Going Home

There it was. That voice, that sweet, blissful song in her head, calling her too the ocean where all her happiness, calmness seemed to live. The air was fresh there. The sand was soft. It was untouched by the worries and pressures of society, free as anything, especially when the tide rolled out. The ocean; the only place on earth which she felt at home.

It had been a little over three months since everything had happened. On top of her boyfriend breaking her heart, her dog, the only one in her life who seemed to understand and protect her, had died. It had finished her off. And so she came to the ocean more. Inhaling the salty fumes of the water, staring out at the perfect moment where the sun hit just right, offering the most incredible sunset, where the sky was gorgous colours of pink and orange... she swore it was a slice of heaven on earth.

This particular day, much to her dismay, the sun was covered by thick, grey clouds, which spread across the sky like a blanket. The young woman sighed, shoving her hands in her pocket as she took the trek across the sand. The ocean was choppy today; she craved that. Relentless, unforgiving, harsh. It was terrifying. But beautiful.

No one was there. No one. Not one dog Walker who likes to let their dog off the lead so they can run free for a moment, not one child who nagged their mother for a trip the beach on a dismal day, not one couple, holding hands and sharing ice creams, who made her want to be sick.

No one.

She was completely alone with her thoughts; just how she liked it.

BARK BARK BARK.

So she was wrong. There was someone else here. But she decided against looking away from the sea, hoping the walker would do exactly what they do and walk by.

BARK BARK BARK.

Could that dog shut up? She was growing frustrated as the bark tore through the air and, even on a whole beach, it still felt as thought the dog was right next to her ear. She dared to glance around but was shocked too see no one there. The barking felt as if it was from inside her skull. There was no way a dog wasnt right behind her. Perplexed and annoyed, she shook her head, before turning her full attention back to the water.

The tide rolled in and out, picking up some sand and dropping off some stones. The water wasn't clear, but foamy, and the memory of her dad reading 'the Little Mermaid' to her when she was younger drifted into her memory. It was rare to think about her childhood. How she would come here with her father and skip pebbles on the sea. How she would build castles as big as her body, and hide behind the rocks.

How her dad would buy them fish and chips and icecreams and they would laugh at the people who were scared of getting sand in their shoes. How her dad-

"Aren't you getting a bit cold?" The voice cut through her thoughts and she jumped in shock, physically standing from her sitting stance and spinning around to face the direction of the echo. She could make out a figure of someone but the clouds had opened slightly, and it looked like an illusion as they had drowned the figure in light.

"H-Hello?" She called out, her voice creaky, nerves filling her insides.

"Oh don't be scared, darling! I just worry your cold, is all." It hit her like a wave and she felt like she was drowning. The word dared to escape her lips but she refrained for a moment, not quite trusting her ears.

"...dad?" Suddenly the barking started again. She shook her head, trying to gather herself right.

"Your cold, aren't you?" She hadn't noticed the goosebumps on her arms, and how suddenly she felt as though she was submerged into the water.

"Y-Yes." The figure was getting closer now, and the clouds were slowly etching away from the sun.

"You never listened to me when I told you to wear a coat!" He chuckled and she felt as though her soul drifted out from her body when he stepped closer and she caught sight of his face.

"Daddy?" Her inner child was flushing back to her and she saw the montage of her life as though it were a flashback. "Your... here?"

"Why, of course I am! Here, you aren't so cold anymore, are you?" The clouds had disappeared as though never there, and the sea had calmed considerably down. She gasped as warmth encased her body and she could fully see him stood there. He looked beautiful, like an angel. His wrinkles had smoothed out and his hair was slick back. He wore his famous suit which made him look smart wherever he went, even if it was to a supermarket, but he always paired it with green sandals to 'keep some comfort'.

She suddenly didn't feel the need for answers anymore. Her dad was here like he always had been. And as she ran closer to him and jumped into his arms, it was as if she was hugging the love she hadn't felt in years. And there it was. A smile. A real smile, not a fake one to pretend to whoever cared slightly about her to ask enough if she was okay. It was a real smile for her read dad who was somehow here, reconnecting with her even though it seemed-

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, turning to look at the ocean as his arm stayed around her shoulder. "I remember when we came here all the time. You loved how the tide would roll in and then out, and that water would be changed forever." The sun was getting lower and she had no idea how it was so late already. But she grinned, her face unfamiliar with the feeling. "You always were my happy girl. I just wish... I just wish life had been kinder for you, my darling. I really do."

The smell of fish and chips filled her nostrils and she felt her senses heighten. She watched the birds fly by in the sky, as if they were the most at peace as anything in the universe. But she realised in the rush of everything that she was a bird, and she could go anywhere, do anything, and most importantly, she would be free.

She was free.

And as she grasped her father's hand, smiling up at him, whispering the words "let's go home", she had never felt more confident that she was okay. And she meant it. And as they drifted off too the smell of fish and chips and the feelings of happiness when getting an ice-cream, the sun hit perfectly onto the horizon, casting a warm, pink glow into the land.

Home. And it had never looked for beautiful.