That One Summer

The fresh, salty air… I smelled as I sat on the beach, listening to the waves crash, it was so nice, and so much better than back home. The summer was coming to an end, as we were going to go back to Massachusetts tomorrow. Every summer, my family, and my moms’ best-friends’ family stay somewhere new. This year, it was Miami, Florida. This summer was going perfectly. The weather was very balmy. How could anyone want it to end? Especially when we go back, it's time for school, and I need to get a job.

“What are you doing, loser?!” I heard my brother, Jackson scowl at me.

“Enjoying my last day here.” I replied.

He kicked sand at me. I glared at him, and rolled my eyes.

“What was that for?!” I barked.

He laughed and walked away with Freddy, one of my mom’s friend’s sons, who was about his age, Freddy was 16, and Jackson was 17. They got along very well, as they had the same interests. I got along best with Freddy’s little brother, Cameron, who was about a year older than me, at a rocking 15 years old. Cameron was my best friend, and he was the big brother I always wanted. He always stood up for me, and is there whenever I need him, whether he’s 3,000 miles away, or in the other room next to mine.

“Ignore those jerks” He said, coming to sit next to me, looking straight into my eyes, with his bright blue eyes, and curly blonde hair.

“Really? I was gonna join them on being total bullies!” I added sarcastically. 

We both giggled, as the sun had begun to set, he turned to me, looking deep into my eyes,

“Are you ready to go back to Massachusetts?” He asked in a soft voice.

“As if, what's better than this?” I said looking bummed. 

“You got a point there…” he trailed off.

We both turned to the sunset, watching it slowly go under the horizon, this was proof summer was ending. I sure wasn’t ready for this, not yet. Another year of being away from Cam? How could I do that? I really liked him, and he made it quite obvious he did too, but we were both chickens to say anything. And now, he will be thousands of miles away, the only way for communication is through calling, or sending letters. But who sends letters nowadays.

As the sun dipped under the horizon, I thought I was seeing things now. The sun had reversed, and was going up?! 

What in the world is going on?! I panicked as I thought about what could be happening…

I looked over at Cam, he looked panicked too. Maybe I'm not seeing things, or what if we are both seeing things?!?! I was filled with fear, the only thoughts coming through my head were, “what could be happening, what's going to happen? Is everything alright?! Are we all gonna die?! Maybe it's just a dream? Maybe I fell asleep on the beach??”

“Uh, are you seeing that too?” Cameron said is a hush

“Mhm, yep, the sun is reversing?” I huffed, as my breathing felt as it was getting heavier.

As we ran towards the houses, I saw my brother and Freddy running worried and panicked as well, it made me really think, why was this happening, how? Thoughts were still flowing through my head, over and over. We reached the concrete, and my brother and Freddy looked, as if they wanted to kill someone, but more in an afraid way.

Cameron and I ran up to them, and we all looked at each other, petrified. 

“Lily, do you know where mom is?!?” Jackson asked me with a fearful tone.

“No, and I have no service.” I quickly replied, feeling agitated.

Suddenly, I found us all trying to find a cell phone, or at least a person, there was no one in town, and there wasn’t even a fly buzzing around. At this point, I couldn’t even think. The boys were scrambling around the shopping center we were in, but the doors were locked, or boarded up. I suddenly only could hear myself breathing, it was loud too, I tried focusing on it, taking deep breaths, but I started hyperventilating. 

Freddy looked over at me, “Lily you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I am fine, but look at the sun” I said frightened.

The sun looked to be right in the middle of the sky. It went from the horizon to this. That really horrified me. The color drained from my face, where was everyone?? I thought to myself.

“What is happening? Where is everyone?!” Jackson said in an alarmed tone. 

We all stopped for a minute, looked at one another again, and ran in all different directions, we were scared for our life. I took a metal cro-bar I found, and banged it against a window, it instantly broke, glass flying everywhere. The boys froze and ran over to me. As I ran into the store, flowing like a ballerina on a stage. I scrambled through everything looking for a phone, the store was upside down. I ran out of the store, into the middle of the street, and froze.

I was shook, Cameron and Jackson were snapping in my face, but of how shook I was, I completely zoned out. 

“Lily! Hellooo? Are you okay??! We will get through this, come back to me!” Cameron had said. I snapped back, the worry on his face made me worry. I looked at the sun again, and back at Cameron, then my brother, and then Freddy. 

“I’m okay-” before I could finish, he kissed me. 

I turned over, to see my brother's jaw on the floor, then suddenly, I was back on the beach, the sun was back at the horizon, and Cameron was sitting there, smiling at me. 

“How was your nap sleeping beauty? You're missing this wonderful sunset!”

It was all a dream.