"The rock and pool, is nice and cool, so juicy sweet.
Our only wish, to catch a fish, so juicy sweet."
- Gollum's Song from "The Two Towers" by J.R.R. Tolkein
- Gollum's Song from "The Two Towers" by J.R.R. Tolkein
The water was inky black as I paddled. I heard a calling from the forest. It
made my blood chill. It was localized and from the shoreline, not like a
bird, and not like any animal I was familiar with. It seemed to be crying, and it sounded like something was lost to it. The creature was mourning most grievously. The sound felt broken hearted to me and I wondered what could make such a call. Animal in sound but human in complaint I fancied it was one of the silkies, a human turned into seal form. There was nothing I could do to help it. I was barely managing myself. This was proving to be an unforgettable night.
Feeling quite disoriented and overcome with fatigue, I realized suddenly where I was. This was the hook. I knew there had to be a place to land. With relief I turned inland and I entered the calm protection of the inlet. Being out of the wind and roar of the surf felt like a reprieve. Moonlight shimmered and the water was as still as glass. As I paddled, silvery fish jumped. They seemed to live in the mud and I fancied that Gollum would have liked these morsels for the whole vista seemed to me to be akin to a magical scene out of Lord Of The Rings. Weariness rolled off of me in waves and my arms felt insensible. I arrived at the end of the hook. I almost cried with disappointment. What I fancied would be a sandy beach was marsh. I waded briefly in disbelief in the sheer muck of it. Desperation threatened to overwhelm me. I had no idea how far away in time morning light was, but I knew that I needed to stop. Backtracking more carefully now, I traversed the hook once again, and finally found a ledge where it seemed I could lie. This was an unusually high tide. I pulled the kayak up beside me. I was so exhausted I collapsed and asleep as soon as I unrolled my bag, only to jerk myself awake in order to watch the hypnotic movement of the water wondering if the tide was still climbing. I could not risk losing equipment or being overcome by the surf. I blearily eyed the sea for what seemed like an eon, trying to decide if the tide was advancing or receding. At last, reassured the tide was going out and thankful I was still in one piece, I let go and lapsed into deep, dark, unconsciousness.
