Moments In Between

Chapter 5

Songs for This Chapter: "Comet by Sevdaliza" & "Truth by Seinabo Sey"

A trickle of light danced across the shadows, showcasing how much of an oblivion her mind was in.

It scared her; made her heart want to crawl to the back of her body, deep into her spine. She moved her way to the light until she could see a small opening. She shot through it with a need to be somewhere other than this purgatory. Clawing and kicking until she felt grains of sand squish between her fingers and her mouth was forced open to heave, water splurging from her and onto the sand. She flipped over and onto her back, chest rising and falling rapidly. Slowly, her eyes opened and the picture that laid before her was a beautiful distraction from the fire that stoked in her sandpaper lined lungs. Her body didn't ache, it felt absolutely shattered; but, even as the helplessness started to build, the sky soothed her. It was as if the stars were shining brighter for her and the moon had pulled itself closer to the earth out of concern. Leanna's vision kept wavering in and out, so she just closed her eyes again and let her ears do all the work.

There were crickets chirping and the waves crawled up the shore, licking her toes. Her chest felt as if a Mara had sat on it and had tried to beat its way into her body to choose a new bone to pick its teeth with. Everything felt so heavy and Leanna was developing a case of the spins.

A distant gasp had her trying to reign in her lucidity. She didn't want anyone to find her vulnerable and broken like this.

"What are you doing here little fish?" It was the soft voice of a woman, her voice barely a whisper, but significantly closer than before.

Was Leanna supposed to be 'little fish'?

The woman made a tutting, coo-like sound, "Do not fret my little fish, you've been working against such hard currents haven't you?" Silken fingers brushed back the curls that had plastered itself across her face. Leanna opened her eyes once again, her vision clearing, to meet someone else's. The details of the woman's face were hard to see against the darkness of night but her eyes were unforgettable. Her pupils seemed to take up her whole eye leaving only a sliver of iris, or something that looked like melting gold. They were something Leanna had never seen before and she wasn't sure whether to be terrified or fascinated. Leanna tried to move away and say something, but all that came out was a scream of agony. She took shallow breaths and the thundering pain caused her head to throb. Leanna hoped that she wasn't whimpering loudly because it was a meak sound compared to the pulsing in her ears. The woman shushed her as a mother would a crying baby before she placed herself above Leanna's. Kneeling and leaning over Leanna, the woman placed Leanna's head in her lap to place a feather light kiss to her forehead. A flush of relief coursed through her body and the breath that was crumpled in her chest flew from her lips with a few more dribbles of sea water.

"I will come see you again and walk with you. Until then, little fish." Leanna could have sworn that she saw the woman's lips tilt into such a genuine smile, but it was dark, and she was suddenly so very tired.

                                                                                            ***

Leanna's terribly dry throat caused her to stir from an uncomfortable slumber. Her entire body was sore, and as she started to sit up she had to take deep breaths through the painful stiffness of her body. Leanna looked around and her stomach dropped. It wasn't quite dawn yet, the sky still trying to brighten to a periwinkle and the world was still silent. She couldn't help the tears that had started to fall down her already swollen face.

How had she survived that?

Was that strange woman just a dream that she had while on the brink of death?