Author's Note

So, this is my first attempt at a story.... been wanting to write something for a while, just finally got up the nerve. Please leave comments and let me know of mistakes/likes/dislikes. Thanks and I hope yall enjoy....

The Woman on the Rocks

It was so quiet that the snow could actually be heard as it fell to the ground after filtering through the pines around him. He brought his ungloved hand out of his pocket and cupped it to his mouth, breathing warm air into it. The fog his breath created obscured his vision briefly, but that was all the time that was needed- an elk had made its presence know just a hundred feet or so in front of him.

Silently cursing, Tim brought his rifle up and took aim, observing the creature through the scope. It was a massive elk, six tines on each of his antlers and scars along his muzzle, face and neck showing a long and hard life out in the harsh wilderness. As Tim watched through the scope, the animal turned and looked towards him. The elk’s eyes gleamed with life and energy and seemed to be looking into his soul. Tim shouldered his rifle.

“Go on, buddy…. Looks like you’ve had as hard a life as I have…” with that, the elk seemed to nod to him then turned and disappeared into the trees from which it came, not making a sound. “Well,” Tim stated, shaking his head and slightly smiling “looks like it’s back to the boat…. Fish are easier to carry and clean, anyway.” He looked around briefly to get his heading and Tim marched his way through the snow back toward his make-shift camp at the shore of the bay.

Camp wasn’t much of a camp at all; it was more of a continuation of his small houseboat that he had been living on for the past few years. He had struck out on his own and disappeared off the grid after selling most everything he owned, minus the bare essentials for surviving in the Alaskan wild. Tim had lost count of the days, months and even the years. Had it been 10 years or 15 since his wife and children had passed away and he had quit working in law enforcement when he finally snapped shortly there-after? Who knew, and more importantly, who cared? He didn’t. He had his boat, his fishing gear, his rifle and his revolver. He was surviving.

As he trudged toward the canvas tent on the water’s edge, he stood back and sighed. Off in the distance he could see the clouds indicating that more snow, heavier snow, was on the way. It was time to start making the trip back towards the river and further south to escape the oncoming deep-freeze. Going south meant for less harsh weather, but it also meant civilization. Civilization meant people. He groaned. He preferred the wildlife over most people. The few people he did prefer were taken from him many years ago. He winced at the thought, fighting back the feeling of tears trying to make their way to the surface. Tim shook his head and finished the walk to his camp, dreading breaking down his camp as well as the inevitable trip ahead.

<<<<<

“Well, the fun part’s over….” Tim stood on the bow of his houseboat at looked back at what was his home for the past few months. All his gear was stored back in their proper places while making a short list of things he might as well restock if he had to go back into a town or came across folks along the way willing to trade goods with him. He had plenty of dried meats and hides he could exchange, after all. Although he would rather deal with the people he would seldom encounter along his seasonal trip, some things he would have to get from a town- he could always use fuel for the boat and he was down to half a box each of ammo. With a final glance-over of the area, he untied his boat from the rocky shore, fired up the engine and pulled off, slowly turning and aiming his boat to the South. He had just come around a short rocky point when something of to his left caught his eye.

He stared back toward the point and looked out on the rocks. He blinked and rubbed his eyes- surely he wasn’t seeing what he thought he was seeing. He reopened his eyes and took another look. There was someone on the rocks, waving hysterically and uneasily jumping from one rock to the next in attempt to get closer to his boat. He blinked again- they were still there and he could see the person still jumping and waving, then he heard it.

“Don’t go! Please, stop! Don’t go, help me!”

The voice, a woman’s voice, was just barely audible over the sound of the motor pushing his boat farther from the rocky point. Tim shifted the boat out of gear and was still trying to figure out what to make of what he was seeing and hearing when he saw the figure reach the end of the rocks…. Then dive into the water.

“What in the holy hell?!” Tim slammed the boat back into gear and cut hard left for the rocks. He could see the woman attempting to swim and was trying to get to her. It only took seconds and he saw the woman starting to struggle. He gave the boat all it had but it wasn’t enough- he watched the woman slowly start to succumb to the icy water and begin to go under.

“HANG ON! I’M COMMIN!” The boat was steady on course for where the woman slipped under the water’s surface just feet from the end of the rocks. As he got to the where he last seen the mysterious woman disappear, Tim shut down the boat’s motor, ran out of the cabin to the railing and scanned the water. He just barely made out a blur of color before it faded into the darkness. Tim stripped off his coat and boots and dived into the water after her just as his boat pushed its hull onto the rocks.

The icy water pierced his skin like thousands of needles and took his breath away. Bubbles of precious air escaped his mouth as he hissed in pain through his teeth. Opening his eyes and turning his head from side to side, he caught a glimpse of a purplish blur of what appeared to be some sort of cloak wrapped around a body. A few strokes closer and the image of a lifeless hand became visible- he grabbed it and swam upwards for all he was worth.

He broke the surface and gulped precious air. Water then filled his mouth as the weight of the woman was trying to pull him back down. He adjusted his grip around her, wrapping his arms around her middle and holding her to his chest. He kicked his legs and made his way back to the surface, making his way toward the rocks where the boat waited. Feeling his back hit rock, Tim fought to get his footing and then pulled the woman from the water. He turned to see the bow of his boat just a few feet away. “I got ya, miss! Just hold on, please! I got ya!” He staggered up the rocks and onto the boat carrying the woman in his arms. He kicked open the door of the small cabin and laid her on the floor. Just as he started to attempt to revive her, the woman began coughing up water and rolled onto her side.

“Lady, are you insane!? Who jumps into the water like that this far north? And why are you out here alone? What’s…”
Tim’s words faded away as he looked at the coughing woman. So many things were odd about her, he didn’t know where to begin. Her hair that was sticking out from the matted down hood of her lavender-colored cape was a deep dark blue, streaked with pink and a dark shade of purple. Then her clothes just outright confused him; the dark-skinned woman was dressed as if she had stepped out for a springtime stroll. A simple white blouse with a thin purple sweater vest paired to simple black slacks and a pair of dress shoes. How could this woman have been out here like this and not already been frozen to death? He stirred from his thoughts as he heard the woman breathing heavily instead of coughing. Looking to her, he spoke.

“Miss, are you alright? What in the world are you doing out here?” The woman sat up, her back to him as her breath steadied and she slowly started to remover her hood. She then turned towards Tim, looking at him with bright purple eyes. Tim stared in awe. She was beautiful, but that’s not what froze him in place. In the center of her forehead, narrow and pointed and the color of ivory, was a horn; much like that of a unicorn, only shorter. As his eyes slowly moved down from the horn back to her eyes, Tim tried to speak but could only stare open-jawed.

The woman smiled softly at him, reaching forward and resting her hand on Tim’s cheek. “I came here looking for you. My friends and I, along with many others, are in great need of help and I was sent to get your assistance, Tim”
If his eyes could pop out of his head, they would have then and there. How did this woman know his name? Who are these friends? Why do they need help? And most importantly, why do they need help from him? All these questions were flying through Tim’s mind, but only one question came forth from his lips. “Miss…. Who in the world are you?”

The woman stood up, pulling Tim up from the floor with her. Smiling again, she unclasped her cloak and folded it over one arm, dripping. She then extended her hand and looked up into his eyes.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle and I am not of this world…..”