Eris

Sage opened up her picnic basket, and her shoulders dropped. Her mom forgot to pack her water bottle. She was so thirsty, too. The sounds of the river, seeing the rushing clear water, tempting her as she walked under the hot sun. She didn’t even want to be outside; it was way too hot out for her. At least she didn’t forget her favorite sandwich, a turkey panini with strawberry pesto. It was unusual, but her father used to make her the strawberry pesto with strawberries from his own garden. 

Sage clipped up her hair and kept walking along the river, searching for a shadier spot to put down her blanket. She’d walked along that river dozens of times, and knew any spot she found wouldn’t be good enough. Either too wet, or too many bugs, or too smelly. This was a daily trip for her, walking along the river during her lunch hour, her mom excusing her from the confines of homeschool to explore the whole reason she was homeschooled in the first place. At least she got to be outside.

The river was part of a conservational project, to restore the natural ecology around the area, is what they tell Sage. Her mother chose to move to the remote area to clean the river or something, all she knew was that they were there for the river.  

It was beautiful though; they were glad to move to such a haven. Sage was confused when she first moved in, she thought the area needed restoration. Instead, she felt like she had carved a hole in an emerald and called it home, everything was so green and bright. The petals of the flowers so vibrant, they almost felt like eyes themselves staring at you. The river was loud, the sounds of crashing water against rocks, the grass was dewy and lush, and the trees stood above, looking upwards with their branches.  

As she walked, she kicked a rock that was sitting atop another. She watched as it soared forward, bouncing off another rock and landing in a puddle of water next to the river. Or, maybe that was a different rock. She couldn’t tell, there were rocks everywhere. They all looked the same. 

She followed after the rock, and looked down inside the puddle. She looked at her face, her green eyes staring back, the same bare face she saw that morning. Something caught her eye, a faint sparkle hidden among the rocks in the pool. She leaned down, reached out her hand and froze. 

She was smiling. Not her. The reflection. The face in the reflection was smiling. She pulled her hand back immediately, and stared down at the puddle.

Hello, the puddle said. Sage continued to stare back. She wondered if she was too thirsty. I see you in these woods quite often. 

“Sorry?” Sage replied, she wasn’t sure why she apologized, but she felt like that should have been her response. The voice was friendly, curious, but quiet, as if they had just woken up. Sage felt tired when she heard it, as if the voice itself was a warm blanket, draped over your shoulders, while the words sneaked into your ears. 

There’s no need to be sorry. Not for you, anyway. Tell me your name. 

“Basil.” An inside joke, and the name her mother told her to tell strangers and the police. 

Basil, ah, nice to meet you. My name is Eris, why are you here? 

“I don’t know.” 

The reflection stopped smiling, and turned to face the river. Sage watched as her reflection moved, the shadow gliding across the water to the center of the river as a black mass. The water started to spin, spiraling upward, getting larger and larger. In a moment, the water fell and there Eris stood.  

She was beautiful, just like the forest. Her body made of pitch-black water, swirling in waves across her arms, her thighs, her stomach. She looked just like Sage, her eyes still green, her hair clipped up.  

As she walked towards Sage, water from the river soundlessly beating against her legs, meshing with her body and crashing back into the river, she asked, Why are you here today then? Now?  

Sage took a few steps back, “I’m just looking for a spot to eat lunch.” 

And you are always looking for a spot to eat lunch? 

“I guess so. Who are you?”  

I told you. I am Eris. You are not scared of me. 

“I guess not. What are you?” 

Anything. Why aren’t you scared of me? 

What was Sage supposed to say? That she had moved to the middle of nowhere after the worst event of her life, and now she doesn’t care what happens to her? Sage shrugged instead. 

“What do you mean anything?” 

I can be anything. Anything you see. You don’t know me. 

“Do people know you?” Eris laughed, the sound of water pushing gravel along the shoreline, a thousand voices in one second and then none. Her voice was cold now, still lighthearted, but taunting and empty. 

Yes, yes. People know me. Too many people. People who want to hunt me, catch me.  

“Why would they want to catch you?”  

People think I have something to offer them. Sometimes, to catch me, they offer things to me. I do not care for these kinds of offerings. 

Sage turned to look behind her, she wasn’t that far from home. If she ran for it, she might make it back. She’d just have to make it until she could hear the windchimes on the front porch, then she’d be safe. She thought about throwing the basket and blanket at Eris, but when she turned back around, Eris had closed the distance between them.  

She stood right in front of Sage, her eyes staring straight into hers, only a step away.  

Your father, he died recently. 

It wasn’t a question. Sage’s breathing got faster and faster, her chest felt tight, but her eyes were locked in, focused on Eris and searching, scanning for a way out.  

Have you asked yourself why? 

Sage noticed a large rock to the right of her hand, if she used that, would it even do anything against water? Was there anything in her picnic basket that could help her? Maybe that water bottle would have really come in handy.  

Why weren’t there any police? Why wasn’t there a funeral?  

Sage took more steps backwards, tripping and falling, the blanket flung to the side and the contents of the basket sprawled everywhere. On her side, she pushed to sit up, Eris standing above her, looking down at her, her face smiling again. 

Many people know me. I know what has happened, I want you to see. Bring me an offering. 

Crying out, she jumped up and started running, she sprinted as fast as she could, as far away as possible. She ran through the trees, away from the river, pushing aside branches and leaves as they hit her. Her feet flying through the brush, not knowing what she was stepping on but just hoping it would be strong enough to hold her. Tears started falling from her eyes, she just wanted to get home. 

She didn’t know which way she was running; she had no idea where the river was. She ran in sheer panic, desperate to get away, wherever that led. She turned around and didn’t see Eris or the river anywhere nearby, and her steps started to slow.  

Her foot moved towards a fallen tree, the perfect pathway across a small ridge. Before her foot hit the wood, a black hole began to open up, a dark circle she couldn’t see into, but only fall into. As she flung herself into the void, she felt weightless, floating downward in slow motion.  

A flash, and suddenly she fell into grass. On the ground, she looked at the sky, looked at the treetops above, and in the distance heard familiar windchimes. She breathed a little; she was home. 

She stood up, and ran towards the front door. Past the empty garden, past the empty fire pit. She flung open the door, and saw her mother in the living room, on the couch going through some papers. The calmness of the home seemed strange to Sage, still in a panic, her mother wasn’t fazed by the sudden burst, simply looked up from her task. 

“Mom, I don’t know what I just saw but I don’t know what to do.”  

“What did you see?” Sage thought, for a moment, she saw her mother’s eyes light up. She dismissed it.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” Sage said. 

“Just try.” Her eyes were shining, she grabbed Sage’s hand, a smile forming in the corners of her mouth.  

“It was, like, it was me. But dark, it knew dad died.”  

Sage expected her mother to be scared, to gasp, to say that we had to move again. Her mother jumped up, excited, and said, “You must have seen it. I knew it would choose you.” 

Her vision narrowed, she stared at her mother, comprehending what she had just said. She heard the frosty voice of Eris in her mind, replaying her words in her head. It all suddenly became clear to Sage, what had happened, what she had to do. 

“Yes,” Sage said, “Let me show you.”