Creating Ripples

The lure bobbled lazily on top of the clear river water, creating tiny ripples that broke through the near transparent surface.

Toby watched the bait with muted interest, one hand planted firmly on the pole and the other propping his head up as he tried ineffectively to stay awake. It was a beautiful spring day, and he would much rather spend it dozing under a shady tree than fishing in the blistering sunlight.

The water wheel broke through his thoughts, groaning and screeching noisily, as if in protest to his wistful ponderings.

He nodded in reluctant agreement. The water wheel was right… He knew that he didn't have time for such a thing; as the fish became scarcer, his days became more tedious. Toby didn't have time to waste away anymore. Most of his days were spent patiently waiting on the bank of the river for one of the few remaining fish to draw close to his bait.

Of course, Toby didn't mind that at all.

You could even say that Toby was living his dream. The easy, relaxed lifestyle of a fisherman had always appealed to him, even as a small child.

However, there was something going on in this quaint little island that made his job increasingly difficult… Toby had just assumed that the gods were upset with the island for their apparent ignorance of the deities. But what did he know? He was just a lowly fisherman, living his life day by day… Surely someone would find a solution to this crisis before he could.

Letting out an idle yawn, he stretched his free arm and let it fall limply to his side.

The river's current was abruptly beginning to quicken, as any good fisherman knew was a sign of incoming fish. Toby perked up, putting both hands on the pole in anticipation.

This was it…his first catch of the day.

He could feel the soft patter of a poor, unsuspecting fish as it tested the bait cautiously. The subtle 'plunk' of the lure gained his full attention as he waited for the final bite. Fishing wasn't just pulling and reeling, after all. For Toby, it was an art.

Tap, tap.

Just a bit longer…

Tap, tap…

Soon, the fish would snag the line, and then all he had to do was-

"Hello?"

"Wuh?" Toby turned to look inquisitively at his new guest. The voice didn't sound familiar, but then, he could never be sure.

He saw a spot of brown peeking from around the corner and smiled. It must be the new farmer everyone was talking about. Before he could say hello, Toby felt the familiar tug of the rod as his grip tightened instinctively.

Tap, tap, PLUNK…

Both sets of eyes snapped to the fishing lure sitting in the water.

The fish! It…got away…

The woman looked frantically between the end of the rod and Toby's stunned reaction. "Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry! I really didn't-"

Toby held up his hand to stop her, still gazing thoughtfully at the broken line. Nothing a little more string couldn't fix… although, he knew that he was due for a new one anyway.

He turned to the young maiden, smiling his easygoing grin and shaking his head. "It's alright. Rainbow trout are common around these parts, anyways."

She turned bright crimson, like a freshly cooked salmon. "B-but…Your rod…"

Toby looked to his broken line and shrugged. No use getting upset about the past, after all. "I was looking for a new one anyway. It's no trouble…" Suddenly remembering his manners, he stuck out his hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm Toby, by the way."

She grinned and took his hand, shaking it once before dropping her arms to her side. "Hikari. It's a pleasure to meet you, Toby."

He smiled, deciding at that instant that he would try to make Hikari turn pink again. Although, he determined that just seeing her another time would suffice.

Maybe it was intuition…maybe it was the goddess, herself…but something in the very back of his mind told Toby that there were going to be many more conversations to come…

And he was definitely okay with that.

I don't know much about fishing, so if I made any mistakes regarding that, please let me know! Reviews are loved :)