The wind whipped at my face as I jogged toward the beach. I slowed to a walk as I felt the cool sand reach between my toes. The sound of the waves crashing seemed to calm my senses some, but inside I was still a ball of raging fire.
A few minutes later, Tanner and Ryder showed up. Tanner was carrying his board, along with Ryder's. Ryder had my board tucked under his arm. They both smiled at me skeptically.
"Alright boys, let's go." They have each other a protective glance.
"Hollis, please rethink this. These waves aren't safe." Tanner warned.
"I'll be fine, you guys."
"If you wipeout, Hollis, there's a good chance that current will pull you under and keep you there." Ryder spoke harshly.
"Look, guys, I have my own set of eyes. I can see those waves. But I can also see that I'm leaving soon. I'm going out in that water, because yes, it might be my last time for a while. I don't care if I die out here today, because this will be my last surf for months anyways." I looked up at them to see their wide-eyed stares. I guess I scared them.
I took my board from Ryder and jogged into the deep blue water, saying a quick prayer. I got up to my waist in the chilly water and ducked my head under, soaking the rest of my body. I paddled out farther into the ocean, and farther into the current. I could hear the boys splashing behind me.
A storm was coming, and it was going to be huge. I could feel it just in the way the ocean was carrying itself. And yes, while Tanner and Ryder had warned me of a storm, I seriously doubted they knew how huge it was going to be.
I paddled out farther into the choppy water, the cool seeping through the wetsuit. I sat out there for long enough, finally getting too restless to wait for my wave.
I heard the thunder roll and saw a bolt of lightning strike the sky, and I took the next wave. From the second I took off I knew I wouldn't make it back to the shore, but what I didn't know was if I could possibly survive.
I heard Ryder's calls close to me, soon followed by Tanner's. What were they even trying to protect me from? The water? If the water takes you, it takes you, and no one can save you from it.
The wave was slow but unsteady, and I could feel myself being dragged under at a tortuous pace. I smiled, because well, if I died today, the ocean would have set me free, just like always.
As I struggled to keep my balance on the board, I heard one of the guys call out, but I couldn't tell which over the pounding of my heart. Next thing I knew, the water had swallowed me, all I felt was cold, and all I saw was black.
The ocean was setting me free in a new, brutal way.
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A/N
Cliffhanger oops
YOU ARE READING
The Other Shore
Pertualangan" as humans, we are born to hunt and scour for the truth and the secrets in which we have become obsessed with discovering " What lies beyond the shore knows so well? What lies across the ocean, along the other shore? Copyright belongs...
