I chanced a look up to see who was saving me and who would brave such a scary monster like that. And there was a man, with hair that shined golden, even in the dark sea. He was dressed...oddly...in clothes that I had never seen before, even in the movies. But to describe it, I would say that he was dressed in kelp, the green of it a stark contrast against his skin.
He pulled me up into the lighter part of the ocean, where I came face to face with my savior.
He was like a prince out of a storybook. Brilliant green eyes, a handsome face that had a small beard growing on it.
And, like my mind had been right about him being a prince, I saw the crown perched on top of his head, with three points that stretched to the sky.
A prince.
Or a king.
He put a finger to his lips as he winked at me.
I reached out to him, and he shook his head.
You belong on land, Guinevere. Not in the water.
I stopped trying to grab him, watching in both curiosity and wonder, and he only gave me a sad smile in reply.
Never come back, Guinevere. Never come back.
Suddenly, hands reached down and pulled me by my armpits up out of the water. I broke the surface with a cry, and suddenly I was in my Uncle Joe's arms. He clutched me to him, and he turned back. "I've got her, Dean! I've got her!"
Facing over his shoulder, I could see the other man just beneath the waves, getting fainter and fainter as the dark water gave way to that warm turquoise color again.
Would he be stuck under there with the monster? Would he battle it like princes do dragons in the books?
I didn't know. And that thought made me sad.
It was only then that I started crying. Bawling, really, as my daddy and mommy came up and took me from Uncle Joe's arms.
"Gwen!" Daddy exclaimed. He was as a white as a sheet of paper. "Oh my god, Gwen!"
"What did I tell you about going into the water, sweetie!" Mommy's voice was shrill, and she was crying too.
Seeing that only made me cry harder as Daddy passed me to her once he was back on the dry sand.
It was later that I realized that once my uncle pulled me out of the water, my feet never touched the water again.
The family at the reunion came to us, and I got passed around, everyone making sure that I was all right, people telling my parents that I needed to swim more or swim less. Everything was a blur.
When I went to bed that night, I had my first nightmare about the sea. Of a giant sea monster in its depths, waiting for me if I ever set foot there again. Of a strange voice telling me to come home.
And of a man who saved me and disappeared.
When I got older, I never could tell if what happened was real. Sure, there is the story of the time that I nearly drowned at the beach during my family reunion, although my parents don't know about what I saw in the water.
Even to this day, I'm not sure if what I saw was real or imagined. Only that it scared me and solidified a great fear of the open water.
The nightmares of the ocean continue, evolving, getting worse.
So yes, some people have their fears. I'd love it if I were only afraid of spiders or snakes or bees or ghosts.
Because I know, without a doubt, that if I were to ever set foot in the ocean again, I'd never make it out alive.
2
"You don't know how to surf, you don't know how to swim, and you've only ever lived in landlocked St. Louis. Really, Gwen, why the hell do you want to go to the University of Hawaii, of all places?"
My best friend Dylan is looking at me like I'm a crazy person.
And I probably am, considering that, on a whim, I applied to the University of Hawaii and not only got into my first-choice major, but I also got a full scholarship with my National Merit standing. Why wouldn't I take the opportunity to go to college in a beautiful place like Hawaii?
I give him an unimpressed look from my desk as I work on my calculus homework. "Because it's a good school and I really want to go."
He guffaws and shifts his weight on the bed, causing the bed springs to groan. "You. Want to go to college. On an island."
I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. "Uh huh."
"On an island. Surrounded by water."
"Uh huh."
He leans in closer to me. "You do realize that islands aren't connected to other, bigger, larger parts of land. Once you're in Hawaii, you're stuck there until you take a boat or a plane."
I flick a piece of popcorn his way, and it bounces off his head. "I passed fourth grade geography, you know."
He grabs a handful of popcorn from my bowl and stuffs it into his mouth. "I thought you were afraid of the water."
"I am." I shrug. "But there's no way I'm going to get over that fear unless I face it. And maybe you can come visit me and I can teach you how to surf."
He chuckles, a kernel falling out of his mouth as he sits back. "Guinevere Poole, professional surfer." He shakes his head. "Nope, doesn't have a good ring to it."
I fling a pencil at him.
"Ow!"
I roll my eyes and go back to my calculus homework. I manage to write down two numbers before Dylan pipes up again.
"Have you told your parents yet?"
I frown, glancing up from my work but refusing to look his way. "No."
That's going to be the hardest part. Because Mom and Dad would totally be against it. Not only would it have me thousands of miles away from them, when Dad would love it if I went to the University of Missouri, where he went to school, but they'd also have the same misgivings that Dylan does about the whole idea. Mom would point out that I would be going all that way to go to school when I had only been to the beach once and nearly drowned even then.
I was going to have to show them my acceptance letter and show them that it wouldn't cost them a dime to send me to the University of Hawaii.
If they're smart, which they should be, they'd be ecstatic to have their daughter get through college on a full scholarship.
"So when are you going to tell them?" Dylan presses.
I sigh and lean forward, putting my head in my hands. I peer at him through the corner of my eye. "Tonight. After you're gone."
He raises his eyebrows in surprise. "After I'm gone? But you have such wonderful snacks." He stuffs his mouth full of more popcorn. "Which makes me think, what are you going to do without me?"
I've been wondering that myself.
Ever since Dylan started at Hughes High School in our sophomore year, he and I have been inseparable. Nothing like two nerds in a health class to bring them together, although it seems like Dylan and I were meant to be best friends.
Except for the fact that he's dating Samantha Barnes, the most popular girl in school. And it would be easier for me to hate her if she weren't genuinely a nice person and if she and Dylan weren't so cute together.
I couldn't do that to Dylan. I couldn't do that to someone as nice as Samantha, especially since she treats me well and has been bringing me into the more popular social circles at school. The two of them have brought me out of my shell and have made me a part of the cool crowd.
So why would I hate her?
Because I've been madly in love with Dylan since I first laid eyes on him in health class. Why he ever decided to hang out with a loser like me, I'll never know. And why Samantha is all right with her boyfriend spending the majority of his time with another girl, I'll never know as well.