Ashwin

By a sparkling and cool lake, I looked for Ashwin. Everyone else had already abandoned the search for him long ago, non believers I say. Oh how I screamed at them for giving up so soon, Ashwin is worth more than such a pathetic search. He was the best part of this god forsaken town, and they treat him like this? I think of all that he has done for the people in this town; walking everyone’s dogs for free, babysitting just for the fun of it, doing chores with no complaints at all and volunteering whenever he could. He gave this town so much and this is how they repay his unrelenting kindness towards them, by giving up on him. I never lost hope or gave up the search, I couldn’t. Ashwin wouldn’t leave me so easily, so I couldn’t either. We were ride or die together, never apart for very long and never leaving without telling the other where we were going. 

My eyes roamed the crystal lake as my feet stumbled across the shale shore, looking for any sign of movement. This lake in particular was one of legend, mothers warned us away from it, saying that it was the home of a kelpie by the name of Sile. It is said that Sile would climb onto shore and entice young men and women to climb onto her back and drag them down into their watery graves. Most of the time the story ended there, but my mother always told an extended version of the tale that Ashwin and I loved. When dragged under by Sile, if the victim was true of heart and soul, the asrai would feel pity and turn the victim into one of their own. If an asrai fell in love with a mortal, they could also turn their beloved into an asrai, but their lover would have to abandon dry land and live in the lake with the asrai. Ashwin always adored that part of the tale, he loved the idea of the asrai. Every moment he could, which was typically after dark,he would spend it down by the lake, talking with the asrai about anything and everything. That’s why I came down here, I knew this was where Ashwin would be.

My foot caught on a particularly large rock, which sent me plummeting straight into the ground. White hot knives of pain spread throughout my face and body. I had turned my head to the side to ease my injury when I saw it. From the middle of the lake I saw a ripple, a ripple that was slowly making its way towards me. I sat up quickly, my face aching as I did. My heart raced as the ripple grew closer and closer until it was only ten feet from shore. Blood poured from my nose, but I paid it no mind as my eyes were focused on the ripple. My eyes were glued onto the ripple when from it, rose Ashwin. His skin shone a light blue and his once blonde hair was now a glowing indigo. He opened his arms, water dripping from them as he did, and flashed his signature smile that always made butterflies erupt in my stomach. The smile that I had missed so much. Quickly I rose, and without a thought, I ran towards my beloved Ashwin.

 

cmhemingwa

VT

YWP Alumni

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