## Chapter 1
The sun turned the sky red as it sank over the trees on the other side of the lake. Davey was sitting on his porch with his large Labrador Retriever, Groucho, watching the sun over the edge of the book he was reading. He noticed birds flying from tree to tree and enjoyed their silhouettes as they cut through the air, imagining the sounds they might be making. Davey had been born with a congenital disability where his eardrums never developed. He was completely deaf, living in a world of utter silence. His only connection to sound was vibrations and the descriptions he read in his books.
Davey put the book down and started petting Groucho as he gazed over the lake. He had always been drawn to this lake. Every time his family would drive past, he would feel a tug in his gut, and he longed to get to its shore. As he got older, he would spend all of his spare, and sometimes not so spare, time here at the lake. The owner never seemed to mind; of course, if the lady had ever tried yelling at him, Davey wouldn’t have known.
After making a few million investing in cryptocurrency, he jumped at the chance when this place went up for sale, along with the lake and surrounding acreage. The previous owner had filed for bankruptcy, and the entire property was auctioned off. He bought the property, built his dream cabin, and has been living there ever since. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh smell of the surrounding forest; all this was his, and he was home.
Davey stood up and decided to take a last-minute swim. Walking down the stairs, with Groucho close at his heels, Davey followed the small path down to his private dock. Groucho loved to swim in the lake as much as he did and could sense when Davey was going for a swim. He stopped at the edge, his faithful dog beside him, and watched as the waves lapped at the edge of the beach, wishing he could know the soft sound of water against shore. Stripping down to nothing, he dove in.
The cold rushed over his body; the water felt comforting. He always loved the water, but being in this lake, it felt like he was rejuvenating his soul. He broke the surface and looked up to the light barely covering the sky. The wake of Groucho’s paddle next to him made Davey feel less alone as they swam quickly across the lake and then back to his dock. He lifted himself out of the water and sat naked on the edge for a few minutes. Groucho had to take the long way around via the shore, but was now lying next to him. Davey’s feet hung over the edge as he watched the last of the sun set until the only light came from his cabin behind him. He stood, pulled on his pants, and started toward the light.
Davey could feel the rocks crunch under his feet as he walked back up to his cabin, which was providing just enough light for him to see through the moonless night. Groucho was jumping around his feet as he took each step. Reaching the porch, he turned back to look at the lake once more. Even now, a tug in his gut drew him back to the lake he had just come from.
Davey threw his shirt into one of the chairs as he walked into the cabin, going straight to the kitchen. Davey made himself a quick cup of tea, then sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. After quickly reading the subtitles, the show was obviously one of those home-video shows, and not what Davey was in the mood for. Grabbing the remote, he started changing the channels, hoping to see something that would entertain him for at least a little while that night.
Groucho wasn't sitting next to Davey on the couch as usual; he usually loved watching Davey flip through the channels to decide what to watch. Davey noticed Groucho was very active, and it looked as if he was barking at something or someone outside the door. Davey stood up and walked over; he couldn't see anyone through the glass, but maybe they were just behind the door. Looking through the peephole, there was no one there, yet Groucho was still barking and making a ruckus. Davey opened the door carefully, looking to see if someone was there, but there was no one—just a cool breeze that came from the lake. Davey felt good, and his skin tingled as he took a step out onto his porch, turning the light back on.
Standing at the edge, looking for any signs of a visitor or even wildlife, because he knew something was bothering Groucho. Though Groucho wouldn't leave the porch, out of fear, Davey kept a keen eye out when a purple light flashed from the lake, filling the whole area and then quickly dispersing. He was shocked at what he thought he saw. Trying to peer harder but barely seeing, he could see something almost fly out of the water and land on his dock. He ran to his kitchen, grabbed a flashlight, and started down the path with Groucho close on his heels. When he reached the dock, he saw something slumped over, lying on it.
Davey paused at first as he noticed that whatever it was was now moving. Looking at Groucho, he could see the dog was at the ready, but he didn’t know whether Groucho wanted to fight or flee. He took that as a good sign and moved closer. Soon, he could see that whatever lay there had long hair that seemed to cover the entirety of the upper body. He saw definite feet and legs, and it grew more and more human as he got closer and closer. The figure lifted its head as he approached, revealing the face of a young woman. He froze as he looked at the beauty staring back at him. She opened her mouth, and Davey could tell that she was trying to yell, but, of course, he couldn’t hear and had no way of telling her.
It was not long before the shock wore off for Davey. Looking down at Groucho, who was in full attack mode, Davey ignored the dog and dropped the light, then moved quickly to the woman, who was now obviously in need of his help. The woman was naked, and Davey approached, lifting his hands so she could see them. He tried to gesture that he couldn't hear her. "I will bring you to my cabin," he tried to say, but unless she could read or understand sign language, he had little he could communicate. Looking over her naked body, Davey couldn't see any major cuts or injuries, but she looked pale, and he could see goosebumps rising all over her skin.
Reaching down and wrapping his arms around her, there was a strange tingle that seemed to transfer from her to him as soon as he touched her. She lifted a little before she fell into his arms on the dock. Her skin was frozen, which shocked Davey, as her skin was colder than the water. Davey instantly knew he needed to get her into warmth. So Davey slid his second arm under her legs and lifted her. Davey held the naked woman tightly against his bare chest as he walked up the small path to his cabin to lay her on the couch and cover her with a blanket.
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