2. Adrian
Adrian
A s dusk settled on the marina, the water surged around him. Adrian could always sense the tide. The rhythm of the water was within his blood, and the urgency rose and fell in his chest. As he gripped the rudder of the ship, water particles in the air clung to him, begging to do his bidding. The boat slid over the waves, like an extension of his body.
This was his favorite time of the day to be on the boat. Every wave crested with a golden kiss of sun, covering the marina like a shimmering blanket. The water was deepening, becoming dark and cold underneath him, like the coming of a winter’s day.
He imagined this is what it felt like for all fishermen to some extent, but his connection to the water was different. As he tightened down the nets, he glanced at Seth, now at the rudder. His older brother shivered. Adrian knew he felt it, too.
They were sweaty and exhausted, and the end of the day beckoned to them with the promise of something warm to eat and a cold IPA. After baking in the heat of the sun all afternoon, the cool depths of the water seemed just right.
“Dad’s going to lose it when he realizes we’re officially down this week,” Seth shouted at him through the wind.
Adrian frowned. His father was hard on his sons, but he was even harder on himself. One terrible investment after the other had led them down a dangerous path.
Adrian had not realized how deeply in debt they were until several years earlier, when he had come home from college, freshly minted with a degree in business management.
David was out collecting traps today while his sons manned the rig. Even the most experienced and gifted fisherman could catch only so much if the waters were empty.
This had been an awful summer for sea bugs, and Adrian had spent every free moment of his time trying to adjust their prices to squeak out a profit. They had lost a few customers along the way, and it seemed like he was caught in a never-ending battle with his father about the price hikes.
Sure, every lobstering family in town was feeling it. But the Huxleys were different. Special. More in tune. David believed that they, of all people, should be able to overcome a poor season. A poor investment. Multiple misguided choices. Empty waters.
It made situations like this sting even deeper.
As they sped to the marina, Adrian noticed Seth growing inpatient. “This motor sure needs a tune-up,” he grumbled. Seth placed his hand on the wheel, and the boat surged with renewed speed. The dock was growing larger now.
Adrian rolled his eyes as he shouted back over the roar of the water. “If you crash into the dock again, Dad is going to have two things to lecture us about,” he warned. He cringed at the thought of another costly repair to their aging rig.
It never made sense to Adrian to rush to the shore. Especially at this time of day. He closed his eyes as the water washed over his face in microscopic droplets of cool mist. He breathed it in, and the spray of the ocean fed him a renewed energy.
As they slowed down to the marina and neared their docking at the mouth of the enormous building ahead of them, the cool freshness of the air changed instantly. The brothers looked at each other in confusion.
They both felt it .
The air had turned all at once electric and magnetic. The hair on the back of Adrian’s neck prickled with intensity, and he knew.
There was another witch on the dock.