The young guy took his head out of the water. He hung his jaw open for air. A bright light could have blinded him if he had not covered his eyes with his hands. He twirled around. The whole body of the ocean surrounded him. He was confused. His eyebrows furrowed and tensed. He stepped forward and looked for a way out. He only wore his lower shorts. There was no one. His eyes widened, and his heart hammered slowly in his chest. He looked ahead. 

A small sandy land was visible. He increased his walking pace, moved. He stopped, he stopped as if he had seen a warning signal. It was none like that. A humming of a lady in the midst of the beach enveloped the forsaken place. 

The dead trees and fallen branches seemed to tell a story of their past. A lady sat in a black dress. Beheld the silence around. Her humming continued. It went from the quietness of the lips to low and high soft melodies. The boy was calm now but he couldn't see her as she sat facing opposite to him.

Jade moved ahead eager to see her face. The song echoed like music was being  played in the background. He could recall the song, it was quite familiar. His grandma used to hum it like a lullaby from all her heart. She was a moment to behold. Everything seemed to dance around while she sang.

The air synchronized its whispering. The waves flowed, forming crashes and drops were falling from the leaves. He needed to hurry, he thought. He needs to see who she is. He reached. He certainly reached the sandy surface–all dry. 

Someone tapped on his shoulder’s behind twice. He shifted and looked. A girl in a red swimsuit holding a skateboard looked straight into his eyes with still and gloomy sadness. She then  smiled widely and ran away to the water. The boy turned back towards the lady. She was nowhere now. She was right in front of him. He frowned and checked around.

 Everything seemed to stop when the music was over. As if everything went home along with her introspection. She vanished as if the wind took her away or the ground swallowed her inside. It was so instant and hard to believe that it could be possible. Again the forsaken place was lifeless. The wind stopped howling. The water stopped flowing anymore. He wanted that peace again– a longing he once had for his grandma.

The guy looked down, he was barefoot. His eyes widened as the sand started to slip away from the ground. His feet were seeping inside. The dryness tightened on his foot. He couldn't move and fell. The sand was quietly swallowing him while expanding itself like a tornado. Every push to move away from it felt like escaping from a butter-like surface. 

Let me slip away, why am I holding on to it, let it end. He thought. Deep inside he knew he needed someone to pull him up from it, but instead, a loud slap on his back jerked him up from his sleep. 

Jade jolted and woke up as if imaginary strings pulled him up. He realized it was a dream. But not like just a dream. It was vivid and intense. He was the guy going all through this. 

‘Mosquitoes!’ A child-like voice distracted him. 

Jade looked aside. It was Adam Cooper, right beside him. He was the big-haired kid with bangs. He was munching something in his mouth. 

‘Huh… what?’ Jade was half asleep. His eyes were trying to grasp the present moment. He felt groggy. Jade shifted his eyes towards Adam's hand.He was eating a granola bar.

‘There were mosquitoes on your back…I smacked them. Adam told. ‘You need to bring a mosquito repellent cream dude’.

Jade signed and inhaled again, closing his eyes back. ‘What happened, what went wrong on earth today? ‘ 

‘Haha, we are not saving the earth today, you read the new spiderman comic didn’t you? Adam sat beside him. He was a little excited to talk about it. 

Jade did not speak. He pressed his lips and looked down wide eyed.

His thought: Adam did you really need to wake me up at this hour? Well thanks, now I want to go back to sleep along with having some pleasant dreams.

Jade eyes were heavy. His head strained. He opened his mouth wide and yawned. 

‘Adam twisted at his side, you know that iconic scene when spiderman defeats –’

Before Adam could complete his sentence Jade pulled his blanket from his draped knees and put it back on his whole body. He was drowsing. 

‘Hey, it is time to wake up!’ Adam told. Wake up Jady!’ He pushed him with his little hands. 'Hey, I am still here. What is up with you?'

Jade shifted. ‘Ugh, I can't… I am tired Adam…I Just cannot’. 

‘You cannot miss this day…Jady?’ There was a long silence after it. 

Adam looked around silently. The old driver’s cabin, big windows, washbasin, small kitchen and some utensils. His eyes diverted towards a small stool. He found a notepad with a pen. 

He scribbled two lines and tore out the sheet, folded it and tucked it under the white bedsheet. He  paused and looked at him, hoping that maybe he would wake up, but he was really tired. Adam turned and walked out of the caravan. His eyes were looking down on the path of the road. The light sun rays reflected on his brunette hair. 

‘Hey Adam, How is it going’. Amelia passed beside the caravan. Adam didn't speak. He went ahead. Amelia frowned. She stepped into the caravan and looked at Jade. He was lying sprawled on his stomach, legs spread at odd angles. His muscles felt heavier than his bones today.

He opened his almond-like eyes slowly, they were big with slightly raised from corners. His dark  eyebrows came closer  when someone knocked on the door. His rested head quickly turned back to see. Amelia was looking at him. Her gaze was still on him– unmoving.

‘I thought you were awake after I woke you up…what is it now?’ She tightened her shoulders.

‘Mom…?’ He gasped, said calmly and paused. He looked at her. Her shoulders were losing tightness after a long breath. Jade slowly rose up and sat quietly. She took steps towards the kitchen and started to prepare some snacks.

Jade realised he could smell the faint burning of paper like substance in the air and kids chattering. Birds flapping their wings, tweeting and making various symphonies of sounds. Morning light passed through the window embracing him half heartedly. He was wearing his old white t-shirt and blue lower pajamas. He felt it was kind of comfortable just wearing it everywhere. 

‘Listen honey I – 

Before she could finish her sentence His head lowered down in dismay, he stood on his feet, went towards the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. The water poured down like droplets from his chin. 

For once he caught that thing again in the mirror. He signed and closed into his reflection. His eyes widened. Curvy lines were emerging under it. His under eye had turned darker before, but now it was turning light. He raised one of his index fingers towards the eye bag and stretched down his eye. He looked at his pinky veins.

Amelia’s disappointment loosened slightly as her face relaxed. 

Jade  turned as he saw her in the mirror.

‘Believe me, it will be better’. She told him as she stood behind.  

He nodded slightly, his head down. ‘I am going out for a walk’. He told her and stepped out of the caravan. 

She looked at him as he went ahead. She turned back and walked towards the bed. As she folded the bedsheets and placed the pillow, a white folded paper fell on the floor. Her eyes followed it to pick it through her hands. She opened it with a slight tension rising on her forehead. 

‘Something strange is happening in my house, and I am not able to understand what it is. I hope you receive this message’. 

-Adam Cooper

She quickly folded the note and tucked it inside her lower jeans pocket. She turned and picked up the telephone and dialed a number she wasn't quite familiar with. The phone rang several times. Someone picked it up.

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