Delicate Hearts | a Collection of Short Stories

Ghost Of You

A professional surfer from Santa Cruz, named Lauren Gates, is known for her sharp tongue and displeasing attitude towards the media. She is often rude and ungrateful; but she is honest. She is not afraid to speak her mind, to say whatever comes in her head, and she never sugar coats. Despite the unpleasant attitude she displays on and off camera, she is the best in what she does. 

Lauren is an orphan, and grew up in the care of her Aunt Kori, who also happened to be her coach. Whenever she hops on that board and let the waves take her, she becomes a different person; free spirited, and someone who would likely catch waves for you. And whenever she rides every waves thrown at her, she don't hesitate to mesmerize everybody, even the ones that hates her the most. 

She has been surfing ever since she was eight, joined every local tournament, and won every single one of them. Her ultimate goal is to qualify for the Summer Olympic. She has been preparing for it; perfecting every stunt, but everyday, waves differ. She memorized her routine in her head but have never applied it. 

One day, the weather forecast reported a storm, and its a big one that will cause unprecedented huge waves, and in worse case scenarios, hurricane. Lauren did not only have a brilliant idea, but a dangerous one. She, not only thought of surfing to that wave, but practice in it until she perfects it. Aunt Kori couldn't stop her, she had no choice but to drag local authorities to stop her; and as she dragged them, the media as well got involved. They started provoking her, that only pushed her even more to do it.

Waves came crashing, she paddled and immediately caught one, and another, and another. Every wave she caught and every moves she performed, she executed leaving everyone watching her in awe.  The attention of every spectators were diverted when the rescue speed boat finally arrived at the scene, and when they looked back at Lauren, no body could find her. After exactly seven minutes, she resurfaced. Aunt Kori realized she duck dived prepared for that specific wave; its a huge one. 

Lauren caught it's speed, she kept up with it, it formed to a tube - its a barrel ride. With wind hurling, the height of the wave increased, it was the thickest wave so far. Within minutes since Lauren caught the wave, it's size doubled. After a full 20-second barrel ride, she appeared at the end, but struggling to get out, until the wave wiped her out, sucked into its depths. The rescuers had to wait for the wave to completely crash, fellow surfers came to rescue her. She was floating, unconscious, and the rescuers only have a 5-minute window until the next wave. The media swarmed at the shoreline when her body was carried out of the boat, ambulance stood by, she was immediately brought to the hospital. 

---

(First Person POV)

"Arrogant? Check. Good? Actually, you are. Disciplined? Not really", 

A voice woke me up. 

"Congratulations Lauren! Your arrogance nearly killed you", 

I couldn't be more annoyed; who on earth have the guts to offend me on my bed side. "Who the hell are you to talk about--realized there was nobody in the room--me that way?!", I wailed. I swear, I heard somebody, perfectly loud and clear. 

"I'm sorry? You can hear me?", that voice recurred. 

"What the heck?--in confusion-- where are you?", there's nobody in the room with me. 

"Yes you can", he talked again. 

"I've gone mad", I talked to myself. 

"Nope. I'm really in here. I mean, inside you", 

In panic, I shrugged, checking my body, even though I know that what he just said does not make sense at all, "shut up, shut up", I said. Suddenly, Aunt Kori came in.