Sleep of Undine Ch. 01

Chapter 1

From far, the two looked like they were having a normal, intimate session between two females. The younger one of the two seemed to be splashing around in the lake while the elder one looked on encouragingly. If one didn't know better, they'd thought she was trying to teach the younger one to swim. However, one should know better, especially if they were staying near the Rainy River, that even in the early spring of April, the temperature of the water in the lake was freezing. Upon a closer look, one would find, in surprise that a young girl was drowning and the woman beside her didn't seem to want to help the poor child.

"Mummy... please... I can't do it... I really... don't want to..." struggled the child, gasping for air but swallowing mouthfuls of frigid cold water.

"You must," replied her mother. Only if one comes really close, one would see but might choose not to believe his or her eyes for the woman in question was standing on the water surface as if it were as hard as the riverbanks.

"Mummy!" shrieked the little girl and went under. The frigid water had numbed her limbs such that she could no longer struggle to keep afloat. Sighing to herself, the woman disappeared into the water, as if slowly melting away, to finally rescue her daughter.

When they submerged, the child, surprisingly did not look pale but was rosy cheeked and sparkly eyed as she was carried by her mother.

"Are you still cold?" asked the mother kindly. The little girl shook her head. Her dark brown hair seemed dry and bouncy and she had a missing tooth when she grinned. The woman smiled and placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Dahut..."

"Dahut... Dahut... Dahut..."

At the call of her name, she slowly surfaced out from her sleep. It seems she had been dreaming again.

***

Dahut woke with a jolt at her mother's call. She was having that dream again; of watching herself learning how to breathe underwater. It felt odd to watch herself like that, and almost cruel in the way she couldn't help the poor helpless girl who was herself. She was sure her mother knows about the dreams but she had been silent and understanding. For more than 20 years, her mother had not pressured her to awaken her powers and she suspected that her mother had given up.

"Dahut... I made your favourite for breakfast today- French toast. Coffee's already on the table," said her mother when she came into the kitchen. Her mother was beautiful even at 40 years old, although she doubt her mother was really 40.

"The spring crowd's here... shouldn't you... be at the lodge?"

"When you own something, you make sure you have other people to run it for you," her mother said with a smile. "Lissy's already there making sure everything's alright. She's making a hearty Full Irish today for the guests. They'll be leftover if you want."

Dahut eyed her mother suspiciously. Dahut knew that her mother knows she didn't like the lodge much because it was too close to the water. Her phobia of water was something of a disgrace for the Lake of the Woods community which thrived on fishing, boating and all things water related.

After kissing her mother on both cheeks, Dahut headed out to her bookshop; the only one in Morson village. Pleasure Bound was her pride and joy. She had started the shop with only a few book titles mainly about fishing and boating but had eventually extended to include all sorts of children books as well as adult fiction. Her mother had been very supportive all the way although Dahut knew that she would prefer her only daughter to run the lodge with her. Recently, she had suggested opening a small cafe in the bookshop so that customers could read and relax over a cup of coffee or scone. Dahut had been thrilled. The works for the cabinet, chairs and tables were already underway and Dahut was really excited to start baking to fill the cafe with homemade goodies.

"Hey Dahut," greeted Jack, the carpenter she hired to model her cafe. He was a little surprised to see her in so early but smiled nonetheless with his tool bag slung over his shoulders.

Dahut nodded in acknowledgement and smiled back. She and Jack had been to the same high school and college but because of her shy personality, they had never crossed paths till now. Dahut remembered her high school days so vividly that it still hurts to remember.

She had been the subject of gossip and bullying throughout her high school days. Her school mates were always teasing her about her phobia of water and at times others would hurl abuses at her or insult her mother.

"Jack... I'll be outside for awhile... I want to get some air," she croaked. The air was indeed fresh and she soon began walking nearer towards the water's edge. It was her mother's request that she built her bookshop overlooking the water. Indeed it made her jittery at times just to look at the lake but she had endured it for the past five years. She had planned to use the open area outside her shop as an alfresco area for her cafe. It would provide a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding trees.

It was then that she heard a few voices calling out her name. Turning around, she saw Amber,Lucy and Tom walking towards her.

"Heyo mermaid!" Tom called out to her. Dahut felt a rush of fear creeping up her face. He had been calling her that ever since high school and ever since then he had always tried to drown her.

"What? Not gonna say hello to your friends?" said the other two women.

"Hi... what... what are you all doing here? My shop's not opened yet..."

"We were passing by. There's a couple of campers over the clearing there. We've been hired to take them boating in awhile. Wanna join?" said Amber.

"Ah... I'd rather not..."

"Thought you'd say that..." sneered Amber. Then Lucy spoke. "So your mother's still luring other people's husbands to her lair?" Dahut dropped her gaze to the ground. Her mother had once dated Lucy's father just after Lucy's parents divorced. At that time they were both so young but she could still remember Lucy's mother screaming at her mother, calling her a husband stealer. When he had drowned in a boating accident with her, everyone had blamed her mother for causing his death even though the police had declared it an accident.

"Give her a break Luce... she's too dumb to talk. Hmm, since we still have some time, why don't we play around some?" said Amber. Tom gave her a wink.

In a blink of an eye, Tom had gathered Dahut in his arms and was carrying her to the water's edge.

"Here you go mermaid, back where you belong!" he said and dumped her into the water. Even in spring, the water was still cold and the chill numbed her limbs almost instantly.

"Please, Please help me!" she shouted but the trio had already left, laughing as they headed towards the clearing.

Hush my baby... close your eyes and focus on breathing...

She could hear her mother's voice; the same one that always spoke to her each time someone had dumped her into the water. However the cold was getting to her and she began struggling once again.

"Hey!" she heard someone shout. She thought she saw someone jumping into the water but she could no longer think or see.

"Hey, hey... hold on to me... Jesus it's fucking cold!" said her rescuer. She couldn't see the person's face but from the body now holding her close, she guessed it to be a man. His hands were strong around her waist and he was swimming towards the shore.

Then it happened.

An invisible barrier suddenly came up, forcefully pushing the two apart. The man landed on land but Dahut was back in the water, at a deeper depth this time. Her body could no longer feel any sensation by now and she slowly began to sink into the water. She thought she heard the man shouting at her but her mind was completely blank...

Then she felt it- The burning pain at the side of her neck; almost tearing at her throat. Then she felt as if her bones were starting to break. The pain was excruciating that she screamed but her sound only came out as a bubble in the water.

Suddenly she opened her eyes and all was quiet and she was breathing. She glided through the water, as if she had been swimming all her life. She passed by a school of fish and they all greeted her. Dahut opened her eye in shock, and then tried to laugh. However, this time, she could hear her own laughter, not a bubble like a before.

"Welcome back Undine... We've missed you."

"I'm not Und..." she tried to explain but they had swum away. She continued swimming before realization hit her- she was swimming! Something she had never done before. She started panicking when she saw the changed state of her hands and feet. She started to scream and kept swimming upwards towards the surface. As she reached the surface she felt breathless and felt like choking as she grappled for air. Like a fish on land, she felt like dying. Then she lost consciousness.

***

Tristan had wanted to dive back into the water to search for the drowning woman but there seemed to be a force field preventing him from even going near the water. Worried, he had rushed to the nearest lodge to request for help. The owner of the lodge told him not to worry but to wait at the water's edge. Help will come soon, she had said.

When he got back to the lake, he saw the young woman floating on the water surface, as if dead. This time, when he dived into the water, there was no barrier but he didn't think about it much as he scooped the woman out of the water.

He found it strange that she was still breathing. But most importantly, she was dry! Nevertheless, he did CPR on her and tried to rouse her to consciousness.

"Miss? Miss?" he shook her slightly. Then she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. She didn't know if she was dreaming or dead.

"I must be dead," she thought. "There's a very beautiful angel in front of me."

"Hi... are you okay? I think I should bring you to the nearest clinic or the nearest lodge at least. Come,"

"I'm not dead?" she asked groggily.

"I intend to keep you that way," he replied and carried her in his arms again.

"No... no, just put me down... I'm fine... Mr..?"

"It's Tristan. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to bring you somewhere?"

"Yes... bookshop..." she said weakly, pointing to her shop. Tristan gave her a puzzled look but carried her there regardless.

Jack the carpenter was shocked when Tristan came in, all soaked carrying Dahut in his arms.

"What have you done to her!" he gasped. "Give her to me!"

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"I'm fine... you two cut it out. Jack, this is Tristan... he saved me from drowning. Tristan, this is Jack. He's helping me remodel my bookshop." The two men eyed each other suspiciously but shook hands nonetheless.

"I'm sorry for the trouble... so I'm going to compensate you okay?" said Dahut to Tristan. "Come to my bookshop again and I'll let you choose any book you want, on the house."

Tristan smiled at her and looked around.

"I guess I better be off now. The other campers are probably wondering what happened to me. Umm, Jack? Take care of her for me. I'm taking up that free book offer... "he said, smiling at her as he left.

"You fell into the water?" Jack asked when Tristan had left.

"Something like that..."

Jack looked at her pale face and decided to drop the subject.

"You know... I'm quite done with the cabinets and tables. I think by the end of the week, everything should be ready. What are you planning for the menu?" he asked, purposely trying to distract her with work.

"Mmm... now that you've asked..." she smiled, but climbed upstairs to her office.

***

Undine knew her daughter was at the bookshop, adamant that she was alright. She knocked on the door gently and opened it. She saw Jack applying a coat of varnish on the wooden furniture he had built and carved. He was a nice boy, that Jack. Her motherly instincts told her that he had an eye for her daughter but he was not the chosen one for her.

"Dahut..." she called out. Jack immediately looked up. She smiled. Her voice always had that effect on men... it was both a curse as well as a blessing.

"She's resting upstairs Ma'am..." he stammered.

When she got upstairs, Dahut was lying on the sofa in her office.

"Mama... I think... I think I did it... That thing you wanted me to do..." she said weakly.

"Hush... I know..." her mother said. She went to the kettle and poured out some warm water for her daughter. "Drink this up. It will make you feel better." Unknown to Dahut, she had added a drop of water from the lake. She knew that her daughter's body was retaliating because it wanted to be back in the water. This method was temporary but would serve the purpose of stabilizing her for now.

Dahut took the glass and sipped gingerly. Slowly she felt her energy returning.

"Thank you Mama..." she said. "Mama... the umm... fishes said they missed you."

Undine laughed and stroke her daughter's hair.

"Are you seeing that young man who saved you again?" she asked instead.

"What young man? And how do you know that?" Dahut asked defensively.

"A mother always knows. So, are you?"

"I don't know. I did offer him a free book for his help though."

Undine smiled at her daughter and exited the store with her usual graceful manner. Sighing to herself, Dahut surveyed the almost done cafe and started mentally decorating the corner. Jack had left a while ago but his tools were still there. He had done a good job, she mused. Perhaps she should take him out for a drink sometime soon.

Dahut looked at the wall clock and realised that it was already past 8pm. She had not noticed how late it was until her stomach started rumbling. Her bookshop would be closing in an hour's time but since there was no one in sight, she decided to fix herself something to eat. Thank god she had installed a stove and an oven in the room adjoining the cafe. She did not feel strong enough to walk towards town to grab something to eat. Odds are she'll end up back at her mother's lodge and Lissy would badger her to eat half a cow or something.

While she was brewing a cup of green tea, she heard the jingle of the bells at the front door, signalling a customer. Sticking her head out from the kitchen door, she realised it was the man who had saved her earlier.

"Oh, hi! I didn't expect you to come back here so soon. Here to take up my book offer huh?" she said from across the shop.

"Hey! I hope I'm not intruding or anything. Yeah... well, sorta. I'll just umm, take a look around k?" he shouted back.

Dahut decided to brew another cup of tea since there was no one else in the shop for the night. A little company would be nice, she thought.

"Umm, Tristan? Do you drink tea?"

"Hey... yeah. Tea's good. You busy?"

"Nah... have a seat. Found your book already? Just try not to take the most expensive one!" she said jokingly.

"Actually, you have quite an extensive collection here, for a small bookshop. I'm impressed. But I'm not sure exactly what book I want. Maybe you could recommend one to me," he replied instead.

"Umm... maybe we could start by telling me your hobby."

"Well, I love women..." he laughed. "Heh, joking, joking. Well, I love water sports, fishing, camping... all those things outdoors you know? But... I think I want to have a book I've never had before..."

"Mmm... any ideas?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I don't know... how about you? What do you like?"

"Me? I'm not really very exciting unlike you..."

"Well... I think drowning in ice cold water and surviving it sounds pretty exciting to me," he replied, smiling at her. "What time do you close?"

"Soon..."

"I'll wait up then. Maybe we could get some dinner. I'm starving."

"Oh? Guess that makes the two of us."

Tristan watched her move about, closing the shop for the night. He wasn't sure exactly what brought him to the shop that evening but he was enchanted with her. When he came in earlier, he felt almost like a pang of jealousy when he saw her with that carpenter, Jack.

He watched as she moved... no glided around her bookshop; her waist length hair rustling softly behind her and her smile... so captivating. He had abandoned his plans for the camping just to come and see her again.

"I was actually planning on eating in today but I don't think it's appropriate for you to be here... at such a late hour..." she said after a while.

"Yeah... I understand. It's alright. I'll take you to this really great place I always go for lamb shank. You're gonna love it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... it's over at the lodge I'm staying at. It's not too far from here," he said, smiling at her.

Dahut felt a strange sinking feeling in her stomach. He's bringing her to her lodge. What an irony.

Lissy had personally taken them to their table. Dahut knew that her matronly lodge manager was just brimming on the inside to give her the third degree. However, Lissy had been very polite and pretended not to know her at all.

"Please, Mr Gallegher, how may we be of humble assistance to you today?" asked Lissy.

"Well, Lissy, I'd like to order two of your lamb shank please. And... tea... for the lady and myself," he added something in a strange language she could not understand but Lissy had smiled and nodded.

"You come here often?" Dahut asked curiously.

"At times... usually to get away from work. Sometimes I fish... sometimes I camp."

She looked up at him and smiled. He must have been here a few times a year yet she had never seen him around. That, and that she also hated to be in the lodge too much.

"You know... I've never really had a chance to ask for your name. As you know, I'm Tristan..."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm Dahut. I... I should thank you for saving me today... I... I don't like the water much and I can't swim..."

"Well... and here I was thinking we should go river rafting tomorrow," he replied with a soft chuckle. Dahut noticed how his laugh seemed to light a sparkle in his blue eyes; its blue almost like the icy cold waters that she feared so much.

Dahut stared blankly at him.

"No... no of course not. I'm kidding... I'm sorry..." he said gently, covering his palm on top of her hand. "I'll be here till Friday... before I have to go back to New York... and I was hoping we could spend time together... if that is alright with you."

"I'm sure she'll be alright with that..." came the reply, but not from Dahut's mouth. She saw the twinkle in his eye again as he looked up and smiled. She needn't look up because she knew who was behind her from the voice.

"Tristan, it's so nice to see you here again. How did you find your accommodation?"

"Ah, perfect as always Undine..." he smiled. "I would you like you to meet Dahut. She works at the bookshop nearby."

"Oh, we know each other perfectly..." Dahut muttered and felt like burying her head under the table. She was so embarrassed. She never brought home men to meet her mother and never really had an interest in them.

"Well then... enjoy your meal Tristan, Dahut," said Undine before she glided away to the kitchen.

***

"Do you need me to walk you back to your house?" he asked quietly after they finished dinner.

"It's alright... I can go back on my own..."

"Where do you live, Dahut?"

"Umm... actually... I live here..."

"What... what do you mean?"

"This is my family lodge..."

Tristan stopped and looked at her, as if in disbelief, then started laughing.

"You're Undine's daughter? God! I thought I noticed something familiar about your face. Well... your mother seems to like me... so what are you afraid of, Dahut?" His last question came out in a whisper; almost like a taunt.

"Ah..." she said, blushing scarlet to the roots of her hair. He placed his hand at her cheek then smiled at her.

She couldn't seem to move when he bent his head to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in the feeling of his soft lips on hers. She could smell his cologne slightly... and the smell of the earth and water on him... The kiss seemed forever, but when he finally pulled away, Dahut was smiling.