Episode 6: Tinsley’s Secret!

Tinsley carefully scanned the horizon and studied the dense brush surrounding her. It was imperative that no one had seen her. After convincing herself that she was indeed alone, Tinsley walked gingerly and expertly through a course she had designed to ensure that she left no footprints or evidence that anyone had been there.

Tinsley kept moving forward with a swift purpose until she arrived at the spot, a set of rocks arranged by nature but perfect for her purpose. She took a deep breath and scanned her surrounding before reaching behind and into a very particular rock.

Tinsley retrieved a very small wooden box and just stared at it in awe. Strangely, the wooden box almost seemed to glow, each time more intently than the last. Tinsley stared at the wooden box as it seemed to shimmer in a sea-foam green minty color.

Holding her breath, Tinsley slowly opened the top and revealed the contents, Tinsley’s most prized possession.

Each time she visited her prize possession, Tinsley would recall how she found it. In fact, she seemed to remember more and more details about that day, with each passing moment.

It was the afternoon when she had snuck away to the beach and saw the lady sitting on the rock.

Tinsley was well aware of the tabu around sunset and shallow waters, but she was just driven to it, this spot. The way the water glistened, like glass, across the entire horizon was spectacular. It looked as if you could walk straight to the sun and say hi!

Her eyes were transfixed on the big rock. Tinsley scanned the water surface around the rocks and saw that the water was indeed still like glass, absent of ripples or anything the resembled movement.

Sighing, she advanced forward. She had to move quickly! Mother Nature waits on no one.

Hearing laughter on the horizon, Tinsley distractedly turned towards the sound and saw a little girl being tossed in the air by her dad or brother. Tinsley smiled. She knew genuine fun when she heard it.

Returning her attention back to the task at hand, Tinsley look back at the big rock, and there she was, sitting poignant and still, just there — out of nowhere!

Tinsley blinked her eyes, trying to adjust to what she was seeing.

Who is that? How did she get there? Oh, no! Please don’t look back! Don’t look at me! There was nobody here. She couldn’t have gotten to the big rock without me seeing her!

Tinsley stood frozen in a hunched over position, contemplating the possibilities of what her eyes were revealing.

At first, it was clear to Tinsley that a woman had somehow found her way to big rock without her seeing her approach from the one direction possible.

There she was sitting unconcerned on the big rock with her back turned to Tinsley.

Her hair was simply indescribable. It just seem to flow endlessly. It reached the ocean below and disappeared into the depths. It glistened, as if sprayed with diamonds.

The part of her hair that met the ocean moved in unisance, swaying back and forth in a silent dance. Without realizing her own actions, Tinsley advance silently towards the big rock.

As Tinsley advance towards the woman, she became puzzled. She was certain she should be able to recognize who this could be by now, without see their face. Yet, nothing!

Who is this!?

Tinsley followed the woman’s frame down to her waistline and noted that it disappeared below the water’s surface right at that point, where she sat on the rock. Tinsley was very familiar with this, as this was the very reason why Tinsley enjoyed lounging on the same big rock. She could sit on the rock and be lapped by the water at the same time. It was always refreshing.

Just then, Tinsley saw the slightest ripple in the surface of the water in front of the woman sitting on big rock.

Alarmed by the sudden break in the surface of the ocean, Tinsley gasped loudly.

The woman sitting on big rock turned abruptly towards Tinsley, with a look of complete terror on her face.

Tinsley froze.

Are her eyes glowing?

For what seemed liked forever, no one moved. The woman on big rock sat motionless, and Tinsley stood hunched over, completely frozen.

Tinsley broke the stillness by inching forward while locking her gaze with the woman on big rock.

Tinsley saw the woman tense and gracefully dove into the ocean in front of her without so much as a splash and disappeared beneath the surface.

Tinsley smiled to herself.

That’s how she got here! She swam from the other end of the beach!

Just then, something caught Tinsley’s eyes. The woman had surfaced and turned to face Tinsley.

Wierd!

Tinsley watch the woman, curiously. That’s when she saw it! The woman dive once more into the depths, but this time the most magnificent tail raised above the surface of the ocean in plain view of Tinsley.

Tinsley froze.

It was a full thirty seconds before Tinsley moved again. She scanned the horizon hurriedly, hoping to see any evidence of the woman. But, nothing.

After Tinsley had surprised her, the lady dove off into the water, without so much as a splash. Tinsley stood for some time motionless scanning the surface of the water, waiting, expecting. She just never saw anything, nothing! It’s like the lady disappeared in thin air.

Tinsley carefully inched forward, drawn towards the rock where she was.

What is that? Tinsley asked herself, as she squinted at something slowing on the rock. Because of the location of the rock, whatever it was laid right below the surface of the water and seem to cause the water around the rock to glow in unison.

Instead of being driven away by fear, the opposite was happening to Tinsley. She was being drawn to it. She just needed to know what it was, what it could be. The closer she got to the rock, the brighter the object and surrounding water seemed to glow.

Then, Tinsley stood right over the object and stared at it in complete awe. It was like nothing she had ever imagined. It seemed to hum with energy as it glowed intensely; while it laid on the rock right below the surface of the water.

Tinsley had no idea, but she was being watched with intent and disturbed silent eyes; right beneath the water surface a safe distance away.

Tinsley was mesmerized, as she tried to recognize the object. It was the glowing under the water’s surface that made it difficult to really see what it truly was.

She reached out and grabbed it. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was covered with stones that sparkled and glowed. Then she saw something that looked familiar, as she turned the object over to the other side.

Teeth! Its a comb! Wow! I’ve never seen a comb like this!

As she stood there with the comb in her hand, a rather eerie feeling came over her. Tinsley looked around and studied the beach. Everyone was still on the other side. She was still alone. Yet, she felt like she was being watched.

Tinsley was being watched, very keenly. When she reached down to retrieve the comb, the eyes under the surface squinted almost to a thin line and began to glow an intense bright sea foam minty green.

Tinsley then turned her attention to the water, as her mind went back to the woman she saw on the rock. Where could she have gone too?

Once again, Tinsley began to scan the surface of the water, keeping her eyes posted towards the horizon. From left to right, Tinsley scanned and watched to see if she could see anyone or anything.

As Tinsley was doing this, off at a safe distance, the eyes sank deeper below the surface to avoid detection and watched; seething and angry.

Tinsley shrugged her shoulders and decided to head back. She had to find somewhere secure to hide her new treasure.

While Tinsley’s turned her back to the ocean and headed back towards the shore, a dark silhouette rose slowly and quietly out of the waves and watched Tinsley with angry glowing eyes.