Lost by the Shore (short story)

🌊Lost By the Shore

Story written by Renae Bates 

 The girl was lost. She had been heading into the unknown for what felt like eons, but on most days, the sky was bright and the sand between her toes gave her reassurance that she was on the ground. The girl at least would not drown. However, she fell countless times but got up and continued walking each time. There were times where storms brewed and rumbled throughout, generating unbearable winds, knocking the girl completely off the path she followed before but she got up and continued walking each time. With every challenge and disaster, no matter the direction she was heading, she never stopped. She just kept walking.

At the moment, the conditions were peaceful. The sound of the waves were calm and gentle, welcoming a soothing notion to the mind. The grain makeup of the sand was soft to the touch and the wind breeze evoked remnants of ease amongst the ambience. It was the calmest the shore has ever been. The significance of the scene brought the girl to a halt. She finally stopped. Smiling, she turned to look at the beauty of the ocean. Even though she had been walking for miles that added up into days, weeks, and even years, she had never looked at the ocean. The deep blue swirled with greens and yellows that were created by the sun's rays shining down, causing tears to fall down her cheeks.

"It's beautiful." The words softly left her lips as she took slow steps into the water, closing her eyes. Despite the challenge, the shore settled her demons. She trusted the shore as if it was her lifeline. Before she found the shore, anxieties took advantage of her. In those very instances, she did not get up when she fell. She stayed in the same place and did not move forward. She knew where she was, but even though she knew, she was certain that such a place was what ignited the fire and burnt her joys to ash. Despite the few occasions where light emitted through the darkness, she was too weak to reach for it. However, the day she decided to get up and walk, was the day she found the shore.

Finally witnessing the beauty of the sea after all this time, she knew exactly why such a thing could bring the light she needed in order to outshine the darkness. At the same time, the very place she stood felt right. After the endless steps she took to get where she was, she finally felt the most at peace with herself. The calmest part of the shore was indeed the most welcoming and she knew that it was worth the journey to finally find it. She sat down on the sand and just let the water entwine with her toes and retracted away again. She did not know where she was or what the calmness this place would bring. It may bring pain, but for now, it brought forth endless euphoria to the surface. The girl left many people behind for this journey, but people close to her would always be in her heart and memories from the past experiences that happened in her life. However, at the moment, the girl was thinking of nothing. Silence filled the void of cognition as the waves kept swirling gently and the breeze remained constant and tranquil.

Despite being alone the smiling girl had one phrase leave her lips before staying quiet in order to enjoy the peace. "I may not know where I'm going, but I will always have faith in the shore."