Part Two — Kojin

There was some small part of myself that wondered if my encounter with the creature was merely delusional dreaming. However, that doubt was quickly crushed when I awoke the next morning to find the other villagers gathered around the old woman's hut.

They were all fretting about where the elder could have possibly gone and what happened. Her family wouldn't stop saying that they shouldn't have left her to live alone, and plans were being made to form search parties and stronger defenses against predators from the forest. Only I understood how futile their efforts would be.

While the others were busy with their worries and woes, I slipped into the old woman's hut to investigate. To my mild surprise, unlike with the baby's abduction, this time there were some signs of a brief struggle. A stool and a large basket of pickled fish were knocked over on the floor — probably the thumps I'd heard while the creature was inside. Beside them were a few splatters of blood, mingling with the pickled juices from the fish. Together they made an almost unbearably putrid smell.

Eager to leave before my nostrils burned, I nearly missed the most important thing I found there. But as I scanned the floor, something flashed in the light. Something so small and seemingly insignificant that it felt like it was left behind for my eyes only.

I bent down to retrieve the glimmer of light, realizing it was a scale!

Hard and durable, yet smooth to the touch. It kind of reminded me of the scales on the sharks that frequented the reef. Except, this scale caught the light like a prism, iridescent at the right angle just like the strand of black pearl hair.

I was practically giddy to find such a thing! Even now, I can't help but smile. This scale… it came from the creature I saw in the night, I'm certain of it. In that moment of revelation, it became so precious to me — quickly, I tucked it away in the pouch around my neck and left the hut.

Receiving another tangible trait of the creature made me want to record every little detail that I could remember of him.

Stature of a man born of the sea. Webbed and clawed feet; moves swiftly on land. Taller than me. Maybe…6 Shaku high?

Golden eyes, with black pupils. Clear. Sharp. Haunting.

Hair of black pearl. Flowing like silk. Captures the rainbow.

Must be covered in scales. Strong, smooth touch. Smokey grey, or maybe blue? They also shine like a rainbow.

Voice… Beautiful.

This isn't enough. Nowhere near enough. I need to know more… I need to see him closer…

I cannot wait for night to come.

• • •

Tonight, it wasn't the churning sea or alluring voices that woke me from my slumber. Even if those sounds did arise from the deep, they would be impossible to hear over the torrential downpour that bathed the village. A sudden storm had swept over us while everyone slept.

I found it much easier to sleep peacefully in this weather. There's something about the rhythmic way the rain smatters against my hut, harmonizing with the crashing of waves past the shore and cracks of lightning in the sky. To me, it felt like a lullaby.

I thought nothing would dare traverse such a powerful storm, not even the creature haunting my thoughts, meaning that for the first time in a very long time I was beginning to rest. Lulled to sleep by the caress of the storm…

Yet, at some point in the middle of the night, an alert rang through my mind that snapped my eyes open.

At first, I was in a slight stupor. For a very brief moment, it felt like my thoughts were sifting through mud to process my surroundings. No whispers… A storm raged outside… So why did I wake so urgently?

But then a feeling struck my body, clearing away all of the fog in my mind. It was like a primal instinct I could feel so deeply it was in my bones.

I was being watched.

Immediately I thought of the creature and the way he observed the old woman before deciding to take her away. Like a predator, lurking.

Stalking.

Waiting motionlessly for the perfect moment to strike.

The idea was exhilarating. To think I could be next, I… Well, needless to say the excitement led my gaze to the window.

At first I saw only darkness and rain. A miserable, textured abyss where not even moonbeams could grace. But as lightning flashed through the sky, I saw it — two golden orbs with pitch-black cores staring back at me.

Just like in my dream, I instinctively raced forward to meet the creature at my window. But what a fool I was! I moved too quickly, of course the creature got spooked and fled.

So of course, I flung my door open to catch him, but he had already disappeared into the night.

“Wait! Please, take me!”

I shouted after him without thinking. My voice was nearly drowned out by the rain, but still… I wonder if he heard it. I wonder if it sounded to him the way his voice sounds to me— quiet, maddening, shrouded by the surrounding water.

As my disappointment at the creature’s departure began to mount, something compelled me to look down. Sitting there on my stoop was a small seashell, its white color and pink-orange hues standing out against the pitch-dark. The way it sat there so perfectly, it had to have been placed deliberately, rather than washed up by the storm.

My heart leapt.

The creature had left me a gift.

• • •

The gift is beautiful, even in the daylight.

I fear I spent most of my morning simply admiring it. Daily chores feel far less important than this precious miracle.

I know I've seen similar shells on the beach before — it's from a type of scallop, if I recall correctly. Their shells resemble a fan, delicately crafted and cherished by the sea itself. This one is particularly ornate, its frills brushed with rich orange streaks, and the edges dipped in dark, faded pink. It reminded me of the late afternoon sunset over the horizon.

The gift still smelled strongly of salt and sea. I wondered if the creature smelled the same.

Then I wondered why the creature would present me with such a gift. Was it to thank me for not telling the village? Was he marking me as his next victim?

I tucked the seashell away into the pouch around my neck. It felt like I was growing a little treasure chest there. Never before in my life did I have things so precious to me. The more I thought about it, the more it made me want to learn about the creature.

If only I could get him to meet me…

Now that I think about it, there must be some reason he's suddenly hunting the village. We've gone for so long without even a hint of something like this happening— what changed?
Did he migrate here?

Or did his diet require a change?

Those seem like the most likely options. Which means, no matter the cause, the creature has probably been hunting the villagers because his original food source is gone. Yes… Even humans are forced to pursue new meals when a resource dries up, sometimes moving their entire community to do so. Surely this creature is no different…

But then, what was his primary diet? The most obvious answer would be fish, so perhaps his environment has been somehow overfished. Our village certainly has been here a long time… We may be small, but perhaps we've finally overstayed our welcome…

It doesn't matter.

This has given me an idea.

• • •

I stole some fish from one of the village fishermen. The people here are so painfully gullible, it wasn't even hard to do. It made me realize just how disappointed I was in them all. Glimpsing a world beyond this place has truly opened my eyes.

Perhaps I should be thankful for that.

In any case, with the fish I'd procured I devised a rudimentary snare. Nothing cruel — I merely wanted to ensure the creature would interact with me instead of flee. So, after night fell over the village and I was certain my neighbors were sleeping, I dumped the pile of fresh caught fish on my stoop and suffixed a fishing net beneath the roof above it.

Then, I waited.

After a couple hours, I became impatient. No churning waves, no captivating whispers — nothing to keep me awake but my own anticipation and growing annoyance. The thought crossed my mind that perhaps the fish alone weren't enough to draw the creature in. After all, he'd tasted human now. What if humans suited his taste better?

That posed a major problem to my plan.

There are only so many hours of night. I had to act quickly. If the creature would prefer a human meal over a pile of fish, then I needed to add the fresh scent of human into the mix.

Therefore, I grabbed a knife from my kitchen and dragged it across my left palm. The sizable cut it made immediately pooled with bright blood, enough that I could pour it over the fish and stain them crimson.

All I could do was hope that it'd be enough. It was a small price to pay for my goal.

Tightly wrapping a cloth over my wound, I began to wait again. It was another daunting, tedious couple hours of nothing but gentle seas.

Still, I refused to give up.

I needed him to come for me. I needed it more than I ever needed anything in my life.

Just as my weary desperation began to draw tears from my eyes, I heard it. The sounds I'd been yearning for — Churning seas that veiled an almost ethereal whisper below. It made my heart soar to hear, even as I noticed their slight difference in sound. After all, I could tell their presence was reflecting an emotion I knew quite well.

A ginger sort of anticipation, like instinctive fear was mingling with profound curiosity in an unholy union. It was the same emotion that consumed me.

Before long, I heard something rise from the water with a gentle cascade, followed by soft and slightly hesitant footsteps on the beach. I didn't dare peek out the window for fear that the creature might notice me, but I knew he was approaching my hut. I could feel it in my very core.

When the footsteps were closer than ever before, enough that I was certain he had reached my stoop, there came the most exciting sound I could have asked for.

“Fi…sh…?”

He spoke… The creature spoke!

It was then apparent that what I thought to be whispers was actually a sort of clicking or crackling noise. The eerie sound distorted his words and appeared to come from somewhere in the back of the creature's throat.

It was melodic.

Unnerving.

I wanted to hear more.

However, I couldn't hesitate. The creature was exactly where I needed him to be, so while he was still confused, I pulled the cord that released the fishing net. He emitted a soft, startled crackle as the net dropped down and entangled him, but it was too late for him to react.

I'd caught him.

• • •

Of course, once he realized he was caught, the creature started to thrash about. I knew he was more than capable of escaping the net if this continued, so I quickly scrambled out the door to meet him.

“Wait! Please, forgive me!”

I called out in an urgent whisper, and to my surprise, as soon as his eyes landed on me the creature stopped thrashing. Our gazes locked, and for a moment I felt like I couldn't breathe. Finally, finally, I could get a clear look at him…

His pitch-black pupils had widened slightly, and from this distance I could see that the brilliant gold surrounding them held tawny flecks. Just as I suspected, his body was covered in scales resemblant of the sharks in the reef — smooth, more durable than a fish, linked together so tightly that it resembled skin. Although a single scale had a smokey hue to it, when it was grouped together and the moonlight wasn't shining on it at a certain angle, his sharkskin looked darker. It reminded me of the ocean at night.

Long, black pearl hair poured over his shoulders, still flowing like silk despite clearly being drenched. It somewhat matched the kimono he wore, which was made of some strange material I'd never seen before, that also appeared dry and unfettered by salt.

I wanted to touch him so badly. I wanted to feel the strange things he was made of. But his sudden voice reminded me that it wasn't the time for such things.

“Yo…u… Wh…y… Why…?”

The creature was trying to communicate with me!

I felt the corners of my mouth curl in excitement. This was exactly what I’d wanted, and I had to make the most of it.

“Please, don't be afraid,” I tried to reassure him. “I won't hurt you. This fish is for you, if you want it. And… If you'll talk with me…I'll even remove the net.”

The creature seemed wary, but I could see the curiosity take over in his eyes. To my delight, he nodded.

In the brief disentanglement, I could tell that his hands were also clawed, yet they were much more like human hands than I'd expected. He must have also noticed the wound on my own hand because, as soon as he was free, he pointed to it and then to the bloody fish.

“You… hu…rt… self… for…r… Me…?”

I couldn't lie to him, so I nodded, then I took the pouch from around my neck and opened it for him to see. Presenting him with my treasures, I voiced the haunting desire in my heart.

“I've been waiting… for you to take me…”

I breathlessly waited for a reply, but for a moment he merely studied the treasures with inhuman stillness. Then, his mouth spread into a wide, uncanny smile. Teeth that could tear me to shreds glittered in the moonlight, wicked despite the seemingly kind gesture.

It was one of these very teeth that he reached into his mouth and plucked from his gums with little more than a wince.

I watched in stunned silence as the creature dropped the fresh tooth into my pouch. He then closed it and pressed it into my chest with one hand, pointing at himself with the other.

“Tha…nk-k-k… yo…u… I… come… ba…ck…k…k…”

It was a promise, one I'll never forget in all eternity. The words left me immobile, helpless to do anything as the creature gathered his fish and descended back into the sea.

He promised to come back for me…

• • •

For days since the fateful encounter, I continued to steal fish from the fishermen. Every night, I placed the fish on my stoop for him, and every night the creature returned to visit me.

These nightly visits gave my life purpose. I learned so much about him! Like how his sharkskin feels cool to the touch… or that he enjoys weaving more than anything else. In fact, his kimono was woven himself using a strange material he called “seasilk”.

He even presented me with a new neck-pouch that he wove from this “seasilk” to protect my treasures. It's far more durable than leather, and waterproof too. I nearly cried when he gave it to me…

Actually, communication with the creature has been much easier than I'd expected. He's obviously quite intelligent, and he seems to understand words well enough. He just hasn't quite grasped how to string words into proper sentences. I'd taken to teaching him some of that for myself.

Despite there being no more disappearances since my friendship with the creature bloomed, the villagers still worked tirelessly at fortifications from predators. Such paranoid fools. If it wasn't for me they'd be nearly wiped out by now.

Not that it mattered. I was happy with things the way they were. Happy that life finally had meaning.

• • •

Tonight, the creature brought his loom to show me!

It was an odd sort of backstrap loom, similar to what I've seen around the village. He seemed incredibly excited to show me this treasured item, although he was reluctant to teach me how to use it. Apparently, it's a secret technique, enough that he recoiled like a wary animal at the thought of divulging it. I reassured him, though — I was just happy that he wanted to share something so special with me.

“You…u… gi…ft… Me…?”

I'll never forget those words. He wanted something… something from me! It was only fair. He had gifted me so many things, I had to do something in return. But my body couldn't heal and regenerate the way his could, and the only items I cherished were the things he gave me.

In the end, I decided the most special thing I could gift the creature was a lock of my own hair.

I bound it with cord and put it into the old leather pouch I’d used. He seemed delighted when I placed it around his neck, giving me the same uncanny smile as always.

A captivating smile — it taught me that danger and solace could exist in one form.

• • •

I… I can't…

I should have been more careful.

Last night, my visit with the creature was going exactly as planned. I taught him a little grammar, and he started to pick it up alright. He told me a joke, and I didn't exactly understand the humor, but I laughed anyway. His laugh was a beautiful rhapsody of crackling clicks…

It was a precious moment.

Only to be ruined…

The villagers must have noticed my thieving and quietly appointed someone to watch me. Without warning, an arrow whistled through the night and…pierced the creature's shoulder.

He let out a terrible cry, something like a hiss and a screech, as my neighbor shot another arrow at him. This one only managed to graze his arm as he swiftly fled back to the sea.

I yelled and screamed… I begged them not to shoot… They wouldn't listen!

I even tried to run after him, but they held me back.

How STUPID was I to let this happen?!

This isn't fair… I want him back… I want to join him…

• • •

He's gone… He's gone…

It's been days since my neighbors shot the creature, and he hasn't visited me since. The entire village has been treating me like a victim — like I was manipulated by his kindness and allure. I'd never realized just how little they all understood me.

How could they? They were all cowards, hiding from the beauties of the world in their sad little bubble of monotony. I was never like them.

I yearn for the ocean's cold embrace.

I yearn for the creature to come back for me like he'd promised.

Please… Take me with you…

Please… Please…

Take me with you…

• • •

Tonight, I'm leaving the village.

I have to, because I heard it. Waking me from my slumber, I heard it again — the churning waves. As I listened closer, I even began to hear the rhythmic whispers beneath, calling me towards them.

He's returned. He came back for me!

That is why I have to go. I refuse to remain in this ignorant village any longer! So, I've gathered what's important to me — my best clothing, and the seasilk pouch of treasure around my neck. Everything else here is meaningless.

Now, while it's still dark and the moon is still half full, I will depart from my hut and descend upon the beach. For a moment, I'll drink in the night air and relish the cool water lapping at my feet.

Then I shall bravely walk out into the ocean. I will walk until I'm sinking into its depths. Deeper… deeper…

I will not fear the sea’s embrace, because he will find me.

And I will finally be free.