Page 3 of Guided by the Stars
She brings her hands up and rubs the back of her head. “I was fighting to get back to you and hit my head. Otherwise I’m fine. What the fuck was that?” she asks, looking around with the same uncertainty I feel.
I shrug, having no idea how to explain this. I’ve grown up with water, swimming with my mom at night. Never once have I seen an ocean like this. “Let’s get back to shore before whatever the hell just happened comes back.”
She nods, agreeing, and we swim together cautiously, only stopping once we wrap ourselves in towels, collapsing on the beach.
Tired, I lay my head on Adriane’s shoulder as we sit side by side in a daze. My body is aching and my lungs are burning in a pit of fire. The exhaustion is hitting deep in my bones, making my head feel heavy, but I have no desire to move. “Are you okay?” Adriane asks as we pull away from each other. Thiswhole night has been a turbulent whirlwind making everything around me feel different.
With a deep sigh I replay this whole night. I can’t explain what just happened. It was terrifying having the sea turn on us, almost claiming our lives. Yet here I sit, without any fear. I’m not numb. I’m not scared. Instead, I feel enlightened. My instincts are surging, more powerful than ever before and telling me this moment was destined to be, changing something within me. Like a secret being unlocked, that the ocean chose to reveal just for us. A change that lifted a weight, letting me breathe freely for the first time in years, despite the salt still burning my throat.
Adriane breaks me from my thoughts with her soft voice that’s now slightly raspy, “How did you find me? I looked for you, but the waves were too high to see anything—” She shudders before continuing, “When I was pulled under, everything was bright, this stunning shade of turquoise, and I remember thinking ‘how can something so beautiful try to kill me’.”
“I heard you calling me.” I lift my head and turn to look at her bright blue eyes. “You must have been screaming loud. I can’t believe I heard you under the water,” I say, sounding ridiculous. I’m confused at how this is possible, but I am positive I heard a voice and could sense someone around me. It was as real as her talking to me right now.
“Nor!” Adriane’s voice grows serious. “I didn’t call for you. Hell, I could barely grab enough air to survive the goddamn storm.”
I shrug, rolling my eyes at myself. “I guess fight or flight really can do funny things to you. Like seeing and hearing things that are not there. Because I sure as hell don’t remember the water being bright and blue,” I say with a small laugh, nudging her. “Do you want to go back to the hotel?”
She stands abruptly and nods. “I don’t even want to think about water, but I’m definitely having a shower when we get back. Scalding water in a place where I can stand up and not drown sounds good right about now.” I giggle and get up to help her collect our things.
We look at the ocean one more time before we leave the beach and head back to our hotel room. Not even day one and we’ve already survived an angry sea. I hope this isn’t a sign for how our vacation will turn out.
Adriane
When on Sacred Ground
We arrive at the temple of Poseidon, and I should be staring in awe at the beautiful stone pillars, but the only thing that is really drawing me in is the ocean. I walk over to the edge. Nora is snapping pictures and I smile at her as she takes picture after picture. Last night was so crazy. I reach up and touch the knot on my head. My scalp is still tender from where I knocked my head against some coral while being tossed around.
I remember that at one point I looked up, once I broke free, and the stars were brighter, and there were shooting stars blazing across the sky. The water even turned a light, glowing blue. I was panicking, there were moments I thought I wouldn’t make it, and I was so worried about Nora that once we made it out, I was thanking my lucky stars nothing happened to us. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if I had lost Nora. I remember looking back at the water and it was calm, almost as if nothing had happened. It was like abad dream, but I was soaking wet. I felt so shaken because we had nearly drowned.
Fingertips brush my arm, jolting me back to reality. Nora is holding out a water bottle and more pain meds. I hope to banish this headache. I pop the pills on my tongue and swallow them. We continue following the steady line of people making their way to the center of the temple. I’d never expected that the crumbling ruins would attract so many people, especially so early in the morning. But here we are, surrounded by a bunch of energetic early birds.
We glance around at all the inscriptions on the walls, some look to be ancient, and we can’t even try to decipher what they are. There is more modern etching, initials of lovers and friends who have visited and left their mark. I run my hand along them. I’ve never been one to do cheesy relationship things like this, but that might be because I found no one worth my time. Maybe it wasn’t my time, maybe it was because I didn’t think I was worth anyone’s time.
Nora’s stomach rumbles. We glance at each other and laugh. “Did you get enough pictures?” I ask and she nods. “How about we go and eat? I didn’t notice how much time has passed.”
“I know, I am starving too, let’s go.” She takes one last glimpse around and her eyes sparkle with awe and amazement. This place is magical, like something is calling to me. It has captured us both.
We make our way down the path, and there is a sign. It points to the Athena temple close by. I recall the story we read about Medusa, a beautiful maiden. That is until Poseidon seduced her in Athena’s temple. The vengeful goddess took offense and turned her into an ugly gorgon, with hair of snakes, and whose stare could turn you to stone.
That would be awesome! Right? Turning people to stone. I could have used that myself growing up with some of the foster families I lived with.
We end up outside a small cafe and we sit on the patio, which is a huge balcony overlooking the water, and I can’t help but feel at home close to the water.
“What are you getting?” I ask Nora. She looks at the menu, playing with her water cup.
I take a sip of my water and look over the menu.
“Grilled cheese.” She smiles at me. “With tomatoes.” She sticks her tongue out at me as I make a gagging motion. She laughs. “They are good for you, you should really eat more vegetables.”
“I only like meat, especially in my mouth,” I say winking at her. She almost spits out the water mid-sip.
We have coffee and tea brought to us with our grilled cheeses. I need the caffeine. I am still exhausted from being woken up so early. Jet lag is a real thing, I feel like I should still be asleep right now.
I take a bite of the perfect grilled cheese and groan. Nora rolls her eyes at me and I smile at her. “You attract the most attention when you eat, A.” I take another huge bite in the most passionate way possible and she blushes and shakes her head.
“You know you love me,” I say, and she taps her chin as if she is seriously contemplating. I throw a fry at her.
She flicks water at me from her glass. “You’re right, I do. But it’s only because you love me too.” I reach across the table and take one of her hands in mine and squeeze it and she squeezes mine back.
