I had a dream.
There was a girl who was in love with the sea. Life had not been kind to her, and the ocean brought her peace where little else could. Blue and gray skies calmed her eyes, washing out dark sights seen. The wind and the sand caressed her skin where she had not known kindness. The sounds of the sea brought a peace that gently filled her body, taking away the sound of clash and conflict. The smell of the sea consumed her, taking her away from everything else. The taste of salt in the air centered her, making the past and the future nonexistent.
When the land and all it held threatened to drown her, she became the sea.
She collected tools and skills like seashells, her therapist helping her to pick out the perfect ones just for her. She was helpful and supportive, but her therapist could never be what she needed.
She needed rest.
She needed a home.
So back to the sea she would go.
One night, she walked the docks. Her heart was heavy, and she could not leave what she loved. The stars scattered the sky, and the moon accepted her, washed her clean. It was too beautiful, and she knew it would never be the same after this night.
An evacuation order had been declared.
But this. This was her home. Her home was coming for her, and her body screamed to stay. Why would she run from what brought her comfort?
So she made a decision.
She stood resolute on that dock and made a wish. She begged and pleaded with the ocean. Keep her here. Keep her alive. Everything else could go. Her house, her people, her… stuff. She would offer it all to the sea, just for this one thing.
Let her home embrace her.
She stayed. She prayed. She ranted and raved. She paced. Even as humanity fled. Even as the only sound was the silence of the incoming storm. Even as the once gentle breeze whipped at her hair. The ocean crept higher and higher, lapping at her dock. Rain coated her skin and her hair.
And
She
Begged
Her home…
…It heard her.
As the ocean wrapped around her feet, she felt something… change. It was hard to tell, as the murky water that claimed her legs was opaque, but she became… anchored somehow.
It felt irrevocable.
It felt right.
Waves slammed into her, and still she stayed. She was terrified, and her hands desperately sought purchase on something, anything. Her beloved ocean sky had never looked so cruel. Her ocean had never beaten her so badly. But god, was she determined to stay. If this is what her home demanded of her, then she would stand for it. And as the waves threatened to break her back, as the water robbed her of the sky, she felt…
Peace.
It was dark. Somewhere in her mind, she knew she should be scared, horrified. Things would never be the same. SHE would never be the same. But… but…
Peace.
The water loved her, wrapped itself around her like no one ever had. Eventually her eyes adjusted, and she could see. Even the creatures of the water were scared. Fish that would normally caress and rub against her like a cat were tossed and ripped through the water.
Something else settled in the back of her mind then…
Hours passed. Slowly, achingly, the water receded. Air kissed her skin again. Her beloved ocean had to go. And she stayed on that dock.
She was different now. She didn’t move, couldn’t move. But she didn’t mind.
Slowly, humanity crept back, scared and cautious. Behind her, on that god forsaken land, was devastation. Homes were gone. Lives were lost. Tears and cries brushed against her ears, but she didn’t turn. She didn’t want the land. She had forsaken that god. She only had eyes for her home, separated from her once again.
Somewhere, in the depths of her mind, a young girl banged against walls. It clawed and begged, fighting against the freezing darkness. Her family loved her. Humanity could be beautiful. She had hopes and dreams.
Something whispered.
But home…
But comfort…
And the girl was smothered.
She waited on that dock for days, weeks, staring at the home that was ripped from her, so close, so far.
One day, steps shook her dock. Her therapist. Agony soaked the woman’s eyes, but still she stood tall. The death of her clients crawled on her back. Her skin crawled with the tears of those who survived.
The therapist took a deep breath and sat on the dock. Right next to her. No words were said. A warm spark came to life in the girl’s heart and ached for this woman. She made a quiet plea to the sea to comfort this woman.
And it did.
Clouds parted to reveal a beautiful blue sky, contrasting against the devastation behind them. Wind wrapped around her and carried away every heavy breath. The sounds of the waves eased her loud thoughts. The smell of the sea filled her nose and kept her here, in the present. The taste of salt on her tongue reminded her of comfort.
And the woman smiled.
Hours passed. Night came. The therapist left. And the girl was alone again.
Alone…
Her heart ached for the woman. Ached for the pain behind her. Ached for the pain and agonies that drowned this world and turned kindness into hate.
So she turned to the sea once again.
Take this world. Take this ground. Run off the god of this land and bring these people peace.
And the sea answered.
"Of course, my love."
