Secrets

Chapter 1

My head isn't laid on a pillow. I remember last night, laying nicely on my pillow, a soft blanket laid over me. But as far as I know, that's gone too. Slowly, I move my arm and do not feel a mattress. I feel...sand?

I jump up into a sitting position as my eyes try to adjust to the lighting.

This is definitely not my room. That much is evident as my senses all awaken and I can finally see. I'm not even in my house...or in any place that could be familiar. I'm outside. On a beach.

I stand up, my long limbs are numb as I try to do so. After almost falling over, I jump up onto my feet, my naked toes sinking right into the soft warm sand. I look out to the ocean, finding myself staring at openness. An empty sky of clouds and waves of blue water stare back at me. It's terrifying not knowing what was all hiding in the open. I walk forward, closer to the water as it splashes onto the seashore. The ocean has a heartbeat hidden under all this water, causing the waves that come to touch my toes.

I step into the water.

It's cold and my toes sink even deeper into the sand, this time being met with wet slush. It feels gross between my toes, but a smile appears on my lips. This has to be a dream...but why does it feel so real?

Slowly, I walk deeper into the ocean until it reaches my hips. And then I dive. I'm surrounded in water in a way I didn't think was no longer possible and I haven't felt more alive. My hair floats around me like a dark cloud and I squint my eyes to see in the water. A sting forms in my eyes as they open, and quickly I stand back up.

Standing out of the water, my hair clings to my skin along with my white shirt and white pants. "Hello?" A voice says. I jump and find myself staring into two brown eyes.

He stands on the sand, where the sand then slowly meets grass. He wears a brown and black flannel with black jeans and no shoes. His clothes have color. And his skin has color on it, a beautiful tan that seems to glitter in the sun. At home, no one has tanned. Everyone is pale. But he looks like he's been in the sun all day. "Do you talk?" He then asks.

I continue to stare at him when I say, "Yes, I talk." My voice threatens to crack at the end.

He smiles, a line indenting his sun-kissed cheek. "Good." His eyes look down in the water around me and seem to freeze, but he looks at me again, "Where do you think you are right now?" He asks.

I pause, at first not understanding what he means but then I answer, "Well...I'm at a beach."

"No duh, I was asking where you think you are? Like on a map, what country-"

"Well, this is a dream so technically I could be anywhere I want to be." I feel something slither up my leg and I make my way out of the water.

"You think this is a dream?" He questions.

"You think it's not? There's no way that all of this," I say, motioning to the beautiful sunset forming behind us, "Is real." I stand in front of him now, still a couple of feet away, but now close enough to see some light freckles on his cheeks.

He nods his head, "Would you like some dry clothes?" He asks, looking down at my soaked pajamas. "Or, if you're so sure that this is a dream...why don't you just wish for new clothes?"

"Well, what if I don't want new clothes? What if I'm fine in these-"

"You're not. That looks uncomfortable, plus you're going to be following me to my house."

"My mom told me to stay away from strangers-"

"It's warm at home, and I have some nice and warm clothes you can wear."