“Maybe the current took him,” he said. “Or a storm.” “No storm,” the elder replied. “The water was calm that night. Flat as glass. Just like now.” The group stood in uneasy silence. The waves lapped quietly against the beach, the only sound between them.
Finally, one of the men muttered, “Let it lie, stranger. We leave it alone for a reason.” When they left, Elias stayed. The links glistened wet and dark under the twilight sky, disappearing into the sea like the tail of something vast.