The Seed of Hope

Chapter 5: The Red-Head Man

Rai hammered a wood column back into place on the porch of Kate's house. He wiped the sweat from his eyebrow and jumped down from the ceiling.

-"That's done!"- Rai dusted his hands off with each other as Kate and Leena approached him.

-"Thank you so much, sweet pea."- Leena said handing him a glass of water. -"You have been such a blessing to us."- She continued with a caring smile.

It's been a month and the village has been rebuilt. The scars of the tragic event were slowly fading but they still let their presence known. Cruise ships stopped showing up but supply goods and trade came more than ever looking to help out in the reconstruction of the island of Kirya. Neighboring islands also sent parties of construction and medical workers to aid the people. Kate and her family constantly did their best to help out. For the first time in a month, the ocean finally looked calm.

After a long day of volunteering at the shelter, Kate made her way back to her house, carrying a box of supplies and tools. The sunset reflected on her face as she turned to look at the ocean like always.

The thought of her calling, Ivee, her mom, and Rai flooded her mind causing her to become anxious.

Kate sighed and went down the hill from the sidewalk to the beach. She placed the box on the sand and sat next to it, taking off her sandals and placing them on the box. The gentle sway of the water kissed her feet, she placed her chin between her knees and just slumped and pondered in her thoughts. The water gently cleanses Kate's feet as tears swell up in her eyes. She ran her sore and callous hands on her legs, soothing her anxiety. She has been working so hard volunteering in the shelter and rebuilding houses.

-"I need cleansing..."- Kate wiped the tears away, sniffling, and dragged her body into the water. She didn't care if she still had her clothes on, she just wanted relief.

Kate floated on her back looking up at the sky as the stars slowly appeared one by one. It was getting dark pretty fast and so did the water. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Kate let the salt water cleanse every part of her stressed body, slowly feeling at ease.

Suddenly, Kate heard whispering in her head. The same whispering she heard during the tragedy but this time it was softer, still alarming nonetheless. She shifted to a vertical position and noticed that she was very far from the shore.

-"How...did I get so far?"- Kate whispered in a panicked tone. She hasn't been that far away from her island before. Especially at night, in the ocean, alone.

Kate quickly started swimming as fast as she could while ignoring the whispers in her head that called to her. The mix of panic and the struggle of swimming in the dark increased Kate's anxiety significantly. Those voices never stopped, they wouldn't leave her alone and she was starting to feel overwhelmed.

-"What's going on!!?"- Kate screamed as she fought against the waves that suddenly appeared. The sight of the shore was blurry but Kate didn't give up, all she wanted was to touch the sand and feel safe. As Kate kept her eye on the shore, she could faintly see a silhouette of a man standing near the water, waiting for her. She thought it was Rai at first but then noticed that the man was taller and had longer hair. Kate's vision started to fade and her breathing tightened as her limbs went numb. She sank and the black waves pulled her under.

Kate tried to open her eyes. The salt between her lashes was dry as if it'd been there for hours. The soreness in her body quickly took over and made her hiss. As Kate slowly sat up wrapping her arm around her ribs, she noticed she was back on shore. The damp clothes hugged her body and her hair stuck to her face and neck. Her vision slowly cleared up as she looked around for any clues of what happened. The box of tools was still there, and the stars were still up, meaning Kate wasn't out for a long time; or so she thought. Kate took heavy breaths and lifted herself to her feet.