Zale came from a small village located high up in the mountains. So high, that travelers found it hard to breathe at this altitude. The place was remote and communication with the outside world difficult. The local population relied on farming and livestock to survive, keeping their traditional methods and craftsmanship.
When she was little, her grandfather had gifted her a book. A story about a place far away from the one she lived in, a story about the seas. She had fallen in love with the idea of the ocean, an infinite body of water you could sail in, an infinite body of opportunities. She had read that people could just float in water and let it carry their weight, she had read about all kinds of sea creatures, mermaids and sirens. The story of the ocean made her dream of a place far bigger and greater than the isolated village she was living in.
As she grew up, more and more travelers started passing through her village, carrying all kinds of new materials and inventions. The once remote village had now become a stop on a popular trade route. Her family had opened a resting place for the travelers, providing them with shelter and food during their stay. She was working in the meeting area. A place where the visitors could enjoy their drink while chatting together. It was a great opportunity for her to meet people from different places and learn about their traditions and ways of living.
One cloudy morning, a young man had walked into the meeting place. He did not look like the other visitors, his hair was silvery white despite his young age and his eyes were a striking blue color. His features were soft and angelic, he looked like he didn’t belong to this world. His slightly parted lips and heavy breathing indicated he hasn’t been in the village for long.
“Welcome sir, would you like something to drink?” Zale asked.
“Yes, make me something I can only find in this place.” He said sitting on one of the tables.
Zale made the client a traditional juice from local berries and sat on the table with him. The place was meant for talking and when there were no other clients around, she usually took the lead in the conversation.
“So, what is your name?”
“I am Jimin. And who am I talking to?”
“Zale.” She said focusing on his features. “You must come from far away, Jimin. It’s not every day I see people like you here.”
“I do, in fact. I come from the sea.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers.
“The sea?” She whispered to herself. The nearest sea was thousands of hours away. What was he doing here?
“And what made you take the long road to the mountains?”
“I am looking for … friends to show them my world, the ocean.” He said searching her expression for something.
This guy was for sure weird. He had traveled weeks on the steep mountains just to find friends? And what kind of a person would just leave their life behind to travel with him? Something seemed sketchy.
“You like the sea, don’t you? You would like to go there?” His eyes hid something behind them, as if he knew about her desire. It made her feel both afraid and intrigued.
“Why do you think that? Nobody in this village has ever seen the sea. Why would I want to go there?”
“I can feel it.” His blue eyes were piercing hers. “I came here because I felt how much you wanted it. To feel the sand, the waves, to float in the water, to be free.” He took her hand in his. “I can take you there.” He looked hopeful.
“I don’t even know you.” She pulled her hand away from his grip. “You have totally lost it.” She said and turned her back to him, walking towards the back of the room.
“I will be leaving tomorrow, before the sunset. You can think about it.”
🔹
The day proceeded as normal. New clients came in and went out, the meeting place was always full of people conversing about the same old topics she had become bored from. For some reason she couldn’t take her mind off the stranger she had talked with in the morning. His offer was for sure unusual, but what bothered her the most was the way he had spoken about her, as if he knew her. Where had this stranger found about her secret interest and what did he mean saying he came here because of her? She needed to talk to him again.
The thoughts were not letting her sleep at night. After hours of restlessness, she went downstairs to make herself a calming tea to help her fall asleep. The meeting area looked beautiful in moonlight, she thought. It was full moon and the big windows let the moon rays illuminate the building, creating an ethereal feeling. Shadows mingling with the light, something about this hour seemed magical.
She went to the little kitchen and lit the candles around the room to provide some lightness. She then lit the fire in the center, placing a teapot on top to heat up. She grabbed a glass and went to the water barrel. Opening it up, she noticed something unusual. The water gave an unusual smell. She reached for one of the candles and placed in on top of the big opening. The fresh water she had brought from the stream this morning now appeared to be home to a golden fish. It was rare to see fishes in this area, the nearest river was not very rich in fish and she was sure no fishes were present in the water of the stream. Where had this come from?
She closed the water barrel, deciding to deal with it in the morning. “No tea for today.” She told herself. Extinguishing the fire, she headed to her room. Exiting the kitchen, a figure seating on one of the tables caught her eye.
“The meeting room is closed at this time.” She said sternly, approaching cautiously.
“Did you like my little present?” The man, who she could now recognize as the creepy man from the morning, spoke.
“What do you want from me?”
“Come with me.” He said getting up from the table.
“Who are you? You said you came here for me. How do you know me?” She said placing the candle she was holding on one of the tables and taking a step back.
“I don’t know you. I can explain, just seat here, and let’s talk.”
“I am not sitting anywhere with you. Talk from where you are.” She did not trust him the least, even more so in the middle of the night after he had supposedly gifted her a fish.
“I am a creature of the ocean. I search for people whose heart belongs to the water and take them to the place they dream about. You have a very strong desire, so strong, I felt it miles away from here. Come with me. I can take you to the place your heart belongs to.” He finished his sentence taking slow steps towards her direction.
What was he talking about? There was no such creature in any of the books she had read. She could not deny however, that his words and presence did not hint to anything earthly.
“If you don’t believe me, tell someone to look for the fish now. It’s not there anymore, it never was, it was a mirage from the sea, only those whose heart is free can see it.” He was now standing directly in front of her. “You saw it. It means your heart is free to travel.”
“You are…”
“I’ll come tomorrow before I leave. Think about it.” With that, he left the building.
That night she did not sleep. Early in the next morning, she found her grandma, who always woke up first, and brought her to the kitchen. Her grandma laughed at her story, telling her she was imagining things because of the sleepless night she had. Her grandma had even opened the water barrel to prove it. Little did she know that her granddaughter still saw the fish swimming in the barrel. Zale asked every person to look into the barrel, every time finding a different excuse to make them do it, none of them managed to see or even smell the fish.
In the late hours of the afternoon, she found herself staring inside the barrel’s opening. The fish was very beautiful. Its scales were gold with a rosy tint. Its fins and tail flowed freely in the barrel; she was jealous of it. She wanted to be able to swim too. Was Jimin really going to take her to the sea? Although she had never heard of something like him, it was undeniable that what he had just done, was not ordinary. Maybe the ocean was calling her. Maybe it was her fate. She knew that if she stayed in the village now, she may never be able to travel again.
The bell at the front door took her out of her thoughts. The young man she was waiting for was standing on the other side. She opened the door and stepped outside.
“Take me to the sea.”
🔹
They were now sitting on the back of Jimin’s horse. He had no baggage, neither did she. He told her this was going to be a journey for the soul, she didn’t need clothes or food. She had highly doubted his words. Even if he was a supernatural creature, the sea was way too far and she was starting to get hungry.
The first day’s voyage had ended when the sun had set. It wasn’t long after they had started, but they had reached deep into the surrounding forest. The vegetation here was thick and she had the feeling wild animals were roaming around. That, in combination with the falling temperature, made her extremely worried.
“We are not gonna make it all the way.”
“We will be there sooner than you expect.” He said laying on the ground.
“Well, we have no food, no shelter and the temperature is falling. If we don’t freeze to death, we will be eaten alive.”
“I won’t let anything harm you.” He said. “I don’t share my pray easily.” He kept the last part to himself. “Now sleep.”
She laid down on the ground next to him. She did not feel safe at all, but seeing the angelic boy in front of her resting peacefully, made her a little calmer. She had to trust him, he was taking her to her destiny. She fell asleep quickly, knowing little about the man she was sleeping next to.
When the moon rose to its highest point and its rays began penetrating the leaves of the trees, a very hungry boy woke up from his peaceful sleep. He was starving. The long voyage had exhausted him and now it was time to take his prize. He crawled to the young girl sleeping nearby and turned her on her back.
“I am sorry. Hope you will be happy in the sea.” He slowly leaned closer to her, she looked beautiful in this devilish moonlight, he thought.
She felt someone’s breath on her face. She quickly got up and pushed the attacker as hard as she could. “An animal.” Was her first thought, but when she opened her eyes, she just saw the boy she was with before.
“It’s okay now, I took care of it” He lied. “Let’s go, we have to move.”
He helped her get up and they took the road again. Zale was confused and terrified from the sudden attack. She was trembling, her legs were barely holding her weight, she couldn’t walk in this state.
“Jimin, can we take a short break? I don’t think I can continue like that for long.”
“Yeah, but stay close, wild animals are roaming around.”
They sat together under a tree. She needed some time to catch her thoughts and calm herself down. Just as she felt more comfortable, a sound was heard in the nearby bushes. She tensed up.
“Shhh” Jimin told her and brought his hands around her in a protective manner. She moved closer, pushing her body against his. He took a stone and threw it towards one of the bushes, trying to scare the animal. Luckily for them, the animal followed the sound. They stayed still, till they felt that the threat was minimal. It was just then when Zale realized the position they were in.
“I am so sorry.” She said trying to pull away, his arms however held onto her tightly.
“Stay like this, it’s safer.” He explained. If she had to be honest with herself, his hug felt calming and it warmed her freezing body, she didn’t want him to let her go.  It wasn’t long after, she found herself falling asleep against his chest.
“Stay awake. It’s not safe here.” He said lifting her head. In this semi asleep state, she looked at him. The moon was right above them and his eyes seemed to take an even bluer hue. He looked peaceful and serene. She was enchanted in his gaze and so he was. He leaned a bit towards her and she did the same. They could feel each other’s breath on their faces.
“The moon is beautiful isn’t it?” He looked up, checking the position of the moon. “They call this hour, the magic hour. It’s the time where things beyond our understanding happen.” His eyes were back to her. He took her face in his palm and came closer. His eyes glistening with anticipation under the moonlight. He then connected their lips together.
The kiss made her even sleepier. She slowly lost the feeling of his velvety lips on hers and let her body go. It felt like forever, although all her physical senses were now gone, she felt more peaceful than ever. She no more felt fear or worry, she no more knew where she was, she just existed in that moment. And then, when everything was perfect, her mind left her too. She was now just a soulless body in the hands of a hungry beast.
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