A.C. McAnelly

The sun had dipped beneath the water by the time we got settled in.

Morgan talked me into taking my shoes off and walking in the sand.

I didn't like it at first.

The coarse grain, like the dirty sandboxes I played in as a kid.

But the more I walked, the easier it got.

Still, it was a completely different texture than the grass of the valley or the foliage of the mountains I missed.

But the ocean made the difference.

Its constant rhythm on the shore and the wind made for better background noise than some of the annoying bird song I was used to hearing.

Instead of musk in the air, there was salt.

I didn't think there could be so much salt in the air, but it wasn't uncomfortable, just new.

New sensations comforted me, pushed away the longing for the mountains.

Can I kiss you?

I turned in his arms enough to face him and answered him by pressing my lips against his.

As we kissed, our hands explored each other's bodies until he flipped us over and I was laying up looking at him.

Something in the water caught my eye for a moment.

Something glistening bright white just over the waves.

But Morgan pulled my attention back to him as he tightened his hold on me.

Neither of us noticed the tide rising until the waves rushed over our feet.

Morgan yelped and laughed because it was cold, but I was frozen in place, gasping for air.

The chill of the ocean ran through my whole body and didn't let go.