analytics

nymph

In a nowhere land upon a noname lake, a fisherman made a modest living. He and his new wife lived along the shore with a humble joy in work and rest, alone together. Their days of youth were spent in happy peace. Each day the fisherman would ride out his small boat. Resting out in the sun, while his nets snared wandering fish, he would craft songs to sing his wife upon his return.

One of those days, a water nymph, dancing upon the lake, heard the song the fisherman shaped, and found both his voice and form fair. The fairy maiden danced and joyed to the man's song, she being invisible to eyes. Desire stirred in her breast for this mortal of clay, but sick with the fear of love the nymph could not reveal herself. Instead she watched his happy manner and listened to his songs of adoration, imagining they were for her. Each day she would come to look for him on the water, and each day she would find him, crafting songs and dropping nets. As she learned his task she began to bless him with great bounties of fish. She relished his delight in this amazing success, and believe he worshiped her with his song.

After a month of favoring his nets, the water fairy believed it time to take form before her fisherman. She took the form of a mortal female, but shaped of water and lake weed. She was marvelous and beautiful to behold. And the fisherman, broke his singing in shock and awe at sight of her. She stepped upon the waves and then into the boat, glistening and lovely in the sun. The fisherman knew not what to do, but sat afright upon the small deck of his boat. The nymph took seat across from her love and crafted her own song, an obvious compliment to one of the man's own. It was beyond human skill in shape and sound. It brought the man to tears, and he knelt in admiration to the lady of the lake.

"Why do you gift me with such beauty, my noble lady? Why do you honor me, so?"

She arose in her noble glory. "It is not all I have granted you." And she motioned to the nets. "And it is not all I gift you." She clasped her hands to her breast and stepped towards the fisherman.

The man cowered in fear at her approach. The nymph smiled, thinking it the fear she felt in unison. She reached out and touched his face, weed and water upon flesh. "I grant you my love, now and always."

"I am so greatly undeserving my lady." He shrinked from her touch in abounding confusion. "And what is more, I cannot return your offering with my own. My love is bound to another and it will not falter. I know not how you could favor me great lady. And just as I am undeserving, I also cannot return your love."

"You jest, my love. Your songs to me: each day I have danced to them. Each day I brushed your lips with my wind. And you'd inhale the sweet fragrance. I am the one you love." Her beauteous voice began to crack with doubt.

"Nay. I never knew you. I meant no trickery, and I knew not your touch. I have the sorrow of nations for bringing you deceipt, but you are not the lady of my love, though greatly you may deserve adoration." The fisherman saw his doom in the fairy's eyes, but could not relent in telling her truth.

A cry broke out as a squeal of wind that broke the shaped water and weed. It expanded and exploded but then with a quick sucking inhale the water nymph once more took her shape, but this time haughty and fierce.

"You spurn me? I lower myself to you, grant you a love so high, and you say I am not worthy? Oh, you trembling little crab. You shall make a bloody pop as I crush you in the waves. You shall love me in your agony. You shall know my power as you die." She approached him once more across the deck of his boat. The fisherman knelt and bowed his head to her approach. Tears were on his face, but his body found peace. The water around the boat began to shake and rise with great noise. It built as a rising storm to accompany her approach. As she stood a reach away from her spurned love, the water lady stopped. Then a smile creased her water-made lips and the water again settled to a calm.

"No. No, I shall grant you one more reward. And greater still than what I have yet given. You too shall be immortal. You shall live forever, as long as this lake lasts. Yes. See, I am a merciful love. Love me not and I grant you still more." The lady reached down gracefully and lifted the man's chin until he looked straight at her sunlit eyes. She gently knelt down and kissed him upon the forehead.

As she kissed him the man lost his breath, and then her form again exploded but in greater force. It crushed him down into the boat. Then he felt the boat shatter against her blow. Everything around him stirred and spun. He cried out in the harshest pain but all came out silence. He closed his eyes and waited to stop his turning. Finally he came to a rest. Everything felt wrong. But he seemed alive. The fisherman opened his eyes and found his sight was not his sight. He inhaled in shock, and found the water sweet. He twisted his neck to see his body, but it twisted wrong and all he found was a fish's tail.

(to be continued... hopefully)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great story telling! Can't wait for more.

Mary Massie said...

Can't wait to read part 2! yay!

Unknown said...

looks like this is shaping up to be quite the tragic tale, yet i still find myself looking forward to the rest of the story!