Kelpie Boyfriend: Reece #1 (complete)

When I was little, my mother warned me to never get too close to the water at night. She would warn me that sometimes there are things beneath the surface that would do anything to lure me in. I had to be smarter than that, she said. I couldn’t just trust someone who lurked below the surface because it is what is underneath that is dangerous. 

“Beautiful women don’t just hide in ponds,” my mother said. “So be wary.”

I had listened to her stories and tales and took them to heart. In fact, I became afraid of the water. I never went swimming, I never went fishing, I stayed clear of the lake in our village, day or night. Not that I wasn’t teased for it. Quite the contrary. The other kids in the village were merciless. They would force me towards the lake, hoping to push me in,toss water on me and would taunt me by calling me Scaredy Cat, so much so that it became my name, Cat. 

I worked as a seamstress with my mother and her sisters, almost every good dress you saw in our village was made by one of us. Yet still I was tormented for my fear of the lake. I figured childish things like that would fade as we got older, but I suppose cruelty is constant. It doesn’t fade: instead, it only gets worse with time.

One day, I am out at the well, getting fresh water for a batch of dye my aunts are preparing. I hate it since the well is so close to the lake. I can smell it, the sort of dusky, slightly muddy smell, and it sets me on edge. I am pulling up the water when someone pushes me out of the way.

“Let me get that for you, Cat.” I’m pushed aside, nearly stumbling in the grass.

“I have it, Tom,” I scoff as I try to get back to the crank. “No need to help me at all.”

Tom grins down at me. He’s the town playboy and isn’t one to hide it. He’s been trying to woo his way into every bed in the village for some sort of bet he has going on at the local pub. “Pretty hands like those shouldn’t be doing such rigorous work.”

I roll my eyes so hard they could easily dislodge from my head. My hands are covered in needle marks, calluses, stains, and a fresh scissor cut from just this morning. “No, really,” I approach again and try to give him a gentle shove. “I’ve got this. You can go along your merry little way.”

Tom pulls up the well bucket. “I wonder what’s down there.” He leans over the brick of the well. I try to grab my bucket but he keeps a firm hold on it. 

“Water is down there,” I scoff.

Tom grabs my hand. “And a fall.”

I seize up in fear and try to pull myself away. “Now, now, Tom. You don’t have to get clever. Never were in school. You said your face made it so you didn’t have to be clever.”

Tom laughs, pushing the bucket back into the well. It clatters and thunks before making a splash back into the water at the bottom. 

“Don’t tell me you’re still terrified of the water, Cat.” Tom hisses his words as he pushes me back, his large hand still clamped around my fist.

I swallow back nervously as he pushes me further and further back. I then see his regular crew of boys is hanging around, hidden behind trees and lingering towards the lake’s edge. 

“What do you want?” I snap at him and we stop short of the muddy shore. 

Tom smirks and he yanks me to him, pulling me close so my chest is against his. I feel a horrible nausea sweep over me and I hiccup as it threatens to make me spew. Along with that, I am dreadfully cold. The dread sinks over me like a stone and I can already tell what Tom wants without him having to say a word.

Tom’s finger curls around my hair and he brings it up, smelling it before planting a kiss on it. The nausea froths inside me and I can taste bile on the back of my tongue like sour water. 

“You, perhaps, have some of the loveliest hair in town,” he murmurs. “All these beautiful dark curls.” He cups the side of my head and runs his fingers through the dark locks. If I get out of this, I’m cutting off all my hair until I’m bald. “And such lovely skin.” He says with a moan that makes  my flesh want to melt from my bones. “Like fine coffee.”

I yank myself away when he tries to touch my cheek but he grabs me and holds me fast. “Careful now, Cat. You wouldn’t want to trip and fall into the water, would you?”

I try to yank myself free again. “Let me go. Please! Tom, you really don’t need to try and flirt with me when you can wink at any lady in town and get your way.”

“There’s no sport in that,” Tom chuckles. “Like any man worth his salt, I like a good hunt.”

I wrench my hand free and slap him as hard as possible. I hear whistles and clapping from Tom’s friends and I manage to free myself from his clutches. He touches his cheek and looks down at me as his brow goes low. 

“You,Scaredy Cat, really shouldn’t have done that.”

I try to run but he grabs me and tosses me over his shoulder. I kick and scream, trying to fight against his grip, hoping some blow would make him drop me. His feet squish in the mud and he slaps my rear so hard it brings tears to my eyes. 

“Last chance, Scaredy Cat!” He laughs loudly.

“I’d rather drown than see your shriveled dick!” I scream at him. Next thing I know, I’m flying through the air. The water hits my back with a hard slap and I sink into the lake like a stone. Everything around me is muffled and quiet. Light filters from the surface but it all begins to grow dark. I can’t swim and my body has seized up in fear. 

In the shadows, I see something moving. It comes closer and closer. I’ve never seen such a huge fish before. I reach out to it and touch its face to feel the cold scales. It grabs me and brings me to the surface. 

I gasp and cough and the fish pets my hair away from my face. They set me on shore and look me over. 

“You’re fine, love, you’re fine,” she chuckles. 

I choke on the air as I try to breathe. My lungs shudder and my gut wrenches. I scramble aside, vomiting on the ground.

“That bad?” The woman asks.

I burp and vomit again. My throat burns and my entire body aches. I turn to look at the woman who saved me to thank her. My vision is blurry with tears, but I can see how pale she is. 

“Oh, you poor thing.” She pulls me close and rubs my back. “It’s men like that one I long to feast upon.”

“Wuh-what?” I tremble.

The woman sighs, continuing to soothe me. “Don’t you worry now, Calliope has you. You’re safe with me.”

I sit back for a moment, rubbing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths. “Thank you so much,” I sniffle. “You saved my life.”

Calliope chuckles. “It’s nothing.”

I look at her, noticing she’s so beautiful, it makes me mad. Her long red hair is tied in a long, long braid. Her chest and torso are uncovered, and her long tail is- Wait a minute. Tail?

I freeze up again.

Calliope chuckles. “Never seen a Ceasg before?”

I look back up at her. “You’re-” I scramble to my feet but fall back down on the ground.

“Careful now!” Calliope gasps. “No need to hurt yourself more.”

My legs are weak and shaky, and rocks have gotten into my scissor cut. 

“Let me see that now.” Calliope pulls me close and looks over the cut. She pulls out the rocks and washes the mud away. She then looks me in the eye. “May I?”

“What?” I gasp.

“Hold still now, hold still.” She’s stronger than Tom. She then licks my wound and my blood hangs on her tongue. “There now,” she sighs. “All better.”

I yank my hand away as soon as her grip loosens. I then see that the cut has become a fine pink scar. “How did you do that?” I whisper.

“You don’t need to be frightened of me, love,” she says. “I don’t harm pretty girls.” Calliope smiles at me and I see her teeth are jagged and dangerous. “I am on an all male diet,” she laughs loudly, as if I am in on her joke.

I look her over with a wary gaze. “Did you-” I hesitate to ask the question. “Did you eat Father Jim?”

“The drunk guy?” Calliope snorts. “Barely. He was so saturated in alcohol, even my husband could barely stomach him.”

“Oh my god.” I cup my hand around my mouth. “He’s been missing for weeks. Everyone thought he was in a ditch somewhere.”

“Nah,” Calliope shrugs. “He was fish bait days ago. My son used him for crayfish traps.” She then tilts her head. “Hmm, actually, he would like you.” She then rubs my arm gently, the same sort of motherly affection my own mom and aunts give. “You ok now, love?”

I sniffle and rub my eyes again. “I think so.” I look her over. “I’m just…”

“Oh, don’t worry about me none!” Calliope giggles. “Not very often I get to save a life. Usually I end them.” She cackles again as if I am in on the horrible joke.

“Mama,” I hear the voice call out.

“Oh! There he is! Reece!” Calliope waves her arms out wide. 

I turn to see two men approaching, both so tall and thin they look like living willow trees. The first one to approach has long black hair hanging over his shoulder. His skin is milky white and his eyes are such a vivid green they almost seem to glow. His features are sharp and his nose is hooked and rather large. Both men stop and stare at me as I sit in the mud with Calliope.

“I saved her from a bunch of assholes!” Calliope grins proudly. “Reece, my darling, won’t you help her up?” She then turns to me. “Sorry, this is my son. And the handsome fellow behind him is my husband, Rivariel.”

The hooked nosed young man approaches and kneels down. “Are you ok?” He asks and his voice makes my heart sputter. “What happened?”

“That Tom fellow,” Calliope scoffs as the second man kneels down before her. “Tossed her in when she rejected him.” She grins at the man and meets his kiss. “Hello, my love.”

Rivariel, Calliope’s husband,  has a strange aura emanating from him. I feel scared of him, even though I have yet to see him clearly. He’s taller than Reece and he has huge, thin hands with the longest fingers I’ve ever seen. He turns and looks up at me. His eyes are all black save for a white iris in the center. 

“Reece,” he says with a voice as threatening as thunder. “Walk her home. If anyone troubles her again, send them my way.”

“Is that ok?” Reece looks down at me and my heart rumbles about again. He’s so strange but so beautiful at the same time.

I nod, really not wanting to be alone going home, I’d walk even with Rivariel if I had to. “I would appreciate it.”

Calliope is grinning. “Oh, won’t grandchildren be nice, dear?”

Rivariel scoffs, pushing Calliope’s head underwater as he walks in. “Careful what you wish for, my dearest.”

Calliope pops back up and waves. “Take care, young lady!”

I wave back to her. “Thanks again.”

I walk alongside Reece, noticing he’s keeping pace with my short, stumpy legs. His own legs are so long that I am trying to calculate what his inseam could possibly be.

“Sorry if my parents freaked you out,” Reece says suddenly.

“Oh uh-” I shake my head. “I can’t complain. Your mother saved me. I’m really very grateful to her.”

Reece’s smile is sweet and awkward. “It couldn’t have helped after you were thrown into the lake.”

“It was a shock,” I chuckle.

It’s quiet for a long spell. I then go back to the well to try and fetch the water I was supposed to get. I try to crank the handle, but my hands are still shaky and weak from the experience.

“Can I help you?” Reece comes up beside me.

“I’m sorry to be a bother,” I huff.

Reece chuckles. “No bother at all. I don’t mind.” He starts cranking up the rope. “Why would he throw you into the lake? That’s what I can’t understand.”

I fidget with my wet clothes. They feel heavy and the scent of the lake lingers on them so strong. “I’m afraid of water.”

Reece stops pulling up the bucket all of a sudden and turns to look at me. “You’re afraid of water?” He repeats.

I frown and look away. “My mom used to tell me all sorts of scary stories about the water!” I huff. “She said that there are things under the surface that will try to trick you.” I then frown and sigh. “Oh no.” I place my palm against my forehead. “I’m sorry.”

Reece chuckles. “No. Your mother was right to warn you. My parents have lured many an unsuspecting soul into their clutches.” He pulls out my bucket full of water for me. “It’s getting darker, we should get you home.”

I walk beside him and as we get closer to town, I can hear my mother yelling for me. Once she sees me, she runs up and grabs me. 

“What happened? Why are you soaked to the bone?” She gasps. “Are you ok? Who is this?” She looks up at Reece with a horrible glare on her face. 

“It’s a long story, Mom,” I tell her. “This is Reece. He helped me today.”

“Good lord, you’re a thin one!” My mom takes the bucket of water from him. “Get inside, Simone, and change. And you!” My mother turns to Reece. “Come inside and eat something.”

“Oh, I uh-” Reece gasps as my mother pulls him into the house. 

I get changed and wash the lake water from my skin. I tie my hair back so it forms a large poof at the back of my head. I would have to wash it tonight so the smell didn’t stick in it.  I come out in dry clothes to see my mother and aunts fussing over Reece and getting him to eat heaping portions of the dinner my Dad made.

My Dad and big brother operate a popular restaurant in town and my Dad is one of the best chefs around. His cooking could comfort even the most savage of beasts. My Dad is laughing, watching as the women of the family fuss at Reece for being such a string bean.

“You ok, Simone?” Dad asks. He pulls me into a hug and I instantly feel the stress melt away. 

“I’m fine,” I sigh.

“What happened?” Dad pulls me up beside the fire where he fixes me a plate. “We heard a couple guys in the restaurant today bragging they got to dunk the Scaredy Cat.”

I scoff and start shoving food into my mouth. “It was Tom,” I grumble.

My Dad’s expression goes dark and he shakes his head. “Say no more, Simone.” He glances back to the table and chuckles. “This the fellow who saved you?”

“Kind of.” I say, watching Reece take big bites to appease my aunts.

After dinner and a round of coffee, I take Reece to the door to tell him goodbye. “Thanks again for your help.” I offer him the plate of leftovers. “Take this to your Mom and Dad. Tell your Mom thanks again from me.”

Reece chuckles. “I had fun tonight. The food was excellent.”

“I’ll let my Dad know,” I say with a nod.

Reece starts to walk away but stops. He turns back to me with a serious expression. “You don’t need to be afraid of the water, Simone. At least, not when I’m around.”

I smile at him. “Aren’t you exactly what I should be scared of?”

A big grin cracks the nervous tension on his face. “Well, the way your mother would have it. But who scares you more? Tom or my mother?”

I sigh and let my shoulders slouch. “I guess that’s an easy one, huh?”

“You should come visit more,” Reece murmurs. “Maybe it’ll help you get over your fear.” He licks his lip then bites it. “If not, I’ll stay beside you.”

My heart hammers wildly for a moment. “Ok,” I say with a nod. “Uhm...maybe I can meet you at the well?”

“Just whistle.” Reece then turns and goes into the shadows.

I take in a deep breath and go back inside. 

The next day, when I am done with my chores, I go to the well. I can hear the lake and smell it. I had spent most of the night washing my hair and taking care of it after having been tossed into it. I anxiously pace for a moment, wondering if I would be bothering Reece at this time.

I whistle out a tune my Dad always did. I then stand there, feeling silly for having done that. I go to leave but I hear someone walking towards me. I look up, seeing Reece as he comes out from the trees and hedges behind the well. 

“Did you call?” Reece smiles as he approaches.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” I close the gap between us, just stopping short when I realize he’s not wearing a white shirt, he’s topless. His skin has a sheen to it that’s like the surface of a pearl. In one hand, he’s clutching what looks like a wooden crate with mesh between the boards.

“You called just in time.” He holds up the crate. “Just finished harvesting the crayfish I caught.”

I remember what Calliope told me and how he had used what remained of Father Jim as bait for the crayfish.

“Oh uh-” my voice cracks. “Anything good?”

“Just you.” His eyes then go wide and he turns his head so his hair covers his face. “I mean, just so you know, my parents are sleeping right now. But if you’d like, I can show you our house?”

“Is that ok?” I walk alongside him as he takes me along the path to the lake.

“I don’t mind at all. Maybe it’ll help you understand that the water isn’t really a bad place.” He leads me near the water, standing between me and the shore. We then go back behind the lake where the forest is darkest. The land is marshy and squishy, but soon I see a black tower rise up from the lake. A bridge bubbles up from the water and we walk across it to get inside. 

The house is dark and a little cold, but a fireplace lights as Reece walks in. Over it is a cauldron that begins to boil as the fire grows hotter. Reece sets the crayfish trap down on a counter. He reaches back, stroking his hair away from his face and his bare chest. I notice along his spine there are spikes that jut from his skin. His fingers comb through his hair and tie it back into a ponytail. 

“Go ahead, sit down.” He motions to a chair near the fire. “Would you like something to drink?”

I take a seat and I notice there is a violin case next to the chair. “What do you have?” I ask him.

“My parents have a lot of alcohol,” he chuckles. “I can pour you some wine if you would like?”

I shake my head. “I’m not a big wine drinker,” I chuckle.

“Then how about some tea?” Reece places a kettle over the fire and then sits down in a chair across from me.

I glance at the violin case then look back at him. “Do you play?” I ask.

“Hmm?” Reece then quickly shakes his head. “Oh no! That’s my father’s. He’s the musically gifted one in the family. My mother has a beautiful voice too, but I didn’t get any of those talents.”

“Oh,” I gasp. “Then what do you do?”

Reece chuckles, his smile is crooked and awkward. “I uhm-” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m more of a painter myself.”

“You are?” I feel a bubble of excitement in me. “What do you paint?”

Reece’s cheeks flush to a shade of dark purple. “Well, uhm-” he ducks his head down shyly. “We travel a lot,” he murmurs. “We go to so many different places. I like to paint where we are so I can remember them.”

“Oh,” I feel a nervous pain grip my stomach. “So you never stay in one place very long?”

Reece shakes his head. “The way my parents…” he grimaces. “Let’s just say, their eating habits make it hard to linger in one place for very long.”

I shake my hand before him. “Say no more.”

“You’re the first human who has ever seen this place and not been-” He stops himself and glances at me anxiously. “You don’t have to worry! You’re safe here, I swear! I-” he then nearly jumps out of his seat when the kettle whistles. He sighs and shakes his head. “Sorry.”

I chuckle, taking a bit of pleasure in his anxiousness. “So what does that make you?” I ask. “Your mother is a Cesag. But you and your father, what are you?”

“My father is a Nokken,” Reece takes the kettle from the fire and sets it on the counter. “And me? Well, I’m a rescue, like you are.”

I stand up and linger by the counter as Reece fetches two cups from the cupboard. “Calliope saved you as well?”

“My dad did,” Reece pours a tea mixture into the small bag and lays one in each cup. “He found my family murdered and he saved me before I followed their fate.” He stills as he starts to pour the water over the tea. “That’s how mom decided to keep him.”

“I guess that’s cute,” I smile up at him.

Reece glances down cautiously at me. “I’m a Kelpie, by the way.”

“Oh,” I gasp. “Something else that makes the water scary.”

Reece chuckles. “I don’t much like that,” he murmurs. “I just do it to keep my parents safe while they sleep.”

I then hear a low rumble and the stone wall to one side of the room opens up. I hear low footsteps as they come up the stairs. A dark hand grasps to the doorway and Rivariel steps up into the room.

“Ah, you have company.” His dark voice rumbles in the back of my mind. 

“You remember, Simone,” Reece places his hand on my shoulder, “from yesterday?”

Rivariel stoops down and picks up the violin case from beside the chair. “Your mother is quite enamored with her. How could I forget? It isn’t often your mother is charmed by someone. Let alone a human.”

“You should go downstairs and say hello,” Reece replies. “She really would enjoy seeing you.”

I glance back to Rivariel. “Are you going to play?” I ask.

Rivariel looks at the case then to me. “Calliope and I always put on a performance in the evenings. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. I’m certain she would love to show off to you, Ms. Simone.”

“If I’m not going to be a bother to anyone. I love music.” I take my tea that Reece prepared me and follow Rivariel and Reece down the stone stairs. The basement is all water with a small stone slab as a landing. Calliope is swimming around and she rises up from the water. She hurriedly swims to the stone slab and raises her hand to me.

“Oh, you’re back!” Calliope wags her fingers. “Come down here! Let me see you!” I kneel and she wraps me up into a hug. “The food you sent last night was wonderful. Not our usual fair, but Rivariel and I certainly enjoyed it.”

Rivariel is taking the violin from the case. It’s all black, except for the strings which are a shining silver. He plucks it and tunes it before he sits down and eases his feet into the water. “Did you cook that?”

“Oh, gosh no!” I laugh. “My Dad is a chef. I’m a seamstress like my Mom.”

“Your father has a gift. Such a thing is respected amongst our kind,” Rivariel plucks the strings again before positioning the violin under his chin. He then takes the bow and starts to play a few notes. 

Calliope starts to hum and she sways back and forth as Rivariel warms up the violin. Soon, he starts playing the most beautiful melody. It’s haunting and strange, almost disjointed and pitched, but it stirs inside me a deep and cautious sense of calm. It’s like the peace before a storm, or the silence of a hunter in the woods.

Calliope begins to sing, her voice is as brilliant and crystal as any precious gem. She sings in a language I do not understand, yet somewhere inside me, I feel as if I know exactly what she is saying. While Rivariel’s violin is the crouched hunter, Calliope’s voice is the vengeful spear. 

I listen with great intent, forgetting the hot tea in my hands and it begins to cool. Reece takes the cup from me, then grabs my hand and holds it tight. My heart is hammering, but I return to Calliope’s voice and the haunting melody that Rivariel plays. I listen to them for what seems like only seconds, but soon Rivariel puts the violin down.

“It’s late,” he warns. “You best get her home before her family panics again.”

“How late is it?” I gasp. “You only just started!”

Rivariel chuckles. “It is probably well past midnight, Ms. Simone.”

I look to Reece for reassurance and he nods to me. “How is that possible?”

“Good music can take you far, far away. Sometimes, it can lead you to some very strange places,” Calliope giggles.

“Come on. I’ll get you home.” Reece leads me upstairs and back out the door. He takes a lantern from inside to light our way. I keep a hold of his hand, enjoying the strange soft yet sticky texture of his skin. 

“Did you have fun?” Reece asks.

“I did. I like your parents.” I glance up at him, seeing his skin almost glows in the night. “I would have loved to see your paintings.”

“Maybe next time.” We step out of the forest and into the village. He walks me to my front door as I take my key from my pocket. “Sleep well, Simone.”

I smile up at him, feeling my heart quiver. “I will. You do the same.”

Reece takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. “I will try.” As he walks away, I clasp my hand over my chest. With a big goofy smile, I go inside and straight to bed.

Come morning, I hear a fuss in the house. I wake up and my family is murmuring urgently over the table.

“What’s going on?” I yawn. I go over to the stove where the coffee has been made. I pour myself a hefty cup and sit down at the table.

“We had some people come to the door this morning. Apparently, Tom has gone missing,” Dad says.

I hesitate to drink and I look at them. “Missing?”

“He and some of his friends went hunting last night,” Mom continues. “Apparently, he wandered away from the group and they never saw him again. They’ve been searching all morning only to find no sign of him.”

“Oh no,” I whisper.

“He’s the idiot who wandered away,” Dad scoffs. “You don’t act foolish like that, especially not at night.” He then shakes his head. “Maybe I’m awful for wishing ill will on him. But he’s never been anything but a thorn in my side. And after what he did to you? I don’t have to care for him.”

I sip my coffee in silence, not adding anything to the hushed conversation around the table. Then there is a scream from outside. We all rush to the front door, opening it to see one of Tom’s friends hauling what looks to be a sack through the street. As they walk by our door, I see it is a body with no arms or legs. Then, tied around the neck are the silver strings of Rivariel’s violin.

“My god,” Mom whispers. “What could do such a thing?”

I stand behind Dad, clutching his arm. I glance down into the woods, knowing exactly what had done that.

“Maybe a bear?” Dad shakes his head. “That’s horrible.”

I step back inside the house and go change into my clothes. I look out my window and see two green eyes glowing in the distance. As I look closer, I see a strange, rail thin horse with long black hair covering most of its body.

It happened last night, I realize. While Tom and his friends had been hunting, I had been listening to Rivariel play his violin while Calliope sang. Reece walked me home so his parents could finish what they began. Their music had been what lured Tom to his death. He had probably been drowned in the water while I held Reece’s hand. 

I go outside and into the woods where I find Reece. “They killed Tom, didn’t they?” I ask him. I run my hand down his muzzle and he stomps a hoof into the ground.

“They’ll want to find what killed him,” I whisper urgently. 

Reece nods his head. “My parents wanted to punish him. That’s what they do. They take bad people and make an example.”

I sigh and heave my shoulders forward. “I didn’t want him to die.”

“That isn’t what matters. My parents wanted it.” Reece nuzzles to my cheek. “So don’t blame yourself. It isn’t your fault. They would have chosen him with or without your involvement.”

I tremble and cling to him, hugging my arms around his neck. “I don’t want you to get hurt! You or your parents. Tom’s friends are all like him and they will do anything to find what killed him in revenge.”

“I know,” Reece murmurs. “My parents aren’t afraid. They’ll take on all of them if they have to.”

I hug Reece close again and feel him sink and shift. His arms wrap around me and I tangle my fingers in his hair. 

Not long after Tom was found, he was buried. They made quick work of it because of his appearance. His missing limbs and the silver strings wrapped around his neck were gruesome. They tried to remove the silver strings but it was in vain.

Much like I thought, Tom’s crew put up a reward for the capture of the creature that killed Tom. Every night, there is a hunt and even during the day, there are people scouring the woods, looking for any signs of what happened. It makes it hard to see Reece and his family, but I am able to sneak into their home every so often. It is a relief to see them, knowing that they are safe and sound. 

Then, one evening, as I wander up to the bridge, I am grabbed from behind. I am yanked into the woods with a hand clapped around my throat. The next thing I hear is a violin screaming into the night.

“Simone.” Reece presses his forehead to mine and clamps his hands around my ears.

“Reece,” I gasp. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Reece squeezes his palms against the side of my head, yet the screaming of the violin continues. It is mad and beyond reason, the melody isn’t there but the song is quite clear. It’s madness with notes, hatred with pitch.

“It’s Mom!” Reece cries. 

“Calliope?” My gut turns to stone and sinks inside me. “What happened? Oh god, Reece! What happened?”

“They captured her,” he cries. “She was out swimming and they-” he clings to me tight as the violin cries in my ears. 

I hold him, rubbing his back and feeling the spikes along his spine. “I have you. I have you,” I whisper.

“Dad won’t stop playing,” he whispers. “Already five men have drowned. I begged him to stop but he just won’t!”

I glance back to their house as the bridge sinks underwater. 

“He won’t stop until Mom is returned.” Reece weeps.

I brush the hair away from his face and kiss his forehead. “We’ll find her,” I whisper to him. “I’ll do whatever it takes, I promise you.”

I take Reece back home where we sit outside my house in the back. He sobs for a long time and I don’t blame him. If anything happened to my Mom, I would be a desolate wreck for weeks.

Reece sniffles and after a long drink, he tells me what happened. Apparently, Calliope had woken up early and decided to go out for a swim. She was near where Tom’s body was found and before she knew it, she was pulled from the water in a net. She screamed, which woke Reece and he raced to watch as she was dragged away. Tom’s men laughed in triumph over their victory. They didn’t know Calliope had killed Tom, but they did know one thing, Ceasgs granted wishes in order to be freed.

“They’ll keep her until she’s dead or grants their wishes,” Reece whimpers.

“Do you know where they took her?” I ask.

Reece shakes his head. “I tried to chase after them, but I heard Mom warn me.” He takes a deep and sputtering breath. “She told me there were men in the woods, they would shoot me and kill me if they saw me.” He breaks down, sobbing into his palms. “I should have still followed after her!”

“It’s ok, Reece,” I whisper. “I’ll help you find her. I promise. There must be somewhere they took her.”

“I don’t know what we’ll do,” Reece whimpers.

I can still hear Rivariel’s violin screaming into the night. I cling to Reece, trying to comfort him the best I can. “What will happen if he keeps playing?” I ask.

“Then more and more people will drown,” Reece whispers.

I nod and place a soft kiss on Reece’s lips. “Then we don’t have much time. The longer your mother is captive, the more people will die.”

Reece kisses me again. “You don’t have to do this.”

I press my forehead back to his and clutch his hands. “I want to help. Your mother saved my life, the least I can do is help set her free.”