On the Pier at Lake Lune

On the pier that day, the fog crowded around us like last minute shoppers on Christmas Eve. Noises emanated from the fog. They sounded like voices whispering to me. I could not understand precisely what they said, but their tone sent chills up my spine.

Carrie and Cora zipped up their jackets and then dropped their unbaited lines into the water. I could tell, just by the way they giggled they did not notice anything unusual about the fog. Neither of them cared for fish and they liked fishing even less, but both had come along because Jonah promised them each two pints of chocolate ice cream after the fishing expedition.

“Jonah,” I inched closer to him as he baited his hook, “why don’t we go back to the cabin and wait for the fog to clear.”

“Because Pop always said that fish bite better in the fog,” he cast the fishing line into Lake Lune.

“Your Dad drowned on a day like this, didn’t he?”

“No, Rhea, Pop didn’t drown, he disappeared. Pop isn’t dead and Mom didn’t kill him.”

“Jonah, you were with your parents the day your father… disappeared. Did the fog make noises then as well?”

“No, I didn’t hear anything. Mom didn’t hear anything. Pop was the only one who heard something and it was just his imagination. Pop had…has a wild imagination.” He squeezed my hand and then kissed me on the forehead, “Rhea, do you hear the fog talking?”

“I hear voices whispering in the fog, Jonah, but I don’t think the fog itself is talking.” He took a deep breath and then kissed me again. “Carrie, do you hear voices?”

“No, Uncle Jonah, I hear Cora giggling, but nothing else.”

“What about you, Cora?”

“Just the same thing Carrie hears, Uncle Jonah, ignore Aunt Rhea, she has a weird imagination.”

“What are the voices saying,” he brushed the hair from my forehead before kissing me again, “Sweet Heart?”

“I don’t know,” Jonah never called me sweet heart, unless he was apologizing for something, “I can’t hear them clearly.”

“Then don’t worry about them, Honey.”

“Jonah, do you want to apologize for something.”

“What makes you think that, Rhea” the tone in his voice changed lowered to almost a whine.

“You only call me Sweet Heart or Honey when you’ve did something to upset me and I don’t think you’ve said or did anything like that for the past week.”

“Rhea,” he sighed and laid is fishing rod on the pier, “I’ve found out where my Father is and how to get him back. It’s just that an exchange has to be made. An exchange similar to the one that took place the day he disappeared.”

“What are you talking about, Jonah?”

“I’m sorry, Rhea, I have to do this. I have to prove Mom is innocent.” The fog drew closer to us as he kissed me passionately on the lips. “I’ll miss you; I’ll miss you very…” A hand grabbed me from within the fog as Jonah let go of me.

That was six months ago, I caress my belly and sing to the child, Jonah’s child, growing within my womb. I wonder what type of exchange Jonah will make for us, if we decided to go back to Earth.

“Well, Rhea,” Jonah’s father comes up behind me, “have you decided whether you want to go back or not. Lord Ellis tells me the fog will return tonight. If an exchange is made it must be made then.”

“How much time has passed on Earth since the last exchange?”

“I don’t know no one knows for sure. All the elves can tell me is that at least a year has passed. They think more.”

“What will happen to the child I carry if I chose to go back?”

“We don’t know, you both could go back safely or…” I looked into his eyes and saw the worry there. “Are you sure you want to go back to my son after what he did?”

“I’m remaining here, Papa Jonas, let someone else return.”

“Do you want to send a message back?”

“Yes, I’ll send a short story back, telling what happened that night on the pier at Lake Lune and let whoever returns publish it under my maiden name. That should frighten Jonah.”

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