The Ocean’s City
Chapter 11

I got out of bed feeling exhausted. It had stormed all night, and I had tossed and turned, thinking about that man on the porch. He knew I was taken against my will. Would he do something or just go about it like it’s normal to be taken? The sun barely rose when I gave up on sleep and went to the kitchen to replace something to eat.

I stopped in the middle of the staircase as I heard Dalton. He was already up and talking to someone on the phone. “I know, but maybe we can postpone your visit to a later date? — I know, Mom, but she’s not ready either—I understand I want to see everyone else too, but — yes, it is important to me — of course — only if you promise to — fine — I love you too — bye.”

He placed his phone on the counter with an exasperated sigh. “Who was that?” I asked, still on the steps, feeling proud to make him jump.

“My mom. You’re up early.” He remarked as he headed to the coffee pot and grabbed two cups.

“I couldn’t sleep. You have a mom?”

He gave me a snarky look over his shoulder. “Doesn’t everyone have a mom?”

“I know. I just mean… this place—”

“Silvestia,” he warned me, knowing what I was already going to say. “Yes, I have a mom. She will come to visit, but I must go to work first and finish some loose ends before she gets here.”

“When is she coming?”

He grunted as he passed me my coffee, prepared how I liked it. “This afternoon.”

I felt nervous in my gut as I noted all the tension in his body. He kissed my cheek. “I need to get ready for work.” He said, excusing himself and running upstairs. I sipped my coffee on the porch, sleepily staring out at the sea, thinking about how his mother would be and terrified about the transaction. Would she act like Mrs Hughe from the dinner, or would she be genuine?

Dalton kissed my forehead goodbye and rushed to his car to hurry to work. I dug into my desires, leaped from my chair, and ran towards the ocean.

The waves crashed against my body as I dove in fully clothed and swam out as far as I could, finally relieving my pent-up stress. The feeling made me continue to swim. Finally, gasping for air, I looked at how far I had swum. It had felt like this world was equally vast as the real world.

I was far from shore, and it tempted me to continue swimming until a man walking the bank caught my eye. He waved at me, and I knew in my gut who he was, even from so far away. I swam back to shore to the man using a metal detector to look for things in the sand.

“You can swim pretty far.” He noted in his gruff grandpa’s voice. He wore a sun hat that cast shadows over his face.

“Who are you?” I quickly asked and was about to ask so many more questions until he raised his hand.

“We don’t have time for all of that. I’ve come to ask if you’d like my help.”

“Help with what?”

“Help to escape back to the real world.”

I didn’t hesitate. “My friend Dannie comes too.”

He nodded, pretended he was using his metal detector, and had no clue who I was. “Very well. Wait for my instructions.” Then he walked away without waiting for me to respond.

A giddy nervousness filled my stomach as I returned to the porch and finished my coffee. I had found my way home. My mind was racing with a million and one plans.

Thanks for reading the eleventh chapter of The Ocean’s City. Let me know what you think! Grammar Nazis are welcome!