Waters Past

One night a young boy named Julian was walking along a path through the forest. His journey was lit by the light of the full moon and the flickers of the lightning bugs who were all around him. He was enjoying his peaceful journey when suddenly he felt something strange. He did not feel the scared or like he should sprint away as if he was being chased. He also did feel warm or happy. Then, just as he felt the wave of emotion exit his body through his fingers and toes, he felt the presence of something in front of him. When he looked up, he saw a large, white barn owl flying in front of him.

Because the full moon was so bright, Julian could see exactly where the barn owl was going and started to follow it. He had never seen such a large, beautiful animal before. Julian decided to follow the bird, but the owl was fast, and Julian had to run to keep up with it. Before he knew it, he had been running for at least a mile and he was out of breath. He had to take a rest and as he did, he noticed that the owl also took a break and was perched in a tree just in front of him.

As he reached down to take a sip from his canteen, he remembered a story he had been told by the town crazy, Sebastian. No one know if the story was true or if it came from Sebastian’s imagination. The story was long but always started with a warning, “Never follow an owl into the forest because it will lead you into the forest of the past”.

Sebastian said that if you follow the owl too deep into the forest the owl will disappear and a beautiful girl with brown and white hair will appear in her place. The girl will be holding a glass of crystal-clear water. Old man Sebastian emphasized this next part of the story. He said that you will suddenly feel very thirsty and when this happens you must NOT drink the glass of water. The beautiful girl will offer the water again and again, but you must refuse because if you take even a sip you will never be seen or heard from again.

As legend has it, Sebastian is the only person who refused the water. He was found 7 days after he entered the forest, wandering around in a trance and mumbling something about a water girl. After several days of sleep and medicine, Sebastian was able to tell people his story. The story of a barn owl and a girl who appeared from the forest. He said that the girl has piercing blue eyes seem to transfer into your soul. They are so mesmerizing that you become hypnotized. Then, when you are in a state of confusion, the girl will grab you and pull you deep into the forest. No one know what happens next because no one has ever returned to tell the story.

Julian was so caught up in recalling the story that he did not notice the girl who was now standing in front of him. Before he realized what was happening to him the girl was staring at him and in her hands was a glass of water. Before he knew it, the girl had lured him deep into the forest, all the way to the edge of the lake.

About 10 feet from the water the girl offered Julian a drink of water. Tired from running and almost hypnotized Julian could not refuse. He took a large gulp from the glass of water and almost instantly felt himself losing control. He could feel himself being drug closer to the water but was helpless to resist. The last thing he remembered was being flung into the freezing cold water, rapidly sinking to the bottom.

Julian woke up and found himself at the bottom of an ocean. He knew it was an ocean because he could taste the salty water in his mouth and feel a sting in his eyes. He swam up as fast as he could and let out a huge breath as he crested the surface. He swam to the shore and crawled up the beach, gasping for air. As he collapsed onto his back, he sees a figure in the corner of his eye. Startled, he looked up and noticed a beautiful young girl sitting on the beach. The girl looked very familiar and Julian was sure that he had met her before. However, he was not sure of where he was, so he did not trust his instincts.

The girl had brown and white hair and piercing blue eyes that Julian recognized. This girl looked like she was full of life and happiness. Julian decided that he must speak to her, he had to learn this girls name and why he was now on the beach by herself. Timidly, approached the girl and introduced himself. She looked up at him, smiled, then said “Hello, my name is Gail.”

Julian and Gail connected instantly, they sat on the beach and talked for hours. When Julian finally looked up, he realized that the sun was setting, and the sky was getting dark. They must have been talking for hours. Then, Gail stood up and invited Julian to join her for a swim in the ocean before nightfall. Julian accepted and dove headfirst into the cool, blue water. They splashed in the water for a few moments and again found themselves talking. Gail mentioned that she really wanted a seashell and that she had been diving all day but unable to find anything. Julian decided that he was going to find Gail the seashell that she had been unable to find. So, he took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the surface.

Julian could hold his breath for over a minute in the water and he used every second of that time to find what he was looking for. He returned to the surface and quickly exhaled the stale air. Julian proudly examined the shell, admiring what he had found so quickly. He looked around for Gail but was surprised not to find her in the water. He scanned the horizon and finally sees her on the beach waving at him to come ashore. He held up the shell and began swimming to the beach, eager to present his treasure.

As Julian is wading up through the shallow water to meet Gail, he experiences a familiar feeling. He does not feel scared, but he also does not feel happy. He feels very aware and knows that something special is happening between him and Gail.

Julian has a giant smile on his face, proud of the seashell he found, as he hands it to Gail he watches as a giant smile also appears on her face. It is now dark, so Julian and Gail decide to call it for the night. After some questions Julian learns that Gail has a rented room at a nearby motel. The two agree to have some dinner then get some sleep. Julian and Gail find a diner and share a cheeseburger, French fries, and a chocolate shake. Next, they walk hand in hand to the small motel where Gail has rented a room. After some light conversation they fall fast asleep in each other’s arms.

The next day when Julian wakes up, Gail is gone, he calls out for her, but she is not there. After a few moments of waiting, he decides to go out and look for her on a path along the beach. As he is walking along, he starts to hear screams and recognizes the sound of the voice as Gail’s. Frantically he runs towards the sound of the screams and to his horror he finds her struggling in the water. He runs towards her and extends his hand, but she is just out of his reach. He is frantically trying to figure a way to reach Gail. He turns to grab a tree branch from behind him, as he turns to extend the branch to reach Gail, he feels himself being pushed into the water by an unknown force.

As he plunges into the water, he is unable to take a breath, he is helpless and inhales a large gulp of the salty ocean water. He surfaces, coughing and gasping for air. Then almost instantly feels something pulling him back under the water. This pattern of in and out continues for several minutes until Julian is too tired to fight. The last thing he remembers is seeing Gail on the beach looking out into the ocean as if he were not drowning in front of her eyes.

Gail is a ghost who haunts the forest. She has been looking for someone to love and someone who will save her. Julian did not know that he would be sacrificing his life for the spirit of a girl who had long been gone. Julian’s love and bravery have set the soul of Gail free.