Another
The rolling water offered some relief against the burning sand. I looked up into the sun, squinting my eyes. I took a few steps, the waves hitting my ankles. The shoreline seemed to stretch out infinitely, just like the ocean before me. I didn’t remember how I'd arrived here. I turned around, I could see a highway nearby, it was empty. I looked down at my bare feet, something about the image of my feet in the water brought the weight of reality down on my head. Where am I? What happened to me? I felt up my body, was I still me? Something hard brushed against my ankle and I shrieked staggering backward and falling onto the sand. The sand burned my skin and I struggled onto my feet. My nightgown offered little protection against, well, anything. I dusted myself off and tried to think critically, stepping back onto the water to soothe my burning feet. I didn’t remember going to bed. The last thing I remembered was supper with my sister, Jay. Did I sleepwalk here? I didn’t remember ever sleepwalking before, perhaps its worse on the first time. I ran my fingers through my hair, it was tied up into a ponytail. I hated ponytails. I yanked the band off letting my hair fall free. I shook my head, satisfied.
“Focus,” I ordered myself. I turned back to the highway in the distance, there was a stretch of scorching sand between myself and it. I needed to know what road it was. I steeled myself and started running across the sand. My feet were screaming. I was screaming. The sand was screaming. I reached the highway, the burning concrete offering no relief. I frantically scanned the area, the other side of the road was more sand. I looked for a road sign, hopping from foot to foot. None were in sight. I turned and ran back towards the water. Was this hell? What was I supposed to do? I reached the water and nearly cried with relief. I sat down at the edge of the water, the cold waves brushing against my skin. The sun was still high in the sky, it was likely around noon. I looked at the bottom of my feet, they were red.
“Why?” I buried my face in my hands. “What did I do?” I started to cry. I didn’t bother holding myself back. I screamed, flailed and threw handfuls of sand into the ocean. I beat my fist into the wet sand as if it knew what I should do but refused to tell me. After half an hour or so, I managed to calm myself. I got up again, looking out to the ocean. I started walking along the edge of the water, it was parallel with the highway. It continued like that as far as I could see. My stomach growled I ignored it. I focused on the shoreline ahead of me and kept walking. I was tempted to run but I didn’t want to tire myself out. The monotonous movement of my legs started to grow tiring, I glanced up at the dim sky, how much time had passed. How far did I get? The sky spun and my head hit the cool sand. Get up. I tried to speak but my lips didn’t move. Get up. My limbs were spread out, useless. Get up. With a shrill scream, I rolled onto my stomach. The highway should be cool, like the sand. I dug my fingers into the sand and tried to drag myself towards the highway, the sand crumbled under my grip. What would happen if I made it to the highway? The situation wouldn’t change. I’m going to die here. There was nothing I could do about it. Dehydration, starvation, wild animals, I can’t survive in this kind of place. I lied my head down. The sand would get in my hair. It didn’t matter, I didn’t remember if I’d even washed it the night before. The sun had vanished completely. Perhaps this was just a cruel nightmare. I’d wake up, having little memory of this experience and return to my wonderful life. Perhaps I need to go to sleep, so I can wake up, So I can go home. My eyes struggled to stay open, I was shivering. Stop it. Just sleep. The sand and the cold air faded away into a dark warmth.
“Jay.” An image of my sister appeared in my mind. She was standing in front of a mirror, wearing her favorite green dress. Her blonde hair was put up, she had a stiff smile on her face.
“Yes?” She turned to look at me. I avoided her sharp eyes. I walked over to her and zipped up her dress. I didn’t appear in the mirror. “Thank you, dear,” Jay turned and placed a cold hand on my cheek. “Hurry and get ready now. Ashley wants you to wear a red dress today,” She paused for a moment. When I didn’t speak, she continued. “At least try to smile this time.” She left the room. At least, I assume she did. There was nothing else there, just the mirror. Jay merely vanished as she walked away from me. I gazed into the mirror, it seemed to reject my very existence. I reached out, my hand slipping into the surface of the mirror. The surface changed, I saw myself, lying in the sand. I looked like a corpse. The waves washed over my limp body. Get up. I wanted to scream at myself. The dim image was flooded with light, the sun was coming up. The waves started speeding up. The sun vanished and reappeared for seconds at a time. My body was quickly being buried by the sand. Get up. It started to rain. Get up. I couldn’t see myself. I was gone. I died.
“Get up!” I shot up, screaming at the top of my lungs.
“I’m not going to die! I’m not going to die!” I shouted over and over again, sprawling across the sand.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Someone grabbed onto me and held me still. I struggled against their grip, blinded by sand. “Be still!” It was a woman, she managed to pin me down and covered my mouth. She went silent for a few minutes. I considered biting her. “Okay, they’re gone.” The woman let me go and backed away. I recovered, sitting up. The sun was rising. “What are you doing here?” The woman asked. I looked at her. She was a dark-skinned woman, wearing a jacket and cargo pants. She had a cap on her head. I stuttered, trying to put together a reply. “Well?” The woman stood up.
“I don’t know.” I finally spoke.
“What's your name?” She leaned toward me.
“Kaylynn,” I mumbled.
“What?” She cupped her hand around her ear. “Speak up.”
“My name is Kaylynn,” I repeated.
“Kaylynn, huh, sounds familiar.” She offered me a hand. “I’m Zaura.”