There is something mesmerizing about the smell of the sea. It’s not sweet and delicate like the morning dew or wild and refreshing like a rainstorm. The sea is not clean. It won’t absolve you of your sins and provide you with a fresh start. The sea knows all and it never forgets, it clings to you. It has carried us across continents and in the process taken its share of sailors to their final resting place.
With every inhale Marianne became more transfixed, breathing in the memories of her ancestor’s sacrifice. She’d spent most of her days out on the wharf, gazing out at the Strait that connected her small peaceful cove to the vast ocean. It was her only source of comfort since the accident.
She absentmindedly twirled her light brown hair, which sparkled blonde in the sunlight. Her hair was wild and frizzy, making her already round face appear even wider. “It’s just baby fat” her grandmother would say. “Lay off the candy and it will go away.” That was easier said than done, seeing as her grandmother owned the general store in town and provided unlimited access to sweets.
“Sometimes I wish I was more descriptive” Marianne whined in front of the mirror one day.
“What on earth do you mean?” replied her sister, Nellie, bemused.
“My hair’s not blonde or brown. I’m not fat or thin. I’m not short or tall. I have a dimple on my right cheek by not my left. My eyes aren’t even one color. They’re some assorted mix of blue, green, and grey.” she sighed. “It’s like whoever created me ran out of ingredients and so they just threw a bunch of random stuff together.”
“Being in-between a bunch of things is what makes you unique.” Nellie laughed. “By being ‘non-descriptive’ as you say, that means you get to decide who you want to be.”
Marianne gave her a halfhearted smile. Nellie never had an awkward phase. She was an adorable child that blossomed into a gorgeous teenager without ever having so much as a pimple. Her skin was milky white, she had long straight raven-colored hair that made her round teal eyes even more captivating. She was a natural artist, adept at everything she touched. Their father used to brag that in kindergarten Nellie walked up to the chalkboard and drew a perfect circle. At 13, the closest Marianne had come was with the help of a compass, and even that was shaky.
Nellie had a tall and slender dancer’s body, with the poise and grace to match. Even though she was only 16 she had already landed the lead in the school’s spring production of Brigadoon.
Yet none of that mattered now, as Nellie’s body was stuffed full of tubes, clinging to life in a little room above the general store. The doctors had moved her home, hoping that some familiar surroundings might help her wake up. It had been three weeks with not so much as a blink.
Marianne hated it there. Seeing her sister once so full of life now on the brink of death was too much to bear. So she spent her days on the wharf, the waves lapping against the pier and the sun on her neck lulling her into a state of quiet contemplation.
“I’m surprised to see you here” declared the voice behind her. Marianne smiled for the first time in weeks as she turned around.
“Where have you been?” she exclaimed.
Lee’s face was downcast. His brown, almond-shaped eyes had lost their usual twinkle and his usually roguishly disheveled black hair was matted and greasy.
“I haven’t been able to face you since…” Lee looked out at the sea, at the spot that had transfixed Marianne
“It wasn’t your fault. The investigators said it was an accident.”
“I could’ve saved her” he said, tears welling up in his eyes.
“You couldn’t have known. None of us knew.” Marianne retorted. “She was a strong swimmer, we’ve been swimming in these waters our whole life. It was an accident.” she emphasized. She motioned for him to sit next to her, and he obliged, giving her a half-smile.
Lee gazed back out at the sea. “How often do you come here?”
“Every time I can escape” she answered.
“It’s that bad huh?” He asked.
“There’s people there, all the time, and lasagna. We’ve had so much lasagna even Garfield would get sick of it. That’s apparently the only dish people in town know how to cook! The most frustrating part is I know that many of these girls that come over weren’t even her friends. Here they are crying and arguing over who loved her the most. They’re acting all nice to me, even though I don’t think one of them even knows my name. It’s disgusting and I don’t want to be a part of it.”
“God Nellie would hate that.” Lee smiled. “I hope she wakes up and reads them the riot act” he laughed for a moment. It was strange sensation. For a millisecond his heart wasn’t heavy as he imagined his girlfriend calling out all the ‘posers’ as she called them. Nellie was the most genuine person he had ever known, and the moments she would get the most impassioned were when people were disingenuous. She couldn’t stand that, and he loved her for it. He looked back out at the cove, at the spot where it happened, and once again his heart grew heavy.
“I hope she wakes up” he muttered.
“You really ought to come see her.” Marianne gazed at him, her eyes were now a steely grey, with the same stubbornness and determination as her older sister.
“I know” he said and returned his gaze to the sea.
“We don’t blame you, but you should come see her.” Marianne continued. “Also, I could use an ally. My Aunt Mildred is staying with us and she’s driving me crazy, and Papa is useless, spending all of his time in the studio…” As Marianne prattled on, happy to finally have a friend to confide in, Lee shifted his gaze towards the horizon.
“It looks different now” he said.
“Yeah” Marianne agreed. “It feels different too.”
“No, it doesn’t just feel different! It IS different now.” Lee shot up with a jolt. Marianne looked up at him, bewildered. He grabbed her by the shoulders and bent down, looking her straight in the eye, his face more determined and sober than she had ever seen it.
“Annie… Did you see something that night? Something… unusual?” he asked her. Marianne’s eyes widened. “You saw it too?” she asked, stunned.
“Come on!” Lee grabbed her arm, and started running towards town, Marianne stumbling to keep up.