The stream was slowly widening. You could make out the river it connected to just a few meters ahead. It was weird how no one had mentioned -let alone discovered- the river that was so terribly close to the village! You wondered how not even a traveler had taken note of it. Had it been recently created? You shook your head at that thought; the villagers would have taken notice if there was a stream of fresh water nearby. and if they hadn't, the ents would have. The thought of returning and telling your parents about your discovery passed briefly through your mind but you didn't turn around. You were so close to finding out whether the water horse lived here that you could not possibly return so soon! What if it leaves for another river while I'm gone? You were determined to catch another glimpse of the black horse -Bella not so much. No, we can't have that happening!

"We'll stop over there", you pointed at a wide area of grass on the bank. There, you dismounted the mare and tied the reins into a short knot so that she wouldn't trip over the leather strips. You neared the body of water and peered into the riverbed. "It is so clear", you commented.

It was easy to make out the bottom from the almost white surface of the calm water. There were small and big fish swimming down and upstream, flicking their tails and playing with one another. Some you recognized were bright red salmon and the others looked like minnows. You didn't know much about fish because you lived in a mountain village but you were sure you had guessed the former correctly. Algae was resting on the smooth rocks and some fragile water plants flowed with the slow current.

An urge arose within you to slip off your shoes and dip your feet into the water. So you did. And boy, would it be worth the gravel you would carry in your shoes afterwards! You didn't know why or how but the tingling feeling of the cold water against the thin skin of your feet brought a feeling of relief and tranquility around you. It just felt so nice and calming like a drug. This is the life, you thought before splashing the water around, watching as the fish swam away at the disturbance. You made sure not to step on any moss or broken plants because you dimmed them as disgusting and odd-looking and mostly, you did not want to find out what their texture was like.

Since the current was weak, you decided to leave the shore and go a tad deeper. It wouldn't hurt; it was still shallow anyway. You paid no attention to your dress, any attempts at keeping it dry would be in vein and you knew that the moment you stepped foot into the water. Well, at least the fabric didn't cling to your legs while it flowed idly on the surface of the small river. You dipped your hands in and rushed them against the stream. It felt so nice to move the water around, to feel the raffles and the ripples forming underneath your fingertips. One could say that it was a satisfying feeling and you'd agree without a second thought.

Bella had been watching you from the shore as you played, wondering if joining you would be worth it. In the end, she decided to dip her muzzle into the grass for a free snack. It looked like you would stay for a good half hour in the river anyways, she may as well keep herself busy. Her eyes would switch from watching the tree line to watching you and your antics every so often just to make sure that you hadn't slipped and hit your head on a jagged rock but other than that, she was focused on the greenery at her hooves.

"Bella, come join me!", you called to the mare but she just brushed off your invitation, flicking her tail to swipe at an annoying bug. You called out to her again and one more time after that and on the sixth attempt, she had finally given in. She didn't step into the river straight away, rather she remained on the edge of the bank, the running water just brushing the tip of her front hooves.

With a pouty face, you approached her and grabbed the knotted reins with one hand to pull her in. She was too ambitious, though and she pulled away from you, successfully escaping your grasp as you fell onto your butt. The cold water seeped through your skirt and wholeheartedly touched your skin. There go my undergarments, I guess!, you thought jokingly to yourself as you hurried to get back on your feet, shaking your hands to rid of the wetness before grabbing, bunching and twisting the fabric of your skirt in your palms. You had to at least get some of that water out.

"Alright, let's go a bit more downstream!", you said -more like ordered- with a sense of adventure, finger pointing towards the direction. You climbed out of the river, put on your shoes -somehow without making that much of a face- and then mounted the stubborn mare to move quicker. Your still wet skirt clang to your legs and leather saddle but it was surprisingly not as uncomfortable as you had imagined.

Bella broke into a soft trot and you were on your way, following the river as it began to slowly widen. You couldn't see the difference in width whilst staring directly at it but once you glanced behind you, you were surprised to find that it had been that small just a bit upstream. The sun beat down on you harshly, driving away the cold and the humidity in the air that came with it. You were thankful for the heat because it would dry your clothes... and yourself. You could already feel your skin crample like raisins. At least, you wouldn't get a heat stroke because you had chosen to stay under the shadows of the treeline.

A little ways away, you saw it. A beautiful lake rest in the dimple of a plain. Tall grass and bountiful bushes surrounded the perimeter and you could see the small fish splashing around in the water and the ducks that were calmly floating on the surface without any worries. You pulled the reins slowly and Bella halted beside a tall rock which you quickly used as a stool to get down. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing you had ever laid your eyes upon, considering you had never seen that much water in one place before.You had seen rivers but not huge craters of water.

The water was sparkling, small waves rocking and disturbing the surface of the lake, circling around the life upon it. The air tasted sweet, not a speckle of salt in it, you noticed and you smiled. You dragged Bella over to the edge and reached in with your hand to feel the temperature, wondering if it was warm enough to swim in. There were birds singing softly from the trees, grasshoppers hopping abou and frogs catching flies on wet rocks. Sure, you weren't the best at swimming, perhaps decent, but it jumping in was too tempting. The sun was still out and you could see no clouds, the water was somewhat cold but not to the point of freezing, so you decided to take a dip.

The mare beside you huffed and rolled her eyes at your childishness before looking off to the side. Her ears pinned down, flat on her head and soon she was nudging you away. Of course, you were confused as to why Bella suddenly acted like that and after throwing a glance around the outer edge, you saw the reason for her distress.

Feathers flew in the air as the ducks fled, all chirping around stopped and the light of the sun dimmed just slightly even though there was nothing blocking it. A shiver ran down your spine and you were frozen in place as Bella tried to get you to stumble back. There it was; the black water horse in all its glory.

It was chest deep into the lake, peering from behind some lengthy bushes that did a terrible job at hiding it. That would explain why you hadn't noticed it before; it had been hiding and it had probably been watching the both of you. Its black, luscious, curly mane and tail floated gracefully on the surface like lily pads, thin strips of seaweed entangled in the strands. Its piercing, amber gaze was what paralyzed you though; its pupils were thinning like a predator setting its eyes on prey.

That same urge as the day prior overtook you once your eyes set on its back. It looked so soft and silky, you wanted to dip your fingers and brush the fur just by looking at it. That was when you started unconsciously walking towards the creature but unlike before, you didn't resist it. Maybe your curiosity had gotten the better of you; you couldn't tell. Bella's teeth found themselves in the fabric of your dress, tagging and pulling you back, trying to get you to snap out of it with aggressive neighs and huffs of hot air against the back of your head. It didn't work.

The water horse had seen the fight and it had chosen to approach. The mare was flicking her tail in frustration and you were gently pushing at her snout to make her let go -she wouldn't even budge. Your gaze fell on the black horse and back to Bella as it -presumably- comely walked towards the two of you from the lake, the water slowing it down a significant bit. Until it started rising. You immediately noticed the height difference and you had no doubts that it was male. It was even taller than Bella!

The shadow of it loomed over the both of you and the mare shifted, snarling at the water horse with the most wide-eyed, crazed look a horse could offer. The stallion had gotten close, maybe a bit too close. You could hear the even exhales of hot air as it approached, see the black, unnaturally long, curly strands of hair that dragged across the grass, collecting dirt and debris. Its piercing, yellow eyes switched between you and Bella and it soon puffed up its chest confidently, huffing and turning to its side to present to you its smooth back.

Your eyes were fixed on the smooth, even curve of the water horse's back, pupils dilating just the slightest bit. You reached out a hand -it was so close- and Bella snapped at you, harshly pulling you back and snarling once more. That action did not deter you, however, as the fog in your mind had yet to clear and your goal had remained the same despite the harsh pull. The mare was clearly unhappy but you could barely understand why she was unhappy. The small, quiet voice of reason tried to shout from the back of your skull but it only caused your head to ache and feel numb on your neck for a second.

The yellow orbs shifted again, brows furrowing, eyelids narrowing before it had finally had enough of Bella's involvement. A neigh more horrifying than the squawk of a crow in the dead of night reverberated through the air, like lightning had crushed down; its voice the ghostly aftermath of its anger and frustration. The mare bit at it, showing teeth and it in turn showed its fangs, glistening with drool, snapping back at her.

Your mind was hazy still. So hazy that you didn't quite register the blood that splattered on your face, that permanently stained your dress and soaked into your skin. All you could focus on was the water horse in front of you as it turned with bloody lips to look at you, expression calming a considerable amount. Its eyes softened at your oblivion. Soon, you were on its back and that was when your mind cleared. It was then that you registered the bloodstains and the retreating mare who ran upstream, blood dripping down the side of her neck.

"Bella!", you screamed but she did not acknowledge your voice, too spooked to even turn her head to look at you. "Help!", was the next word you uttered out of instinct as your fingers were entangled in its fur. Tears pricked the edges of your eyes as you tagged at your limbs, trying to move but you were stuck. Each part that touched the water horse was nailed to the spot and you were scared.

Why did I want to find this water horse again?, you tried to calm yourself with some humor but it didn't work. You were so far away from the village and you doubted anyone would pass through a random lake at noon. There was no one that could help you.

"First, they approach their victim innocently either in the form of a horse or that of a human and then they offer them a ride on their back.", you could hear the voice of the fisherman in your head clear as day, "Once the victim touches it, its seal-like fur turns sticky -stickier than goosegrass- and it entraps the person in order to drag them into the water and drown them!".

Sobs started rocking through your body as the stallion faced the water, trotting towards it. "They drag them into the water and drown them", is that what is about to happen to me? You could only sob louder as the image of death was so prominent reflecting off the surface of the lake. How could you not have seen this coming.

I am so, so, so very and utterly stupid!, you thought to yourself as you heard the hooves rhythmically splash into the water.

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WOOOO! I'm back baby~! Did you miss me?
Finally we get some kelpie action in this kelpie-themed story!
There are going to be more frequent updates to this so keep an eye out!