A Trip To Remember

Asleep By the Shore

I woke up to darkness all around me and a rubbed my eyes.
  I heard a rustle outside and I shot up, immediately on high alert.
  I heard the noise again and what sound like rustling plastic...or something.
  I slipped out of my sleeping bag and pulled my pocket knife out from underneath my pillow, in crouching position. I bit my lip and ruled against turning on a light or waking anyone up.
  I slowly crawled toward the opening to my tent. I heard the same noise again and I flipped open my knife.
  The noise suddenly stopped and my breath caught in my throat. I stopped moving and stayed in the position my self defense teacher taught me.
  "Hello?" I heard a small whisper and I flinched.
  I quickly crawled out of the tent and stood up, knife raised, looking around.
  "Ashlyn."
  I whirled around, just a foot away from Noah and his eyes went wide.
  "Woah! What the hell are you doing?" He exclaimed and I shushed him.
  "Don't wake everyone! And me? What're you doing you scared me I was gonna kick your ass." I whisper shouted.
  "Wha—? Why do you have a knife?" He pointed, as I flipped it shut.
  "None of your business. I carry it everywhere."
  He opened his mouth hesitantly and closed it.
  "But why are you awake and walking around like a bear."
  "Wha—. A bear? I am not that loud."
  I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. What's wrong?" I questioned, scanning the area around.
  "Nothing, really. I just couldn't sleep."
  "Well...now you've got me on high alert so," I gestured to a seat closer to the shore and we walked together and sat in the sand.
  I yawned. "What time is it even?"
  "3:34." He said checking his watch.
"I can't believe you woke me up." I grunted. He offered me his water bottle and I took it out of his hand glaring at him and he laughed.
"So what's keeping you up?" I asked.
"Well I guess I'm just not looking forward to leaving."
I stayed silent and gazed out at the glassy surface of the water. How could something be so wild and beautiful in the light, but so calm and mysterious in the dark?
"Yeah..."
"Are you gonna miss me?" He asked teasingly with a little nervous truth behind his words.
"I will. I haven't known you long but...yeah your a really great person and I'm glad that we became friends."
"What a wise girl." He said smiling charmingly. I ignored the small ache in my chest and turned away again, ignoring it.
"But I mean...I knew this would be too good to be true."
"What?"
I turned back to look him in the eyes. "Well...come on. The charming, smart, athletic...just perfect guy comes along and is drawn to me. Why?" I looked back to the water. "It doesn't make any sense. But you leaving does. Every great thing eventually leaves, and then I'm left with the ache of reality. Over time, you get used to it. So I don't get attached."
He stared at me for a long while and and I refused the urge to look at him.
"You're serious..."
I let out a short, humorless laugh. "You think I'm joking?"
He nudged me and I looked at him and met his sad eyes. "I will never forget you."
He pulled me into a hug and my eyes widened. I tentatively wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Maybe some day we'll meet again...when we have better timing." He whispered into my hair.
"That was so cheesy." I whispered back and he laughed lightly.
I pulled back and kept my gaze downcast. I didn't want to look at him, because I feared what I'd see.
  He tucked my hair behind my ear and his hand lingered, until he dropped it, and laid down in the sand. I blew out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, and I laid down beside him and gazed up at the stars.
  There weren't many buildings and businesses on this island, so there weren't many lights in this small place. Therefore the sky was lit up, and it was ethereal in its beauty.
  Stars were everywhere, and you could see them so far in the sky, it's like you could see the whole universe. I didn't know constellations or the names of any of the stars, but I never thought that mattered. All that mattered was what was right in front of me. The universe that watched over me.
  "Are you okay?" Noah asked, looking at me.
  I sighed, my eyes still searching the sky. "Im great."
  "What're you thinking?"
  "It's so beautiful."
  "That's what I was thinking too..." he said, and I could still feel his gaze on me so I turned to look at him, and I had a feeling he wasn't talking about the sky.
  I laughed. "You get all delusional at 2 in the morning."
  He chuckled. "I'm seeing perfectly clear."
  I cringed on the inside. "If you do that one more time I'm gonna have to kick your ass." I said lightly.
  I stared back at the sky for what felt like forever and I felt my eyelids start to get heavy.
  "Tired now?"
  "Mhm..." I mumbled.
  He pulled me closer and threw a blanket around my body.
  "Where'd you get a blanket?" I mumbled.
  I didn't hear him reply as all the noise around me faded off, and my mind slipped into darkness filled with dark dreams and alternate realities.

I woke up and stretched out in the sand. The sun was warm and my eyes fluttered open to meet the golden light and I groaned. The sun was already bright and I kicked the blanket off of me.
I noticed Noah wasn't beside me and I sat up, looking around.
I stood up, rubbed my eyes, and walked back up the shore to our tents.
I pulled the curtain of our tent back and was about to step inside when my body launched backwards.
I landed on my back in the sand, all the air knocked out of me, and I wheezed.
"ASHLYN. ASHLYN!" Rianna, Sophia, and Alysa screamed all at once. I groaned and cringed. Loud noises and morning me were not a good combination.
Before I could even reply they were yelling again.
"WHERE WERE YOU? WE COULDN'T FIND YOU AND—"
"Calm down, calm down! I just...fell asleep over by the shore." I said, gesturing behind me.
"OK, OK THAT DOESN'T MATTER BUT ASH WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"
"What're you talking about? Who?"
They all exchanged a look. "Noah! He's...he's gone."