CHAPTER 12
Rose
Isit on the deck of my rented houseboat, soaking wet and shivering, but I can’t seem to make myself move. Yes, I hit my head out there, and yes, it’s still throbbing. But I know what I saw. That shadow beneath my kayak had been colossal. However, the tentacle that lifted me to safety had been gentle and careful – almost protective. I brush my fingers across my waist where it held me, the ghost-touch still lingering on my skin. I know I didn’t hallucinate that; something extraordinary lives in these waters, and it just saved my life.
With trembling hands, I lift my shirt, and my breath catches in my throat. There, on my skin, is the faint outline of a sucker mark as big as my hand. I trace it with my finger, my mind reeling. The tentacle that wrapped around my waist had been even bigger than my thigh. The sheer scale of it is almost beyond comprehension.
The memory feels both vivid and hazy, like a dream that lingers after waking. But dreams don’t leave physical evidence.I stare at the mark, trying to make sense of what happened. A creature that size… it shouldn’t exist. Only in legends…
“Rose!” A voice cuts through my daze. I look up to see Levi waving at me from his houseboat. “Are you alright?”
As I turn towards him, his expression changes to one of alarm. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding!”
I reach up to touch my scalp, and my fingers come away red with blood. The sight of it seems to snap me back to reality. Suddenly, I’m acutely aware of how cold and wet I am and how much my head hurts.
Before I can respond, Levi sprints across the dock from his houseboat, his feet pounding against the wooden planks as he races to my side. His face is etched with concern when he reaches me. “Rose, what happened? Are you hurt anywhere else?”
I blink at him, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. “I… I took the kayak out,” I manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “There was a storm. It came out of nowhere.”
Worry floods Levi’s features as he gently turns my head to examine the wound hidden just behind my ear. “You shouldn’t go out on the open water alone,” he says softly, concern threading through his voice. “It’s dangerous. You should always let me know when you’re going out, okay?”
I nod absently, wincing as he probes the area around the cut. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I didn’t think…”
“It’s okay,” Levi reassures me. “What matters is that you’re safe now. But how did you manage to get back with this head injury? The storm was intense.”
I hesitate, unsure of what to say. How can I explain what happened when I’m not even sure I believe it myself? My eyes dart to the kayak, and I feel a jolt of panic as I realize the paddle is missing. I hope Levi doesn’t notice. “It was hard,” I say finally, my voice wavering slightly. “I just… made it back somehow.”
The lie feels paper-thin, and Levi’s eyes narrow as he studies my face. I think he’ll press for more details for a heart-stopping moment, but he lets it go. Relief washes through me as he turns his attention back to the cut behind my ear.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he says instead, helping me to my feet. As he guides me inside the houseboat, I can’t help but glance back at the water, wondering if my unknown friend is still out there.
I let Levi guide me to the houseboat’s tiny bathroom, grateful for his steady presence. He has me sit on the toilet while he looks for a first aid kit and starts cleaning the cut behind my ear. “The wound’s quite small, thankfully,” he murmurs as he works. “And you’re lucky – it’s just at the hairline, so we won’t have to shave anything to bandage it. Head injuries tend to bleed a lot.” I study his face as he tends to me, searching for… something. I’m not even sure what.
“Levi,” I say suddenly, surprising myself. “Did you… did you see me coming back to the houseboat?”
He pauses for a moment, his hand hovering over my head with a Band-Aid. “No,” he replies, his voice steady. “I was below deck because of the storm. I only came up when it passed and saw you sitting out here.”
I nod slowly, turning this information over in my mind.
“Rose,” Levi says, interrupting my thoughts, “what exactly happened out there? You seem… shaken.”
I bite my lip, debating whether to tell him about the creature I think I saw. But it sounds crazy even in my own head. Plus, I feel a responsibility to protect the existence of the animal that saved me. Finally, I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just the storm. It was scary, that’s all.”
Levi nods, not pressing further.
“There,” he says, stepping back to examine his handiwork. “That should do it. How are you feeling now?”
“Better,” I say, offering a small smile. “Thank you, Levi.”
“Anytime,” he replies, and the way he says it lets me know he means it. “Why don’t you get changed into some dry clothes? I’ll make us something hot to drink. Do you prefer coffee or tea?”
“Coffee. With cream and sugar, please.”
In my tiny bedroom, I peel off my sodden clothes with shaking hands, grateful to slip into warm, dry yoga pants and my favorite oversized sweater. As Levi bustles around the kitchen, I’m drawn back outside.
Leaning over the railing, I scan the water below, hoping irrationally to catch a glimpse of my mysterious rescuer. The sun sparkles on the calm harbor like the storm never happened, but I know better. Somewhere beneath this serene surface lies a creature I can barely comprehend – so massive I can’t imagine how it fit in the marina. The memory of those gentle tentacles remains vivid, even as the reality of it seems impossible in the bright afternoon light.
My mind races, trying to make sense of what I saw.Could it have been a kraken?The thought seems absurd – krakens are myths, legends told by sailors to scare ‘landlubbers’. The idea is ridiculous, but how it moved felt almost… intelligent. Deliberate. The tentacle that lifted me had been careful – gentle even. Not the blind groping of some mindless sea creature. I wish I knew more about marine life beyond what I’ve seen in documentaries and aquariums – everything I thought I knew about what’s possible has been turned upside down. I’d look it up on my phone, but that’s currently at the bottom of the ocean, along with the rest of my belongings. Whatever saved me is forcing me to question everything I thought I knew about the line between reality and myth.
