The baby had been quiet as his mother watched over him, the moonshine was having a conversation of light with his beautiful face. They followed the current of the lake, light dancing off the water as the small boat felt like it was being guided from below.
Had she seen faces in the water? She continued to paddle down the
lake and saw the hollow island of her tribe. It was very sacred to her
people, no one lived there, but that night she could see a small fire burning further from the shore.
As she dipped her oar into the lake, she really did see a face, and then hands appeared on all sides of the craft. The mother dropped the oar, picked the baby up and held him to her chest, as the boat was guided ashore.
As she huddled with her baby, three beautiful women appeared from the water. These creatures were the Women of the Lake, half human, half aquatic. The new mother felt comforted as the mermaids helped her get out of the boat.
The Lake Women were whispering in a language she had never heard before, the language was strange but somehow she could understand, she was meant to leave the baby here, he would be safe.
The Women of the Lake guided the mother into and under the water and held her there, until the last of the air was pushed from her lungs. Hands gently touched the top of her cheeks and travelled down her face ending before her mouth. She could feel the shape of her face changing under their touch. As water rushed into her cheeks she took in her first breath through her new gills.
Now, she was reborn, her purpose was to guard this place with her new sisters and her son.
A scream of deep pain echoed throughout the island, as the baby started to cry.
The mother wanted to swim towards her child but the sisters held her back. You are a lake woman now, we have a slave to care for your son and we will rule over and under our island. A woman appeared from the woods, picked up the newborn, pressed his face to her breast and with that the baby stopped crying and took his first milk.
