The Keys to freedom

Beyond the glass

    3 years ago

The lighthouse stood tall and quiet, its beam sweeping over the dark waves below. Oz leaned against the railing at the top, the salty wind tugging at her hair. The water shimmered faintly in the moonlight, and the distant town lights blinked like lazy fireflies. She stared at it all, dreaming of a better life—one far removed from her fractured family and the mess they'd left her in.

Her mother, Tessa, had vanished last summer—walked out without so much as a backward glance. They had never been close, never had the kind of bond mothers and daughters were supposed to share. Most days, they barely tolerated each other. And yet, despite all of that, her absence still left a bitter ache in her chest, a hollow space she hadn't expected. Because at the end of the day, Tessa was still her mother—good or bad, present or gone—and that fact alone was enough to leave a mark.

Her fingers tightened on the railing. "I'm going to be better than this," she thought to herself. "Better than them."

The metallic rattle of the ladder startled her out of her thoughts. She spun around, her heart racing, as footsteps echoed up the staircase.

"Oh shit," a voice said, pausing in surprise when their eyes met.

She frowned, recognizing the figure immediately. "Great. Pyke Hastings. Just what I need."

He squinted at her, clearly caught off guard. "Oz? What are you doing up here?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing," she replied.

He smirked, leaning casually against the railing as if he owned the place. "Hey, you're the one in my spot."

She rolled her eyes. "This is actually my spot, I come here all the time."

"Oh, really?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Then how come I've never seen you here before?"

"How come I've never seen you," she countered.

He laughed and slowly made his way closer to her.

"Fine," he said at last, plopping down beside her on the ledge. "Guess it's big enough for both of us."

She hesitated but didn't argue. She turned her gaze back to the town below, feeling his strange presence beside her—a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

For a while, they sat in silence, only the sounds of wind and the distant crash of waves. Eventually, Pyke broke it. "So, what's the broody queen of our town doing up here?"

She shot him a glare but sighed. "Thinking. Dreaming."

"Of what?" he asked curious.

She glared over at him.

"As if I would tell you any part about my life,"

He smirked, unfazed. "Fair. But you did invite me to sit next to you, which kind of makes this a conversation now."

She let out a dry laugh, pulling her knees to her chest. "I didn't invite you to do shit. You're the one who decided to invade my peace."

"You didn't tell me to leave either,"

She shot him a side-eye, the kind sharp enough to cut glass. "Didn't think you were the type to listen even if I did."

He leaned back on his elbows, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. "Touché."

They fell into silence again, but this time it wasn't as tense. The waves crashed below, steady and rhythmic, like a heartbeat that belonged to the sea.