Adrift

Word Count:880
Genre: Romance/Love

         The white sand of the beach stretches for miles in either direction, providing sharp contrast to the pale blue water calmly lapping at the shore. Peace infused the brilliant relaxed blue sky; while in protest, the sun beat down angrily with its oppressive heat. People scurry back and forth along the beach, dancing madly in the sand and water, the music of the waves guiding their frantic motions. Dave wishes he could join in the revelry, but that is not why he came here on this day.
 
         A light breeze gently interrupts his thoughts. He places the paper and pen back down in the sand and picks up a bottle of ice cold beer. Drinking from the bottle, he closes his eyes. He savors the feel of the tiny beads of condensation on the bottle as they run over the skin of his hand. What a perfect day to celebrate this anniversary. A sigh escapes his lips as he places the now empty bottle in the sand and retrieves his writing materials.
 
         "Back to work" he mutters to himself and begins to write again. The words come slowly at first, as if swimming up from the bottom of the sea. His face creases and furrows with the effort of extracting the words to place upon this blank page. The sound of the pen scratching across the paper is mesmerizing. He lets the sound soothe him as he slips deeper into the trance of creativity.
 
         As time passes, the scratching sounds of writing begin to quicken. Tears spring to life upon his cheeks as the crescendo builds. They slide slowly down his cheek, forcing him to look up from his writing to wipe them away. The shimmering waves of heat from the sand resemble his memories come to life. A glimpse of Jennifer, her auburn hair gently curling to frame her smiling lips and eyes ablaze with laughter. Her favorite pale white silken robe hangs loosely over her milky white form. She leans upon her left hand with her legs tucked back behind her, beckoning with her right hand held forward, as if to say "Stay here with me, lost in remembrance."
 
         Suddenly, the scratching stops. Dave gently puts down the pen and paper and wipes away the moisture from his eyes. Time has passed and the breeze is now steadily cooling the sun's angry heat. Cracking his knuckles over his head and arching his back, Dave begins to smile. Slowly he turns and removes the pen from atop the notepad and removes the top sheets of paper that he has so diligently been working upon with his furious scratching. He reaches over behind the now empty beer bottle cradled in the sand with neck pointing off somewhere over the horizon of pale blue water. His hand comes away with a thicker piece of vellum colored paper. Placing the new paper upon the notepad, he once again picks up his shiny silver pen and writes these simple heartfelt words:
 

Farewell Jennifer. Please take with you these fond memories and my sincere wish for your happiness. Love, Dave.

 
         Still smiling contentedly, Dave gathers the papers he had spent the day filling and places them on top of the vellum covered sheet. Deftly rolling them up inside, he removes a red ribbon from his pocket and ties the package carefully and tightly. He fusses at the bow lovingly, as if worried about the appearance of his new offering. "There," he proudly exclaims to himself and sighs with relief, "mission complete."
 
         He reaches down and quickly grasps the empty bottle with his free hand and lifts it closer to the roll of papers in his other hand. He gently taps the papers to the top of the empty bottle and debates his purpose. Resignation strikes him like a lightning bolt as he places the roll of papers in the bottle and corks it. The sound of the cork sliding in resonates through the silence of the moment. Thump.
 
         He slowly stands and sways back and forth to stretch his sore muscles, stiff from their time of captivity. A groan escapes his lips as he fights to retain his balance in the sand shifting under his feet. He rubs his hand through his dark brown hair, the fiery red highlights can easily be seen glinting in the evening light. Staring ahead at the beach, his eyelids contract slowly and almost cover his deep brown eyes. The blinding glare from the water causes him to place his hand to his forehead. One foot at a time, he walks to the shore and stares out at the now setting sun in its bright orange and red glory. He lets the scene wash over him, through him, capturing the moment for eternity in his memories.
 
         The water is surprisingly cool as it nips at his toes. So close to completion, he is drawn into the water by an unseen rope of desire. Dave stops once the water has reached the bottom of his chest. He stands there, as if contemplating a momentous occasion. The moment has come. His arm swings back. The bottle flies through the sunset sky to be consumed by the sea.


Adrift
By Dave Powell


This short story took Third Place for July in:

SURVEY

Short Shots: Official WDC Contest  (ASR) Use the photo to inspire your creativity. Write a short story and win big prizes! #1221635 by Writing.Com Support