While We Were Dreaming

Chapter 1: A Foreign Face

Dark, asperous rocks are phalanxed against the Pacific, and sculpted where they stubbornly stand. Among them are pools of ocean wash that managed to get through, but are now benevolent reflections of the stones. Up the hill rows of trees are set like sentries, their backs permanently bent, and yet they still stand gallant against any storm like guardians to the mountains behind them. Hovering amidst all this is a mist that invites one to step in closer and discover the mysteries of the coast, where mythical creatures might have once roamed…

It is quiet, and it is cold, much like any other day would be on the beaches of La Push, Washington. However, the weather has never stopped locals and visitors alike from enjoying the ever changing moods of the wild Olympic Coast.

Families gather for picnics while teenagers brave the bite of the cold air against their wetsuits as they wade eagerly on their surfboards. Children find the deepest parts of the rolling mists and become pirates or dinosaur hunters, or even wild animals; whatever their little minds desire.

On this particular day the beach is almost vacant. The sounds of the small waves crashing against the shore blur against a child’s laughter as she runs towards the water. Her mother shouts for her to slow down as she and her husband juggle the towels and basket full of food in their arms. A mid-teens boy shouts from atop one of the stand alone boulders to his friends, and he beats his chest with his fists in exaggeration. The group all whoop and holler while throwing their hands in the air and jumping to be the first to catch their friend up high.

“Too bad the sun stayed in today.” The woman smiles at her husband as she lays one of the towels down in the grey sand. He returns the smile and helps her settle down to sit.

“Mommy!” Their little girl shouts as she returns from the edge of the water. “The water is too cold!”

“It’s alright, sweetheart. We don’t need to go swimming today.” Her father answers. He sweeps his little girl into his arms and brings her down into his lap. He leans over to open the basket. “How about we see what your mother has put together for us.”

The girl smiles brightly and helps her father pull the items from the case. The strong aroma of fried chicken and potato salad surrounds them as they open each container.

“What did you bring for dessert, mommy?”

“Now that’s a surprise,” the woman laughs as she snatches the basket away before anymore could be revealed. The child pouts dramatically but soon erupts into giggles when her father tickles her sides.

“What is that? Is that a person?” the man speaks up before taking a bite of his meal, his eyes squinting as he focuses on the water ahead.

The family all turn their heads to look out towards the water. Sure enough, a figure emerges between a roll of soft waves. A head, gender unknown, comes up from the surface and hands slide back over their soaked hair.

“They must be crazy, being in the cold water!” the family laughs and continues on with eating their hearty, home-cooked meal. They make small talk and comment on the whirl of flavor in their mouths while a breeze catches the ends of their hair as it passes.

The figure in the ocean moves closer, the water now at shoulder height as they find the wet sand beneath their feet. From a distance its hands can be seen rubbing down its shoulders vigorously, as if it were applying lotion. Or cleaning itself.

“Honey…” The man trails off, his eyes slightly wide, as he stares out at the water again.

“What?” she turns around to view the person surfacing. At this point the water reaches her hips. Sure enough, the figure is a woman. A very naked woman.