Chapter 3

...and as I gazed into those familiar eyes I felt myself walk to the water's edge and I lifted my foot to the ocean's surface......... and took a step. Then another. And another. My feet were carrying me to the mirror of the moon that was set upon the placid saltiness of the ocean. Not one ripple stirred, not one footprint left behind. With each step I took I glimpsed the shadow of a whale swimming majestically beneath me. Glimmers of schools of fish shimmered under the water beside my left leg, the impossible beauty of jellyfish the size of elephants glowed under the water beside my right leg, and squids built so gracefully intricate trailed behind me. Above me, there flew the owl, never breaking its gaze with mine and never flapping its wings to hold aloft. It's blue eyes gleamed with tears and a tired worry so deeply ingrained, it became a part of me. As I walked further on and got close to the moon's reflection, the owls' tears became bigger and heavier. And then there was song.

I should never think
What's in your heart
What's in our home
So I won't

You'll learn to hate me
But still call me baby
Oh Love
So call me by my name

And oh, save your soul
save your soul
Before you're too far gone
Before nothing can be done

I'll try to decide when
She'll lie in the end
I ain't got no fight in me
In this whole damn world
To tell you to hold off
You choose to hold on
It's the one thing that I've known

Once I put my coat on
I'm coming out of this all wrong
She's standing outside holding me
Saying oh please
I'm in love
I'm in love

Girl save your soul
Save your soul
Before you're too far gone
And before nothing can be done

'Cause without me
You got it all
So hold on
Without me you got it all
So hold on
Without me you got it all
Without me you got it all
So hold on
Without me you got it all
So hold on
Without me you got it all
So hold on
Hold on

... and then I stopped walking. The mirror of the moon shone right in front of me. The song's final words drifted into a soft wind as the reflection of the moon began to glitter in the most beautiful color of pearl white that I'd ever seen. I looked up to see the reason for the glittering ripples and I saw him. The white owl began descending in front of me and there, mid-air, transformed the old man in the yellow, rubber overalls. His hair was now a bright white rather than a dull gray and his skin was clear of wrinkles. His black boots were a polished silver color and his flannel was now a stunning collared, white-silk, shirt. His overalls were, of course, still bright yellow with a freshly-polished gleam. His eyes..... those bright blue-gray eyes.... remained the same.

His hand reached out to me as he beckoned and said with a soft, kind, voice:

"Come, Keena, daughter of the Sea. It is time for me to show you what your future holds."

To be continued until my next midnight inditement...