Faint rain over the moors drew Nieve away from a border patrol. She padded through the refreshing mist, delighting in the way droplets gathered on her lashes and glistened in her golden fur, and breathed deep the smell of the sea. Water had always been her element; it was no surprise that in a spring shower, Nieve felt compelled to go for a swim.
She slipped lithely between two close-growing coconut trees and hastened to the water's edge. Here the Pacific was a cool shade of blue, appearing almost as idyllic as the shore itself. Nieve shook her pelt moments before she slid into the water, and immediately she felt at home. Even months away from Ankyra Sound had little effect on her sea legs. Within moments she was gliding through the surf, rising and falling with the rhythm of the waves coming ashore, eyes closed and mouth stretched into a smile.
The trouble with idyllic landscapes was that they often looked much nicer than they were. Unbeknownst to Nieve, and likely to the rest of Rusalka, the peaceful appearance of this stretch of coast was deceptive. Not far from shore, broken sandbars dominated, producing fierce rip currents. One of these seized the lazily floating Nieve, who felt herself pulled suddenly backward. Popping her eyes open revealed that she was being swept quickly away from shore, and panic was soon to follow.
She paddled desperately, first trying to swim against the current, then parallel to it, but by then she'd been taken so far from shore that large waves buffeted her and plunged her head under the icy water.
She slipped lithely between two close-growing coconut trees and hastened to the water's edge. Here the Pacific was a cool shade of blue, appearing almost as idyllic as the shore itself. Nieve shook her pelt moments before she slid into the water, and immediately she felt at home. Even months away from Ankyra Sound had little effect on her sea legs. Within moments she was gliding through the surf, rising and falling with the rhythm of the waves coming ashore, eyes closed and mouth stretched into a smile.
The trouble with idyllic landscapes was that they often looked much nicer than they were. Unbeknownst to Nieve, and likely to the rest of Rusalka, the peaceful appearance of this stretch of coast was deceptive. Not far from shore, broken sandbars dominated, producing fierce rip currents. One of these seized the lazily floating Nieve, who felt herself pulled suddenly backward. Popping her eyes open revealed that she was being swept quickly away from shore, and panic was soon to follow.
She paddled desperately, first trying to swim against the current, then parallel to it, but by then she'd been taken so far from shore that large waves buffeted her and plunged her head under the icy water.
Help!she tried to shout though a mouthful of sea water, but there was no one to hear her. Nieve paddled and paddled and paddled, but the sea and exhaustion were too strong for her. She slipped under the water and disappeared, swept unconsciously away from her family with nary a word of warning.
and i've found that in every man there's a child
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I've bared every heartache and tenderness - by Nieve - May 08, 2020, 11:36 AM