The ocean is a tumultuous place, prone to violence and unrest, tossing to and fro without reason or rhyme and so easily manipulated by a coming storm. It wasn’t easy to follow her brother into the depths of the sea without being noticed, and keeping close enough to follow him proved impossible when the clouds rolled in and dumped buckets of rain down on her, bringing waves that swallowed her up and spat her out so many times, she thought she might never leave the water again.
She had lost his trail in the deep, blue graveyard.
For more than a moment, she thought she might lose more than that.
But then, just as quickly as the storm-tossed sea had dragged her down further than she’d ever been, it spat her out in a heap in the slow-lapping waters along the beaches of an unfamiliar island, coughing seawater from her lungs and squinting tired eyes against the bright midday sun peeking out between a break in the dark grey clouds. There is nothing familiar about this place, no hint of recognition sparking in her mind as she catches glimpses of her surroundings. A warm breeze carries traces of a scent that could be her brother’s, but she’s too beaten and tired to say it with certainty. Her mind is clouded and her thoughts are jumbled, as water-logged as her lungs.
With great effort, she drags herself further up onto the beach, out of the shallow water. She doesn’t make it far before her shaking legs give way beneath her and the bay mare collapses into the sand, her brown eyes blinking out the light as exhaustion takes over.
Her sleep is fitful, riddled with memories of dark water surrounding her, taking her under, filling her up as she sinks down, down, down. At least once she cries out in her sleep, seeking help from someone who isn’t there to help her. Why hadn’t she let her brother go when he left her behind with the rest of their herd? And why can’t she wake up from this nightmare? Did it matter, either way?
After all, when she wakes up, she will still be alone.