Jessica floated in sea water that sparkled like the rarest turquois and sapphire jewels. The waves calmly dancing along the surface which reflected tropical sunlight towards her eyes, momentarily dazzling her. Jessica’s long hair flowed around her in the water, appearing a slightly darker shade of pastel orange and pink now that the water had saturated it. Birds cawed above her head and she looked up towards them slightly further out to sea.

A large ship sat against the horizon, a burst of red mahogany against the blue skyline. The flag it hailed was teal, with white and gold diagonal lines. She couldn’t recall the flag anywhere from her books, and she’d never experienced such a pull to go towards anything but the sea in her dreams before.

Jessica started swimming towards the ship, if she were awake it would be a futile effort – even if she could swim. But the impossible is done during dreams, and she quickly made her way closer to the boat.

Before she reached it, she noticed a balcony on one of the lower floors of the ship, just a few meters off the surface of the water. Many life boats and jackets were attached to the lower area and Jessica realised this was some sort of escape entrance if the need arose. But on the edge, a man sat. His legs swung over the side of the platform, nestled between the bars of the railings to keep himself secure. His armed were crossed against the low rail and his chin rest upon his forearms as he gazed out towards the ocean.

Jessica knew that look; she wore that look most of her life as she looked out to the horizon of her balcony. It was a look of hope and wonder for a different future. A look that suggested a troubled past. And a look that spoke of a lonely present.

As she floated closer to the man, she could make out his large frame which was naked from the waist up. He was beautiful. Smooth and lean muscle underneath warm olive skin that was tanned from the blazing sun. Purple and white scars peppered his forearms and back but rather than taking away from his beauty it added to it. She wanted to know every story and adventure that bestowed him those scars. His dusty blonde hair shone like finely spun gold under the sun and was loosely tied back in a low hanging bun at his nape. She continued swimming closer and saw his sharp chiseled jaw, and high pointed cheek bones. His face was all angles and lines and it spoke of manliness and strength. But when the sun shone upon his face, those same cheek bones and high points softened. This man was made for the sun, Jessica mused. He screamed of tropical lands and sandy beaches and looked at home against the ocean waves.

She had reached to the end of the platform and continued to look up at the man that called to her, just like her soul called for the ocean. That look spoke a thousand words and his obvious ease at sea called to the part of her that dreamed of freedom and adventure. His head slowly rose, and his lashes blinked a few times, as if awaking from a day dream. He glanced around, scanning the horizon as if he could find something. Eventually, he looked down and his eyes locked with Jessica’s. And she gasped at their sheer beauty.

His eyes were the ocean.