She of the Sea

33 of 53 - A Frightening Sight

Bruce Webb was glad to have the tall and fit nineteen-year-old man at the helm of the sponge diving boat but remained wary of him. He no longer had to bear the burden of protecting Cassandra alone. He worried, though, how Cassie would react to seeing Rafe. She had specifically told him to tell nobody.

They left the marina before dawn, hoping to reach Anclote Key at first light. They were loaded down with supplies for an extended stay.

It surprised Webb, how calmly Ofelia accepted the news about Cassie's true nature. Rafe was another matter. The young man still regarded him with suspicion and contempt. Hearing about Cassie was not the same as seeing her. How would the truth impact Rafe? Cassie probably expected his rejection, but she had to know a secret like hers couldn't be hidden for long from a man who desired intimacy with her.

Webb directed Rafe to pilot their craft to the far side of the island to unload. Afterwards, the plan was for Rafe to hide the boat among the others at the small tourist dock. Campers were allowed to setup tents and spend nights. He and Rafe could setup their tent on the beach near Cassie which would appear perfectly normal to anyone who happened to stumble onto their site. Webb and Rafe could take turns guarding Cassie while she went through her change.

After they arrived at the bent tree along the beach, Rafe insisted on seeing Cassie right away before they unloaded.

Webb stopped him. "Let me go first. Let me prepare her. I don't want her to be shocked at seeing you."

Rafe's expression revealed he didn't like the idea, but he grunted his assent.

Webb pushed through the scrub and grasses until reaching the spot where he had left her. The cocoon Webb saw raised the hairs on the back of his neck. The girl had been entombed inside a body-sized fibrous egg, something he had no idea would happen.

He dropped to his knees. "I hope you're still alive. Cassie, can you hear me?"

Placing his hand against the skin of the cocoon, it felt warm and dry. He heard a soft, sad moan like a whale call.

"Cassie, is that you? Are you aware of me? If so, sing to me again."

Nothing.

"I brought things. Is there any way you can communicate what you need?"

Nothing.

"Please don't be angry, but Rafe came with me. He knows everything and will help me to protect you. Is it okay if he sees you?"

Another mournful song.

"I don't know if that means yes or no."

She sang no more.

Webb returned to Rafe who waited anxiously kicking at the beach sand. He told the young man what he had witnessed. "I'll take you to her, but don't act repulsed. I'm not sure what she can sense and don't want to distress her."

Rafe handled it better than Webb expected. He got to his knees and placed both palms against the egg. He laid the side of his face against the warm surface. "Oh, Cassandra, it all makes sense now, your mysterious moods, your secrets." He lifted his head and spoke directly at her. "It doesn't matter. I care for you. I want to know every little thing about you."

He glanced at Webb. "Give me some private time alone with her."

"Sure. I'll unload our supplies and setup our tent. Don't spend too long though, you'll need to move the boat."

Webb finished setting up camp within an hour. He returned to Rafe.

The young man sighed and stood. "This still doesn't seem real to me."

Webb laid a hand on his shoulder. "If I hadn't laid her down in this spot, I'd have trouble believing it too."

Rafe shuffled through the grass and shrub with slumped shoulders and boarded the boat. As he pulled away, Webb sat beside the cocoon. Rafe returned on foot a little over an hour later. Both men sat with Cassie.

The young man rubbed his chin. "She would never tell me anything about herself. She has a zero digital footprint."

"With good reason."

"That bastard doctor has been hunting her all this time? Why? What does he want with her?"

Webb didn't want to reveal the horror he had seen at the hands of Doctor Armando. He worried Cassie might be able to hear their conversation.

Rafe sidled up to the cocoon and laid his arm on the surface. He spoke to her. "When I couldn't find anything about you online, I stumbled onto the meaning of your name. Cassandra is an ancient name."

Webb considered how much Rafe had to care about the girl to find out any scrap of information, even to the point of researching the meaning of her name.

Rafe went on, speaking to the cocoon as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do so. "The first recorded Cassandra in history was the daughter of King Priam of Troy, a beautiful girl, although I'm sure not as pretty as you. She had the gift of prophesy and a corresponding curse of not being believed. All her predictions would come true, but nobody would pay heed to what she warned."

It would be a life of frustrations, Webb concluded.

Rafe continued to speak to her. "Your name has two meanings depending on the interpretation. The more ominous of the two is: She who entangles men. The gentler interpretation is: Helper of mankind. The Greek verb can be translated both ways as either entangle or help."

He sighed. "Which Cassandra are you, the one who entangles men or the one who helps them? An entangler, I think, because from the moment I rescued you the night of the bonfire, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

Webb raised an eyebrow. What had that been all about? Did Cassandra have an encounter with the Tipstaff crew? He would ask Rafe about it later.

The young man suddenly stiffened. "Do you hear that?"

Webb cocked his ear. "No, nothing."

The young man lay the side of his head against the cocoon and chuckled. "She's making clicking  sounds and humming a whale song for me. I think she liked my story about her name."

Question - What's Cassie going to look like when she emerges from her cocoon?

Top photo credit: RobandSheila http://www.flickr.com/photos/73114641@N00/2837800959 via photopin.com Creativecommons.org license