to bits taking sides. But there was something in this that felt not only strange but familiar – like she was walking on the edge of something, looking down at a fog under her feet and Naresh's texts were starting to drift that fog away.

> am not sayin it is
> am not sayin I believe you, not all of it not right now
> but did this malcolm never say nothing bout stopping one o thems?
> teh old ppl from here alwys got tricks like
> cold iron and bible verses and a glass of whisky

< the achuskae he said u could stop
< the nucklavee on the opn water, no, we wer fukt if it came back
< but he had this story bout an old farmer whose dottr got took by achuskae
< got his boys up an tehy roasted a sheep on the beach an bent up iron bars to hooks
< got em red hot in the fire
< an when the achuskae came up to get the sheep, they slagged em wit the hooks
< chibbed him proper
< malcolm wnt on so much that like dougal fae castlmilk an trevon who was fae houston was green
< the fight an them rippin the horse up wit red-hot iron
< shit was brutal
< but in the morning it was dead, burst up like an old squid
< didnt get the girl back or nothin but they got revenge

Sonali stretched out, breathing heavily. No. This wasn't right – and even if it was, it wouldn't help. The hell she could get a sheep, let alone carry it down to the beach and start a barbecue and hope a monster showed up. She shook her head and rolled over, phone back in her two hands.

> ya aint happnin
> no goany kill a sheep an do a gang fight fae itfor this
> and I dont think its quite right
> something, its like its near the same but it aint – its different
> you got any other ideas?

< wat, killin sea monsters?
< ffs
< fkediino

> your malcolm then he was all just on how yous wis all fked aye

< aye so he wis
< look u got to hav better ppl u can ask
< aint u got wite ppl in ur school?

> evrybdy here is from kent or embra or texas
> theyaint a lot of the old ppl from here no more
> but yah, guess I gotta
> ill do as I can
> thx

< np
< otehr than sea monsters how sevryone?

> same
> mum is fine
> twins r good
> they got some kind of award for a project or the like the day
> and baba

< is baba still
< aye
< feelin u
< keep ur heid up
< igb, srsly

> thx
> you kno me I try
> but its still hard

< I kno – saw ur mail bout the team
< keep drillin, keep grindin
< whn u get out an go to uni, they cant stop u playin on the uni team
< an if ur good enuf, ull go pro right fae ther

Sonali nodded, gulping back tears. He was right – she had to keep fighting. Even if they pushed her just into the academic track, that was a way out too – a way to Edinburgh at least, and if she was in Edinburgh, she was as good as on the books of Spartans or Hibs.