But The World Keeps Turning

Chapter 10: Cold Water

Day one.

Beca woke up two hours later, when the first rays of the sunrise illuminated the beach. She had fallen asleep, unintentionally, not very long after her conversation with Amy. She tried to sit up, only to notice how sore and painful her whole body was. Her back was aching when she sat up. The muscles in her arms and legs were sore. Her head still pounded where she had hit her head and where the cut had been formed. She noticed the small cuts on her hands she got yesterday while digging in the sand. She also glanced at the dark bruises on the knuckles of her right hand, which she had hit Bumper with. Her body was on the inside and on the outside painted with the events of last night.

She heard a groan next to her. Chloe stirred, while she squinted her eyes. She sat up and stretched her arms above her head, trying to loosen her sore muscles, before she opened her baby blues. She looked around and saw that everyone was still asleep, except Beca, who was also sitting on the sand, a few feet away from her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I've been better. What about you?"

"I'm so sore." Chloe stretched her shoulders. Then she looked at Beca, somewhat closer. Beca's eyes widened and she leaned back as Chloe moved her face closer to hers.

"What are you doing?"

"Your forehead is still open, the wound needs stitches." She stated.

"I'll be fine."

They said nothing for a while as they looked at each other. Beca noticed the bags below Chloe's puffy eyes. Her cheeks were red and stained. Her face and collarbone and arms were covered with small scratches. She had a bruise on her right wrist and, a small one, above her right eye and countless small ones on her bare legs. Her eyes looked dull and her hair seemed less shiny than it used to be. She looked so vulnerable and so fragile, like she was about to snap if the wind blew too hard. At this time, Beca noticed how grateful she was that Chloe was still alive and here with her. Chloe could have died on the beach like Cynthia did. She could also have drowned, only to never be found again as she was laying somewhere in the ocean. But she was here. She was sitting next to her, actually, and she was fine. No, she wasn't fine. But she was okay.

Beca still looked at her, as she laid her hand on Chloe's. She didn't even knew why she did. It was like she just needed to feel Chloe's skin on hers, so she would be certain that she was really there. She saw Chloe relaxing under her touch.

Cold, cold water surrounds me now

And all I've got is Your hand

Chloe didn't pull her hand away and looked at Beca again. Tears pooled in her eyes as Beca rubbed her thumb over the back of her hand, but she did not let them fall. She was still confused and upset about what happened the night before. Then, she looked at her shirt and shorts, which had some black spots on it, which was slightly burnt by the fire in the plane. The very lowest part of her hair had turned black as well. She touched it gently with the hand Beca wasn't holding and felt how her once fire red locks crumbled between her thumb and index finger. Beca took Chloe's hand that had touched her hair unbelievingly in her other hand, so she was now holding both hands. She brought her hands to her mouth and kissed them softly. Chloe looked at Beca again.

"I've lost my shoes." She stated.

Beca looked at Chloe's bare feet as she still hold both of her hands. Chloe had worn flip flops on the plane, saying they were super comfy and cute, but she had lost them somewhere during the crash. Chloe tried to remember where she'd worn them for the last time, but she couldn't recall a specific moment.

"We'll figure something out." Beca said.

Lord, can You hear me now?

Lord, can You hear me now?