Ellis the Selkie (special preview)

It was disgusting. This ratty, almost skin like thing that I had found. I guess it had gotten kicked up from the gutter or tossed out from the trash bin, but it had found its way onto my stoop. It may have been a coat at one time, I’m not sure. It certainly had all the characteristics of clothing, it had just been through everything by the looks of it.

I’m not sure why I felt so bad for it. After all it should have just been garbage to me. But there was this little- I’m not sure what I would call it, maybe a spark. I felt a spark for this discarded piece of trash, and that spark told me to keep it around. I left it to soak in some soapy water while I went out for groceries, hoping it would help with some of the ick that permeated it.

When I got home the sink was completely brown, I almost thought that the thing has dissolved. Once I pulled it out I was surprised to see it was almost black. There were still spots where it was patchy and dirty, but all the grime on it had it looking gray and crusty. I gave it a good hand wash, afraid of what putting it through the washing machine would do.

Once it was dried, I was relieved I kept it. Something told me that someone was missing this discarded piece of clothing. I only hoped that I could find whoever it belonged to so I could return it. I washed it again a couple of days later and gave it a good box dye. The black looked so faded and sun damaged I thought it could use a refresher.  I hung it out on my porch so it could get some sun, and in the light it looked so much prettier, although I noticed some spots where it would have to be patched and fixed. I had an old coat I never wore anymore anyways, I rarely wore much black these days. I could probably just take the lining out of it and sew it into this coat and it would look good as new.

Once this thought came to me I was a bit confused. Why was I taking on this extra project that posed so much work and effort? I said before I didn’t want anymore black clothing, I barely wore it! Why was I fixing and renewing this coat I found in the gutter when my only driving force was because I thought someone might want it back.

“You’ve always been a bit odd,” I told myself. “But this really takes the cake.” I rubbed the fabric of the worn coat between my fingers. “Maybe I’m trying to distract myself from something.” I brushed it aside with a huff. I was already so deep into the project, why stop now?

It was a while after I had found the old coat, when I was in the process of sewing the new lining into it, that a friend of mine had to come stay for a few days. Sam was a goblin, and her basement apartment had flooded during the last rainstorm.

“You need to move out of that place,” I fussed at her.

“What for?” She asked. “It’s cheap.”

I wished I could have burnt a hole through her skull so I could find the part of her brain that would make it make sense. “Because it floods! How is that not clicking?”

Sam shrugged. “I just doing get carpeting.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, you can stay here until it dries out again.”

“I was supposed to have a game night tonight. Is it okay if I hold it here?”

I turned back around and eyed her up and down. “Did you...did you already invite people over?”

“Only a few.”

I scoffed. “Every damn time, Sam. Every damn time.” I shook my head as I wandered back into the kitchen.

“You’ll love it. Just like last time.”

“Last time you tried setting me up. Are you planning to do that again?” I scoffed at her. When she said nothing I came back out of the kitchen to glare at her. “Why do you make it hard to love you?”

“You still do,” Sam with a proud grin. “I’ll handle everything. I’ll even clean up. Don’t worry your pretty, purple head about it Viv.”

I pointed a finger of judgement at her. “Remember those words.”

That evening, some of Sam’s friends filled my apartment. I knew some of them, but there were a couple who were new, and probably one of the people she intended to set me up with. I really didn’t mind that, I liked meeting new people. I was a romantic at heart too, I did want to find love, I did want to be swept off my feet by someone amazing. I wanted someone who loved me for who I was, and I wanted to love them in return. But sometimes Sam could miss the mark, so it wasn’t like I was daydreaming about meeting the perfect one tonight. Not much at least.

I was bringing out snacks when I noticed a corner of the room seemed darker than usual. That’s when I saw there was a girl standing there, dressed in all black and scowling out towards the window. She wasn’t really joining in with anything.