Julia has been living on Nova Island for six years. After the trauma she experienced on the island she decides to go home. It's been ten years since she's been to the small seaside town she grew up in. What she didn't expect to see when she got home...
Cover by angelanguyenn thanks for the beautiful graphic.
After graduating from Columbia University I moved to an Island to teach the kids and parents English. The kids have picked it up quicker than the adults, but it's good to see them trying to communicate with me.
On the island they speak Spanish, and to communicate with them I normally type words into the google translation app, so I can speak to them.
Right now I am sitting on the beach with six eight year olds.
"Ball," Angelica says.
Toby throws the ball to her and the ball goes around the kids like a hot potato.
All of a sudden the water from the beach begins to recide and I hear an unusual roar that sounds like a train coming from the ocean. "Run," I yell. "We need to get higher ground."
Five of the kids start to run and I see Darcey staring at the sea.
"Leave her." Beatrice yells, as she runs with her group of kids.
I'm not going to leave an innocent child to die.
I pull her back and see the tsunami wave come toward us.
Birds are flying away and making a lot of noise.
Darcey and I don't make it too far when we're swept up by the sea.
I see Darcey get dunked under the water. I dive into the water and my hands grab onto her shirt. I pull Darcey up and she wraps her arms around me.
"Darcey, I need you to grab onto the tree when we go pass it."
"Okay,"
A fallen tree is in front of us and I swim over to it.
Darcey climbs onto the tree, while I stay in the water holding onto the trunk.
The water keeps pushing against us and I start to wonder when we'll be free of the water.
I feel something scrap against my leg and it hurts really bad. I start to curse.
I'm just glad that the kid doesn't know what I'm saying.
The water starts to calm down, but I don't believe that that's all we're getting. I look around the water and see another wave heading our way, from the opposite direction.
"Darcey, you need to dive under the water. It's going to feel like your in a washing machine. When the water settles you'll know when to come up."
"Okay, Julia."
I count to three and we dive under the water.
She holds my hand and I try not to let it go.
The water throws me all over the place and my hand slips from Darcey's.
Please, let us survive this.
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