By Greta Timmins
SWALLOWED IN THE SEA
It began like this, with a girl and a monster.
The lighthouse rose from the rocks of the island like a sentry in the night. Its beam cast a soft and lazy glow as it moved through the air, silent and sure. The sea was quiet, and so still that the stars reflected on it like a mirror. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the water against the rocks, and the faint lilt of a violin.
At the top of the lighthouse stood a creature who had once been a boy. His hands were steady as he tossed more logs onto the fire. Around him were many mirrors, polished until they shone. He didn鈥檛 need to watch the flame all night. But he liked it up here. Sometimes, if the light was right, he could almost see land, far off in the distance.
In the ocean, a few yards away, floated the body of a human girl.
He had not yet seen her.
#
The sea whispered to her like a lullaby. Wake up, it sang. It is time for you to wake up.
Nina coughed, once, then twice, and her eyes flickered open. She tasted blood. With each breath, her memory came back to her in fragments. A large ship, dozens of other passengers. A hand, clutching Nina so hard that the knuckles had turned white. The feeling of great heat on her face. Screams. But she could not remember how she had gone from being on a ship to floating in the ocean. When she tried to comprehend them, the memories flickered and disappeared.
There was a hand grasping her wrist. Nina turned and saw a scaly green creature, murky beneath the sea. White hair floated around its wide, flat face, and a grin split it like a wound. Nina screamed, but only a faint noise escaped from her throat, rubbed raw by the sand and salt. She tried to yank her wrist away, but the creature had a vise-like grip.
鈥淗ello, girl.鈥 Its voice had a strange quality, as if more than one creature was speaking. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen one of you in a while.鈥
The creature brought its fingers up out of the water, and drummed them up and down Nina鈥檚 arm. Its nails were sharp, thin as needles, and covered in barnacles. Where they touched Nina鈥檚 skin, blood drew to the surface.
鈥淲e could take you down to the sand鈥 you鈥檇 make a wonderful decoration鈥 those eyes! But he wouldn鈥檛 like that鈥 No. I suppose he wouldn鈥檛 like that at all,鈥 it lamented. 鈥淚 suppose I鈥檒l have to summon the others.鈥
Nina began to flail.
The creature sighed. 鈥淥h, don鈥檛 be like that. This isn鈥檛 going to be fun for me either.鈥 It brushed its fingers against Nina鈥檚 scalp. 鈥淪leep.鈥 As Nina was pulled down into blackness once again, she swore she heard it whisper: 鈥淪oon you鈥檒l be praying we had taken you after all.鈥
#
When she awoke, she was lying in a white feather bed, and there was a boy sitting beside her in a chair peeling a pomegranate. A white canopy floated around her, blown by the gentle sea breeze. She watched him. He couldn鈥檛 have been more than a few years older than Nina herself, maybe nineteen or twenty. His skin was golden brown, and his black hair had been combed carefully back. He wore a simple white shirt and dark pants. But when the boy looked up and smiled, Nina saw that his eyes were shot black all the way through. An icy feeling trickled down her back, for this was no boy at all.
If he saw her reaction, he didn鈥檛 show it, simply continuing to pluck fruit out of the pomegranate.
鈥淒id you ever hear the story of Hades and Persephone?鈥 His voice was gravelly, but surprisingly youthful. 鈥淲hen she ate a pomegranate, Persephone was bound to the underworld forever. You know, people say that she was kidnapped? But there are some stories where Persephone chooses to go. Some say she ruled so strongly that even Hades himself was in awe. Anyway, that鈥檚 not the point. These pomegranates won鈥檛 do that to you.鈥
It was with great effort that Nina was able to speak. 鈥 Once, I saw a boy on the street who could play with shadows. They danced around his fingers like puppets. I wanted to stay and watch, but my parents forbade it. They said that I was not to talk to demons. I took one last glimpse as we turned a corner. The boy had become a shadow himself.鈥
鈥淲ell, you would be dead without my help,鈥 he said. 鈥淚magine what your family would say to that.鈥
Desperation, or maybe hope, flickered across Nina鈥檚 face, because the boy鈥檚 face changed too- to pity. 鈥淎 shipping boat should pass by here in the next few weeks. It is run by your kind. You can paddle out to it, and they鈥檒l take you to the mainland.鈥
He stood in one fluid motion, eyes already on the door. 鈥淢y name is Nik. Your world hates magic. This place is a sort of sanctuary for it. You will need to be very careful. Know that this place is alive. Know that this place is trying to kill you.鈥 His fingers drummed lightly on the wall. 鈥淭he room next to us is rare in that it is both beautiful and safe. If you鈥檙e feeling up to it, I鈥檒l meet you there for lunch.鈥
#
The room was a marvel. There must have been thousands of books, rising all the way to the top of the high ceiling. Light fell from the windows in interlocking patterns. In the center of the room, a large eel coiled lazily around the fountain, as easily as if it were in water instead of air. Schools of fish darted about, ranging in colors from blood red to bright gold. A shark went gliding past her ear, so close it could have bitten her. Staring up toward the ceiling, Nina felt as if though she were at the bottom of the ocean.
鈥淲hat,鈥 she said breathlessly, turning to Nik, 鈥渋s a library like this doing here?鈥
Nik smiled, though not without bitterness. 鈥淗iding, I suppose.鈥
Nina watched in wonder as a large, translucent octopus oozed its way between two bookshelves. 鈥淭his is the most amazing thing I have ever seen.鈥
Nik threw his head back and laughed. 鈥淛ust you wait.鈥
He had set a table for lunch. On it was a salad, some meat, and a glass of water. Nina took heaps of the salad, but eyed the meat with distrust. Nik, she noticed, had nothing on his plate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 chicken,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have them here on the island.鈥 He muttered something to himself, and a large goblet appeared on the table. It was filled with an oozing black liquid that smelled like tar. He took a long sip. Nina watched, half in disgust, half in awe.
鈥淒on鈥檛 look so impressed. I only brought it up from the kitchens. Creating something out of nothing would be impossible.鈥
鈥淚 know.鈥 Nina admitted, blushing a little.
鈥淥h?鈥 Nik cocked an eyebrow. 鈥淵ou know something about magic? Forgive me if I鈥檓 rusty on my human laws, but isn鈥檛 that illegal?鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 only illegal if you get caught.鈥
When Nik laughed, the shadows of his eyes seemed to dance too. 鈥淲e are going to have great fun, you and I. Great fun.鈥
Nik was right. The library was only the beginning. The island was filled with strange and beautiful things. One room was filled with stars, and standing there felt like standing in the middle of the night sky. In the garden, pumpkins grew as large as houses. And there was a small wooden door on the second floor of the lighthouse that opened out onto a forest. The trees formed a canopy, so close together that only slivers of golden light were able to dance along the forest floor. The trees whispered in a melodious language that Nina did not understand. Nik told her that the trees told riddles, riddles so old that the answers were no longer known. Nina insisted on walking there an entire day, but even then, they did not see the whole of it.
Unlike some of the other rooms of the lighthouse, Nina was allowed to go into the forest on her own. The only rule was that she had to take a ball of twine, tie it to a post by the door, and hold onto it as she moved through the woods. That way, she鈥檇 always be able to find her way back.
Nina learned that the lighthouse had a mind of its own, and that not everything on the island was kind. When she lay in her bed at night, sometimes, she thought she could hear screams. Other times, she thought she could hear singing. Neither sound was human. But Nik stressed over and over again that to leave her room at night was to risk death. So she spent her nights safe in a little round bedroom, watching shadows shift and change beneath the door.
#
It was early morning when a tiger with a woman鈥檚 head, appeared as Nina sat in the gated garden.
鈥淵ou smell delicious,鈥 the beast purred. A forked tongue poked out of her mouth. 鈥淪o much better than a bird.鈥
Nina froze. The closest thing she had to a weapon was the butter knife she had taken from the small kitchen that morning. She grasped the handle tighter in her hand.
鈥...and Nik would be angry, but Nik would recover, now wouldn鈥檛 he,鈥 the beast mused as she paced around Nina. 鈥淭ell me girl, what has he told you? Do you laugh as you look at us, locked up here? What is it that he鈥檚 told you, that you will board a boat? Will this place become nothing more than a strange little story that you tell your friends? Do you long for home?... I long for my home too.鈥
With a whisper, Nik appeared next to Nina. Black shadows had oozed from his hands, pooling at his feet. 鈥淗ow nice of you to show up here, Lila. I see it鈥檚 time to redo the garden wards.鈥
The beast Lila smiled, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth. 鈥淣ikolai. Always so protective of your humans. We could feast on her together, you know. Are you not hungry?鈥
Time stood still for a terrifying moment. But then the shadows at Nik鈥檚 feet began to writhe and spin towards the beast, and Lila backed away. Her amber eyes found Nina鈥檚. 鈥淎sk him what the trees want.鈥 Suddenly the beast leaned forward, so that her hot breath was right against Nina鈥檚 ear. 鈥淎sk him what is beneath the lighthouse.鈥 Then, Lila turned and bounded away.
Nina鈥檚 hands were shaking. The shadows still licked at the ground, sweeping over her feet. When they touched her, a piercing cold shot through her body. Slowly, the shadows receded.
Nik took a heavy breath. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry. Lila鈥檚 mostly harmless. She just wanted to scare you. But I鈥檒l fix the shields tonight.鈥
鈥淲hat did she mean when she said to ask you what the trees are saying?鈥 Nina said, voice wavering.
鈥淪he meant nothing. This island serves as a magical sanctuary. The beings on this island have come here to seek protection, but some of them resent their confinement. They are bored with it. Lila just likes to cause trouble.鈥 He offered her a hand. 鈥淪hall we go back to the lighthouse? I promise you, the forest is still safe.鈥
Nina took his hand, but as he guided her back to the house, she watched the grass blow in the wind where Lila had stood. There had been hatred in the creature鈥檚 eyes, real hatred.
She hoped Nik couldn鈥檛 feel that she was shaking.
#
The next day, Nina explored the forest, traveling farther than ever before. The light that trickled through the trees grew dimmer the farther she went. Soon, long shadows swept across the forest floor, and it was difficult to see more than a few paces in front of her.
The trees began to sing. Their melodic voices were forlorn, humming in a steady tune that brought tears to Nina鈥檚 eyes. She found herself in a clearing. There were lights here, floating lanterns moving idly through the air. They cast a golden glow, illuminating several dozen large stones. It took Nina a second to realize that these were gravestones. Gravestones bearing human names.
Nina opened her mouth. She was crying, her tears falling onto the roots of the trees. Perhaps she possessed a little magic of her own, because the trees鈥 songs wove themselves into words that she could understand. They spoke of terrible things. For these were not trees at all. They were ghosts. Nina stood in what might have been the most dangerous part of the dense forest. A pool grew where her tears had fallen onto the ground. Nina wasn鈥檛 sure if it was her own will or the whispers of the dead that guided her next movement when she stepped into the water.
#
Instantly, she stood in a long room on the edge of the sea. Light glimmered through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was as though she stood at the bow of a great ship.
鈥淒aughter.鈥 A warm hand touched Nina鈥檚 arm. She turned, and found herself staring into the worn, smiling face of her mother. 鈥淗ow I鈥檝e missed you.鈥
鈥淢other!鈥 Nina cried, launching herself into her arms. She was warm to the touch. Human. Real.
鈥淒o you have any food for your darling mother?鈥 Abruptly, Nina noticed how thin her mother was. Skin hung off of her body, and her cheeks were sunken. Her grip grew hard on Nina鈥檚 shoulders, and her nails pierced Nina鈥檚 skin. 鈥淗ungry. I am so hungry.鈥
Her mother鈥檚 face began to change, writhing and twisting, as wings sprouted from her back. Nina wrenched herself away, and fell back into the blackness. She found herself in a small black room. In the corner sat a small child.
鈥淗ello!鈥 His mouth split into a wide smile. 鈥淗ave you come to play with me? I do love to play.鈥 He held out his hands. They were dark, slicked red with blood. A tightness began to constrict around Nina鈥檚 throat. Her vision blurred. The boy laughed. It was a child鈥檚 laugh, high and tinkling. Nina wondered if it would be the last sound she ever heard.
Breathless with laughter, the child spoke: 鈥淚鈥檝e missed this, you know. I鈥檝e been locked up here for so long. Not on any map, no way out. Do you know that? Even outside this cell, there鈥檚 no way off the island. Anyway, I鈥檝e missed hearing a human scream.鈥
Nik鈥檚 cold voice echoed through the room. 鈥淩elease her.鈥
Shadows began to lick across the boy鈥檚 ankles and arms. He wailed. The grip on Nina鈥檚 throat released. And out of the shadows, Nik appeared, to rest his hand lightly on her arm. Nina flinched.
鈥淭here are much worse places you could be, boy.鈥 Nik鈥檚 voice was a caress filled with malice, as the shadows danced across the boy鈥檚 arms and legs. 鈥淒on鈥檛 you forget it.鈥
He turned his black eyes to Nina. In that moment, she thought Nik might kill her too. 鈥淟et鈥檚 get you out of here.鈥
A darkness came around them, and when it fell away, they were back in the lighthouse. The boy鈥檚 words echoed in her ear: Even outside this cell.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a sanctuary.鈥 Nina whispered. 鈥淭his is a jail.鈥
鈥淵es,鈥 Nik breathed.
鈥淎nd what are you? The jailor, I presume?鈥
鈥淭here are beings down there that can kill with a mere look, Nina. What鈥檚 strong enough to imprison creatures like that? Only something even worse than them.鈥
There was a thumping in Nina鈥檚 ears. 鈥淵ou.鈥
鈥淵es. Oh, I am a prisoner here, too. But in exchange for keeping the others quiet, I am allowed to roam the island.鈥
鈥淗ow did the people in the forest die?鈥
He did not seem particularly surprised by the question, or that she had discovered the graveyard in the forest. 鈥淪ome went down into the jail. They were not so lucky as you. But most of them simply died of old age.鈥
Nina let that sink in. Most of them had died of old age. She heard the boy鈥檚 words again: No way off the island.
鈥淵ou lied to me,鈥 Nina spat at him, and strode from the room. Nik was silent as he watched her go. In the pounding of her heart Nina could feel the magic that bound her there. It was woven through the very foundation of the island, strong and alive.
But magic can be broken, Nina thought. She smiled.
