Strange Tides (unfinished)

[III]: An Unpleasant Encounter

The stones of the streets are cold under Esme's feet as she runs. It's only a matter of time before the sun sets, and not long after that Uma might realize that Esme isn't in the city anymore. Or she might not. It doesn't really matter, though. Her guard is fast, but she's faster.

She and Uma have an agreement: Esme is allowed to roam without a guard, as long as she stays inside Diella and doesn't run off somewhere.

Needless to say, Esme doesn't always uphold her end of the deal.

There are balconies all over the city that are meant to keep people from accidentally falling into the ocean or on the beach. On the higher end of the city, they're useful. People could die if they fell on the crags, and Diella would be a ghost town to rival all ghost towns. On the lower end of the city, they're just there for show. Esme likes to jump over them and save herself a few minutes.

"Princess!" someone shouts as she runs past. She ignores them and keeps running. She knows exactly where she wants to go and how to get there.

The smell of salt water registers in her head like seeing an old friend. The second level nears its end above her head, and the commotion from the docks is rising. The merfolk will be coming up with the moon.

Esme swerves to the right and leaps over the railing. Her feet land in the soft sand of the beach. She sprints to the right, away from the docks and towards the palace side, throwing sand and pebbles up behind her as she runs. She looks at the sun. Still above the horizon. She has time until the tide starts to rise.

The marble of the palace shines through the buildings and the cliff face beside her rises. There's no need to run anymore. She's where she wants to be.

Water laps at her feet as she walks. She remembers Uma and turns around, hoping her guard hasn't guessed that she's going out of town again. With all the work and buzz from their new guests, and her having to spend two entire days showing poor little Menias around all of Diella, Esme feels she deserves a break to get away from it all. There hasn't been any time to get out as of late. Sand gets between her toes and she shakes it out. She skips the rest of the way, giggling as water droplets hit her thighs.

Up ahead in the distance, she sees the cove where she used to sit and watch the sunsets over the water. The chirps of birds were all that kept her company. And even before that, it had been her mother's favorite part of the beach. The rocks of the cove rise above the water, and sometimes in the shadows she thinks she can see the image of her mother walking there with her as a child. Esme doesn't dare tell her father this.

Grains of sand stick to her feet as she walks. When she tries to brush some of the sand out from between her toes, something white catches her eye. Esme stops and kneels to get a better look. She picks it up and examines it.

Nice, she thinks with a grin. A new cowry shell.

She dips the shell in the water and shakes off the sand. She's about to put it in her pocket, but a shrill cry startles her and she drops the shell in the water.

"Shit," she swears, stepping away from the water. The sound came from the cove.

Another cry rings out. Her heart races. The cry doesn't sound human, but she has no idea what kind of creature would make a noise like that. Esme's instincts tell her to run far away, to go home to Uma and make sure nothing has followed her, but her heart tells her that the noise is a distress signal, that something needs help and she can't just stand to the side and ignore it. Even if she decides to run, her feet are frozen in place. Her hands are trembling. What on earth should she do?

There's only a few moments of silence before the cry rings out again. As if moving on their own, her feet take her closer to the cove and the source of the noise. She slowly comes around the rock and the creature screams again. Esme covers her ears. In the brief period of silence, she looks beyond the rock. When she sees the source of the noise, her blood turns to ice.