BackWash (Editing & Completed)

Chapter 1: Return of the Devil

Chapter 1: Return of the Devil

I take off my sunglasses as I glance up at the sparkling sky above. I'm temporarily blinded by the red sun. I tear my eyes away from sharp rays and let my gaze drift back to the view in front of me. The sea, some distance out from where I stay, remains calm. The waves are too small to surf but it's still absolutely stunning. The view is worth it. These are the kind of days I live for. These are the days where I'm thankful to live in a coastal city. I'll never relocate. This is home.

I suck in a deep breath of fresh air and relish in the feeling of pure bliss. I can practically taste the salt coming off of the waves in viewing distance. The gentle breeze rides with the breakers before rolling off into the other winds, providing some type of relief from the blazing heat. 

I readjust my position on the front porch to get comfortable. I pick up the weekly magazine and begin to skim through the articles on each page while soaking up all the sun. 

"What are you reading there, Missy?" someone asks as I flip through the pages of the popular magazine that all the surfers here in Cali happen to enjoy reading. 

I don't answer him immediately. 

Brent takes that as a sign to flop down beside me on my front porch in order to gain my attention.

I move my eyes from the magazine in my hands and set my gaze on my friend. His eyes are shining a vibrant green and his black hair is tousled by the flowing breeze. He places a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun as he waits patiently for me to answer his question. 

It's a hot yet beautiful day. There's not a cloud in sight but Brent doesn't seem to be enjoying the heat as much as I am. He's the type who happens to thrive during rainy seasons. He's odd like that.

I turn the next page before raising a single brow at him, a small smile on my lips. "What do you think?"

He grins brightly before snatching the magazine right out of my hands. He shuts it closed to see the front cover. "BackWash magazine? Should've known. It's the most popular surfing magazine here in Half Moon Bay. Of course, you'd be reading it."

"True," I nod, agreeing. I reach for my beloved magazine and grab it back from him. I have an entire collection of all the different BackWash magazine editions. As a previous surfer, you can imagine their value to me. I rely solely on the BackWash magazine when I get nostalgic about my surfing days.

Brent clears his throat as his emerald eyes find mine again. "So, I'm assuming you heard?"

I cock my head to the side in response, a frown gracing my lips. "Heard what?"

Brent furrow his eyebrows in confusion. "How have you not heard? Everyone is speaking about it." To answer my question, Brent takes the magazine back and flips the book open onto a specific article. "How did you miss this one?" He points to the heading of the article and my eyes widen in disbelief. 

"I just bought the magazine. I've barely read anything in it yet," I answer Brent, my eyes skimming through the article. 

My hands begin to subtly shake. I stand up in a rush and run a frustrated hand through my hair, my terrified expression giving me away instantly.

Brent notices and stands up with me.

The heading of the article: 'Chase Fuller, young surfing prodigy, to return back to Half Moon Bay.'

This day is not perfect after all.

He's coming home.

"You okay?" Brent asks aloud from beside me, breaking me out of my trance. He watches me carefully as if afraid of how I'll take this.