Free Displaced by Sofia Grey Page A

piece of driftwood, I surveyed the quiet stretch of coastline. A pair of joggers way in the distance. A lone dog walker in the opposite direction. And me. Even the seagulls gave me a wide berth. Even though I looked like a normal human, they could sense that I was different, and whether they stayed away out of fear or respect didn’t matter.
    I closed my eyes against the bright sunlight, but the rays continued to kiss my pale skin. I wouldn’t burn, or tan, or freckle. I’d never wrinkle or age, and I could never die. My life would continue, alone, for eternity.
    Immortality sucks .
    A muffled woof and a splash dragged me from my pity party and I opened my eyes to glare at the dog walker. He’d obviously not picked up on the keep-the-fuck-away-from-me vibe. The dog, a shaggy mongrel, felt it. He skittered behind his master’s legs and as far from me as the leash would allow. At least he had some sense.
    The guy nodded to me as he drew near. “Afternoon.” He paused as though he expected me to answer. That was a novelty. I stared at him, expecting him to walk away again, but he stayed. He was young, mid-twenties at most, and still had that innocent naivety of someone who’s enjoyed their life. Thick dark hair, almost as black as mine, flopped onto a lightly tanned face, stubble raking his cheeks.
    The way he cocked his head to one side reminded me fleetingly of Matiu. He shifted and the resemblance was gone.
    “Great weather.” White teeth flashed in a friendly smile. With the afternoon sun behind him, I couldn’t tell what colour his eyes were, but they were light.
    Conversation? Why the hell not. It might distract me for a few minutes. “Afternoon,” I muttered, expecting him to walk away, but he didn’t. He extended the dog leash to let the beast move further away, and it ran into the shallows. As far from me as it could go. Sensible.
    “I saw you here yesterday.” His smile was undimmed by my sullen attitude. “You’ve a great spot to watch the sea from.”
    I knew every inch of this coastline. I could walk it blindfolded and still tell exactly where I was at any given moment, but I hadn’t noticed him before. Was I so wrapped up in my misery that I’d stopped paying attention?
    I looked at the stranger properly. Took in the bare feet, faded denims and sun-bleached once-black T-shirt. He held the dog leash firmly in one hand, but the other held a small green twig, fresh leaves along its length.
    He waited, presumably for me to reply, and for no reason other than I was bored, I spoke to him. “That stick looks a bit small for your dog.”
    The smile burst into a grin that lit up his face. “This?” He lifted the twig. “This isn’t for Butch, it’s for the Taniwha .”
    For a ridiculously long moment, I thought he was going to offer it to me. Don’t be so stupid, Henare. “ Taniwha ?” I queried, liking the fact that he pronounced it correctly.
    His eyebrows disappeared into the floppy hair. “You know, the sea dragon. There’s a monument at the other end of the beach.” He must have taken my intentionally blank face for misunderstanding. “Wow. I thought it was something we all learned at school. The legend of the Taniwha . My sister was terrified of it and my grandma used it as an excuse for everything.” He chuckled. “If you don’t do your homework, the Taniwha will catch you. That sort of thing.”
    Despite myself, I was amused. Interested. “And did she? Do her homework?”
    “Christ, yes. Highest achiever in the school. She’s studying hard numbers at Cambridge now.”
    The dog yanked at the leash, and the man tightened his grip. He had long fingers with clean, tidy nails, and that was another painful reminder of Matiu. Or maybe I was just seeing him everywhere right now. Another midsummer had come and gone, with no sign of him.
    “ Wait for me,” he’d said. “ I’ll come and find you.”
    Three hundred years had passed. How much longer did I have to wait?
    The guy watched