after kissing each child on the forehead. One by one, they crawled into their sleeping lofts and drifted off to sleep. All but one.
4
Willow knew her father and brother were fishing out on the endless waters and everyone else was asleep, so she left the house as soon as she heard everyone's deep breathing—sounds of sleep. The wind was strong that evening, and in the night air was an ominous feeling that Willow could sense in every part of her being. But the drive to return to the endless waters was too strong. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and headed down to the shore. As she approached the rock pilings, the wind became even stronger, crushing the waves into the rocks. Each time a wave retreated, it tugged at the rocks as if to bring them back into the water. Willow hesitated as she climbed onto the rocks. Her balance was unsteady, and the waves slapped at her as they engulfed the rock pilings. She stood her ground and held onto her rock, the one that cradled her on her visits to the shore, the one rock that seem to be made just for her.
The wind grew more intense, and the waves were nearly impossible to maneuver around. She felt she had better retreat to land. Just as she turned toward the shore, a wave grabbed her and drenched her with ice-cold, white foam. She struggled to reach for the rock, but her grasp was no match for the pull of the waves. One more wave lashed at her, and she felt the full power of the water as she yielded to the icy water.
She could feel herself thrashing beneath the waves. Her long, golden hair swirled about in the raging waters, entangling her and blinding her. She was unaware of how far out or how deep she was, but she knew she had no control over what would happen to her. She thought of the sadness her family would endure if she never returned—the pain of not knowing what had happened to her. No one knew of her trips to the water's edge late at night. There was no one she shared her deepest thoughts with or told of her experiences with the woman in the water. No one would ever know that the woman of the waters really existed.
Willow felt herself slipping away from consciousness. She felt as though she was plunging deeper and deeper as the water became darker. Her eyes saw nothing but sand swirling about her body, burning with every twist. Then a form started to take shape. A form she knew and that calmed her. Was this to be the last thing she saw before the endless waters took her completely? Would this yearning to know something other than the life in the village be the cause of her demise and the pain and suffering of her family? She thought how stupid she had been to go against the teachings of the old ones in the village and visit the endless waters at night. There was a reason the villagers were told not to come. Why couldn't she listen? Everything went dark.
Suddenly, Willow saw a bright silver glow and then the swirling and swishing of the long silver hair of the woman she had seen by the shore beneath the water. The woman reached out her hand to Willow. As her hand touched Willow's hand, the raging water became calm, as if there were no water, just stillness. Willow looked into the pale blue eyes of this radiant being. There was something so familiar in the way this being looked at her. She couldn't place it, but somehow she knew she was safe.
Willow drifted off into a deep sleep, and when she came to, she was leaning on the rock along the shore, watching the calm waters. She felt rested but knew she should return home, for the moon was making its way down once again to announce the night was ending.
5
The next day, Audra called Willow into the kitchen from her sleeping loft. Willow had overslept, and there was much to do. The festival was only three days away. As Willow entered the room, she could see the empty breakfast bowls on the table. Her three younger sisters were nowhere in sight. She thought her mother would be mad at her for not getting up and helping with the morning chores, but Audra prepared a bowl of oats and fruit for Willow, set it on the table, and sat down beside her.
Willow sensed something was wrong and could not eat. She turned to her mother and asked what was troubling her. Her mother sat quietly for what seemed to be an eternity. Willow turned and looked into her mother's eyes and noticed tears welling up. Audra asked her if she had heard the storm the night before. Fear started to take over every part of Willow. She felt her secret had been discovered.
What could she say? She knew she could not lie to her mother. She had always been truthful and did not want to break their special bond. Willow told her she had heard the wind blowing in the trees and the waves crashing against the rocks on shore.
Audra looked at her as if to say, "Is there anything more you want to tell me?" Willow became very quiet and turned her gaze to the floor. Audra took her hand and softly said in a whisper, "Willow, your father and brother have not returned from fishing yet, and all the other boats are back. I fear something may have happened. I have sent your sisters across to Spring's family for the day. I need you with me."
Willow could not even speak. There was a part of her that felt responsible. Maybe if she had not gone down to the water, this would not have happened. She too feared for her father's and brother's safety. Audra told her to eat her breakfast, for they would be going to the water's edge to wait for a sign.
When they arrived on the shore of the endless waters, other villagers were waiting for them. They too feared the worst and did not want Willow or Audra to be alone. Many of the women huddled around Audra to comfort her and try to offer encouragement. She showed great courage, but Willow knew she wondered if the water had taken them as it had many of the villagers in the past.
Willow wandered off down the shore and came upon her rock, where she had sat so many nights. It looked so different in the sunlight, not at all like the night before. It almost blended in with every other rock. It did not seem so special during the day, yet she knew. She wanted to wade out to it but was afraid someone might discover her secret and her special place.
Willow hesitated for a moment and then thought she heard something or someone calling her. She turned back toward Audra and noticed no one was even watching her. Turning back toward the rock, she heard the call again. She waded out to the rock and sat. The voice came closer and seemed louder. Again she turned toward her mother. Surely someone else heard it, she thought. But no one had.
She bent down and looked into the water as it rushed over the rocks as if to kiss them. Her gaze became fixed on the water, and then there she was—the woman with the flowing silver hair. But this time she only motioned to Willow to follow her along the shoreline. Willow was captivated and could not turn back to her mother; the pull was too strong. She followed her around the bend, and then the woman told her to wait there. As quickly as she had appeared, she disappeared.
As Willow stood on the shore, looking out at the water, her mother walked up and took her hand. She said nothing to her, only smiled and looked at her with a knowing and a calmness. Willow had seen that in her mother's eyes before, when things seemed hopeless but she knew something no one else did. They stood together, looking out to the endless waters, and slowly a boat appeared in the distance. As the boat grew nearer, they could hear the joyous sounds from around the bend, where the other women waiting. They knew it was Nyle's fishing boat.
Audra did not say a word but stood firmly planted, just watching the boat grow closer. Soon the others from the village came running. The men in the village waded out to the boat and pulled it close to the shore. But where were Nyle and Seth, and how did the boat get back to the shore without them guiding it?
As the men pulled the boat ashore, she noticed Nyle and Seth wrapped in seaweed on the deck. As Willow and her mother approached the boat, everyone thought they would find that their souls had been taken by the endless waters. However, Audra remained calm; she bent down and kissed her husband and son. Their eyes opened, and each gave a slight gasp for air. Audra turned to her and smiled, and Willow knew—she just knew.
The villagers carried the men back to the house. Audra tucked them into their sleeping lofts and brought them fresh soup and bread prepared by some of the villagers. Audra did not say any more to Willow, and Willow did n
ot ask. She remained home that night and stayed close to her father and Seth.
She could not imagine how her father and brother had returned from such a storm in the condition they were. The villagers said it must have been the current that brought them back, but Willow did not accept that idea, and she did not think her mother did either.
6
Audra was up before dawn in the kitchen, preparing the wild berries that were still covered with the morning dew and the smoked fish that had been in the smokehouse. She savored the smell of the sweet bread with roasted nuts baking in the stone oven over the fire. It was a warm morning, and the family was filled with gratitude that the endless waters had not claimed Seth and his father.
Everyone rose from their sleeping lofts and followed the aroma of bread into the kitchen. Audra did not say a word about what had happened, but it was evident from the glow on her face and the fact that she wore her auburn hair braided and twisted perfectly atop her head and the fact that she wore one of Nyle's favorite dresses that she was relieved her family was safe at home. Willow did not know if her parents had discussed what had happened or not. They never talked of the perils out in