Oceanspray

Prelude

Prelude

Adrian

It was an odd overcast day in San Diego, but I liked it better this way. When it was overcast, there weren't as many people at the beach. Today in particular, there were just a handful of devoted fishermen, waiting patiently for their next bite.

With a fully charged phone and a few ebooks, I leisurely made my way to the cave and sat with my back against the wall. In addition to the new books, I had a short manga that Melissa had recommended for me to read. For a while, though, I didn't even touch my phone; I just stared out at the sea.

The ocean was an inky blue color today because of the weather. I almost thought that the iron clouds above would begin to pour rain, but nothing of the like happened. If anything, it was a very light drizzle, not unlike the feeling of walking through thick fog. After every three surges, the waves would crash violent against the rocky shore, showering me in a very light mist.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring in my pocket, so I pulled it out and answered the call.

My mother was on the other side, calling to complete her weekly check in while I was away at college. We talked about the most mundane things, such as classes and home life. I told her stories of my professors while she rambled about the crazy shenanigans my dad was doing. The tales of my father seemed never ending, but I somehow managed a chuckle at each and every one.

We spoke to each other for about thirty minutes or so before she had to make lunch for the two of them. After the call ended, I silenced my phone again and continued to watch the rolling waves crash over each other, almost as if they were battling for dominance. Because of the choppy water, no boats were visible to me, leaving me to stare at the infinitely dark waters with no distractions.

I leaned my head back against the rock wall. I hardly even felt my head hitting the hard, jagged surface. Perhaps all of the other pain I felt was just so much lesser than the pain in my chest that I couldn't even begin to feel a small thump or little scratch.

With my head stretched back, I let my gaze rake over the inky ocean waves again. Sometimes, the subdued light would hit the surface just right, and I thought that I could see a flash of silver or pale blue. When I was feeling particularly in the moment delusional, I could have sworn that I saw a flash of emerald green.

Torturing myself like this was in no way healthy, so I closed my eyes with a wistful sigh. I licked my lips and was left with only the taste of ocean spray.