There Used to be Water in the Bay

A town sits patiently by the ocean, bereft,

I used to know the way -

But time has taken what little I had left,

There used to be water in the bay.

The scales of the dead fish caught the evening light and held it close. Reflection lets small golden highlights dance along the pier. An unnatural desert of dying sea creatures and seaweed stretched before Roan. Miles and miles ahead she could make out a faint blue line of the rest of the ocean. But everything nearby was dry. A beach that never met the waters. If the town, Azaleastrum, couldn’t find a way to return the water to the bay, there wouldn’t be a town. Rumors began to fill the hole that the mystery left. Some believe the god of the bay; Neso has forsaken the people. Or that jealous enemies have placed a curse. Deep in Roan’s heart, she knew Neso would never intentionally do anything to harm this town, which meant that something must have happened to her. But what could harm a god? Over the past few days, many had left for the temple on the mountaintop. Yet no one has returned. Roan could feel something tugging at her soul, beckoning her to the Neso. However, she couldn’t tell if it was the fear eating at her soul or her god.

Roan wouldn’t need to worry about calling off from work because there was any work to do. She had shown up the days before to help collect the dying fish and persevere them. But there was only so much one could do. With no food or income, nothing could tether people to the town. Many had already begun the journey to leave. Roan knew fear was a powerful motivator, but she couldn’t understand how quickly people could abandon their homes. Azaleastrum had given her everything, the least could do was to try and save it. Even if the attempt was in vain.

A person sat on the edge of the dock, legs dangling over the edge. The wind whipped around their curly brown hair with gray lines. Not caused by age but stress. They kept a dull nihilistic stare on the newfound desert in front of them.

“I was already planning on leaving. But I was hoping to have one final good memory to say goodbye. Or just a good memory period.” Cadence said. No sadness behind their voice, just stating facts like a professor who had taught the lesson one too many times.

“There are worse. We have been seized by monsters. Or hurricanes. And we still have each other. That has to count for something.” Roan said.

“But there are also better ones. And we’ve somehow managed to end up in the most existentially terrifying end. Neso has abandoned us.”

“Neso would never do that.” Roan cut them off abruptly. She was tired of having everyone doubt her god.

“Well, Neso allowed for the bay to be stolen.”

“She would never purposely allow for this. Something must have happened. That’s why I need to go to the mountaintop.”

“There’s no scenario where you don’t come back unharmed. If it’s a curse that’s the center of it and you’ll get infected by it. If it’s like you say and something has happened to Neso, what chance would you stand against something that has defeated a god? Cadence looked up to Roan, with just a hint of fear behind their apathetic eyes.

“There’s no scenario where I stand idle. And maybe I don’t know what to do, but someone will. Caelum knows Neso better than anyone. If someone has happened to her, he’ll know what to do.”

Cadence returned their gaze to the abandoned bay and nodded with disapproval. Roan had already made up her mind. It would take more than a strange disappearance to untether her from her home. Yet the nagging fear of what might come began to beg her to leave as well. Cassandra had a good point. They always did. She had no idea what would be at the top of that mountain. Even if Caelum was there and knew what to do, what could just a few people do in the face of such a grand disaster. Deep down she suspected the problem was something entirely out of her power.

In the back of Roan’s mind, she could see herself and Cassandra as children playing on the docks. The two would spend hours deciphering the clouds and making narrators for them. The clouds ran along the sky with the wind, as if they had their important business to attend. Their forms change to meet the needs of their work. One started as a wolf howling towards the moon and quickly shifted towards a monster eating a ship. Another began as a fish swimming into a castle and then turned into a snail with a million shells coming out of it. There was never a goal to these stories the two would create. Just the wonder of the unknown guiding them. Now the unknown hung over the two grown children like a curse.

There were no clouds in the sky today. The sun was alone.

“I can’t expect anything else from you.” Cadence began. “You were never one to do nothing. You always needed a task. Even if it was something silly or insane you made yourself up. But say you return from this journey, what will you return to? The bay's ecosystem is already dead. It will take ages for the fish population to return. I know Neso is powerful but even gods have limits.” Panic crept up in their voice, like a vine seizing a tree.

“Home. I will return home.”

“You’re delusional.”

“I don’t know how to think any other way.”

“Are you going alone?” Cadence’s voice returned to a dull monotone.

“No. Thalia will be joining me. Her brother went up to the mountaintop a few days ago but she hasn’t heard a word from him.” Roan could still feel Thalia’s shaking body when she asked to come. The fear took over her head like a parasite. Roan had never seen her so engulfed in worry. Normally it was difficult to tell what Thalia was thinking at any given moment. She usually spoke in a monotone voice and kept a still face. But the weight of the disappearing bay and now her vanished brother crushed her spirit.

“She’s not going to like what she finds.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing you’re not coming. I don’t think Thalia could handle your bleak views on things.” Roan lied. She desperately wanted Cadence to come. The negativity, while irritating, was grounding for Roan. When she looked at Cadence, she could see their youth. Hidden behind the walls of age and tragedy stood a hopeful young kid. There stood a time that Roan would do anything to get back to. Maybe Cadence was right, and she was delusional, but at least it was something to motivate her.

“I was never one for travel anyway,” Cadence said.

“Is that why you’re leaving now?”

“Y’know, some of us want to have a good future. This town’s troubles started long before the water left. Maybe this isn’t a curse or Neso, maybe this is just a sign to move on from this forsaken town. I think deep down you understand that too.” Cadence’s words bit the air like a rabid dog.

“But it’s our home. It’s where we grew up. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do anything to try and save it.”

“You seem to be very particular with which parts you want to remember. Besides, anywhere can become home.”

There was nothing Roan could say to keep Cadence to stay. Like two arrows running in opposite directions. Cursed to only see the other for a moment before their own journey continued. The wind began to pick up, threatening to push the two off the pier.

Almost against Roan’s will another memory triggered. Both of them were maybe ten or eleven on the shore. Battling each other with sticks shaped like swords. The wind hindered her and knocked the stick out of her hand. The sword flew with the breeze to the other side of the shore, and she made a mad dash for it. Cadence followed close behind, with a grin stuck to their face. A large cloud covered part of the sun, leaving the beach in a grim shadow. Roan grabbed the sword just in time before Cadence pounced and blocked their blow. Instincts kicked in and she shoved her entire body forward, forcing Cadence to the ground. The two laughed and Roan offered her hand to help them back up. But instead of taking the help, Cadence pulled Roan down to the sand. Suddenly a voice called out from the top of the dune, Cadence’s father calling them in for dinner and telling Roan her mother was looking for her.

“Let’s call it a tie.” Cadence giggled, joy clinging to their voice and the two went their separate ways home.

Roan looked towards the present Cadence. Dark circles hung under their eyes from a lack of sleep. Their expression was worn down to a tired stare. A vest hung loosely from their worn-out body. It used to have vibrant greens and floral designs, but time had dulled the colors and many of the strings had come undone. Their brown leather boots had been damaged by the sun and left with folds and scratch marks. There was no care behind any of their appearance. It was nearly impossible to tell what they used to like.

The sun was beginning to fade behind a waterless ocean. Roan knew it would be time to leave and she would need her energy for tomorrow. But something tied her to the pier with Cadence.

“If you are leaving, it might be nice to go on one last journey together. I wouldn’t expect you to go all the way if it gets too dangerous. But it would be a nice way to goodbye. A final hurrah.”

“A moment ago, you said it was better if I didn’t come.” A sly grin flickered on their solemn face.

“I lied.”

“I know. You’re not very good at it.” Cadence let out a deep sigh. “It might just be better to let this place die. What’s your plan? You’re gonna go up there and do what exactly? You’re putting all this hope on Caelum, but he could be dead for all you know. So, what happens then? You’re not a skilled fighter so if it’s a human’s work you won’t last long. Thalia’s good but I doubt there’s much she can do alone against something that can stop a god. You know a little magic but nothing comprehensible to a curse. You can’t just run in with nothing but hope and expect to do anything meaningful. I don’t mean to sound rude, more so just as an observation but you can be so, so very foolish.”

“Maybe that’s why you should come. You’re good with plans. But I can’t stand still in a dead ocean and expect anything to change. I know I’m probably not going about this in the smartest way but at least it’s something. It’s movement. It can lead to something meaningful.”

“There’s no convincing you, huh,” Cadence said as they stood up to meet Roan’s eyes.

“No. Not about this.”

Cadence nodded and hugged Roan, pressing their head into her shoulder.

“I’m not good at goodbyes,” Cadence whispered into her sleeve.

Roan didn’t respond but held their tired body tightly. Cadence hadn’t hugged her like this in a long time, so she wanted to enjoy the moment. It was colder the last time it happened. It had been raining all day but the two had decided to go off into the woods anyway. Both clothes quickly became soaked and hung like boulders from their bodies. It didn’t take long before all the energy had been drained and the two took shelter under a large rock. At that young age, Roan still didn’t quite understand magic but she saw it help other people so she believed she could just learn it through nothing but determination. Cadence didn’t have any faith in her abilities, citing the fact she didn’t have any proper training in magic. Instead, Cadence’s plan for escaping the cold was to hold closely onto Roan. They nestled closely into her body, hiding under her water-filled cloak. Roan didn’t want to let Cadence or her lack of magical education hold her back. She held out her hands and thought hard about creating fire. Nothing happened of course, but in her freezing delusion, she swore she saw sparks. Of course, that wasn’t true, but she could still see the image clear in her false memory.

Cadence let go of her and the motion snapped her back to the current moment.

“If you change your mind, we’ll be leaving at dawn by the temple’s trail,” Roan said, with foolish hope still clinging to her words.

“Goodbye, Roan.” Cadence returned their gaze to the dead fish. Roan nodded and left the dock.