You Wish

Chapter 3: Wonder

"Where are you going, young lady and at this dreadful time in morning?" Her grandmother inquired from the shadows, her voice deceivingly calm. But Rhiannon could tell she wasn't, her English accent always came out sharper when she was mad.

Rhiannon squinted into the darkness, barely making out the silhouette of her grandmother.

"Grandma, I'm seventeen and it's five. No big deal." Rhiannon sighed, ready for her grandmother to argue. She always ended up arguing with her grandmother, no matter the circumstance, they were always on opposing sides. Despite that, she was closer to her grandmother than to any other human being in the world.

She leant against the doorframe, hands in the pocket of her short shorts and white t-shirt glowing in the darkness.

The sun was just beginning to rise and Rhiannon really needed to take a run, just to clear her head a little.

"You're right, it's no big deal. You are seventeen and therefore should be allowed to sneak out in the early morning, without so much as a goodbye. It's not as if I care what happens to you right?" Her grandma, lectured her voice rich with sarcasm.

Rhiannon put in her earphones on full blast, hardly listening to a word she was saying. She tried to memorise the chords as her grandmother continued on. Rhiannon understood where she was coming from but that didn't mean that she felt any better about it.

"So can I leave now?" She pleaded.

Rhiannon just wanted to go for a long hard run and maybe a swim to clear thoughts of a certain guy. So that she could get a decent amount of sleep this weekend.

Her grandmother's mouth pursed but she shooed her away and Rhiannon beamed at her. Waving a quick goodbye, she sprinted out into the streets.

She didn't really have a place in mind, but somehow she ended up running to the beach. Newford was known for two things: It's cheerleading Scorpions and its white sand beaches. The beach was quiet except for the few people who jogged this early in the morning, but they hardly made any noise themselves.

Rhiannon loved the ocean, but she didn't really have an interest in seeing thousands of people crowding it during the afternoon. So early mornings were the only times she could enjoy the ocean, and pretend she was all alone.

The beach stretched beyond her sight, the glistening sand, hauntingly white in the faint light. The ocean sparkled with absolute power and beauty that no artist could ever capture. The horizon blurred and became one with the sky as the sun gradually rose from the ocean.

Seagulls flocked above. Birds from everywhere were already making a racket. A few trucks chugged loudly by. But it was all almost drowned out by the rhythmic beat of the ocean against the sand. Rhiannon breathed in the salty ocean air, cleansing her lungs.

She sprinted along the edge, where the sea met the land and marvelled in the simplistic beauty of it. Rhiannon only wished she was able to enjoy it more often. She eventually sat down in the waves, revelling in the feel of cool water on her bare legs and the sand beneath her toes.

The ocean sparkled as dawn broke over it, the sky breaking out into a symphony of pale pinks, gentle mauves and blues.

Rhiannon smiled, throwing her head back in abandon as the sun's rays thawed her. She lay back on the sand, her dark hair fanning out around her like halo.

She turned her head as something caught her eye. It glittered and winked at her.

Rhiannon got up, tip-toeing to the glittering object in case it disappeared before her eyes. She nearly thought it was a bottle cap. It called to her, it's sparkling a Morse code that drew her closer. She grasped the object, pulling it out of the sand.