Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston

Creek.”
    Damn. No wonder. “I’m sorry, Susanna. How did it happen?”
    A shudder racked her body. “There was a terrible storm one afternoon. It was raining hard. The creek was rising, threatening to spill over its banks. He came to see if it threatened our farm and fell in. The current bore him away.” Her voice was soft and childlike.
    â€œHow old were you?”
    â€œEight.” I could feel her smile against my chest. “My papa was a good man. Everyone admired him. He was the town tutor. He taught me everything he taught the boys.”
    I could hardly believe what she’d told me. Her father had died in this creek, yet Susanna came down to the falls every free moment she could spare.
    â€œWhy do you spend so much time near the water if you fear it?”
    â€œIt’s the last place Mr. Pratt would think to look for me.”
    Damn. She hid in a place that reminded her of a huge tragedy, just to have some time alone.
    â€œYou’re safe now. The creek barely comes up to your knees.”
    â€œI know, but the falls are so strong.” Her voice squeaked.
    â€œAll you have to do is stand up and walk away.” I brushed wet hair from her face.
    â€œMark?”
    â€œYeah?”
    Her brow creased anxiously. “The bowl smashed.”
    â€œNot a problem.”
    Her head tilted up. “Mark?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œAm I in your world?”
    â€œYeah.”
    The curtain of water flowed behind us, glittery and crystal clear. The falls were about as hard to understand as she was. Why had they picked now to let one of us through? Not that I was complaining or anything. I was really glad that we could be this close. I just didn’t understand what the gain was for the falls. We were already friends. What else did it want for us?
    â€œYou’re in twenty-first century Raleigh.”
    She released a deep sigh. “I want to go home.”
    I wasn’t going to encourage this decision. Holding her made me feel all sexy and heroic.
    She wiggled free and turned her back to me.
    I looked down at my empty arms. She’d needed me and I’d responded without thinking. It felt good. No, it felt great. Too bad it had ended so soon.
    â€œDo you want me to see if the falls will let me jump over there and help you across?”
    â€œYes, thank you.” She stared at her toes.
    I leapt to her rock and paused. It was quiet. No airplanes, traffic, or chainsaws. Just birds and insects and the rushing of water. It smelled weird. Earthy, like insane compost. And her world seemed absurdly bright for this late in the evening. How could they stand the daytime sunlight without wearing shades?
    Damn, I was standing in 1796. The frickin’ eighteenth century. I looked over my shoulder and gave her a smile. “Whisper Falls has some serious attitude. It finally gave in about us.”
    She watched me silently. Susanna had withdrawn into statue mode.
    I offered my hand. “Come on. I won’t let you fall.”
    She landed beside me on her rock and then shrank away—soaked, stiff, face averted.
    What had I done?
    Susanna confused me. How could a girl go from fine to ballistic to catatonic all in the space of five minutes?
    â€œWhat just happened here?”
    She started to walk past me. When I touched her arm, she hesitated.
    â€œSusanna, say something. How did we go from friends to strangers so fast? I don’t understand what went wrong.”
    â€œNobody ever sees me upset. I do not permit it.” As soon as she spoke, she clapped a hand over her mouth and met my gaze, wide-eyed.
    â€œThen it’s a good thing it happened in front of me.” How must it feel to never show emotions or voice opinions? To want peace so badly she fought her worst fear each day? It left me in awe.
    She searched my face. I could almost hear her thinking, her brain clicking through all the angles. Then she smiled, slowly and sweetly.
    Damn, her smiles