surf

As she walked down she heard her friends giggling behind her. For once she was part of a whole. The sun was beating down on her nose, and she could almost feel her freckles pushing out of her skin to greet it. The boogie board slammed against her calves as she raced ahead, eager.

They reached the sand and skipped across it, burning their feet as they moved forward. By the time they reached the water she had sweat dripping lightly from her forehead, begging to be wiped away. But she didn't take the time to answer those prayers, for she was already running towards the water.

Usually so fearful, so cautious of the cold. Something was different as she ran intrepidly towards the vast body of water, leaving her friends behind. As soon as her feet touched the water, she realized what it was.

It was warm.

Memories came flooding back, of a childhood long forgotten. She felt the euphoria rise as she dove headfirst into the warm salty sea. Warmth in the Pacific, something unheard of, and something unforgettable. As her friends swam over to join her she floated on her board.

The next hour was a blur, yet she tried to etch it in her mind. Looking around, trying to savor every single sense on her body. The smell of the water, the laughter of the children. The chatting voices of her friends, and the swell of the waves. She rode the sea as if it were a part of her, as if it was filled with sugar and not salt.

The day at the beach will not be forgotten. The day she got to revisit her past.

Surf's up.