Amethyst Genesis: Bleeding Ruby

Sea Spray

Hal was alone on a sunny beach staring at the peculiar waves and seafoam. Each flurry of froth was illuminated by the plankton that inhabited the waters. He was underneath the shade of a parasol as he slowly stands up brushing sand from his shorts, he wore a red polo shirt unbuttoned, the two flaps blowing in the cool breeze as he walked towards the waves in his sandals. Hal looked up at the sky and as his feet entered the verdant waters, he raised his hands up to the sky as he closes his eyes in the state of bliss; it had been a breath of fresh air to just be alone clearing his mind as he runs his palms down his face. 

Hal walked through the waves, eyes closed, trusting himself to his ears. The oceans waves sang, he was no longer alone, but one with the waves, the flora and fauna of the reefs, the chirping seagulls and the blooming phytoplankton. Existence was bliss for Hal as he swished and pranced from the chorus coming through the waves stretching his arms wide as he twirls and then slowly opens his eyes.  This world was something that felt surreal, it felt like a dream as if gravity let go of him. All his pains and thoughts were dissolved with the sea foams, he was weightless in the waves.

FWOOSH

 Hal's trance was broken by a sudden splash in the face by a looming figure from the depth; a fishlike form emerged from the waves with brimming docile eyes as it breached the foam. The fish, more as a mammal with fishlike qualities was stocky and sleek with a round snout to that of a dog. It was a puppy ray. Its deep blue skin was shinier than most fish and seal skins, as it barked gasping for air. It stopped to look at Hal it tilted its head to look at him. It slowly swam close to the land as Hal walked towards it, slowly sludging his way through the waves to touch the animal. 

Hal gently caressed its face, and as he did so, the cub looked up into his eyes. With the innocence of a newborn, it gazed at him, a mere month old yet already swimming the waves alone. Their eyes met, a silent connection formed, accompanied by the rhythmic lull of the waves crashing against the shore.

The silent serenity of the waves was interrupted by a bellow from beyond the waves. The pup's ears twitched as it giddily swam towards the source of the sound; a lumbering sea beast emerged from the waves. It roughly was 6 meters in length, it was the mother. The mother looked at Hal while the cub was nuzzling up to her and just swam back to the depths with a cub following in suit pushing the verdant waves. 

"A family." Hal thinks as his mind trails off. His expression still waned of pains from the day before. He envied the pup's innocence. Hal just looks into the empty horizon as he steps back in thought as the waves crash and flush, he takes out a bright red shell from his pocket, its curves and edges smoothed from years of dust in his pocket. His mind falling into memories, of his mother walking through the sand in a green sundress carrying a pail of seashells and tossing them into the sea while holding his hand.

"Why throw away the shells?" a young Hal would ask as he holds her hand looking up into her emerald, green eyes. 

"These are not ours to keep. The ocean brings in calcium and carbon, the small critters make shells out of the materials, but us?" The woman says looking down at her child's verdant green eyes. "We never played a role in it, No? We are alien to these things. It doesn't mean we can't appreciate the beauty, but these shells have something to return to, hermit crabs need shells. Fish need homes." The woman grins as she crouches down and hands Hal the red shell from the pail. "Cmon. Try."

Hal throws the red shell into the waves.

"Even you have something to go back to." Hal whispers to the shell as he hears Kara call out his name.  He smiles as her voice enters his mind. Hal still has that one person by his side.

"I do too." Hal chuckles rushing out to the sand. Kara was in a pitch-black wetsuit hoisting her surfboard as she grins wide running towards Hal. Hal's eyes widen as he turns back and runs towards the waves. Kara plants the sand firmly in with a longboard and tackled Hal into the sand with a pounce.