I walked along the rocky shore where my family and I use to always have picnics. Waves crashed against the sand and the smell of the salty water filled my lungs. My older sister, Spencer, and I use to always climb the mountain like rocks that lined part of the shore. When we reached the top we would celebrate our hard journey by diving off into the ice cold ocean below. The kind sun smiled down on me as I walked barefoot across the soothing sand to my family's usual spot. As I approached the waves became rowdier, the sky grew darker, and a strong overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over me. Today is not like any of my family picnics. The mouthwatering smell of barbeque doesn't fill the air, and my sister isn't here to help climb the humongous rocks. I can't make fun of my mom's sock line, or listen to her yell at me after a funny prank I pulled. I laid on the tan warm sand like my mother always did and looked up towards the rocks Spencer and I would always adventure on. The sun was declining behind the rocks, but rays of sunlight peeked out from behind them like a child playing hide and seek. I gently closed my eyes and listened to the harsh waves hitting the rocks and the seagull calling out to his friends. Slowly I reopened my eyes and glanced up towards the rocks and saw two young girl playing on them.
"Spencer! What have I told you about climbing that high?" I heard a lady cry. I looked around and saw her laying just a few feet away.
"I'll be fine mom. Stop worrying!" The oldest girl, Spencer, yelled back to her anxious mother.
The mom sighed, and replied, "Just don't let your sister climb up there with you, please."
"Of course not mom" She looked down at the youngest girl with a smirk on her face and continued by taunting," She not brave enough anyway!" She giggled to herself and continued climbing the huge rock while humming a song.
"What do you mean I'm not brave enough?" The small girl replied angrily, "If mom would let me I could climb twice as high as you!" She stated with a smirk then walked over to the edge of the rock and dove off. I watched her swim to shore and eagerly run over to her mother yelling, "Mom!"
"Yes, honey?" her mom said with an annoyed glace.
The little child began to plead, "Can I please climb as high as sissy? Please, I'm almost as old as her and..." but she was cut off by a horrific scream. I looked back towards the rock and watched as the oldest girl free felled head first into the water.
"Mya stay her!" Her dad yelled at her as he darted towards the water and retrieved his oldest daughter from the unkind sea. Her mom had also raced up with him. Tears of regret filled her eyes as she hovered over her terrified husband while he struggled to save his daughter's life.
"My daughter fell of the rocks we are in need of an ambulance," The mother frantically told the people over the phone. Mya who was still sitting near the barbeque was speechless, petrified. She struggled for words and watched as the chaos took place.
I got up from where I laid and in a blink of an eye they were gone. I approached the rocks and began to climb. It was hard at first but as muscle memory began to take over the climb became much easier. Finally I reached me and my sister's spot and I sat on the edge dangling my feet over the water. I glanced out into the mysterious ocean and thought about my parent's, David and Rose, then drifted into sleep.
"David! Stop!"
I opened my eyes and I was in the car. My dad was driving and my mom was sitting in the passenger's seat weeping. A picture of Spencer was in her hands clutched like if she let go she would never get it back. We were on our way to my sister's funeral. She did not make it that day. I remembered my mother's cry after she watched her first daughter die in my father's arms on that doomed beach. I laid my head on the side of the car and listened to my music until I heard my mom petrifying scream, "David! Stop!"
The force of the car pulled my head forward hard enough that when it hit the seat in front of me I blacked out, and when I finally opened my eyes I was in a nightmare. Blood was splattered over the seats and windows. Glass was scattered all over the car and all I could hear was the deafeningly high ringing in my ears. My mother and father laid lifeless in the front seat and a man from the other car who wasn't wearing his seat belt was launched through both the windshields. His empty eyes stared at me, and I could not look away. Before then I had never really thought about death. I had always thought about it as something that happens when someone gets old. The sound of sirens broke the silence and brought chaos that broke my train of thought.
I woke up laying on the rock. It was dark out, and all I could think about was death, "What was it like? What would happen?" After losing so many people at once it makes you wonder about things you haven't thought about before. I stood up on the rocks dizzily struggling to regain my balance, but once the world stopped spinning and I was able to find my balance I stood on the rocks and looked up towards the dark night sky. The full moon was my only source of light as I walked to the edge of the rocks and got ready to dive off. This was the spot Spencer and I use to dive from during every picnic, but since then a drought has wrenched the land of water, so the ocean levels were not as high. I stood ready like how my sister taught me then dove off the cliff expecting the water to catch me, but the water did not catch me.
