Harriet laughed as his fingers slipped away from her wrist. “You scared me!” She laughed and splashed at the dark shape disappearing beneath the water. “Come back!” She dropped her hand into the water again, but it wasn’t necessary. The water rippled and Demon floated up on his back. His white skin was almost ghostly in how it slowly solidified away from the darkness of the water around it. Demon didn’t break the surface, he stayed so a thin layer of water was between him and the air. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

The demon’s lips turned up in a close mouthed smile and he sunk below the water again. Harriet leaned farther over the dock, then jumped back as the Demon’s voice spoke again.

“Stay away from the edge, darling.” His voice rasped like Walter’s current sick voice. “The water can be dangerous.”

Harriet sat back. Demon was underneath the dock but she could hear him easily. “But you’re here so there’s nothing that can hurt me,” Harriet said matter-of-factly. “Walter’s really sick. I’m going to town to try and get some medicine.”

“Are you now? That’s a big trip for such a little girl.”

Harriet bristled. She was not little. “I’ve been there before! I’m from there!” She tapped on the dock. “Come out so I can see you.”

“Such impertinence.” The demon’s chuckle scraped against her ears. “No, my darling, I think I’ll stay under here. It’s dangerous for you to see me after all.”

Harriet rolled her eyes. “I’ve already seen you.”

“Ah, yes. But the village doesn’t know that, now do they?” There was a tapping underneath her. “They fear what they don’t know, and yet they make no effort to know better.” There was a splash. “Go on and get your Walter his medicine.”

“Wait!” Harriet’s voice rang out and she clapped her hands over her mouth. There was another rough chuckle under the dock. “I want to talk to you again,” Harriet whispered after no outcries rose from the village.

“It’s dang-”

“Dangerous. I know.” Harriet rolled her eyes.

“Impertinence,” Demon repeated. “How will you get this medicine?”

Harriet thought of the saddle bag full of everything Walter had ever bought her. Shame made her uncomfortable and she pulled her knees to her chest. “Selling some stuff,” she muttered.

“I’m afraid I didn’t hear you, darling.”

“Selling my stuff,” she said. Anger was clear in her tone, but she didn’t care. She was angry. She didn’t want to sell it. She didn’t want to tell Walter that she sold it all after he’d picked everything out specially for her. “The medicine is expensive and it’s harder to catch fish in the daytime here.” She knew that was true. Her classmates had often repeated the struggles their families were having since fishing at night was made illegal.

“Your Walter needs fish for medicine? How odd.”

The demon didn’t have any idea how people worked. Harriet shook her head. “No, silly. Walter needs fish to sell to the people in town so he can afford to buy other things. Like medicine, and food, and toys for me.”

“And you’re selling the toys your Walter bought you?”

Shame curdled in Harriet's stomach again. She rapped her knuckles against the splintered wood of the dock. Demon rapped back the same pattern that she had made. “I don’t want to,” she admitted. “But Miss Martha’s home remedy isn’t helping much and there’s nothing else I can do.”

There was a grinding sound under the dock. Harriet wanted to look under to see what was going on, but she didn’t move. She didn’t want Demon to go away yet.

“Stay here, darling, I’ll be right back.”

Silence rang. Harriet shivered and pulled her cloak closer to her body. It wasn’t long until she saw a couple ripples coming from the end of the dock, then 6 fat fish were plopped onto the dock. Harriet stared at them. They lay unmoving on the wood. More than Walter had been able to catch in an outing in ages.

“Hurry along, darling. Don’t sell the things your Walter has given you. I’ll be here tomorrow too if you’d like to talk again.”

“Thank you,” Harriet whispered. She had no idea if Demon heard her or not since there was no response. She gathered the fish in her arms and carefully made her way off the dock. They barely fit in the second saddle bag. Walter usually had them hanging in a separate bag, but Harriet hadn’t brought it along.

Iris nickered at her and huffed into her hair. “We gotta hurry, Iris,” Harriet said.

Miss Martha agreed to go sit with Walter. Harriet knew she’d seen the fish in the saddle bag, but Miss Martha didn’t ask and Harriet didn’t know how she could explain it so she didn’t say anything either. Harriet pulled her cloak tighter and coaxed Iris into a faster pace on the path to town.