Dusk: Seth Clearwater Love Story

It Happened a Year Ago

I can’t believe I’m telling Seth this. I swore I would never think, let alone tell anyone about it. The only people that knew what happened was family, never anyone else.     I thought back to that horrible, cold, day.
    “It happened a year ago on vacation. I was so excited to go to Hawaii with my family and a few friends. We had it all planned out. It would be me, my friends Annie, Susie, and Thia. We went to this beach called Black Sand Beach.”
    I looked up for the first time since I started talking and found Seth looking at me with big brown curious eyes. He grabbed my hand and wrapped it in his.
    “You can trust me. You know that right?” he said. I looked down scared of remembering that day I drowned. I didn’t answer his question, I just went on.
    “Well, it was a rainy and stormy and everyone wanted to go to the beach because the waves were huge. And I mean huge like . . . gigantic. Everyone was playing volleyball and having so much fun and I wanted to go swimming. I regret that I wanted to but I cant undo what already happened to me. I went into the water and swam out a few ways just until the water was up to my torso. I didn’t even notice the tide was bring me back farther and farther until I couldn’t touch the sea floor anymore. I started to panic because the water wouldn’t let go of me and just kept on bringing me deeper and deeper until I was  completely under.”
     I felt warm tears escape my eyes but I didn’t want to cry again in front of Seth. He was probably holding back laughter after seeing me in the water with the guys making fun of me. He probably wanted to laugh with them.
    “Emily. . . .” Seth whispered wrapping his arms around me. I looked up at him with the tears in my eyes.
    “I drowned Seth. I was literally gone. But that wasn’t even the worst part. Even though I was knocked out or gone I still felt the things around me. I felt the coral reefs scraping my sides, the currents pushing me in every direction, the scales of fish rubbing up against me, even the bites and nibbles of sharks that found me at the bottom of the ocean. I felt their teeth soak into my skin, the feel of it was unbearable but I couldn’t stop it. And that’s why I’m terrified of the ocean, that’s why I couldn’t swim or move in the water earlier, I had a flash back of what happened and I was scared it would happen again.”
    “Emily, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
    “It doesn’t matter, it already happened. I just wish I could get over this stupid fear.”
    “Then lets get you over it.” I stared at him with confusion.
    “I’ll help you get over your fear of the water. We can just both walk in together and I promise I wont let you out of my sight.”
    He cant be serious can he? He jumped up and shook the sand off of his bathing suit. I looked up at him in astonishment. He’s actually going to help me get over this stupid fear? He smiled down at me and offered his hand. I didn’t know what to do. Should I take it and be terrified with Seth right there with me, or should I live in fear of the water for the rest of my life? I took his hand ready to conquer this fear of mine.
    We walked down the beach again toured the adults and the guys. I wanted so bad just to go back home and pretend none of this happened but I need to get this done. And with Seth with me I might actually be able to do it. We went down to the shore and Seth grabbed both of my hands and faced me walking backwards into the dark colored ocean. I held on tight to him as we descended into water. I froze when we were knee high. Seth tugged gently but I was frozen in time.
    The time I was in the water.
    The time I felt the shark ripping my flesh.
    The time I was gone.
    “Emily?. . . Its gonna be fine, I’m right here. . . I believe in you.” I looked up at Seth when he smiled down at me. I moved my right foot in the water, then my left. I wouldn’t take my eyes off my feet at all. When we both were waist high I froze again. The water around me was overwhelming. I know Seth was with me and I know he wouldn’t let anything happen to me but I couldn’t go any farther than this, not today.
    “Could we stop here?” I asked with a shaky and tiny voice.
    “Sure. You did great ya know. I’m really proud.”
    I looked up at him ready to roll my eyes at his comment but I couldn’t, he was glowing. His brown eyes were glued to mine and his white smile widened when he saw me staring at him. He moved over and hugged me keeping me warm.
    “I’m really happy you came in the water with me.”
    “I’m really happy you didn’t laugh in my face like the guys did.”
    “You know that’s there way of having fun, making fun of someone else.”
    “Well that’s a pretty stupid way of having fun.”
    “Yeah I know.”
    “You know what I’m also really happy about?” I smiled and looked up at his face. He looked down with that same cheeky smile he always has.
    “What?”
    “Knowing that you were here for me when everyone else laughed and joked about the whole drowning thing.”
    “I’ll always be there for you, no matter what”.
    Knowing that made being in the water with him a whole lot better. Everything seemed perfect in this point of time. All I wanted to do was stay here in the water with Seth and watch the sun fall over the sea.