By the time I arrived at my boat the first hint of dawn had become a distinct glow that highlighted the features of the beach clearly enough to allow me to begin my search. What I was looking for wasn’t quite so clear. I began to question trusting my gut on this one. But there was something in her eyes, the eyes of The Lover’s Dream. Something sparked within me when she sang to me the words of my own song, Ma Belle. How could she know them? The answer had come to me the night before, some where between sleep and meandering thoughts. The dark haired beauty was a song of the sea, the incarnation of the lover’s dream. And Ma Belle is a song of the sea. I hadn’t thought of it as such, but the vision of a beach just like this was clear in my mind when I wrote it. Not only does she know the song, but she is born of it.
I began to sing the song again. The memory of the vision I had while writing it came vividly to my mind, seamlessly melding with the scene around me. I scanned the horizon for her. Nothing. They tide was very far out indeed and left a large section of beach exposed that I had never seen before. Letting go of reason I walked, allowing my instinct to guide me. I continued to sing the song hoping it would conjure her… or perhaps her footsteps in the sand? I could feel her taking hold of my heart as I thought of her dark beauty and the way she had looked at me. Just then a warm hand lay gently on my shoulder and before I could react, the words “You’ll find me. I know that you will,” were whispered upon warm breath in my ear. I turned to see her for the briefest moment. Then she was gone.
My heart jumped. She’s here, I thought.
I looked down and saw footprints in the sand that led from beside me and off down the slope of the exposed beach. I quickened my pace and followed them. They came to an end at a wide canal full of water left by the receding tide. It wound like a river along the shoreline then merged back into the ocean in the direction of Albumdor. Looking further off in the same direction I noticed the rocky reef, a large portion of which is usually covered by water at high tide, now towering exposed above the ocean. From where I was standing the details of the rock formations were more distinct. I could see a section where there was a large opening, like someone had pushed aside the bars of a prison cell. At the top, the rocks still clung tightly together but they curved apart in an archway at the base. There was enough water flowing through the opening that it looked as though I could make it through in my boat. But I would have to hurry. The tide was coming in and it would not be long before that whole section would be submerged. I ran back to my boat. I would have to drag it by the towline a good distance but I hoped the wet hard sand would make things easier.
Still breathing hard from the run I grabbed the towline and pulled at the boat. I turned it around with some effort but once it was sliding bow first down the slope the going was easier. I made for the canal hoping the water would be deep enough to carry the boat the rest of the way. I looked toward the opening in the rocks as soon as it was in sight again. It was smaller now. I would have to move faster. I tied the rope around my waist and dug deeper into the sand to move as fast as I could. When I got to the canal I threw the tow line in the boat and pushed hard from behind. The current was moving quickly. As the boat edged into the water I almost lost hold of it but managed to keep a hand on the stern and hoist myself in. Suddenly I was drifting and fast. The canal was just wide enough to allow the boat to pass and it drifted effortlessly. Ahead, the canal would open to the sea. I would have to steer skillfully to make it through the rocks.
By the time I passed under the rocky archway the water level was high enough that I had to bow my head to pass through. Once on the other side there was nothing to keep me from reaching the main island. I breathed deeply and smiled.
“Thank you, Ma Belle” I whispered.
She stirs on my ocean, a hot storm is brewing, my passion,
the kraken, releasing, consuming
the kraken, releasing, consuming
I began to sing the song again. The memory of the vision I had while writing it came vividly to my mind, seamlessly melding with the scene around me. I scanned the horizon for her. Nothing. They tide was very far out indeed and left a large section of beach exposed that I had never seen before. Letting go of reason I walked, allowing my instinct to guide me. I continued to sing the song hoping it would conjure her… or perhaps her footsteps in the sand? I could feel her taking hold of my heart as I thought of her dark beauty and the way she had looked at me. Just then a warm hand lay gently on my shoulder and before I could react, the words “You’ll find me. I know that you will,” were whispered upon warm breath in my ear. I turned to see her for the briefest moment. Then she was gone.
My heart jumped. She’s here, I thought.
I looked down and saw footprints in the sand that led from beside me and off down the slope of the exposed beach. I quickened my pace and followed them. They came to an end at a wide canal full of water left by the receding tide. It wound like a river along the shoreline then merged back into the ocean in the direction of Albumdor. Looking further off in the same direction I noticed the rocky reef, a large portion of which is usually covered by water at high tide, now towering exposed above the ocean. From where I was standing the details of the rock formations were more distinct. I could see a section where there was a large opening, like someone had pushed aside the bars of a prison cell. At the top, the rocks still clung tightly together but they curved apart in an archway at the base. There was enough water flowing through the opening that it looked as though I could make it through in my boat. But I would have to hurry. The tide was coming in and it would not be long before that whole section would be submerged. I ran back to my boat. I would have to drag it by the towline a good distance but I hoped the wet hard sand would make things easier.
Still breathing hard from the run I grabbed the towline and pulled at the boat. I turned it around with some effort but once it was sliding bow first down the slope the going was easier. I made for the canal hoping the water would be deep enough to carry the boat the rest of the way. I looked toward the opening in the rocks as soon as it was in sight again. It was smaller now. I would have to move faster. I tied the rope around my waist and dug deeper into the sand to move as fast as I could. When I got to the canal I threw the tow line in the boat and pushed hard from behind. The current was moving quickly. As the boat edged into the water I almost lost hold of it but managed to keep a hand on the stern and hoist myself in. Suddenly I was drifting and fast. The canal was just wide enough to allow the boat to pass and it drifted effortlessly. Ahead, the canal would open to the sea. I would have to steer skillfully to make it through the rocks.
By the time I passed under the rocky archway the water level was high enough that I had to bow my head to pass through. Once on the other side there was nothing to keep me from reaching the main island. I breathed deeply and smiled.
“Thank you, Ma Belle” I whispered.