Page 22 of Presence

I’m spilling my thoughts out loud, but I couldn’t care less. This waterfall is like a magnet for my worries, sucking them out and crashing over the rocks below.

“Yeah? Do you feel better now?” Echo asks, stepping into the water. The sound is so loud I almost don’t hear him, but then he places his hands on my hips, lifting me until my stomach is pressed against his chest. As he lowers me slowly, our skin brushing together, his voice comes through clearly. “Calmer?”

The cool water swirls around us. I nod, unable to muster words as intense feelings wash over me.

“I don’t know if calmer,” I finally manage to say, my voice nearly lost beneath the waterfall’s roar, “but definitely better.”

Echo’s hands are still wrapped around me, the see-through cloth on my upper body clinging to my skin under his touch. It drives me crazy, like my whole body’s on fire in the best way.

“You like it? This place?” he keeps prodding, his face close to my ear. His scent mixes with the forest, the water, and my own desire.

“Yeah,” I reply breathlessly, butterflies roaming free in my belly, making me curl my toes against the smooth, slippery rocks.

“Good,” Echo whispers, his voice a low rumble over the waterfall’s roar. His fingers trace a line down my spine, sending shivers that rival the water’s chill.

Taking a deep breath, I gather my courage and follow him, feet slipping on the slick stones. As I draw closer, the waterfall’s roar vibrates deep in my chest. If Camilla were here... She’d lose her mind. She’d probably abandon all fear straight away. She’d run into the water and squeal in the process. But she’s not here. This moment is just for me and Echo, locked away in a place no one else can reach. Here, the world bends to our whims. It’s my saving grace.

“Now imagine getting under that big waterfall, Claire.” He gently turns me to face him, his hands steady on my waist. His eyes search mine, earnest and piercing. “All that water, falling onto your shoulders and washing all your problems away. Clashing with your skin. Rumbling against your bones.”

“It would hurt,” I say, licking sweet water from my lips. “This thing of having a waterfall fall on you is just a...”

“Fantasy,” he finishes for me. “And isn’t that what this world is about? Come on.”

He lets go without warning, leaving me standing alone. I watch as he strides toward the waterfall, droplets catching the sunlight, turning into fleeting prisms. I hesitate, heart pounding.

“Don’t just stand there, Claire!” he calls over his shoulder, his voice echoing against the water’s roar. “This is a dream, make the most of it!”

“Wait for me!” I shout as the water gets deeper and Echo gets further away. He turns, that mischievous smile ever-present.

Oh, god…

“If I did, you’d never come, Claire!” he shouts back. Among the prisms, he looks like a merman who has never seen daylight. His alabaster skin shines. I can’t help but want to lick it, to taste the sweet water glistening on his skin.

When I was a kid, dreams were my safe haven, my battlefield where fear didn’t stand a chance. I could conquer anything, be anyone, without fear holding me back. Dreams were my escape, my domain where I was in control. But that was a long time ago. Back then, I was fierce and ready to take on anything, prepared to survive no matter what. Now, it feels like that fight has slipped through my fingers in both worlds.

“No hesitation, Claire!” Echo shouts once more, his voice barely audible over the thunderous roar. I catch his words only because I’m watching him. He’s already at the edge, where the waterfall crashes into the pond, something that seems impossible given the force of the water. He manages to hold his ground, though, sends me one last look, winks, and vanishes behind the wall of water.

I’m left alone.

For a moment, the world seems to freeze. The waterfall’s roar fills my ears, matching the frantic rhythm of my heart.

I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be without him.

Drawing a deep breath, I focus on the path ahead. The water around my legs pushes back with increasing force, but I press on. The cold seeps into my bones, each step more challenging than the last. My heart pounds louder, vying with the waterfall’s roar, and a blend of fear and determination surges through me. Echo’s smirk I saw just before he vanished fuels my resolve. No way I’ll just give up now.

Finally, I reach the waterfall. I hesitate for a heartbeat, staring at the cascading water. Then, driven by this newfound grit, I push through the curtain.

Instantly, the world changes.

Behind the waterfall, it’s quieter than I expected. There’s no cave, no hidden treasure, just a shallow indent in the rock, like a ledge to stand on, and the muffled echo of the water. There’s only a few feet of space between the cascading water and the stone. Yet, it’s stunning. Light filters through the water, casting dancing shadows on the rock, and the stone glistens like polished metal. Even my skin looks ethereal, like I’m some ancient being hidden from the world.

Echo appears ethereal too, if not more so. Leaning against the rock, his head tilted, a slow smile spreads across his lips as he gazes at me. I watch him as I take a deep breath. The cool, damp air feels good as it stretches my chest.

There’s wonder in his eyes, and I think in mine too. All the fear, the worry, the anxiety I felt earlier have been swallowed up by the waterfall. I feel free.

I reach out to touch the smooth, wet rock next to me and prop my tired body against it. That’s when I realize just how little space there is here, and I bite my lip. Echo and I are cut off from the rest of the world right now.

“You made it,” he says, amusement lacing his voice.

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