Of the Sea (Short Story)

[Fiddlesticks]

Below is a short story inspired by this piece
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I94X_rmIBEU"]Davy Jones Music Box with Rain - YouTube[/ame]
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


The sky had grown dark with the approaching storm. A young woman stood precariously on the edge of the cold, uneven stones of the harbour walls- its ancient surface crumbling with the successions of endless tides that eroded its sea battered exterior and swept the dust to a forgotten, timeless place somewhere beyond the horizon. She smiled inwardly and breathed in the sea- moistening her salt stained lips as she welcomed the strengthening breeze with outstretched arms, inviting the storm to sweep her away with the shattered debris of shells and rocks that tinkled deep in the waters beneath her. She glanced upwards to the dark, forlorn sky where the clouds, menacing and endless, blocked the warmth and light of the summer sun. Her skin prickled to the chill sea air as she awaited the skies to unload their burden of heavy water and wash the invisible grim that clung to her skin. Her sea sodden t-shirt clung close to her, caressed her like a lover, and she once again slipped momentarily back into her memories of warmth and cruel, fleeting kisses. Her ears faintly twitched to a distant rumble- the storm’s quiet, humble greeting to the earth- and she smiled openly as she felt the first clear drops splash against her skin, they were gentle at first, like those brief shy kisses she once cherished, but they grew in strength and ferocity has the sky opened and the heavens cascaded to cleanse the parched earth below.

Wash me clean. Cleanse me of my sins, my fears, my regrets.

She traced her fingers over her cold, pale arms and remembered what it felt like to be warm. Before he had left and abandoned her to a life of dark, lonely nights and silence. She remembered how much he had loved the ocean, when he had first taken her to this very spot on the edge of the world to watch the dawn. She remembered his arm on her waist as the pink and gold light spilled across the sky, chasing back the darkness, and the sun crept over the waters so that the sea simmered with liquid gold. She closed her eyes, and bit back the sobs that began to well within her ribcage. Her eyes burned with salt water and tears but she would not let them fall. She would not taint this hallowed place with her misery.

Why did you leave me? Where are you, my love?

They were never able to recover the body. The accident had been almost five years ago, but still he and one other remained undiscovered. A storm had swept their small vessel out to sea where a muffled distress signal had been picked up by the coast guard which promptly sent the small coastal town into high alert. The sea had been cruel- it had flung the boat mercilessly from its course so that when the first lifeboats appeared at the estimated whereabouts of the vessel, the boat was nowhere to be seen. They discovered the shattered remnants of the cargo and boat nearly an hour later where a half drowned man was pulled from the wreckage but, by this point, his lungs were flooded and useless. He died at the scene following multiple attempts to revive him. Every effort was made to reclaim the bodies of the crew, yet her love and another could not be found. At least, that is what the police consoled.

Yet nothing could soothe and warm the chill of grief that flooded her chest and forced his warmth and light from her world. It had stifled her lungs and left her gasping and clinging to the policemen for air as they told her their dreaded news. They had provided no light to guide her through the storm of emotions nor relief to the endless ocean of tears that fell as rain into her pillow that night and every night that followed. Each day, the sun that once bathed them in warm, golden light seemed a little colder. Without her husband's reassuring touch, she once again grew afraid of the dark. Lost, vulnerable, desolate... The days slipped silently by and finally, inevitably, a dark compulsion stirred deep within her fragmented thoughts. She needed to find him. She needed to be home.

I promise, I'll find you. We’ll be together soon.

She opened her eyes and looked over the edge to watch the waves crash and batter her beloved harbour walls. The dark, cold waters lapped up to kiss her aching bleeding feet and she laughed in delight at their invitation. She had stumbled, barefoot, over the cobbled streets in order to welcome the storm. Her bitter love of the sea and the rain had beckoned her there following another sleepless night and she could no longer stand the thought of reaching out into the dark to find a cold empty place where a warm, breathing being used to be. If the authorities couldn’t find her husband, she would search for him herself beneath the waves- she will be home again. The chill sea wind nudged her closer. Her toes curled over the precipice as she took one last deep breath and stepped into the welcoming arms of the ocean.

It was cold and quiet here. The sea had forced its way into her nose and mouth upon hitting the water, saturating her lungs and welcoming her into an airless, timeless world. It flooded and consumed her, dulled her senses with the chill and her eyes glazed as she stared into the murky light filtering through the dark waters. She welcomed the pain with increasing euphoria- the waters would sweep her out to sea and to her husband’s side. She was certain of it.

I’ll be there soon, darling, I promise.

Epilogue

She was standing at the end of the harbour. It was just after dawn and the sky was flooded with the soft pastel colours of her dreams and memories. She saw someone sitting on the wall just some distance away and she approached the figure slowly, accidentally kicking a loose stone into the calm sea waters, and she froze as the figure turned to meet his companion. Her husband smiled and beckoned her down to sit with him. Stunned, she obliged and he wrapped his arms around her cold, shivering frame. For the first time in years she felt warmth.

“Hey honey, it looks like it’ll be another beautiful day.”

She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder, tears were falling silently and unchecked now, soaking into the shirt he was wearing the day he left and never returned. He was not a day older than when she last saw him all those years ago and her heart swelled so much to see him that she thought her chest would burst. Her entire body shook with each joyous sob as he wrapped his arms tighter around her and she cried uncontrollably into his chest, “I’ve m-missed you… they couldn’t find you… but I’ve f-found you-“

“Shhhh…” he whispered into her soft dark hair, “It’s okay, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere... I love you.”