Page 3 of Treasure of the Abyss

“Do you want me to walk with you?” She asked beforethinking.

“And keep your man waiting? Get on with you,girl.”

Though it felt dishonest, she smiled at him before continuing toward town; the sinking feeling in her gut had returned. She knew she’d only offered to walk with Malcolm to delay the looming excursion. Glancing at the sun, she increased her pace. If she wanted to wash and change without being late, she’d have tohurry.

This was important to Camrin. Macy didn’t want to disappointhim.

It was only fifteen meters from the edge of the cornfield to The Watch’s outermost buildings — several tall, metal silos constructed for storing crops in the early days. Macy walked between two of them and onto the dirt road leading into town. She passed between pastures and smaller fields without noticing; she’d made this walk almost every day for years and knew the sights byheart.

The lighthouse was the first building in the town proper to come into view. It towered over everything else from its perch on the cape. The structures immediately around it were all from the colonization — metal and concrete, built for functionality and durability. They were weatherworn and sun-faded but had withstood the test of time thanks to their tough materials and diligent maintenance. Most of them stood near the edge of the cliffs, overlooking thesea.

In Macy’s eye, it was the newer buildings that gave The Watch its true character. They were all more haphazard affairs, constructed of native wood and repurposed scrap — taken from broken-down machinery and structures that had lost their purpose — and so lacked the precision of the original structures. But they were hand-built, crafted with pride, care, and no small amount of trial-and-error.

That meantsomething.

The dirt path gave way first to cobblestones and then to the original concrete roads as Macy entered town. She greeted the townsfolk she passed with smiles, waves, and pleasantries, betraying nothing of the turmoil inside. It was no one’s burden but herown.

Her home was an old residence near the ramp to the dock. It was empty when she arrived, and she was relieved. Her mother could be difficult to deal with even on good days; Macy didn’t think she could handle hernow.

She slipped into her room and packed a change of clothing and a few necessities, hesitating when she saw what she’d decided to wear for tonight. It was a white, knee-length dress her mother had made in anticipation of this occasion. Of Macy’s joining. The dress was finer than anything else she owned. She held it up by the shoulders, running her fingertips over the soft, silky material, and cringed as it caught on hercallouses.

Laying the dress on her bed, she went to the bathroom, undressed, and ran a cold, wet, soapy cloth over her body, scrubbing away dirt and sweat. After rinsing off, she brushed her hair and returned to herroom.

Macy allowed herself no hesitation this time; she picked up the dress and pulled it over her head. The fabric flowed over her body as easily as water. She hurriedly buttoned the front and turned to themirror.

The dress was held up by two thin straps, and the hem hung just above her knees. It was lovely, nothing like the rugged work clothes she normallywore.

She longed to tear itoff.

A stranger stared at her from the mirror. There was no sparkle of happiness in the woman’s eyes, no joy in her expression; nothing that said she was going to join with the man she loved. There was only fear. Regret.Shame.

Life with Camrin wouldn’t be bad. He’d work hard to keep Macy content, and they had been close friends since childhood. But it would always be missing something. It would always be somehow empty at heart because she would forever hold back a part ofherself.

She’d try; it was all she coulddo.

Macy stood straighter and forced a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes, but it was enough. Enough to hide the conflict raging within…because, as though her reservations about joining with Camrin weren’t enough to deal with, he was taking her out on theocean.

She moved to the wooden box atop the nightstand and held her hands over the lid. Swallowing, she opened the box. Inside lay a necklace — strands of thin rope, braided around a light green rock. Such stones could be found anywhere along the beach. They held no value, save to imaginative children who saw nothing but wonder when it came to the sea. And to Macy; it was priceless toher.

The necklace was all she had left ofSarina.

Macy lifted it from the box and gently closed it in her fist, which she pressed to her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sting of tears. Her throat tightened with overwhelming guilt. Sarina would never join with anyone, would never make her own home, would never growup.

Releasing a long, shuddering breath, she replaced thenecklace.

“I can dothis.”

She closed the lid, fingertips lingering on the smooth wood, andnodded.

“Camrin’s been on boats since before he could walk. He knows what he’sdoing.”

After slipping on her shoes, she collected her pack, took another steadying breath, and departed for thedock.

The concrete road descended gradually, angling down from the cliffs to the ocean below. Macy’s heart beat faster with each step. The wide loading platform at the base of the path was a meter above the water — mid tide. There were a few workers there, strapping together barrels of fish to haul up to the warehouse with thecrane.

She greeted them as she walked by, and worried they’d see through her forcedpleasantries.

The dock stretched before her, floating atop the sea; the first few sections were angled downward to meet the water’s current level. They felt solid enough beneath her feet as she stepped on, but the dock’s swaying was undeniable as she proceeded. The sound of the ocean filled her ears, raising goosebumps on herarms.

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