Ecstasy [h.s.]

45

June 1, 2023

I stare at myself in the mirror, my arms burning from trying to put my hair up in a ponytail. "Oh, whatever," I mumble, letting my arms drop and shrugging on my swimsuit coverup. I've been so bored all day today, and so I decided to take a swim in the ocean. Our hotel was right on what was supposed to be one of Houston's best beaches. I grab my towel and phone, opening my hotel door and heading down to the lobby.

I open up the entrance to the hotel, walking down in the sand to the beach. I drop my towel down at the beach; it's surprisingly empty for an evening. I take off my coverup, putting it next to my towel. I walk to the edge of the ocean, letting the water lap at my legs.

The sun begins its descent, casting a warm, golden glow across the horizon. The gentle breeze carries the soothing scent of saltwater with the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore. As I stand at the water's edge, I feel the cool, refreshing embrace of the ocean. The sand beneath my feet is soft and inviting. Seagulls soar overhead, their calls echoing against the vast expanse of the open sky.  The setting sun paints the sky with hues of orange and pink.

As I wade deeper into the ocean, the water reaches my waist, and with a decisive push, I dive into the slightly choppy sea. The initial shock of the coolness gives way to a soothing comfort as I let myself float on the surface.

"Hey." I whirl around in the ocean when I hear someone speak, just to see Harry at the edge of the water with his sunglasses on. He's wearing a black T-shirt and matching shorts.

"What the hell is going on with your outfit man?" I gape in shock. 

Harry looks down at his shorts, then back up at me. "What's wrong with them? I like black."

"You look like you work on a morgue on the beach."

"The fuck?" Harry gapes.

"Don't you have a job to get back to? How do you even have a job with the amount of time you have to just walk around and scare the shit out of people," I roll my eyes. "C'mon, what do you want?"

"I saw you out here. You should really tie your hair up." He says, shrugging.

"I tried. It looked shit." I say, barely moving closer to him. 

"I can do it." He says, wading a bit into the water.

"Uh, sure." I stand up as I move closer to the shore. When I'm finally in front of Harry, I turn around and hand him my hairtie. His fingers deftly navigate through the strands, a practiced touch. As he gathers the hair into a bundle, there's a gentle pull, and I resist the urge to move away. The touch feels almost intimate.

As he secures the hair tie, I resist the urge to pull away sharply. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness.  "Thanks," I mumble, turning around and taking a few steps back. I twist a few pieces of my ponytail away from my face.

"Huh." That's all he says.

"Uh, you can go now if you want to," I respond. I turn again so that my back is to him, diving back into the ocean. I spit a little of the ocean

"Sure." But he just stands there, staring at the ocean. And me in the ocean.

"Do you need something?" I ask as I tread water. I'm not sure why he came here, or why he's still here. He's so weird sometimes.

"No." He says, but he looks awkward.

"You look like you need something."

"I'm good." He clears his throat.