The Tower of Wayrath: The watering hole

The change was abrupt, as mournful pleading shifted into horrified begging. The only solid part of the features still seemed to be those dark eyes, like bits of black sand set in crystal. She lowered her head, and melted into the water, only to rise up just at the edge of where the water dipped into murky depths. The girl splashed forwards, almost onto the shore, with a translucent hand stretched forward towards the woman.

"No don't leave us, please! We promised you another song! You mustn't leave yet!"

Gravity seemed to increase dramatically, where the Sphinx now stood. The sand around her feet sifted downwards, pulled into her footprints by its own weight, while all her practical clothing suddenly weighed much more than it had moments ago. It was impossible to tell if the girl was actually weeping, but the hair at the corners of her cheeks were matted to the clear flesh and dripped with lakewater.

"You mustn't leave us...we won't let you."

And then she began crawling up out of the waters, her hips stretching inhumanly back to the lake like a snake rearing up out of shade to slither across the sand.

"We won't."