I held tight to the wheel, fighting to control the floating ping pong ball as it bounced between waves. I refused to look behind, only staring past the waves as the inlet to the island slowly moved closer.
From the corner of my eye I could see the water beside me begin to lift, droplets floating in midair, dancing and twirling as the powerful vacuum of the spout gained on me. I concentrated on the gray missile, shooting through the water in front of me, guiding the way. The dolphin and I both had the same idea, to make it through the tight pass. The water must be deeper on the other side, and calmer too.
I frantically pushed down on the throttle, beating myself and the boat against the swells. The motor roared as it left the water, hanging in midair before crashing down on the side of a wave. The boat listed at a terrifying angle, almost flipping sideways into the ocean. Thankfully I was able to bring it back around before the next wave crashed into me.
I never let up on the throttle, taking the beating along with the boat. My breath came in short gasps, the air threatening to be knocked out of me on each wave. And then I tasted the metallic taste of the wind on my tongue again.
The skin on my arms became alive, the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. I had no option of jumping from the boat now. I just hoped it wouldn’t hurt too bad. I’d never been struck by lightning, but I’m sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
I steeled myself against whatever came next as I entered the pass. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited.
A deafening crack broke through the din. Although my eyes were shut I still saw the bright flash of lightning.
I felt strange, numb almost. I could hear my heart beating heavy in my chest, filling the spaces in my head. But all the other sounds had strangely faded into quiet. I was afraid to open my eyes, keeping them squeezed tightly shut.
The only noises that found my ears were a gentle lapping against the boat, and the sound of the water still being pumped over the side, splashing into to ocean. I felt the motions of the boat, still rolling with the waves, although much more calm than before.
I could feel warmth on my skin, and a breeze blowing instead of the howling winds. I was drenched wet from head to toe, but I could no longer feel the rain beating on me.
Slowly I opened my eyes, letting the sunlight seep through my lashes. Somehow I had found the island, although it looked dramatically different from what I had seen in the storm. There were no low scrub bushes, no muddy water or gray sand.
The sun should not have been shining; the cloudless sky overhead was surely an illusion. I waited until I felt the hull crunch into the sandy bottom, coming to rest just a few feet from the shore.
Still dazed, I stumbled my way toward the bow and climbed down to the sand. My head spun, the shock of the last hour finally taking its toll.
“Crap!” I mumbled.
As the crystal white sand grew closer, two thoughts crossed my mind. Number one: I am so grounded. Number two: This is going to hurt.
I lost consciousness before my face hit the hard packed shore.
Evisara
Groaning, and with a feeling not unlike a thousand wasps trapped inside my head, I rolled over and gently opened my eyes, carefully brushing my lashes free of sand. I could still hear the gentle lapping of the water along the shore and could still feel the warmth of the sun and the breeze along my legs. My eyes were focused on a clear blue sky.
Gently sitting up and taking my first real look around I would say I had found paradise.
To the left and right as far as I could see, an undulating coast line followed the water. The sand was a vibrant crystalline white, the water a light clear blue. Small and large boulders dotted the shallow water just off the shore for a ways inland before becoming tall cliffs far off in the distance.
I had been up and down the Texas coast through the years and I’d ever seen anything close to this. So where was I? I looked back the way I must have come, but only two large rocky spires stood atop the calm clear water. No reefs, no lighthouse, nothing that could help me get my bearings.
Standing only intensified the buzzing in my head, but I needed to get moving. I needed to find a way home or find someone that could help or at least tell me where I was.
“Hello!” I called as loud as my hoarse throat would allow, but only the breeze answered back. I stood for a few moments, letting a bit of dizziness pass before I turned to walk back to the boat, watching my sneakers sink into the fine albino sand. It was pristine, beautiful, like the sparkling Hawaiian sands I had seen last year when we all went on a family vacation. I pulled my shoes off, allowing my toes to dig into it as I went. The sand was so fine it felt like sugar, not muddy or packed with seaweed.
This definitely wasn’t right.
Upon first inspection the boat didn’t look too bad. The melted pole, I could see now had fused to the center console, shinning bright black against the white fiberglass. The hull was badly scraped, from the sharp oyster reef, I assumed, just like my legs. Other than that, I saw no other obvious damage, none crippling at least, or so I hoped.
Climbing back onto the deck, I walked to the center console and turned the key in the ignition. Dead, only the empty whine of the starter. Of course. I left the bilge on and ran down the battery. There was no way to get back on my own, I’d have to call my dad. He and Crey could bring some cables and hopefully jump me off or tow me back to the ramp while I got the lecture of a lifetime.
I opened the glove box and pulled my cell phone out. Thirty-seven missed calls, and endless text messages scrolled up the lock screen.
“Great, I am so dead,” I grumbled.
Besides the numerous texts and unanswered calls, I saw that I had no signal, not even roaming, and I really doubted the island had Wi-Fi. I remembered that I did have the solar charger in my pack, although it wouldn’t do much good for anything other than charging the battery on the phone. Too bad it wouldn’t charge the boat battery.
I’m sure that as the weather turned worse, my parents had to have been worried. I really wish I could tell them I was ok, and I really wish I could tell them to come get me.
The texts started as “Please call me!”, then became more insistent, “Call me back right now!” Finally I saw why. My dad explained that he had forgotten to hook up the battery to the GPS this morning. No wonder it wouldn’t turn on.
I knelt down and opened the watertight sliding doors under the center console. Sure enough, the cables dangled uselessly, slapping against the battery.
Carefully, I opened the clamps and fitted them over the terminals, then tightened them, making sure the connection was solid. I pressed and held the power button again, watching the welcome screen come to life. UNKNOWN LOCATION flashed across the screen, the map blank. My heart fluttered and dropped.
Ok, so where am I?
As I looked around, I followed the coastline again, seeing the same boulders and cliffs, Tall rocks, like formless humans, dotted the landscape further down the beach. Stark black against the sand, they almost looked as if they floated here, none being any further from the water than a few feet. What should have been low scrub bushes growing from the flattened islands in the bay were instead tall trees, and thickly packed together almost like a jungle. I shook my head. Surely I was dreaming, or dead.
The tidal pools still standing in pockets a few feet inland suggested that a high tide had just receded. Smaller white stones sat in the middle of them which seemed to glow almost pinkish under the bright overhead sun.
The trees which bordered the sand, about one hundred feet from the shore were dense, with large gnarling roots that twisted around vines. Almost beyond my field vision I could just make out a ripple of water moving outward into the cove. Perhaps a pass or a stream, emptying into the ocean.
Scanning the top of the tree line I could only just make out white capped mountains in the distance. Looking behind me, I saw another shoreline far away, the waves breaking fiercely with a towering spray of white, then crashing down
on the shore that looked to be a dark gray or black, unlike the vibrant white beneath my feet.
Cupping my hands behind my ears, I could just make out the distant rumble of the breaking surf. There was barely a beach, the shoreline rising abruptly into craggy cliffs that towered into the sky. Focusing hard I could have sworn I detected movement in between the crashing waves, although from this far away it was hard to tell.
I turned back to the GPS and pressed the red mayday button at the bottom. Another screen, SATELITE NOT FOUND. Jabbing the power button again, I turned it off.
Feeling thirsty I reached down into the bottom of the boat, and picked up the only bottle of water to have survived the trip here. It was warm from the sun, but I didn’t care. Lifting it to my lips I could taste the salty residue from the standing water that still hung in the lowest corner of the boat. Drinking all but the last third, I pulled the bottle from my lips and gazed at the sandy bottom under me.
Tiny jewel like bait fish swarmed and ebbed just under the surface, their combined translucence almost giving the effect of a mirror under water. The sun refracted through their bodies, bending the light and casting a second glow on the rippled sand of the seafloor. Staring, I watched them glide under the boat, then stared over the other side waiting for them to reappear.
Emerging in the shadow of the boat the small fish turned in unison, finding the sunlight again and flashing their silvery sides, dancing together in an almost rehearsed chorus through the shallow waves. Mesmerized, I watched them for several minutes enjoying the show, then drug my fingers along the surface, scattering the school back into deeper water.
From the corner of my eye, movement drew my attention. A slight, almost imperceptible shuffle of leaves being drawn back together at the edge of the jungle.
Ethera
Had she seen her?!
She couldn’t be sure, but the girl did look in her direction when she chanced to gaze through the leaves of the outland forest. She had chosen the form a deer, a common sight where the girl had come from, and she felt sure that even if she had been noticed, her presence would not seem strange at all.
From the safety of the forest’s edge she watched the girl look carefully around her for a time, taking in the scene around her, then kneeling down as something in the water caught her attention. She seemed alright, despite the narrow escape from the storm and the confusion that surely overtook her now, as she tried to make sense of where she was.
Ethera had been careless, leading the young girl through the gate. But she had no other choice. The storm had taken her by surprise as well, and the lights she carried with her were too precious to be lost in the waves. Besides, what was done was done. For better or worse the girl was here in Enrovia now, whether she liked it or not.
A chill ran through her as she surveyed the scene in front of her, so very much like before, memories flooding back.
This was not the first time a human had come to the islands by mistake, and she was still being haunted because of it.
This girl, whomever she was, had unknowingly stumbled into a war.
Ethera’s day had already been long, and this only complicated things further. She wished she had the time to speak with Seraphina before she spoke with the girl. But again, things were not ideal at the moment. She would welcome her and ask Feilvus and Lars to escort her to the city. Tonight she would seek Seraphina’s guidance, and decide together which steps to take next.
Her hooves moved soundlessly over the soft leaves which covered the forest floor. Steadily, she made her way through the maze of foliage until she was inches away from the sandy dividing line of the jungle. Gazing intently, she detected the faint but reassuring blue human essence shimmering from the girl.
Careful not to frighten her any more than necessary, Ethera shifted her form again. This time choosing something that would be familiar to the girl. Something she would accept easier than the truth of this place, which she dreaded having to explain again.
She stood tall on her two feet and parted the brush, stepping out onto the beach. The girl immediately noticed her womanly form and stood, climbing down from the boat and walking towards her. Ethera stood still, allowing her to approach.
She offered a courteous bow and greeted the girl. “Welcome. My name is Ethera, and this is Enrovia.”
Hailey
The woman I saw emerge from the thickly woven forest, walked towards me slowly then stopped, standing still. I couldn’t believe my luck. Someone had found me so soon. Maybe she had a phone that worked, a land line or a radio or something. Then again, what kind of woman could I expect to find on a beautiful, but strange island in the middle of nowhere that didn’t exist? She could be crazy, like scary crazy, or maybe I hit my head a little harder than I thought . . .
As I got closer I waved, a gestured which she returned shyly. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, the fine facial features that graced her face so exquisite and natural I couldn’t help but stare. Her skin was so fair for living on an island. By summers end I usually sported a deep tan with white stripes from my swimsuits.
Her reddish hair, almost the color of strawberry cream, slowly ruffled in waves around her ivory face. She wore a short dress of tan cloth, with no sleeves, coming just below her knees. She was barefoot, her toes leaving impressions in the sand.
I noticed her stare never left me as I neared, constantly studying my every move with each step closer almost like a wild animal would do. Her eyes tightened and a warm smile graced her face as her lips parted to speak.
Her voice was gentle and lilting in her simple words as she gave a quick nod. “Welcome. My name is Ethera, and this is Enrovia. What is your name?” she asked.
“Hailey,” I replied simply, not sure how to even begin with the long line of questions running through my mind right now.
“Welcome,” she said again, pausing. It seemed we both were unsure where or how to start.
Before the silence became too uncomfortable I decided to take the lead.
“So, I’m sorry, Ethera, was it? Can you tell me where ‘here’ is exactly? Are we by Corpus?” If I was that far south I really was grounded for life.
The woman in front of me blinked, but stayed quiet, as if she were unsure how to answer my question. Which kind of had me worried. How hard a question is ‘where am I’?
Finally she spoke again. One word, “Enrovia.” As if I hadn’t heard the first time and she was forced to repeat herself only for my benefit.
I sighed loudly. “Where is Enrovia?” I said slowly, measuring each word, wanting to make sure she heard me.
For several moments she stood politely, and then sat down on the white sand. She took a deep breath. I could tell she was deliberately choosing her words carefully.
“We are no where you have been before . . .” she said as if that cleared up anything.
“Kinda figured that out already,” I shot back.
She left the words hanging, framed by the sound of the rustling leaves and soothing surf on the sand. Her brows knitted together in concentration, still staring out onto the water. I thought my smart comment may have offended her, then I realized she wasn’t ignoring me, she was watching.
“It isn’t safe here, we need to go,” she said, standing abruptly.
“Go? Go where?” I asked as I glanced all around for whatever she was looking for.
“It was not my intention to bring you here, you must understand. Your timing and mine, crossing through the gate at the same time was merely by coincidence. I am sorry,” she said as she walked quickly toward the jungle edge.
“Where are we going? And what do you mean, you’re sorry? On any other day, I would be a little less moody, but today has been a bad day, and I really just want to get back home. So, Ethera, can I borrow a phone or a radio or something? One call and I’ll be out of your hair in like an hour, two tops.” I stopped just before the sand ended and the forest began.
Ahead of us the trees were so thick they blotted out t
he sun, creating a shadowy path I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down.
Thankfully when I paused so did she.
“You never would have known it was there. If I had not been with you, the gate would have stayed closed. You would have passed us by, never even knowing we were here.” She wasn’t even really talking to me directly, more to herself. She turned to look at me.
And I looked her dead in the eye. “I’m going to ask you again, because I really need to get going here. How do I get out of here and back to Port Aransas?”, I demanded a little too loudly.
“You can’t.”
“Excuse me, what?!” I demanded.
She hung her head ignoring me, then looked behind her to the trees as I saw a small shape scurry toward us. A lizard, bright green in color crawled up and around the woman’s back and up the side of her arm. I stared as she seemed completely unsurprised at our new visitor.
“Forgive me, just one moment,” she nodded to me, then lifted the small creature to eye level and answered an unspoken question. “I will be returning shortly. Tell Adapa to head north, back along the eastern slope of the mountain. We will regroup and try again in the morning. Let no one know that we will be expecting a guest tonight,” She glanced at me quickly before returning her attention to the little lizard.
I stared unabashedly open mouthed at what I assumed was the lizard talking back, and again the lady Ethera answering. “I will not be able to. Would you please send for Feilvus to accompany you along the safe paths to the center city?”
I swear the small lizard turned to look at me before running back down Ethera’s arm and into the forest. I needed to escape before she made me eat the little poison mushroom she had obviously enjoyed at breakfast.
I stood, and turned back to the shore, calling to her as I walked away. “Ok, so, umm animals can talk? But, I can’t hear them.” I whipped around, pointing at her with my finger. “You can, because you’re crazy. Well this makes sense!” I threw my hands up and trudged further toward the shore.
Ethera and the Island of Evisara: Book One of The Enrovia Series Page 4
