Shadow Under the Starlight

16. Calm at sea

Isla watched as the water around her feet went from still to small waves whenever she swayed her feet. The comfort she felt in moment was refreshing — something she needed after all that happened a day prior — the horizons above wrapped in colour as the sun set.

A magnificent sight, she'd say.

She found it quite amusing how much she had protested earlier. If she was being honest though, he did look like a nut job when he suggested the docks as his last place he'd like to visit. But then again she couldn't decline it, she could however decline the suggestion of 'take off you boots' and dip you feet in the water.

That was absurd!

Yet.

She was doing that now only after she put up quite a long fight with the man. She had sighed a lot even after agreeing to do it, her dress pants were rolled up with her shoes disregarded. The water wasn't as cold as she though it would be, that provided a bit of assurance for her to proceed — and so she did.

Here she was after all.

Isla turned away from the water to the man with hints of grey in his hair, he was a couple of feet away. Unlike her, he had himself on his knees one hand firmly holding onto the wooden platform as he tried his best to touch the water.

He wouldn't make it far even if he tried with every ounce of strength and determination he had, he couldn't feel the water — it would be like catching air — nothing at all.

Seconds later he retreated coming to the conclusion that his advances were all going to waste, he couldn't feel it no matter what. After all he wasn't of the living, he was just a spirit hoping to touch the one thing he enjoyed in his youth — a slight frown came over his face but that soon went away as he glanced at Isla.

His eyes sparkled as a result of the sun reflected in his eyes, his lips in a warm smile. "It feels amazing doesn't it?" He spoke staring at the water briefly before glancing at Isla, who gave him a nod.

Isla removed her hand from the edge holding it out to him. "Take my hand." She stated looking at her, he did hesitate a bit — as much as she seemed cool, she did show up to collect his soul — that was frightening a bit.

But he still gave in.

His hands rested on hers covered in black gloves — ones she rarely took off. A firm yet gentle grip on him frail hand, Isla spoke again.

"Touch the water."

And he did just that. His hand dip into the water, Isla could feel her glove getting soaked in water the long he remained playing with it.

His hand swayed, driving Isla's along — the glint in his eyes soon turned to tears rolling down his cheeks.

Isla watched as he cried and smiled briefly before she turned towards the sky, staring at the beautiful sky sunset.

Until something came back to her mind, something she completely let slip away the moment her feet hit the water.

Her gaze on the man, with her free arm she pulled out the notebook in her coat. "Jose Johnson aged 59 born on 17 of November 1963, on 10 June 2023 you went into cardiac arrest dying in your home." Isla closed the notebook with most empty pages, only a few unresolved names still filled the other notebook. "Jose Johnson, is your name?" Isla spoke again.

Slowly the man took his eyes away from the water and soon after he withdrew his hand from the water.

Isla let go, squeezing her hand a few drops left her glove — it had been completely soaked.

"Yes, I'm Jose Johnson." His hands rested on his legs, his cheeks strained with tears with eyes still glimmering from the light and tears.

Isla tore her gaze away from her hand halting her session to squeeze out each drop of water, to look at the man.

"Any—"

"I always loved the waters, surfing, deep diving."

Isla sighed, not because he rudely interrupted her — she understood he was going through so many emotions right now — her sigh was because she had to pull her feet out the water, that meant she would feel cold as soon as they were above ground.

"It feels good to touch it one last time." He added staring at his raised hand, that once touched the water.

Isla stood over the man, the notebook & coat laid beside her boots. Tiny droplets of water rolled down her ankles creating tiny water stains on the wood, her left leg of her dress pants were hanging lower than her right and it was soaked as well as stuck to her leg droplets rolling down her leg from the fabric — she didn't care though.

"Stand up. You're going to dive one last time." Isla mumbled glancing down at him, her shirt was still perfectly tucked in despite her pants practically being wet, her glove as well as her feet suffering a bit from the breeze.

Getting on his feet he frowned shaking his head in disagreement too. "No equipment." He stated looking at Isla concerned.

Isla had an expression far from his, she wasn't concerned rather puzzled how exactly she could answer that.

"You don't need it." She carefully worded herself not to offend him — because she was really close to saying 'Do you look alive?'. She was super proud she held herself back — it deserved a pat on the back.

He shook his head once again. "I mean you kid. You have no equipment."

Isla blankly stared at the man and he did too — both for their own reasons, but possibly disbelief.

A few seconds went by before Isla shook her head fighting against speaking her mind, simply she said. "It's fine" then her hand was held out for him to hold again, which he did not a moment to waste.

From it only being her glove to her entire body along with her clothes, got soaked as soon as they leaped into the water.

Her body sunk into the water.

Isla hadn't opened her eyes once, not a single time as he swam deeper and possibly Isla believed he was going to kill her too. Not until he stopped had Isla opened her eyes, it wasn't easy for her to see or keep them open — she opened and closed them a few times trying to get used.

His hand slipped from hers. Their hair had been floating about as their arms, especially Isla's flapped side to side — she could reasonably say her 'still' tucked shirt wasn't tucked in perfectly anymore, her pants where completely drenched now.

Oh how harsh the wind would be to her once she got out the water.

Isla stared at the happy man, his side smile — he looked youthful and energetic — he had truly loved the water.

The mouthed 'thank you' that she read quite well, was the last thing he said before he faded leaving Isla alone deep in the water, Isla could only guess was past 6 feet under — such a perfect grave it was.

Isla didn't take long before she was surface level, gasping as soon as head got a out the water being able to breathe again — any longer and she might have just died.

Isla stared at sky once again, the bright colours faded leaving darker contrasts of them, the sun completely out of her sight. Her lips pursed she momentarily stared the dark skies with the raising moon, it was a young night and she had heavy baggage to deliver.

Such an awful reality check — Isla sighed.