Midnight Blue

By Grant Wilde

“And now the sun has set on me and you, and the only colour left is midnight blue...”

I knew the boats were off limits at night, hell the guy was touchy about them even when you were taking them out legitimately; maybe this contributed to my lack of morals that night? I just had to get away, I couldn’t take it anymore...

It was two in the morning but the full moon emitted a feint glow, just enough to allow me to get down to the dock in one piece. I clambered onto the tiny boat and started the engine, unlike me it awoke with a loud rumble; I was detached from reality by that point. I set off along the runway created by the reflection of the moon on the gently rocking opaque tar, the boat was pretty nippy for its size. The wind pushed fiercely against me, as if warning me, trying to push me back to shore. I ignored its unsubtle warning and continued to chase the moon.

I’d only been out on the boat once during the day, but it was unrecognisable by night... warm and inviting during the day, but cold and other-worldly by night. I followed the line of the shore, careful to keep my distance from the hidden rocks. Absolute silence with only the gentle embrace of the humming engine, I felt complete calm within the abyss. I was looking up at the stars and pondering my own insignificance when I darted my head to the right, I just sensed something... maybe spotted something out of the corner of my eye? I carried on for a while, but my curiosity got the better of me and I turned the boat around.

I studied the cliffs as I followed them back. As I approached what appeared to be a large cave I noticed a very feint green glow emanating from within, reflecting off the surface of the water. As I aligned myself closer to the centre I followed the glow with my eyes which grew stronger as it approached the source, I turned the engine off so that I would loose momentum.

My eyes locked on the source, she was pure perfection. A midnight blue humanoid entity was dancing gracefully on the surface of the water. Cloaked in a tattered, unevenly-layered, translucent dress which finished just above the water’s surface. She had long, immaculately straight hair, worn in a style not common of the areas I’d lived in. It was a darker shade of the same blue colour that comprised her skin and had a single purple streak through it, down the right-front side which off-set her pea-green eyes perfectly. Her eyes were thin and elegant, as if she had inherited them from Asian royalty, but were distant and detached from reality. It was her eyes that emitted the alluring gentle glow, as if her irises were comprised of diamond and emerald fragments, wildly sparkling. She had what we would call a ‘beauty spot’ on the opposite side of her face to the purple streak and a bow tied around her right wrist with long ribbons which flowed around her and she danced. One ribbon the same shade of purple that streaked her hair, the other the colour of her eyes; her appearance really was faultless. I sat there mesmerised by her, watching her dance for what must have been at least 10 minutes, as the dance progressed, although she remained calm and graceful, the sea around her became rougher, splashing up against her, but hitting an invisible barrier; she was immune to the ferocious attacks.

She jumped onto one leg, the other resting against the side of her knee, her body stretched out, her face fixated on the ceiling. As she did this, waves hit the barrier that surrounded her and engulfed her completely. As the water trickled down around her she violently turned her head towards mine and trapped me in her cold, dead gaze. Still unmoving, azure wings rapidly sprouted from her back. Not breaking eye contact she flew towards me, faster than any car, until she hit me, head first in the stomach. She didn’t stop, but pushed forward and entered me, the pain was excruciating. Severely winded and dazed, I blacked out.

***

I was awoken by the glare of the moon, judging me. Completely disorientated it took me a few minutes to take in my surroundings, which as it was, were pretty limited. I tried repeatedly to start the engine, but had no luck. The boat was useless to me now, so I took off my outer garments and stepped off the machine. Instead of falling down as one would expect when placing their foot on liquid, my foot instead rested comfortably just above the water’s surface, exactly as the nymph’s had. I cautiously placed my other foot adjacent to the first, which resulted in the same effect. There was also the same feint pea-green glow between my foot and the sea that she had emitted.

I taped the toes of my right foot against the barrier of light and then bolted; racing the waves back towards the shore. The sea was choppier at this point so I ran up the larger waves, jumping off at their zenith. I was exhausted, but elated and consumed with adrenaline. I made it back to an un-known shore just as the sun began to rise, and immediately fell asleep on the beach.

*** 6 years later ***

“Fuck! I’m gonna be late again, fucking piece of shit.” I purposely knocked my alarm clock on the floor so that I could reach my glasses; I barely needed them, but I thought they made me look more professional. I hastily brushed my teeth, chucked on the first shirt and pair of trousers that came into my field of vision, grabbed some toast and legged it in the desperate hope that I might make the 8.23 train. The trains in Ireland seemed to get delayed quite often which suited my lifestyle. I managed to only be 10 minutes late in the end; my class were already seated, eagerly awaiting my arrival... or at least that’s how I interpreted it. “Alright class, settle down.” (God that was cliché.) “Lets just quickly finish off the chapter we were working through yesterday whilst you’re all still awake; need to get this into your thick skulls before our trip.” They were actually a pretty good class, not sure if it’s exactly my calling, but I definitely enjoy teaching ancient history. Always been fascinated with myths and legends since I can remember, and even re-telling tales I have recited numerous times still enthrals me. In fact, I have often been accused of wrapping myself up in the fantasy world of the ancients because I can’t handle reality, which I obviously find charming... They wouldn’t even be able to comprehend just how much reality I’ve experienced.

I’d been marking papers as the class had obediently obeyed my orders for around 5 minutes when I felt a water hand on my chest. ‘Please god not now, I only went swimming yesterday for christ’s sake’ I protested silently. I nonchalantly tapped my papers on my desk and placed them under my arm. “I’ll only be gone for a couple of minutes so everyone had better be alive by time I get back.” A couple of students looked up from their books blankly at me. Luckily my jacket was covering the wet patch on my shirt, and I positioned the books to make sure it stayed that way. I splashed water on my face which tingled softly as it hit. I looked at myself in the mirror; “happy now?”