Water splashing my face.

The sky, a black canvas sprayed with white. So far away…

My hand is stiff. I make an effort to move it.

My arm is stuck, stuck in wet sand.

I wiggle the rest of my body, and I find that I’m laying in wet sand, my back and legs and arms half swallowed by soft, wet sand.

A salty breeze brushes my hair. It flops onto my face, cold and wet.

The sky is so beautiful.

The beach and the sky embrace me. The ocean lulls me into a deep wonder.

No fear. No stress.

I relax into the sand.

A shout from somewhere far away, their voice carried to my ears by the breeze.

My mind says _get up_.

My body says _let’s stay here_.

“Help…” a voice, sharper than before.

As I lift my head, the sand is unwilling to let me go. I strain my neck.

_So heavy…_

The sand eventually gives in, issuing a squelching sound. It takes effort popping the rest of my body out of the soft, warm sand. An ocean wave splashes my feet.

I can now see the dark expanse of water stretched out far beyond my sight, reflecting the white splashed across the sky.

An even brighter white glares in my eyes from somewhere off to the side.

I look over.

A bright light, shining, looking at _me. _

_“_Please, anyone….” Their voice is painful to hear, disturbing my beautiful happiness.

I try to stand up. But I’m too heavy. It’s too hard. _I think I’ll just lay here…_

_“_Eliot, are you there?”

Suddenly the world becomes clear and the sounds become sharper, my senses coming back in a big tidal wave.

The ease and happiness drains out of me in half a second.

Memories flood in with no regard for if I can register them all in that moment.

My body surges with strength that had been void a moment before, and I scramble up and out of the sickeningly squelchy sand. The water sharply stings my ankles as I stumble toward the bright light looking at me. The wind blows hard, threatening to fall me over in the cold water.

The world is no longer beautiful. It is _terrifying._

The light far ahead, glaring into me, blinding me. All I know is to move to it. Never stop. Keep going. Don’t stop.

My legs tangle and I slap onto the ground over and over and I struggle back up over and over. _Keep going. _

A sharp pain shoots up my leg.

_Don’t stop._

My head throbs.

Flashes of before race across my mind:

Screeching metal, loud booming, the boat sinking. _Sinking. _

Hugging, crying, saying goodbye…

My face is wet and sticky, because of the sea, or maybe the tears streaming out of my blinded eyes. The light is bigger now, taking up my whole world.

And then it’s gone.

I’m in the dark. The ocean slamming against the sand and the cold wet ground pulling me in.

“RACHEL?” A voice that could be mine cuts through the uniform sound of the world. It’s pathetic and doesn’t sound like me at all.

“Please… I don’t know… I can’t see..” the voice is so small, almost gone, _almost gone._

I’m flung forward, by a force I can’t explain.

“I’m here, Rachel! I’m here! What’s wrong?” My voice is broken and shaking. _I can’t see. _

_Everything is DARK and I can’t see and Rachel is DYING._

”I wish we had more time…” her voice is so small.

I feel her and hug her and cling to her, not able to form any words.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hours seems to drag on. I close my eyes.

When I open them, the sun is warming my face. The wind is pleasant.

The ocean is big, bright, and blue. The dark ship is wrecked and broken on the shore.

My arms suddenly long for Rachel. _Where is she???_

I bolt upright. I look down, where I thought she was before. I look around, behind me. I look up. I look anywhere, _everywhere._

My heart drops, stops beating.

She’s not here.

She’s gone. Gone forever.

Gone for good.

Maybe the sand took her,

like it tried to take me in the dark.

Gone for good.

For good.