Page 4 of So Below As Above
I can’t give her an answer. Emotion eludes me. Comprehension eludes me. How did I make sense of this situation? I want to understand how I ended up there, suspended between death and something worse.
“I was drowning,” I murmur. “I almost let go. I didn’t know who I was or where I had come from. Something inside me told me to swim to the shore. It was the only thing I could see, my only hope.”
Daisy nods, letting the words settle between us. “Do you remember your name?”
“Marisa.” It’s the only thread of information my mind allows me.
“That’s a lovely name,” she says, facing the fire again.
A cool draft rests on my shoulders. “This place is freezing,” I comment.
“It’s not built for winter.” Daisy laughs softly. “Stone walls keep skeletons, not warmth.”
“Skeletons?”
“Kidding,” she quips, then releases my hands. I realize hers had never warmed.
“How long have I gone without food?” I ask.
“Days,” she replies. “Eat everything. There is more.”
I nod, proceeding to shovel food into my mouth. She watches me with a strange curiosity.
When I finish eating, I pull my knees to my chest. Daisy mirrors me; our bodies almost identical in posture.
“What do you think happened to me?” I ask.
“We don’t know. You washed onto the shore, unconscious. Considering the cliffs around this place, my guess is that you fell.”
“How would I even get there?”
“I think someone pushed you,” Daisy says softly. “Likely while you were unconscious.”
Her words sink into me like stones dropped into a deep well. “Who would want to hurt me?”
“Whatever happened”—Daisy pauses, gaze trailing off to the fire—“you can trust the Lazarus family for now.”
“What’s the name of this place?”
“This is Devil’s Bay,” she says with a slow grin. “A strange little waterside town with charm.”
“What a strange name…” My eyes travel across her face again.
“Yeah,” she scoffs. “But the town will welcome you, lost memories and all.”
I sigh. “I feel like I should panic, but I’m actually pretty calm.”
“Then you are already stronger than most.” She smiles then reaches for my hands again. “How about we tour the house before we investigate? I imagine you will want to speak to the owner. He has a lot to say.” Her eyes crinkle at the corners, not quite matching the tense smile on her mouth.
Click.
Another door opens in the unknown.
THREE
“The sea gave only pieces. A mouth full of salt, a dress heavy as sorrow, and no true name that would answer when called.”
— UNKNOWN
