Embodiment of Winter

Catching a Cold

Sitting on the beach, I took a deep breath as I watched the waves crashing against the sand. The wind was blowing my hair in crazy directions, and I simply felt free sitting here.

Sitting on the beach, with my toes in the sand helped me clear my mind. 

It was my yearly tradition that on my birthday, I would come sit on the beach, watch the waves, occasionally surf, and just clear my mind. I'd done it ever since I was fourteen.

The only thing that had changed over the years, is that one I turned eighteen, I added drinking to my yearly ritual as well. And seeing as today is my twenty-first birthday, there would be plenty of that happening later. No doubt about that. 

"Well, hello you." Hearing an unfamiliar voice, I looked over my shoulder. "Didn't think I'd find you here." He chuckled as he approached. 

Quickly approaching, surfboard under arm, dripping with water was Olaf Johnson. It was only then that I realized he hadn't spoken the other day in Anders' office when we were introduced. He had a nice voice. Very fitting for the way he looked. 

"I could say the same to you." I said with a sigh as he plopped down in the sand next to me. 

"You surf?" He questioned, looking over my shoulder at the board behind me. I couldn't help but glance over at it myself for a moment before looking at the older man sitting next to me. "Occasionally. I mostly just come here to clear my mind." I nodded my head. 

"This isn't exactly what I pictured when you told Anders you were taking the time off for your twenty-first." Olaf said with a sigh. 

"I know it's not exactly what most people would do, but this is my tradition." I shrugged my shoulders, looking out to the water once more. I'm not sure why I was giving that information so freely, as if I'd known this man for years- but something about him felt like I had. As if we'd been friends for years. 

Seeing the size of the waves picking up, Olaf and I seemed to look at one another at the same time. "I'm going in." I stated simply before pushing myself up onto my feet. 

I could hear Olaf moving behind me, moving to stand as well, as I grabbed my board and started moving towards the water.

*****

Loosing my balance on my board, I barely heard the yelp that escaped the back of my throat over the sound of the wave as I went flying into the water. 

I just barely had time to suck in a deep breath before my entire body was sucked under the water. My eyes stung from the salt in the water, but I didn't close them. 

The water was pushing and pulling me around harshly as I tried to right myself enough to swim up. Every time I thought I had righted enough to believe I was upright, another burst of water crashed into me- forcing me in a different direction. 

Looking up, I could faintly spot a strange light in the distance above me- I could only assume that it was the sun hitting the top of the water. So I started heading towards it. 

I had been under the water too long, the lack of air made my chest feel like I'd been hit by a truck. Yet, even as the light I saw got closer, it seemed to be moving further away. 

Suddenly, I felt fingers wrapped around my upper arm before I was jerked up out of the water completely. 

Olaf was in the water next to me, and above the surface everything was calm. Though, the look on Olaf's face said that he was anything but. Over his shoulder, I could see both of our boards floating on top of the water. 

"You alright? You were under for a while." Olaf breathed, looking me over.

Nodding my head ever so slightly, I reached up and wiped the water away from my face. "Fine, just cold." I grumbled as a sudden chill went shooting down my spine. Olaf's eyes on me narrowed ever so slightly, as if in some kind of deep contemplation of something, before he nodded. "We should get you to shore." He stated simply.