Chapter 3: Reflection of Water

Finally, after the struggles of getting into the tub her lithe frame is wrapped in the warmth of water within the big white claw tub. The steam rises in the air leaving a heavenly aroma to waft in the air as she looks around. The tub sets in front of an expanse of french windows facing the west side where she could hear the noise of the ocean waters coming from the distance. The red light of the sun shines into the room leaving little light for her to take in the same color of furniture as the bedroom. All the metal furnishings are done in silver with elegant designs etched into them. The floor is different compared to the bedroom. It looks as if someone shaped one slab of white marble to fit as one piece along the floor with swirls of amethyst quarts making up the lines and streaks that brush along the expanse of the floor.

Shrugging she leans back into the tub and her hair that almost takes up the whole surface floats within the water. She closes her eyes and sinks into the water letting the warmth seep into the rest of her body. Her body begins to float almost as if it was suspended into the air, but her body stretches out and she drifts to sleep. The sound of gurgling water fills into her ears and her breathing grows shallow and peaceful. What appears to be a bright flash of light shoots across her eyes, forcing them to open. She finds herself sitting in the car again, but this time it's bright outside and not grey and stormy. Feeling slightly disoriented she tries to move freely around in the car and feels as if her body would not respond to her commands. Almost as if she is a passenger inside a person's body.

She notices a tassel hanging off the rearview mirror with the number 2010 attached to it. As her eyes look into the mirror she recognizes the image of the person as her old self. Her blond hair cut short and her eyes grey. Dark brown eyebrows cascade above her smiling eyes that are decorated with thick black lashes. Her mouth matches the smile to her eyes as she is driving along

Her favorite song playing on the radio, pulling her attention back to the road as she's driving along the highway. It's sunny in New York while she heads towards upstate New York with her family's convertible. With the top left down and the music loud. She had just turned 18 and graduated from High School and is eager to meet up with her friends. She vaguely remembers her friends' name and what the occasion was, but it also seems like that she's just only there subconsciously.

A couple of hours have gone by and she realizes that she is at her location. The cabins... Ah. Yes, the cabins. We were supposed to spend a long week here and enjoy it. I, of course, had to show up late due to trying to finish the college applications that my mother had requested. Being one of the top students in my class there was a lot of high expectations to be considered. Snapping out of her daydream she cuts the engine to the car and steps out grabbing her bags. She stands tall in white sneakers and shorts that barely cover the swell of her rear as her slim waist is bare with a crop top covering her bikini top. "Ahhh...", she sighs happily breathing in the fresh mountain air. "Nothing like camping in the forest with a log cabin, good friends, and a lake to swim in." Plus the man she's been dating since 9th grade of high school. She just can't wait to see him.

Taking her bags she walks up along the solid wood planks of logs carved out to form steps to the cabin. Walking through the door and makes her way towards the stairs the leads the way to the bedrooms upstairs. She finds her way on top of the platform and she sees a girl standing at the end of the hallway. "Nisha [1]!", she exclaims with a happy face as she bounces down the hall. The girl comes and helps with the bags and brings her to a room. "Where is everyone?"

The girl looks back at her and smiles, "Everyone is out back trying to start the bonfire. Are you going to join us?" Nisha looks to the girl as she peels her top off exposing her peach-colored skin. Just above her navel is a small crescent-shaped moon. "I will soon, my skin has been itching for a swim in the lake with the moonlight." She then turns to look at the window as the moon rises from one side and the sun begins to wink out over the treetops. The girl replies, "Okay! See you then!"

Grabbing her beach towel, Nisha trots along the stairs and finding her way down to the living room of the cabin. She walks through the cabin side door that rests right next to the fireplace. With a skip to her step, she wanders her way down the steps of the porch that wrapped around from the front of the cabin to the side and the back. Taking the side steps she walks through the bushes and trees with the worn dirt path leading her to the shores of the lake. There a small wooden pier juts out from the shore and towards the moon that now shines full and bright in the middle of the water. She stands at the end of the doc tilting her head up to pretend as if she could feel the glowing moons light. Breathing in the crisp warm air she lets her nose take in the evergreens and cedar trees. Crouching down with her fingers touching her toes she pushes her legs springing herself up in over into the air with a beautiful forward arch as she cups one hand over the other.

Once she became fully submerged in the water she pops right back up as she moves her hair back and out of her eyes. She lazily swims across the wading waters she reaches a dark alcove where she heard giggling and a familiar males voice flirting with each other. Curiously she swims up the portion where a boulder peers out over the water, gripping the ledge she sees a girl with long black hair sitting on top of a man's lap the side of his face looking familiar. She gasps as she sees them and they both turn their heads to look towards the water as they see the top of her head and eyes peering back at them. The man stumbles loose from the woman's embrace and scurries along the boulder shouting, "Nisha! It's not what you think!"

The pain and hurt causing her to slip her hands and she falls back into the water as she screams, "NOOOOOOOOOO!". Her head submerges in the water and the rushing water filling her ears with the familiar gurgling sound. Then all of a sudden the sound changes to an echo, as the water in the tub spills out and splashes along the marble flooring. The moon fully up and the sun no longer exists she jerks upright violet eyes scanning the room as she pants wildly as she tries to catch her breath. Not understanding how or why the memories are suddenly coming back to her. It leaves her in a daze as she questions herself. She doesn't understand why it is that when she is near water and becomes unconscious that her memories come back. Is the water the key, does it become some form of hypnotizing effect? One thing she is grateful for is that she has a name now, but at what cost? Rocking herself back and forth she appears to be in shock repeating her name over and over. For fear of potentially forgetting her name yet again. It's almost as if she had gone through that before. As if she was merely residing within the shell of someone acting out a script that was already acted out.

He sits in his study with the lamp lit nearby. Working on the laptop researching to see if there were any hints of strange weather behavior that may have occurred since the night before. Still at a loss for what exactly happened. He also noticed tonight that there is only one moon today. The blue moon resting in the sky by itself. Maybe he did witness a miracle that night, but what can he do about the girl. "NOOOOOOOOOO!", echos throughout the floor his study resides on. Whipping his head up he starts running out of his room and goes down the all to the far right.

Stumbling with the door of the bedroom he tries to open it. Finally, the door swung open he looks to the bed to see if she's finally in bed. Surely, enough time has come and gone for her to be out of the bath and resting in bed. Then the slosh of water that spills on the floor tells him that she's still in the bathroom, anxious and in a hurry, he jerks the door open. He crashes through the bathroom door nearly slipping on the wet floor and pauses as he sees the girl in the bathtub rocking back and forth in the ice-cold water whispering a name over and over in a hushed tone. "Nisha. Nisha. Nisha."

[1]: Nisha; pronounced (nee-shh-ah)