<p> </p><p>“Let’s go to the stream,” Laila said as she carefully placed down the horsehair cap she was working on and wiped my face.</p><p>“We’ll take a bath as soon as we’re done,” Farida added.</p><p>“I won’t go. I have a lot of work to do,” I replied while continuing to braid the new horsehair cap.</p><p>They both moved closer, showering me with convincing words until I finally gave in, not knowing what awaited me at the stream. I relented, saying, “But you have to help me sell food.”</p><p>“We agree,” they chorused.</p><p>My name is Sarah. Laila and Farida are my friends, and we’re all thirteen years old. We share similar interests, including a love for playing in water—whether it’s in the rain or at a stream.</p><p>I’m from a humble background. I earn a living by secretly working—helping a hairdresser and a food vendor. It’s all to provide for myself and my grandmother.</p><p>The three of us stepped out, locking up the salon before heading to the stream. Along the way, we chatted until we arrived. We stood, staring at the water gushing down from a tall hill and filling the vast area we called “Gulbi.”</p><p>Laila and Farida quickly jumped in, splashing and laughing. I dipped one foot in, intending to join them, but suddenly felt as if something held me back.</p><p>“Sarah, come on in!” they called. I answered, “Coming!” as I cautiously placed my second foot in the water.</p><p>Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my ears, like a needle piercing them. A burning sensation gripped my chest, and something seemed to move down my throat as if I had swallowed a pepper.</p><p>I looked up at the sky and saw dark, heavy clouds gathering rapidly, as though they were about to crash down into the stream. Fear overwhelmed me. Before I could react, I collapsed face-first into the water.</p><p>“Sarah!” I heard my friends scream, but that was the last thing I remembered.</p><p>When I woke up, I found myself lying on our old, wrinkled mattress.</p><p>Slowly sitting up, I held my throbbing forehead.</p><p>“You’re awake?” Grandma asked, her eyes filled with concern.</p><p>“Yes, but…” I trailed off.</p><p>“Lie back down and rest. I know you must be exhausted,” she said, handing me a small bowl. I assumed it was herbal medicine, but as I peered into the bowl, I noticed tiny, wriggling creatures at the bottom.</p><p>“Grandma, what’s this?” I asked, looking at her.</p><p>“It’s Floris water,” she replied. Floris is a plant known for curing all sorts of ailments, especially those caused by evil forces. I had read about it in books, including one by Mrs. Sadauki. However, this liquid looked different from the Floris water I had seen described. Despite my doubts, I drank it.</p><p>Barely five minutes later, my forehead began to throb loudly, as if splitting in two. My brain felt as though it was shifting inside my skull. Suddenly, vivid images of what had happened under the water came flooding back.</p><p>In the flashback, humanoid fish creatures surrounded me, treating me like a queen. They bathed me in a special liquid, rubbed something into the soles of my feet, and removed a necklace from my neck. A strikingly handsome young man placed the necklace around his own neck before hurling me back onto the shore.</p><p>When I came back to the present, I instinctively touched my neck. The necklace was gone.</p><p>Grandma moved closer. “Sarah, tell me what you saw,” she demanded.</p><p>I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned away and lay back down.</p><p>She let out a frustrated hum and left the room. Curious, I jumped up and opened the old metal box she always kept locked. Inside were ancient photos and objects that seemed centuries old. Among them, I saw an image of a queen of fish—her face unmistakably evil.</p><p>The more I looked, the more my eyes began to blur as if they were absorbing something. Alarmed, I shut the box and pushed it aside.</p><p>Later, Grandma received visitors. She asked me to step outside, as usual. This time, however, I was determined to find out what she was hiding. After waiting for about five minutes, I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn’t move. It felt as though they were paralyzed.</p><p>Once the guests left, my legs suddenly freed up. Grandma glanced at me with a knowing look and asked, “When did you start feeling this change?”</p><p>“Change? What do you mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.</p><p>“The urge to know what I do,” she replied.</p><p>“I don’t want to know anything,” I said defensively.</p><p>“Very well,” she said, though disbelief lingered in her eyes.</p><p>That night, after dinner, Grandma began telling me her usual eerie bedtime stories. I always enjoyed them, but this time was different. As I fell asleep, I had a strange dream: I saw Grandma transforming into a chicken, flying over rooftops, and peeking into people’s homes.</p><p>When I woke up the next morning, I was filled with curiosity. What exactly was Grandma hiding from me? My resolve to uncover the truth grew stronger.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
