Ferry

Even the ferryman needs payment.

I check my pockets, frantically looking everywhere but at the figure in front of me. A bleached hand is outstretched. All around, there is the sound of rushing water, but I can see none.

“Your coin, ma’am?”
The hand reaches further, growing impatient.

“He took it; he took everything. What do I do?”
“You can do nothing. The ferry will not come without the call of the coin.”
Defeated, I look into the hollow sockets of the figure before me.

“I must go; I cannot stay here, please.”
I know he’s following close behind, the heavy coins in his pocket.

“Tell me what has happened to you.”
This is not a request.
I’m not sure if I should; no one cared before.

“Will I be punished for my actions?”
“I am here to get you from one shore to another. I am not here to punish or praise.”

The hand disappears, and a heavy silence falls over us. I see the waters now—calm and reflecting a face that cannot be mine. I look at the figure, take a ragged breath, and begin.

(Flashback)
“He loved me. He loved me, body and soul. He loved me wrong. He took my happiness and replaced it with his. Slowly, over time, I was no longer there; I couldn’t recognize myself anymore. A shell of my former self was all that I was. I was who I was supposed to be—or I thought I was. When I said no, he heard yes. When I spoke up, no one listened. I had no choice. I wanted it to end. I couldn’t keep living for him. I didn’t mean for all of this to happen. He heard yes one more time and took all of me. He emptied everything I had, replacing it with himself. My coin was his crowning jewel, the last piece of his wicked puzzle. I hurt him—it was accidental. He stepped into my line of fire."

He followed my scent, coppery and thick. I could hear him then—the thrill of the chase.

The figure takes a moment, contemplating me and all that I have confessed. The echoes of him grow closer as I shrink into the folds of the figure’s billowing cloak. I can’t face him again; I won’t. The figure steps to the side, revealing me to him. His face burns red, contorting into a sinister smile when our eyes finally meet. He starts to run, screaming that it’s all my fault; everything is always my fault. Foaming at the mouth, he screams my name.

I close my eyes, waiting for him to slam into me. Nothing. I open them, expecting him to be in front of me, but I see him levitating over the now-rushing waters below. He thrashes against invisible bonds, calling to me sweetly, begging me for forgiveness. The figure turns to me then. I force my eyes away from the levitating man as the figure begins to speak.

“What would you like to do?”
I look at him, confused.
“He has stolen your coin; would you like it back?”

I look back at the man above the water and answer with a strong and steady yes. The figure looks to the water, and in a sudden flash of light, the man above is gone—swallowed into the depths. His screams are drowned out by the sound of crushing waves. A coin floats to the water’s edge.

“Your coin, ma’am?”
Broken out of a trance, I look back at the figure. The bleached hand is outstretched once again, waiting as I check my pockets.
“Yes, yes, of course I have a coin for you.”

I feel the cold metal and wrap my fingers tight around it. As I remove my hand from my pocket, I produce a small silver coin and place it carefully into the figure’s hand. The bones close around it, and a low hum echoes from the center of the cavern. A small boat begins to emerge. A lantern lights the way as I step onto the slippery vessel. The figure follows me as I settle into the only small wooden seat.

“We will arrive shortly.”
The figure waves a hand over the water below, and the vessel begins moving effortlessly through the dark current. Ahead, I can see light. I close my eyes. We continue toward this bright focal point until my eyelids can no longer compete with the brilliance.

“We have arrived.”
I open my eyes, studying my surroundings. I know this place. This lake is close to my heart; I’d know it anywhere. Confused, I look back at the figure to see his form dissolving into morning mist.

I am completely alone. I am home.