Call His Name

Ciaran was awakened in the night by a woman calling his name. He swam out of a dreamy haze where he was standing on the beach talking to Brenna’s reflection in a tide pool, and his first thought was that she had sneaked into the hut and his father would wake up and go mad with anger, but when he opened his eyes, he and his father were alone.

Ciaran, the woman called, and something in Ciaran knew. He rose up off his pallet.

“Mother?”

Come outside, my son, she said, and Ciaran felt something tug him toward the window.