The sun-drenched woman stood staring at the sea before kicking off her sandals and running into the frothy waves. The current pushed against her but she trudged on - clothes getting drenched, flecks of salt making her dark hair glitter.
Her mind fogged, she's drawn further out by an inexplicable force. The water slapped her face and she blinked. Ahead of her is the crisp black sea, the sky melded with it at the horizon. The sounds of the city were distant.
Gazing around, she realized how far out she'd gone without thinking. Well pass the dock, she tred water with the ground out of reach. Why did she come all the way out?
The sweet voice called out to her again.
In her peripheral, she saw the flat surface crack and something slithered out from beneath it.
The man was ethereal; seaweeds was twinned in his hair and his blue eyes glowed.
Her stomach jerked and she kicked away, even as her body screamed for her to move towards him.
"Where did you come from?"
He tilted his head at her whispered question.
As to say he didn't understand? Or... She spread her fingers out under the water and glanced at them. Did he mean below? Adrenaline made her head buzz.
When she looked up again, she startled at how close he'd gotten.
"F-food." He sounded as though he'd just coughed up gallons of salt water.
"Oh..." She glanced back to shore. "Well, come on. We'll head back. Restaurants are still open." Her words spilled out; her teeth clattered.
Every movement she did back, he mirrored.
"Food." Looking straight at her.
She swallowed the knot in her throat and swiped a handful of water at his chiseled face. Flipping, she started a desperate swim to land. Her distraction gave her a head start, but not by much. The sea monster darted pass underwater and broke the surface ahead of her.
Fear coursed through her and she shrieked as he lunged at her, needle-like teeth sinking into her shoulder.
"Food," he gushed as he gorged, her screams fading into the night sky.
(Note: this won the 'Special Challenge' on Finish That Thought 3-3, linked below)
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The Eternal Return
Short StoryA collection of speculative short stories and flash fiction. A few of these are also posted on my blog and others still I wrote in creative writing classes or for flash fiction contests. Please, let me know what you think.
