BEWITCHED || Lyon Kamenev

The evening was quiet in Carmel-by-the-Sea, with the faint scent of salt carried by a cool breeze across the shore. The waves moved lazily, each one collapsing in a soft hush as they met the coast—a perfect night for fishing. Lyon strode to his small boat, his thoughts already on the meal he hoped to catch for tomorrow. A grin played across his face as he imagined his prize: mackerels, silver and fat. He could almost taste the smoky richness of grilled fish, the sharp, warm bite of sake oozing from each piece, a sprinkling of salt enhancing their natural savor as they browned in the oven.

But before he could indulge too deeply in his food fantasies, Lyon shook himself back to focus. Stay sharp, he reminded himself as he steadied his boat against the mild waves and cast his line into the depths.

Minutes drifted by as he waited, the ocean’s silence only broken by the occasional splash of the waves. After a while, Lyon felt a tug and pulled up a wriggling jacksmelt. The fish’s silvery scales glistened, but it wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for. With a shrug, he tossed it back into the water, its small body cutting through the waves as it vanished back into the depths.

Lyon adjusted his grip on the wheel, letting the engine hum to life as he ventured further into the night. The sea grew restless, waves rising higher, their crests curling as the once quiet night gave way to darkening clouds and the distant rumble of thunder. Lyon's confidence wavered—perhaps tonight wasn’t the best time to be out here. The ocean seemed alive, suddenly unfriendly, and his instincts urged him to turn back.

Just as he adjusted course to steer toward the shore, a dark shape caught his eye. It drifted across the water, its form obscured but undeniably humanoid. His breath hitched. It wasn’t a floating log or sea debris—it looked like...a body. The hair on the back of Lyon's neck stood up, yet a strange curiosity won over his fear. He couldn't just leave it there, he thought, hands tightening on the net as he prepared to draw the figure closer.

With some effort, he hoisted the figure up. It slumped onto the deck, revealing pale, unsettling features, more human than anything he'd ever seen. But the longer he looked, the more he sensed something off, something inhuman. A jagged gash stretched across its neck, and Lyon's pulse quickened as he processed what he was holding. The creature looked dead, but he felt a chill creep over him as if it might suddenly awaken.

Not taking any chances, Lyon quickly grabbed some rope and secured the creature’s limbs. It was nearly his own size, with an uncanny resemblance to a person. But no animal he knew of was this human-like. Unease gnawed at him, but he felt a strange urge to protect this mysterious being. He glanced back toward the shore, his mind racing with thoughts of how he would hide such a discovery.

As dawn approached, Lyon found a secluded cove, a stretch of beach hidden by craggy rocks that jutted out over the water. With care, he carried the creature to a shaded spot, laying it down on a bed of sea grass. The ocean whispered behind him as he bandaged the neck wound, half-expecting those eyes to snap open.

What am I doing? They're not some sort of pet.. Hell, that thing is probably sentient and has its own name!

For all he knew, there were others like it lurking below the water, waiting to exact some strange vengeance for his meddling.

As the first light of morning painted the sky in soft hues, Lyon stepped back, casting one last look at his silent discovery before trudging home. The night’s events lingered in his mind as he lay in bed, his thoughts clouded with questions. Who were they? What brought them here, injured and alone? He could still see those empty eyes, still and unblinking. Lyon shuddered, imagining more of these creatures emerging from the waves in the dead of night.

Sleep finally claimed him, though it was restless and without dreams. The morning sun was still low when Lyon awoke, the events of the night before hitting him with a sharp clarity. He threw on his clothes and hurried back to the cove, heart pounding with a mixture of dread and curiosity.

When he reached the cove, he found the creature awake, perched on a tall stone, watching him with an intense, unblinking gaze. Lyon approached slowly, raising his hands in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture.

"Hey, you're awake. How do you feel?"