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the days will only grow hotter from today on, according to the local weather forecast. feeling uncomfortably warm in my own skin, i decide to take a wander down the pier where the salty air and the roaring waves can cool me down and clear my mind.
i'm not alone in thinking this as the aquamarine blanket is threaded with white sailboats and swimmers lazing in plastic rings, every person desperate to absorb as much sun as possible. i stay close to the edge of the boardwalk, since only a few people passed me by there, all of which hardly spared me a second glance. the soles of my heavy boots clanking on the rotting wood creates a pleasing melody with the sound of the tide rolling in, inching ever higher until it would consume the majority of the beach before slithering back to the shoreline. seagulls squawked and children screeched in joy as i carried on my walk.
i find myself straying further and further from society, the sand coagulating into rocks, slimy with seawater and stray kelp; the pier started to taper off too, dipping down as the water lapped at the edge. however, right before it's engulfed by the expanse of the ocean, a flimsy wooden fence allows one to stand and gaze out at the looming nothingness, imagining the unknown and pondering the future.
there is already someone there, deep in a trance, when i propped myself on the wood to allow the chance for my legs to relax. the air is cooler on this side of the beach and i take deep breaths subconsciously, satisfied with the lightness in my chest after each one.
the stranger's honey blond fringe flutters in the wind and his tawny eyes sparkle in the heavenly light of the sun - he looks very deep in thought as a tongue swipes over his full rosy lips. i do the same, tasting nothing but salt.
"it's too nice of a day for you to be alone," i comment. the stranger's eyebrow quirks a margin before he shrugs his shoulders.
"i'm new to the area..." an american accent lilts his korean and i nod, slightly taken aback.
"are you from the states?" i ask, this time in english. i spoke with a thick korean accent but he's able to make out what i say nonetheless.
"yeah, LA! are you?" the stranger perks up instantly, falling victim to the odd sense of trust one feels toward someone with similar experiences as them. lamentable.
"ah no, i studied abroad in new york for a year or so." honey blond hair bounces as the stranger nods in understanding.
"i'm here studying abroad too, but i might move permanently. can you recommend some tourist spots i can check out?" i smile, staring back out into the ocean as i crack my knuckles.
"i've heard the 'pissarro gardens' are very pretty and the 'arabesque' national park is nice in the summer. but both are closed." my pitiful tone is convincing and his eyes soften.
"oh? how come?"
"murder."
silence overcomes us and i can sense my new friend trying to figure out whether i'm joking or not. my lack of empathy has unnerved him and from the way he shifts from one foot to the other, i know he wants to leave.
but i can't let that happen.
"you're joking...right?" the male beside me clears his throat as the wind begins to pick up. the sky darkens a fraction and becomes riddled with grey clouds brought in by the breeze, steadily increasing to a bluster. still, i breathe deeply and calmly, the ends of my ebony hair tickling my eyelashes.
"okay well, it was nice talking to you! i'll definitely check out the places you recommended." he turns to leave and the first raindrops fall, wetting his coral sweater. the tide has grown fiercer too and good few meters of the pier's end have been devoured, meaning the water is practically swirling around our shoes. the stranger's eyebrows knit together as he splashes away from me.
he moves one step more and with the added pressure, the weakened plank crumbles.
he screams, his leg now twisted in the jagged fissure. i shrug my black coat further up my shoulders as i watch; i guess he missed the warning sign taped to the side of the fence, cautioning fellow beach-goers that the planks were weak and would not hold up well in a storm.
his hands claw at the surrounding wood as his leg gets pulled further in by the force of the water surging underneath, claiming him as its helpless prey. i step over solemnly, standing right before him. his hand outstretches like that of a child towards their mother and i glance at it with mild revulsion before stomping hard on the surrounding planks. they deteriorate immediately and the body of the stranger drops further.
he's using the remainder of his strength to keep his chest above the water and from his sharp groans of pain, the pressure has create a nice battering ram against the parts of his body having the misfortune of being exposed to it.
i can barely hear his cries for help over the growing storm and begin to grow repulsed by the whole ordeal - the rainwater soaks my back and my my shirt clings to my skin in the most uncomfortable manner.
i raise my boot for the last time, coming down hard on his fingers until his vanishes completely, swallowed by the beast below.
