Aspara- that was her name. I feel better knowing I wasn't too far off before. I've found myself to be a little bad at names, so I try to tuck it away in my mind for later. Hopefully I'll remember right this time.
I've been watching as she slowly steps into the lake and I see the way the water ripples with her touch. I tried swimming before but wasn't good at it, so I've just avoided it since. Watching how pretty water looks from afar is a lot easier (and safer). Yet, Aspara wants me to follow her and assures me that it's shallow enough. I suppose if we just stick to the edge, it should be okay, right? I also feel like I can trust her, so I take a step forward.
The water feels a little cold against my skin, but it's actually kind of nice since I've always felt warmer than most. I take another few steps until I'm standing closely by Aspara. I don't want to stray too far from her in case I fall or go too far in, so I let my shoulder brush up against her's.
She tells me of a story about her sister and how they lived in the lake. I tilt my head out of curiosity as I wonder just how she could do that. Wouldn't they get cold from being wet all the time? What would they do during the bad weather without any shelter in the lake? I think of asking all these questions, but then she asks me if I know about kelpies. The word is strange to me.
"No, but I know what kelp is," I say, thinking about how some had washed ashore one day and looked like a sea monster. It made me jump, but then Momma Morr explained. It smelled funny too, so I just let it be. "Are they made of kelp?" It makes me wonder if my thoughts were right and the kelp really was a sea monster, or there's just simply a sea monster made of kelp. I blink a few times and look out nervously at the lake. "Do they live out here?" I know she said they only pretended to be kelpies, but that had to mean they were real in some way or another. It makes me rethink if standing in this water is a good idea.
@
