Chapter 1

The day Rosa Bennet was born, everyone knew she would be different. On May 12, 1827, the day Rosa was born, no fish was caught. No oysters nor clams could be found to dig up.

The day before had been the most bountiful catch the townspeople had seen in eighteen years. Yet that day, none were found anywhere.

“Burn her! She caused this to happen to us!” the townspeople shouted when Rosa was presented to them.

“I swear upon all that is holy that you shall not kill my daughter this day, or any day henceforth I live!” her mother warded off the townspeople.

That night, however, her mother was caught by a fever. She lasted but a week. Her last words were, ”protect my daughter.”

Rosa’s aunt came to take custody of the newborn immediately. She raised Rosa as her own daughter, protecting her from the superstitions of the townsfolk.

Rosa could not be protected, though. She disobeyed the rules and went down to the dock everyday since she was able to walk on her own.

“You must never go down to the docks,” her aunt would say. “You could fall in.”

Although Rosa found it impossible to resist the call of the sea, she never fell in.

Rosa listened to the sea and heard it. Simply by listening to the wind, she could tell the weather. When she was five, she did the most remarkable thing. Yet few still live, who remember.

Chapter 2

“Well, well. If it isn’t little Rosa Bennet, back from the docks,” Jack Foreman said, swinging the young girl up and around.

“Uncle Jack!” she squealed. He set her down.

“What news have you from the sea?” Jack had found out that it was better to play up to her imagination than to dismiss her tales all together.

“Uncle Jack, I heard the most awful thing! Jimmy Williams is going to. . . to. . .” she trailed off.

“To what, Blossom?” Uncle Jack asked. Nothing could prepare him for what the five-year-old said next.

“Die,” she whispered. The tone she used made Jack’s blood turn to ice.

“Die? Rosa, Blossom, no one going to die. Least of all Jimmy. Now, go inside and help your aunt. She’s making sweet bread.” With a kiss on the head, he ushered her into the house and left for the docks.

The procession the next day was dull and dreary, as rain poured down upon all inhabitants. In the front of the procession was the town preacher, followed by Jana Williams and her sons, Gerard and Andre. Jimmy had been their father, and Jana’s husband.

Behind them, carried by four pallbearers, was a wooden coffin, oiled against the rain. Inside was the body of Jimmy Williams, who was found dead the morning before. He had been night-fishing when he fell off of his boat and drowned.

Behind the coffin and pallbearers were the rest of the small town of Jopre, each bearing gifts to put upon his grave. Rosa was with her aunt and uncle, carrying a rose.

“I’m telling you, Mary, Rosa knew about this. After I talked with her, I went down to the docks. They were dragging his body out of the water when got there. Something’s just not natural with that girl. She knew it would happen,” Uncle Jack told his wife that night.

“Oh, nonsense. You and your superstitions. There’s nothing wrong with the girl, and we’re not giving her up. If we were going to do that, we would have down so the first half a dozen times she’s done something strange,” Mary replied sternly.

“But she’s never done anything this strange before. This is different than knowing what day’s the fishing will be good or bad.”

“Fine. We’ll keep her away from the sea. That should cure any strangeness she has,” Mary decided.

Unknown to her aunt and uncle, Rosa slipped from her place outside the door and crawled upstairs and into bed. Tears ran silently down her face as she thought of how she’d never see the beautiful sea again.