Serena And The Shore

He awoke on a warm beach, being splashed over and over by the waves crashing on the shore. As he opened his eyes, the sun’s rays rendered him blind, and the heat of the sun kept him dazed. In the distance was a woman, her skin glowing as she walked toward him. He cried out to her, his mind too weary for him to stand. She walked quickly, though it felt like an eternity before she reached him. Though, in an instant, his pain was swept away with a simple glance.

“Welcome,” she said as she looked down at him. He looked back at her, thinking at first that she was an angel sent to aid him. Up close her skin was radiant. She was a light golden shade, and her eyes were a soft, silky shade of brown. Her short brown hair was tied back in a single ponytail that hung neatly behind her. The sight of her face filled him with a nervous bliss he couldn’t quantify, and as she stuck her hand out toward him, he was awestruck.

“Hi,” he said in response to the woman.

“Here,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. The moment they touched, he was taken aback by her delicate skin. 

Why are her hands so soft? he thought as he stood up.

“I moisturize with ocean jelly,” she explained as if the question had been asked a thousand times before.

“ Wow,“ He felt his own dry, rough skin and felt embarrassed.

“Shall we?” The woman began walking the length of the beach, still holding his hand in hers. He came along, too confused and relaxed to suggest another option. She looked at his puzzled face and smiled.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked him as she looked into his eyes. Behind him, the waves moved softly across the sea, though they crashed with intensity on the shore.

“I… I can’t remember,” he responded. He turned his head towards the water, trying to find some kind of land or boat, somewhere he could have come from, but all he could see was the endless blue mirror of the sea.

“Huh,” she stopped for a moment and stared at him as if his name would be written across his forehead.

“I think… I think you’ll be my Beach Boy,” he turned back towards her.

“Beach Boy… ok” He repeated, smiling at the thought of being her Beach Boy. They continued, walking in silence for a bit as they took in the cool ocean breeze. The ambiance of the ocean was soft music, and the subtle heat kept his heart at ease. He watched the woman’s stride; every step was graceful. Her feet barely left impressions in the sand, and as they walked, she gently swung their arms back and forth.

“You never told me your name,” the Beach Boy mentioned.

“I’m Serena, the Goddess Of Sea Blessings,” she told him.

“Serena. It’s pretty,” She gave him a big smile.

“The name, or the person?” 

“I… it umm-” The man started blushing, which made Serena giggle. The Beach Boy smiled and laughed with her. They walked in the ambiance of the beach again, enjoying each other's company more with each step. 

“So… what is it that you do?” he asked after some time.

“I give out blessings to the people who wash up on this beach. I make sure all my visitors feel comfortable and… and then I give them a blessing as they leave,” Serena looked out at the ocean, paying close attention to the waves coming in. Her heart sank as she noticed the waves crashing further into the beach.

“Already?” she muttered to herself.

“Other people have been here?” he asked, remembering that he was supposed to be looking for a way back to where he came from.

“Plenty of others, yes. But they never stay long,”  Serena said, looking up at her Beach Boy, 

“It gets so lonely here…” she added. The tears began to swell as she heard another wave splash. Beach Boy moved away from the shoreline as the waves started hitting his feet.

“It’s a good thing you get visitors then,” he said, starting to feel bad for her.

“Yes, it truly is,” she looked out again at the vast sea, dreading every tide.

“Whoever sends them must truly care about me. It’s like I’ve been blessed myself. I love everyone who comes here. I love the time I have with them. I love it all until they leave,” Serena looks the Beach Boy in his eyes.

“You’ll stay right, just a little longer?”

“Serena I… can I?”

“You can try, yes. I won’t ask you for much, I just want to walk,” In his heart, he knew he couldn’t stay. He knew that somewhere out there, beyond the sand and the sea, he knew there was a life waiting for him. He wanted to know more, he wanted to understand, but as he looked into her eyes, everything else fell away. He couldn’t refuse her, not for anything, for as much as he wanted to remember who he was, he wanted to be with her more.

So they walked. They held hands as they traced the shore, and lived in each other's joy as the sun smiled down on their peace. Eventually, a walk turned into a skip, and that skip turned into a run. Serena chased her Beach Boy, and he chased her. They danced, they talked, they laughed. They held each other in the heat of summer and felt a joyful passion that couldn’t be described. 

And it was beautiful.

But every time Beach Boy looked at the water, he felt the tug of the water in his heart. As he and Serena kept walking, she could see him giving more and more attention to the sea, and as the waves came in, they were starting to splash on her feet as well.

“I know. You’ll have to leave soon,” Serena stepped past him and looked out at the ocean. She tried to hide it, but he could tell she was beginning to cry. 

“Maybe I can still stay, just a bit longer,”

“No. No, we’re out of time. But that’s okay,” She wiped her eyes and bent down. On the ground sat a small pink seashell. She picked it up carefully and brushed the sand off of it. Serena kissed the seashell, then stood back up and handed it to the Beach Boy. He held the shell tight in his hand; he had just got it and he was already afraid of losing it. 

“Here,” Serena said, “A blessing, from me to you,” He took the shell, and looked out at the sea, feeling the weight of finality fall on his chest. He couldn’t explain it, but something was calling out to him. Something wanted him back. But even still, as he thought of leaving, he felt sick. As if he were going to die when he stepped in the water. 

“It’s time for you to go,”.

“No. This… this doesn’t feel right. I don’t think I should go,” he tried to argue. He was crushed as he felt a tear start to form in his eye. 

“No, it’s ok, you’ll be ok. Every wave has to return to the ocean eventually. You’ve crashed here, and now you have to go back. You have to return to the ocean,” She looked into his eyes and forced a smile onto her face. He knew she couldn’t stand it, he could feel her pain, and out of kindness, he decided to leave before she couldn’t hold it back anymore.

Beach Boy took one last look around the beach, taking careful note of every detail. Then slowly, he started walking into the water. He submerged himself deeper and deeper, keeping his heart still as he returned to where he came from. Serena watched as his body disappeared, and soon enough, he was completely gone from her view.

“Every wave returns to the ocean,” Serena muttered to herself. She looked down at the other end of the beach, back where the two had met. At once, it felt like they had just met, and that they had already spent so much time together. Now she was alone again, left without a soul to bond with. She was alone again, with nothing but the heat of the sun and the sounds of the ocean.

“Goodbye Beach Boy,” Serena said weakly. She let a single tear roll down her cheek, and she stood still as it traced the shape of her face. After a moment, she walked back down the beach and waited for her next visitor.