By The Beach

Liz stood all by herself on the beach wondering up at the stars,it was the month of November , the fall season was almost at its ruins, the trees had left back their leaves hoping the new ones would come out soon.

The sky was pitch black, with twinkling stars all around.The sea gave out a few waves at a time, it seemed like there were two skies, one above and the other below reflecting upon the entire night sky.The waves made a quiet noise brushing up against the huge rocks.The moon hung at a corner hiding behind the dark sky and occasionally coming out at times.

Liz quietly walked by the sea, stopping to collect all the round shells on the way, and throw them back to the sea again.The sand was warm, she liked putting her feet under it and pretending to stand locked to the earth, she loved doing that as a kid she thought of it and smiled to herself.She looked up thinking of various patterns connecting the stars.

The wind blew towards her.The darkness around her was in a perfect balance, though it didn't everything clearly visible but it was clear and present enough to give her company.There was a group of people in the distance, they had lit up a fire, Liz could hear the happy and vague strumming of the guitar or a banjo she couldn't make out, it seemed to come from such a faraway land that it felt like the music didn't really exist it was just her imagination or something.

She had been here earlier- in this town it was pretty much a small area around the sea. She had been staying in a nearby paying guest accommodation a block or two away from the beach.She worked as a writer for a moderately famous magazine. she never had problem writing but this month's article refused to come in her mind.Past few weeks had been very rough for her. Water and hills were something she was deeply drawn to this childhood fancy made her drive back to this place where she once used to come with her mother.

A sudden flashback left Liz overwhelmed she sat down on the warm beach facing the waves and the its dark twin up on the sky.

"They taught us in school today about the refraction, sir says that is what makes stars shine." "Keep science at bay once kiddo, isn't it more fun to think of stars as the young cherub-ins and little fairies winking down on us?" She remembered this little conversation with her mother, and wiped a tear from the corner her eyes, she always looked at everything with a different vision, Liz missed her deeply.

She could hear the strumming again and closing her eyes lay back on the bare sand, feeling the salt ridden breeze on her face and the calm moonlight caressing her body.

Amidst the strumming there was new noise she heard, it was someone screaming it was distant first just as the music then it grew louder with every moment."Help! help! someone help!" she sat up swiftly and saw somewhere around her corner someone fighting the waves and struggling in the water, it was woman. The tide had risen up.Liz began to run towards that direction. She could now see a woman around thirty struggling in those waves "Someone save my child. Help" Liz used up all her strength and with huge strokes moved towards the drowning lady the more she went forward the further the lady drifted away.Slowly the cries for help faded away, she could not see anyone in the water, but she was quite in deep, she started losing her balance against the mighty waves, she could barely keep her eyes open and above the water.Liz felt a big wave pushing her and she felt cold. She blanked out.

The next day she woke up in her bed in her wooden room where she was staying as a paying guest, all the events of last night seemed as a dream but one touch on her hair and dress made her realize all of that was true and real.She sat up with a jerk.

"Everything is alright child our men found you on the beach early during the dawn, its God's grace you are here with us." The landlady of the house who was sitting beside her told her this and went saying she would send warm blankets.

Liz sat there confused with her head reeling with questions about the lady and her sudden disappearing guilt held her tight.After a while Ron the fourteen year old grandson of the lady entered the room with warm blankets, keeping them beside her he quietly said "No one listens to what i say, but you shouldn't have gone there,years ago while playing i ran to the sea,they found me later but i lost my mother to the sea."

Liz stared silently out of the window looking at the beach.