The Ocean's Mercy

Wave after wave crashed into me, each one more intense than its predecessor. I could feel my body begin to shut down, I wasn't in control. Totally at the mercy of the ocean, I pleaded with it to wash me ashore.

The light of an illuminated full moon, and the million stars dangling above me provided a glimmer of hope, as I finally was able to spot land. The waves noticed this too and showed pity on me. Slowly, I drifted on to the grainy sand ahead.

I crawled as far up on the beach as I could, then turned on my back and lay there completely still. I watched as the stars and moon began to fade to darkness, I was passing out. I thanked the ocean for returning me to land, and then abruptly lost consciousness.

There was no time to be scared of who or what might find me.

Nightmares plagued my forced slumber. I tossed and turned but did not have the strength to awaken myself. My subconscious depicted a young woman doing unspeakable things that I could not imagine any human doing to another.

The nightmares eventually grew tired of tormenting my mind, and I woke up. I was in an unfamiliar bed, under blankets, and my head laid gently underneath a rather fluffy pillow.

Where was I? How did I get here? As I tried to figure out my surroundings a stinging and pulsating sensation erupted in my head.

When I grabbed the source of my excruciating pain, I felt a huge scar and bump on the back of my head. Where did that come from?

I scanned my body to notice tons of bruises and scar tissue covering me. I tossed the covers from on top of me, threw my legs over the side of the bed, and attempted to stand on my own two feet.

Immediately, I fell on to the wooden floor beneath me. I couldn't support my own weight; I was too weak. Panic began to overtake me, because in that moment, I was helpless, defenseless, and outright scared. The worst part about it was being alone.

As I sat there beside the bed frame, curled up and weeping, a door opened, and light shone in from the outside world. I wiped away my tears but could not stand up to face my captor.

It was an elderly woman. Small and frail, but not wrinkled by the decades of too much sunshine like so many others who live on the coast. She noticed me on the floor and walked slowly towards me like a stranger greets a new puppy.

"Hi hon! I'm glad to see you're finally awake. It's been a couple days. How are you feeling?" she said with the calmest, most sincere voice.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why did you bring me here?" I didn't listen to what she just said.

"My name's Linda darling. Friends call me Lin. I found you unconscious on the beach three mornings ago. I couldn't wake you, so I got my pal Jack to help me carry you back here and I've been looking over you while you sleep."

"I've been asleep for three days?!"

"I know it's scary hon. I couldn't find any wallet or ID, so I don't know who to call. What's your name dear?"

"My name- my name is...." My fear intensified in that moment. What was my name? Why couldn't a girl remember something she lived her whole life knowing? Linda saw the terror grow in my darting eyes as I tried to search my memories to no avail.

"It's okay, you hit your head pretty hard, probably just some short-term memory loss. We're in no rush. I don't get visitors this side of the beach very often. Can you tell me where you are?"

Again, my mind went blank. It was as if this was my first day on Earth. I knew nothing. A woman, unfamiliar with herself, in an unfamiliar place.

Linda helped me up and back into bed. I sat up right against the headboard and she brought over some warm soup to calm me down. Luckily for me, Linda was a nurse before she retired, so she took good care of me and my injuries.