Counterclockwise

One

•Y/n
With tears streaming down my face, I could do nothing but sit cross-legged on the sandy shore and stare at the horizon in front of me. Waves of a deep royal blue crept towards me before running away, only to repeat the process in a cycle that caused droplets of salty water to spray onto my bare, sand-encrusted feet.

But beyond those magical waves was something even more amazing and breath-taking: The sunset. Beautiful smudges of coral, lavender, turquoise, and a fiery orange blended together to create a sight so astounding it swept me away from all of my worries, just like the waves creeping over seashells and stealing them in a matter of seconds.

My last teardrop fell and hit the soft white sand, and a warm feeling of safety and security overwhelmed me as the sun dipped down below the horizon. The vast ocean in front of me was my home, where I belonged, a place to escape from my life away from the waves. Nothing could ever take that feeling away.

My chest rose and fell softly as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Y/n?" I hear my sister's voice say behind me. I don't reply. "I'm sorry."

I force myself to my feet and shove past her, storming to our shared home. I push the door open and bolt to my room, slamming the door closed and sinking into my bed.

"Y/n?" She knocks softly, "Please open the door..."

My eyes flutter closed as I rub the sand on my feet against my blanket. I was too tired to care anyway.

•••

I stuff my phone in my back pocket and leave the house before my sister could get home. I'm headed to the only place that makes me feel safe: the library. I don't often read, I just sit on their couches and scroll through my phone. It's quiet and calming. And Anna knows better than to follow me.

I plop down into their seats, the librarian passing by.

"Hey, Y/n," She grumbles quietly. I notice the hundreds of books in her arms.

"Need help, Lola?" I ask.

"The cart's broken..." she huffs out as I take some books from her hands. "Thank you, Y/n."

"No problem."

"These are some new books," she said, "Perhaps you would be interested in them?"

"Sure," I manage. I can hardly see with all of these books in my way!

Suddenly, my body collided with what I'm guessing is a table and all of the books scattered across the ground. Lola gasps, quickly putting the books down and jumping to my aide. I hold my side in pain.

Stupid table!

I ignore the judging stares and quickly bend down to help Lola pick them up.

That's when I notice an odd-looking book. I pick it up, "What's this?"

"Oh, it's a Hamilton Biography."

"Have you seen the musical?" I ask hopefully.

"You must be a fan," She wiggles her eyebrows teasingly.

"Saying I'm a fan is putting it lightly," I said, "I'm obsessed!"

"Well, it's a pretty interesting book. I know you don't like to read but you should give it a try," she winks.

I nod and put it aside.

•••

I happily skip down the streets of New York, the book held close to my chest. Small pallets of rain crash down against my raincoat. It doesn't usually rain since we live by the beach but it's a blessing when it does, it feels so fresh.

I begin to cross the street when a man accidentally shoves me. The book flies out of my hands, landing in a puddle. He apologized, holding his hand out to help me up. I take it and stand.

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," I assure, avoiding his gaze. "Where's my book?"

"There," he points.

I mindlessly walk after it. Everything begins to slow down as headlights flash, a large horn echoing through my mind. I reach down for the book, my eyes glued to the sliding car.

I was frozen.

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"

My fingers graze the cover right before everything goes black.

Word Count: 701
Published: September 22, 2:48