Unknown Waters

“You’re quite the ladies man.” Col took a long drink from the red cup in his hand and shrugged.

“I can’t help they find me attractive.”

“Are you always this cocky?” Elle tipped her head to the side with a mocking grin.

“Most of the time, yes. I am.” Col gestured to Amelia who was seated on a log next to Hunter. “She points it out daily.”

“The brunette girl?” Elle eyed her warily, knowing of the infatuation Wes had. “You guys are close?”

“You would think we were brother and sister. She’s been my best friend since, well, forever really.” Col watched Hunter say something that made Amelia shake her head laughing. “What about you and Wes?”

“What about us?” Elle took a slow drink from her cup. The liquid inside tasted stale on her tongue.

“I mean you said you are brother and sister, but you guys don’t seem overly close to one another.”

“Our family isn’t the close type.” Elle looked at Col.

“How long are you in town for?” He turned to face her completely.

“My dad says he wants to stick around for a bit to cash in on the fish run or something like that.” She took another sip of her beer. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of us around.”

“I’m not complaining,” he admitted happily.

“Your girlfriend doesn’t seem happy about it.” Col didn’t need to turn around to know that Amber was glaring daggers into the back of his head.

“She’s not my girlfriend. We hooked up a few times and it was nice but she’s not my type.”

“Oh? And what is your type?”

“Don’t get me wrong, the sex was great,” Col watched Elle scrunch up her nose, “but she’s not much to talk to. I want someone I can hold a conversation with about fishing or sports or life. Someone that isn’t so high maintenance all the time.”

“Is sex a normal thing among you people?” Elle wanted to slap herself the second the words came out of her mouth. Col rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a curious expression.

“I mean, yeah.” He waved his cup in a large arc. “Pretty much everyone here has done it.”

“I just find it odd how no one wants to save themselves for marriage.”

“You’re one of those girls?” Col guffawed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Elle’s tone was defensive.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way. I just, didn’t peg you to be one that hasn’t had sex.”

“Why? Because I look like a slut?” Her eyes were raging.

“No, because you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen.” Col licked his lips. “And I didn’t expect someone of your caliber to hold them self at such a high standard."

Several heads turned when the sound of a slap echoed in the night air. Col held the side of his face and watched Elle stomp away from him. “Elle! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Looks like Col said the wrong thing,” Hunter pointed out to Amelia. The brunette looked on as her best friend dropped his head, his feet carrying him to the keg of beer.

“He’s always getting himself in a mess with girls.”

“I’m going to get something to drink, you want anything?” Hunter stood and brushed the sand off his pants. Amelia shook her head in reply and he walked in the same direction as Col.

Amelia kept her eyes trained on the climbing flames from the fire, her sixth sense fully aware of the other person sitting on the log. She knew he was looking at her, knew he was studying her, and as much as she wanted to say something to him, she didn't.

Several more people arrived around the fire with the smell of barbeque mixing in the air. Amelia recognized a few from school and one girl even waved to her.

"Hello Amelia." She darted her eyes toward Wes. "How are you this evening?"

"I'm fine." Tucking a hair behind her ear she gazed at him casually. "You?"

"It's a beautiful night." He looked up toward the sky with a soft smile. "I'm glad we decided to come."

Amelia didn't answer, just turned her attention back to the fire as it crackled against the wood. It wasn't until he moved next to her that she fully turned to him. His leg was brushing against hers gently and the expression he held was curious. "Are you purposely avoiding me?"

"What?!" Amelia scoffed. "I'm not avoiding you."

"Your actions say otherwise." He leaned forward with his chin tucked in his hand, playful look in his eyes reflected by the light of the fire.

"What actions? I sat down once I got here. You engaged in conversation with Hunter and now me. Explain how that's avoiding you."

"At lunch the other day you didn't say a single word to me and tonight you wouldn't have if I didn't initiate it."

"You don't know that," she countered with a frown.

"Would you have talked to me?" He lifted a hand to brush the hair off her face that the wind had caught. She felt a surge of electricity ripple under her skin from the contact of his fingers. Wrapping her arms around herself she dropped her gaze to the sand.

"Maybe."

"Will you walk with me?" He sat up straighter running a hand through his hair. She bit the inside of her cheek. "To get away from the noise." Amelia hadn't noticed music playing or laughter picking up until he pointed it out, her attention drawn to the large amount of people lingering.

"Sure." He offered his hand but she stood up on her own, feet carrying her away from the crowd and into darkness. She stuffed her hands into her pockets listening to the waves continuously crashing onto the shore.

"Tell me what's on your mind." Wes was close enough she could feel the heat radiating from his arm but not close enough that they were touching. Kicking at the sand with her toes she let out a breath.

"You."

"What about me?" Wes tilted his head.

"How you came around out of nowhere and disappeared. Then showed up again. I mean, is it wrong of me to expect you to be around after opening up to you? For you to show up and help me again? Because I did. I waited at the beach for you every day for a week. And I thought for a moment that I had dreamt you up. That you weren't real. And then you magically show up at Moe's and act like nothing is different." Amelia threw up her arms for emphasis and stopped walking. She stared at Wes for a few seconds and dropped her hands to her hips. His lips twitched upwards before laughter spilled out of his mouth. "What the hell is so funny?"

"You're just, you're much more than I expected."

"Seriously?" Scowling she turned on her heel and started marching back toward the fire.

"Amelia! Amelia wait!" His laugh might have made her insides melt in any other circumstance but she was too angry to let that happen. His hand wrapped around her wrist causing her to spin back around into his chest. His smile brightened his entire face, eyes reflecting the moon high above, and she did her best to glare. "Just give me a chance to explain."

"You've got three minutes." Pushing away from him, Amelia started toward the shore.

"I have to be careful who I get close to," Wes began once he caught up to her, "because I'm not from around here."

"That much is clear," Amelia muttered. The water rolled up onto the sand and lipped over her toes making her shiver.

"You're not like most girls I've met. You have intuition, courage, beauty, and you're not afraid to speak your mind." Amelia could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. "You act with passion and care for your friend as if he were family."

"He is family," she interjected quietly. Biting her lip she kept her eyes out on the waves completely aware of how close they were standing to each other.

"My family is very strict when it comes to dating," Wes continued, "and it's very often that they don't approve of the girls I desire."

"You desire me?" She laughed at her own question.

"I desire your company. And I know my absence has no excuse that can make it better but know that it was not my choice to leave." Wes kicked at the sand with his shoe and tilted his head toward the sky.

"I like being around you too," Amelia said nudging him with her arm. He looked at her with a grin. She opened her mouth to say something else but out of the corner of her eye she spotted a bundle of clothes on the shore. "Seriously? People can't pick up their shit?"

Wes followed her gaze and her steps. As they got closer he realized that it wasn't just a bundle of clothes. "Amelia."

"Oh my God!" She gasped bringing her hands to her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes and she immediately turned into Wes' body. His arms closed around her shoulders spreading warmth in her upper body, his eyes focused on the corpse of Lewis Donald.


Col's father, Oliver Pierce, passed on his fortunate genetics to his son. They both held strong jaw lines, dark eyes, and thick brown hair. Oliver's hair was speckled with grey but his body showed barely any signs of age.

His brown eyes were shielded with a pair of sunglasses to block the sun as he and Col raced across the ocean waters in his fishing boat. Col was on the deck fixing up a cage to drop, the motion of the vessel hitting the waves barely registering in his mind.

"2 more clicks!" Oliver shouted. Col gave him a thumbs up without looking, his eyes focused on the knot he was attempting to tie. Kicking at the rope of the fishing net to free his boot he lifted the cage on its side with little effort. When the boat started to slow Col picked up the net. Waiting until the engine dropped he threw the net as far out as he could so it wouldn't tangle under the boat, just like his father taught him at a young age.

"Net is out!" Col slapped a hand on the cockpit. Walking over to the crane Oliver had built a few years ago he tugged a few of the levers to get the cage into the air. The engine of the boat cut off leaving Col alone with the sound of the gears turning on the crane.

The sun beat down on the back of his neck as he worked, sweat beading on his forehead, and Col was thankful he had worn a tank-top instead of a long sleeved shirt. Waiting until the cage was over the water he pressed a button that released the tension in the rope. Oliver emerged onto the deck just as the cage splashed into the water and clapped his hands together.

"We're in a good spot. This is where Craig said he got the big catches the other day."

"Let's hope so. I promised Amelia I would repay her for the Playstation controller she replaced three months ago."

"Well whose fault is it that it got broken in the first place?" Oliver teased.

"Hackers are assholes who shouldn't be allowed to play," Col muttered. Setting the gauges on the crane he rolled his neck.

"Maybe you need to learn how to play."

"Maybe you need to focus on the fish finder instead of my playing habits."

"How is Amelia anyway? I haven't seen her in a few days." Both Col and his father walked into the cockpit, Col seating himself on the cushioned bench watching his father tinker with buttons.

"She's good. Hanging out with this Wes guy she met not too long ago." Col rested an arm on his leg.

"And how do you feel about this Wes character?"

"He seems pretty cool. And his sister is pretty good looking."

"Is she now?" Oliver smirked at his son.

"I'm 98% sure I ruined any chance I had with her this past weekend."

"Did you come on too strong?"

"I said something the wrong way and she slapped me."

"Ouch." Col nodded in agreement and sighed. "Give it some time, she'll come around."

"I haven't seen her in three days so it's doubtful." Col stared at a black mark on the floor with a grim expression.

"Since when does my son give up on a girl so quickly?"

"When said son makes an ass out of himself to a girl he didn't have a chance with in the beginning."

"Did Amber hurt your ego or something?" Oliver leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

"No, if anything she boosted it. But this girl dad, this girl is so much more than Amber it's ridiculous. She's smarter, holds herself differently, gorgeous, and slightly intimidating."

"You're scared of a girl." Col shook his head.

"No, I'm not scared of her. I'm just not sure how to be around her. It's like she doesn't care who I am or what I look like. She's just, unique." Gazing at his father Col watched the older man lull his head from side to side in concentration.

"I think if you told her what you told me that you'd have a decent chance to get her on your good side." A loud beep sounded from the switchboard causing both men to jump into action. Oliver pounded his fingers against the buttons while Col raced back out to the deck to pull up the cage. Adrenaline raced through his veins as he switched the levers back and forth.

Col felt deflated the second the cage came into view with nothing inside of it. "Dad it's empty!"

"Must be something in the net then." Col dropped the cage back into the water with a sigh. "Check it out." Rolling his eyes he walked over to the ropes that were hanging over the side of the boat and pulled on them. Pursing his lips he tugged harder but got no relief of the tension.

"I think we got stuck on something," Col called out over his shoulder. Oliver emerged with a frown.

"Jump in and cut it free then. I'll rig up another net."

Slipping off his boots Col grabbed a flashlight and a knife out of a toolbox they kept in a container next to the crane system. Jumping up and down a few times to get his blood flowing Col held onto the light with his left hand and the knife with his right. Once his dad gave him a nod, Col swung his legs over the side of the boat and submerged into the water.

Instantly he blinked, eyes burning from the saltwater, and he resisted the urge to rub them with the back of his hands. Kicking his feet his body flipped over in the water and he grabbed onto one end of the rope to guide him. Aiming the flashlight downward he swam about twenty feet until he got to the top of the net. Pulling himself along the knots he scrunched his face in confusion.

The light reflected off something metallic before settling on what looked like a torso. Col pulled on the rope lightly and jolted backward when a pair of green eyes shot through the darkness. Holding the flashlight in front of him Col tasted the saltiness of the ocean as his jaw slacked.

A girl with billowing hair lashed at the net with milky white fingers, eyes vibrant as she growled, her upper body only covered by something made of seaweed. With a shaking hand he moved the flashlight to illuminate her body and had to blink several times to understand what was in front of him. The light bounced off the scales covering the long tail the girl possessed, a pair of fins curling where her feet should have been.

"Col." The voice echoed inside his head making him shake it slowly. "Listen to me. You need to cut me out of here." His brow furrowed, lungs started to grow weak from lack of oxygen. "Col it's me, it's Elle. Cut me out of this damn net now before one of the others comes to get me." Wrapping his fingers around the net he got as close as his mind wanted him to. His eyes widened when he took in the familiar features of her face and the bracelet adorning her wrist. "We don't have much time. Please."

Col bit down on the end of the flashlight so he could see the rope. Running the blade of the knife against the knots he had cut three when he began to feel lightheaded. His movements started to slow but he continued, cutting a fourth and five knot. Elle wiggled herself out of the trap and quickly grabbed Col's arm. Holding the sides of his face she stared him straight in the eyes.

"You're going to go back to your boat and tell your dad that it was a tortoise. You never saw me and you won't remember this. Swim to the surface now Col."

He gasped for air the second he emerged, his dad shouting his name behind him. Col tread water for a few seconds gathering his thoughts. "Col!" Tucking the knife in his waistband Col took his father's outstretched arm and clambered onto the deck with deep breaths. "What the hell took you so long?! I thought you were caught."

"No," Col squeezed his eyes shut, "it was a tortoise. I had to cut the net in several spots to free it." And as much as he wanted to believe the words coming out of his mouth he couldn't shake the feeling it was a lie.