Shadows of the Waterfront

Shadows of the Waterfront (the sea witch)

On the edge of a moon lit beach is a small pub, the only building for miles.

Inside the dark and shadowy bar, are an odd bunch of sailors. A single hanging candle, the only source of light, squeaks as it moves back and forth, creating shadows that move across the smoky bar. One side of the bar is composed entirely of windows facing the ocean, while the rest of the walls are covered with old paintings. Over the door to the pub is a sign that says Roanoke Pub. Sitting by the windows, is an old man who shares a table with a young sailor, concentrating on his drink. Next to them are two other young sailors, deep in conversation. Scattered around the bar are other sailors, who seem to have no interest in anything other than their drinks.

The two sailors, Charles and David, have a conversation with each other at a table next to the old man’s.
CHARLES “They say that on a dark night, you can see her walking out of the ocean. They say that the demons of hell send her to take the souls of men.”
DAVID “No, that’s not what I heard, I heard that she used to be married to a rich sailor when she was alive. But he wanted to travel to the new world. For years he said, let’s go to the new world. So one day they left. But they got caught in a storm. It was a huge storm, swept half the crew off the deck with just one wave. So the husband straps her to the mast, so she’ll be safe. But there was this iceberg, brought down by the currents from up north. It sunk the ship, and she was taken down with it. Then when she reached the bottom of the ocean, the floor opened up to her, and she was sucked in, ship and all, trying to take her to the afterlife. But she wouldn’t go. She went back up to find the new world. So on a stormy night, you can see her walking on the waves, trying to get to land, trying to reach the new world.”

CHARLES “Rubbish.”

DAVID “Hey, that’s what they say.”

CHARLES “Who?”

DAVID “They do-

old man “I seen her, once…long ago.”

CHARLES (Merrily slamming his near empty drink on the old man's table) “Let’s hear it old man, what happened?”

DAVID “No, don’t get him started.”

OLD MAN “It was a night that every sea going man fears.”

DAVID “Too late...”

OLD MAN “There was a big storm, and I was in the middle of it. It was the biggest storm in a hundred years. That storm sent my boat to the bottom of the ocean, and sent the crew with it. I was all alone in the ocean. Waves crashed on me, pulling me twenty, maybe thirty feet under the surface. And as soon as I got back up, another one just sent me down. I was doomed. One of the boards from my ship got caught in a wave, and the thing conked me on the back of the head, knocked me out. I was unconscious and at the mercy of the sea.”

He stopped talking and looked into the eyes of the people who listened to him, as if to instill a deep meaning to his words.

Old man “But then, I woke up, and when I did, I was on this island, all alone. I must’ve called out for hours, but no one answered. I tried to get food and whatnot, but I was just too tired. All I could do was sit there and let the waves wash over me. Throughout the course of the afternoon, I managed to get to the shade of the trees, then I fell asleep. And I dreamt, oh boy did I dream, I had more dreams that night than I did in a year. In every dream, I was floating in the ocean, sometimes on a piece of wood, sometimes not. But anyways, I floated, and I saw this creature, the sea witch. She walked on the water, in fact, the water only came up to her knees, it was as if she was standing on something, like something was holding her up. I could see her rise up, out of the sea, and approach me. It was as if she were produced from the sea, sent just for me. Now, I was scared, believe you me, I was scared. If ever you see a creature as hideous as that one, you’ll be screaming for your mother.”

Sailor 2 “I doubt that...”

Old man “You be quiet and you might learn a thing or two. So the sea witch slowly walked toward me. She wore a cloak that blended in with the water, and had a black face, like she was burned or something. Then in the dream, she would walk toward me, until she was right above me, in fact, she looked like a shadow because the sun was behind her. But anyways, she touched me with an awful, claw like hand, and in my dream I woke up on the beach, and the sea witch was right in front of me, standing on land, staring at me. Then my dream would send me back to the ocean, and the whole thing would start over again. Then in the middle of the night, I woke up, really woke up, not in my dream. When I did I heard this howling, almost screeching. The moon was bright, and it was a warm night, and all I could hear was the sound of the waves. It was like a sshurrr- well you know what waves sound like. Now, you’re just going to have to take my word for this next part, you won’t believe me, but just remember it’s the God’s truth. Anyway, the ocean was dark, and the night sky was so bright that I could see the waves and the entire beach. It was all empty and peaceful, no one there to enjoy it but me. But then I saw her. She moved like a shadow, like she wasn’t really there. She was walking real slowly out of the waves, like some sort of monster. She blended in with the waves, so I had to struggle to see her, but by God, she was there. And when the waves went as far as they could, and turned back around to go back to the ocean, the sea witch went with it. She kept disappearing into the water and reappearing somewhere else, but constantly walking up toward the beach, only as far as the water would carry her. But I saw her, walking real slow. I tried to close my eyes, but I saw her again in the darkness of my eyelids, she was everywhere. I didn’t sleep again that night. The next morning, a ship came to the island, and it was the sea witch that sent it to me. The captain said the rudder broke in the night, and they were going to replace it the next morning, so they let the currents take control of them, and it took them to me. I can still see her on a night like this one, when the moon lights up the ocean, making shadows out of the waves. You never really know what’s in the shadows.”

The old man stopped talking and took a big drink from his bottle of whiskey. Then he leaned back and watched the shadows moving across the walls.
The young sailor turned his gaze to the ocean and watched a dark, encloaked figure rise out of the crashing waves. It was one with the shadows of the waves, and moved like it wasn’t really there. He watched as the figure seemed to ride the waves up to the beach, and then slowly disintegrate, only to be seen again, approaching the beach.

Young sailor (whispering)“The sea witch.”