Dea Shattered

⎈Chapter 24: The calm before the storm

The ocean was calm today, its vast and crystalline waves moved up and down the shore. The mid-afternoon sun blazing down on us as we stepped onto the platoon, I glanced down at the everlasting rolling waters and gulped.

Kodhe guided me towards two seats on the back of the boat, Lizzie following close behind. As I sat down in the seat Kodhe reached over and put his arm behind me, his mother watched a small smile on her lips. Charles sat a few feet away at the steering wheel, revving up the engine.

"Now, it's not the fastest thing in the world but I will flaunt what I can," Charles gave a lopsided grin that reminded me so much of Kodhe. I could see the resemblance in the way they smiled, their goofy lopsided smiles that lit up the world somehow. Kodhe also had his mother's beautiful chocolate-colored eyes, I blinked realizing I had been dazing off.

"Did you hear me, Dea?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head. I blinked and felt the embarrassed blush creep onto my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, I was just thinking. What did you say?" I could feel myself burning with unease, and I ducked my head a little.

"I see why you two get along so well, you both are daydreamers." Lizzie chuckled to herself, "it's alright dear. I was just asking about your last name, I just realized I never caught it." I felt Kodhe shift beside me, and I remembered that I had never mentioned it to him either.

"It's summer actually, Dea Summer." I did a little shrug and begged the blush to get the heck off my face.

Lizzie smiled puzzlingly as if trying to piece something together. "Do you happen to be related to James Summers? You see I know his wife's mother," she paused realizing she had been babbling and looked at me expectantly.

"I uh- no. I don't know anyone by that name." I blubbered out quickly, my face paling slightly.

James the name ringed in my head, memories flooding my mind. Us as little kids playing hide and seek, and then the last time I saw him. His bright and unaware smile, I averted my eyes and looked down at the waves that lapped the boat.

"Oh, what a silly coincidence, the same last name, and I swear you almost look like him," she said in a humming tone, oblivious to how close she was to uncovering something I would prefer to keep under wraps.

I twirled a strand of my hair around the finger, "yeah just a coincidence." I looked up at Kodhe and noticed he was looking at me, his head tilted. "What?" I whispered at him. Hoping that I wasn't giving away anything.

"Nothing," he gave me a small smile and turned to his mom. "So how is Gracie?" Kodhe seemed to perk up a bit when he asked the question, his knee bouncing as he waited for his mom to reply.

"Oh? You mean the toilet paper fiend?" At this everyone on the boat chuckled at the inside joke, I could only mutter a small confused smile at the family. "Do you have any pets, Dea?"

Everyone's attention turned back to me and I couldn't help but shrink, "I uh had one when I was little. She was a dog, Sasha."

"Oh is she no longer with you?" Lizzie asked, but I could hear the real question. What happened to her?

I gulped, "we had to put her down. The vets said she had rabies or something along those lines." I shifted in my seat, but before anyone could respond the boat slowed down and Charles rose from his seat.

"Do you guys feel that nice cool breeze! The salt in the air, the boat rocking! Perfect weather!" Charles beamed, sitting himself down next to Lizzie. Charles set his hand on his wife's knee.

I simultaneously reached down to hold Kodhe's warm hand. His finger slowly wrapped around mine, hesitant.

"So Dea, has Kodhe met your family yet? Or are we the first," Charles leaned forward. I never mentioned my family either I guess. He was always so open about his family and past, but I have always avoided that talk. I sat there opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. Ironic truly.

"No actually," Kodhe responded for me. I could feel his stare digging into me, I simply continued to twirl a strand of my hair nervously.

"Oh, well I would love to meet them one day. No rush of course." Charles shrugged oblivious to the tension that was coursing through the boat.

"Yeah no rush," was all Kodhe said. I let out a small breath, at the same time a large gust of air blew in. The boat tilted to the right, and Charles chuckled.

"Charles dear didn't you say there wasn't supposed to be a storm today?" Lizzie inquired pointing up at the once clear sky. A dark cloud was slowly rolling in, I felt my stomach flip. I would have noticed a cloud of that size and color, yet it seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Charles scratched his head and glanced up at the cloud, which seemed to be gaining speed by each second. My stomach rolled, and I gripped Kodhe's hand even tighter.

"Hey Dad maybe we should head in," Kodhe said right as another large gust of wind blew in. The wind sent my hair flying wildly, and my breaths sped up as I stared at the dark mass.

Charles moved towards the wheel of the boat, nearly falling over as a wave lapped right against the side of the boat where the steering wheel sat. I glanced down at the water, watching as the waves seemed to rise out of nowhere. All of the waves began heading at the boat and only at the boat. That's when I knew that this was no natural storm.

The storm hit in a matter of seconds, and rain poured down and soaked our clothes. Kodhe swore and ushered us under the small canopy that protected the front of the boat.

That's when I heard it, the call. The ocean's beautiful and haunting call echoing through my brain. I inhaled sharply and stared down at the savage blue waves, the boat tilting and rocking with each hit.

It wanted me to kill them, to sing, and hand them over to the ocean's tight grip. I held the railings and slid slowly to the ground to prevent myself from falling off. Kodhe noticed my rapid breaths and came down to the ground to sit beside me, taking my hands in his warm ones.

The ocean was clawing at me now, dragging its sharp rocks through me. It wanted them dead, all of them. I closed my eyes and gripped his hands, I didn't want to kill them. I didn't want to kill Kodhe. Kodhe, the boy I kissed at a party. Kodhe the boy that took me to the zoo and then kissed me under the stars. Kodhe, the one that I loved.

"I don't want to," I whispered over and over, tightening my grip on his hands. My breaths come out quick and sharp.

"It's okay Dea, it's okay." Kodhe whispered back to me. "It will be alright Dea, open your eyes and look at me." His voice was soft, but I heard him over the wind, thunder, and rain.

I opened my eyes slowly and met his soft brown ones. The world slowed as I took his other hand into mine. We sat there all while the storm raged around us, ignoring the thunder.
We made it back to the shore, and the storm had gone just as fast as it came. Kodhe lifted me out of the boat, and I gripped myself tightly. Everyone shuffled inside, wet and cold. The water seeped into our clothes and caused our hair to hang limply, yet I felt a calmness inside me. A calmness I wanted to keep forever.

But it's always quiet before the storm, I should have known that.

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Published: May 29, 2020, 7:32 PM

Words: 1363