A DREAM I HAD IN 2008, REPOSTED FROM A DIFFERENT BLOG.

I SAW HIM STANDING ON A LAKE, IN WITHERED UNDERCLOTHES.
HE WAS PALE, BUT STILL VERY DARK, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
HE STOOD ON THAT BLACK LAKE AND STARED AT ME AND STARED AND STOOD UNTIL I BECAME CONVINCED HE COULD STARE RIGHT THROUGH MY SKIN AND MY GUTS AT SOMETHING ELSE THAT WASN'T ME AT ALL; SO I LOOKED BEHIND ME, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THERE WORTH STARING SO INTENTLY AT, AND I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU I FELT RATHER FOOLISH, AS IF ANYONE COULD EVER LOOK THROUGH FLESH AND BONE.

I CAN'T SAY I WAS EXACTLY FRIGHTENED - HE WAS FAR ENOUGH OUT IN THE LAKE THAT I FELT SAFE WHERE I STOOD ON THE BEACH, BUT I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE, KIND OF LIKE WAKING UP ALONE, IN A STRANGE HOUSE. OF COURSE, I FELT LIKE I SHOULD LEAVE, AND CERTAINLY I WAS TOO NERVOUS TO CALL OUT TO THE MAN ON THE LAKE, BUT I WAS AT THE SAME TIME TOO CURIOUS AS TO HOW AND WHY HE WAS STANDING SO STILL OUT THERE ON ALL THAT BLACK WATER, AND SO I SAT DOWN ON THE BEACH NEXT TO SOME WHISTLING BEACH GRASS, DUG MY FEET INTO THE SAND AND KEPT WATCHING.

I'D SAY ABOUT AN HOUR OR AN HOUR AND A HALF WENT BY BEFORE HE MOVED. I WAS STILL WATCHING HIM, MY EYELIDS HEAVY, WHEN I COUNTED SIX STEPS HE TOOK TOWARD THE SHORELINE. HE TOOK SIX STEPS AS THOUGH HE WAS WALKING ON PAVEMENT AND THEN HE KNELT DOWN, AND THEN HE DIPPED ONE LONG, LUMINESCENT ARM INTO THE WATER AND FROM ITS DEPTHS EXTRACTED A RAGGED AND STAINED WHITE DRESS SHIRT. STILL KNEELING, HE PUT THE SHIRT ON, BUT IT SEEMED TO REQUIRE MUCH OF HIS STRENGTH TO DO SO, AND ONCE IT WAS ON PROPERLY HE SAT DOWN ON THE WATER TO REST. WHEN HE FINALLY STOOD UP, HE TOOK EVEN MORE STEPS TOWARDS ME, BUT THIS TIME HE STRODE SO FAST I COULDN'T KEEP COUNT, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE HAD REACHED THE SHALLOWS JUST BEFORE THE SCATTERED PEBBLES OF THE SHORELINE.

HIS FACE WAS KIND, ALTHOUGH IT WAS STARVED AND SUNKEN IN LIKE A VILLAIN'S OR MAYBE A GHOST'S. HIS FACE WAS KIND AND EVEN HANDSOME, BUT THERE WAS SOME UNSETTLING QUALITY ABOUT IT THAT I STILL CANNOT PLACE, AND LOOKING AT IT MADE ME TENSE AND STRUCK ME ILL. HE BECKONED TO ME WITH THOSE LONG ARMS, WHICH I COULD NOW PLAINLY SEE WERE NOT AS WHITE AS I THOUGHT BEFORE - HIS SKIN WAS YELLOWED AND FLAWED. I SURMISED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY ESCAPED FROM SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE HIS ARMS WERE DOTTED AND STRIPED WITH SMALL LACERATIONS, AND I WONDERED WHAT IT WAS COULD HAVE MADE SUCH PRECISE AND TINY CUTS. THE CLOSER I LOOKED, THE WORSE I FELT. SUCH A COLD, DARK SWEAT I HAD NEVER KNOWN, EVEN IN THE GRIP OF FEVER, AND I COULD NOT MOVE FROM WHERE I STOOD. NOW WITH SURPRISINGLY GRACEFUL FINGERS HE BECKONED, AND SWALLOWING HARD I PICKED UP ONE LEADEN FOOT AFTER THE OTHER AND AS THOUGH THE SAND WERE SNOW TRUDGED TOWARDS HIM.

I COULD SEE NOW, MORE CLEARLY THAN BEFORE, THAT THE SHIRT HE HAD PULLED FROM THAT WATERY WASTELAND WAS NOT ONLY THREADBARE AND STAINED, BUT IT WAS COVERED IN TINY, LIVING BARNACLES, LIKE A SHIP'S HULL. HE REACHED IN THE BREAST POCKET AND PULLED OUT A SMALL COIN, MADE OF BRASS, ABOUT THE SIZE A DIME. THERE WERE NO MARKINGS OR ENGRAVINGS ON IT. HE HANDED IT TO ME, AND AFTER RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTING HIS STRANGE GIFT I ASKED HIM WHY HE WOULD NOT STEP PAST THE WATER.

"I HAVE NEVER TRIED" HE BREATHED SADLY " AND I CONFESS I AM TOO AFRAID TO"

HIS VOICE WAS SWEET AND SAD, AND I WAS SURPRISED HE DIDN'T HAVE A LOWER OR MORE EVIL TONE. INSTEAD HE SOUNDED LIKE SHIPS IN THE DISTANCE, OR LIKE A MOUTH GENTLY BLOWING OVER A HALF EMPTY BOTTLE, AND WHEN HE SPOKE MY FEAR LIFTED, AND MAYBE I EVEN FELT A LITTLE SORRY FOR THAT STRANGE, BRITTLE MAN IN HIS RUINED DRESS SHIRT, WITH HIS BLACK, LAWLESS HAIR.

"BUT WHY BE AFRAID?" I ASKED HIM. "I STAND HERE ON DRY LAND AND I LIVE, AND I BREATHE, AND I AM FINE"

HE LOOKED AT ME AS THOUGH I HAD JUST ASKED HIM TO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE.

"WHAT'S YOUR NAME" HE ASKED

"IT'S NOT IMPORTANT" I REPLIED, AND THEN HAD AN IDEA.

"I'LL TELL YOU MY NAME IF YOU STEP HERE ON THIS DRY LAND WITH ME"

I DON'T KNOW WHY I WANTED HIM TO COME ON THE BEACH SO BADLY, AND HE LOOKED HORRIFIED, BUT HE MUST HAVE REALLY WANTED TO KNOW MY NAME, SO HE STEPPED FORWARD.

HE STEPPED FORWARD AND SET ONE YELLOWED FOOT ON THE SAND AND I SWEAR HE BEGAN TO SINK. HE SANK SO FAST THAT BY THE TIME I STOPPED GAWKING AT THE POOR FELLOW HE WAS SHOULDERS DEEP IN THE SOLID GROUND. I GRABBED HOLD OF ONE OF HIS SKINNY LIMBS AND TRIED TO PULL HIM OUT BUT THE EARTH WAS STRONGER, AND IT SWALLOWED HIM WHOLE. I STOOD THERE WHERE HE FELL INTO THE BEACH AND FELT SO GUILTY AND SICK WITH MYSELF FOR NOT JUST TELLING HIM MY STUPID NAME THAT I STARTED TO CRY, AND THEN I STARTED TO DIG.

REMARKABLY, HE HADN'T SCREAMED AT ALL AS HE SANK, OR UTTERED ANY SOUND FOR THAT MATTER, BUT AS I DUG I COULD THINK OF NOTHING BUT HIS DARK, SUNKEN EYES LOOKING AT ME HELPLESS, SAD AND SLEEPY.

IT WAS HOURS AND HOURS BEFORE I CALLED MY DIG FRUITLESS.
IT WAS HOURS ON END, AND I WONDERED WHY THERE WAS STILL NO SIGN OF DAY. IT'S HARD TO DIG A GOOD HOLE ON THE BEACH, ESPECIALLY WITH NO TOOLS, AND THE HOLE I HAD CLAWED AND SCRAPED OUT WITH MY BARE HANDS WAS CAVING IN, THE SIDES SLIDING SLOWLY DOWN INTO THE FOUR INCHES OF WATER BELOW; SLOWLY, AS IF MOCKING ME AND MY USELESS, GIRLISH HANDS. I WAS TIRED, AND I WOULD HAVE JUST GONE HOME, BUT I COULDN'T BEAR TO LEAVE THE BEACH KNOWING WHAT I HAD CAUSED. I CURLED UP BESIDE THE WHISTLING BEACH GRASS AND SLEPT A DREAMLESS SLEEP, AND WHEN I WOKE UP IT WAS STILL NIGHT.