Young Writers Society

The Kiss That Saved

A golden sun hung low above ebbing, calm water, a glowing orb suspended over shimmering liquid. The light silhouetted a group on the beach, as they ran and laughed along the white sand. Waves lapped gently against the shore, salty water flicking up as the gang frolicked on the shoreline. The smooth grains were still warm on the naked soles, as the feet padded over to where the towels had been left in the sand. A body, wet skin glistening in the dying light, flopped heavily onto one of the towels and lay there panting. Soon he was joined by another, and tender hands explored his body, he squirmed and chuckled as the fingers tickled his ribs.

‘It looks like the water is on fire.’ She whispered into his ear. He turned and kissed the salty lips.

‘Then maybe we should burn you!’ he replied, suddenly hauling her up over his shoulder. She screamed in protest, wriggling and slapping his broad, muscled back. He merely gripped her tighter, slapping her bum that protruded over his shoulder. He ran with her toward the sea, laughing at the funny noises she made each time his foot hit the floor and the air was forced from her lungs. He hit the water running, waded as far as he could and then fell. A tangle of bodies rose to the surface, splashing noisily in the serenely rolling waves. Eventually she found her footing in the loose sediment. Gasping for breath, she cleared the blonde strands that were plastered to her forehead and blocking her blue eyes. Staggering sideways as a large wave nearly swept her of her feet, she tried to slap him on the chest; he just grabbed her wrist, his hand dwarfing hers and drew her to him, kissing her long and lingeringly.

‘Remember when we first met?’ he asked when their lips finally parted. She giggled in reply, thinking about the time she had first seen him, or hadn’t.

On that day, the sea was a raging monster, the opposite of the placid thing it was tonight. Seabirds swooped and cawed discordantly, their screams seemingly the voice of the deep. Waves lashed the coast, their anger never dissipating as they hurled themselves repeatedly at the shore. The sky was a sullen grey and thick storm clouds hid the sun from view. The girl struggled against the strong tide, the freezing cold of the water bit at her skin, seething waves threatened to overwhelm her completely. The dinghy was long gone, drifting slowly towards the coast of some foreign country. She fought to stay afloat, but she was losing the battle, exhaustion seeped in and with one last desperate scream she was submerged beneath the undulating surface. She tasted the salty water, as her moth and nose where filled with the freezing liquid. It stung her eyes as she viewed the murky depths, then it all went dark.

The coastguard strolled casually down the beach. Hands buried deep in his pockets to protect them against the chilly wind that gusted in over the violent sea. He whistled a random tune and stared despairingly at the dark sky. He hated winter, it depressed him, he yearned for bright sun and blue skies.

A shrill scream tore him from his reverie. Adrenaline was already starting to thrum through his body as he desperately scanned the rolling ocean. Then he spotted it, way out, the flaxen hair floating on the wild surface. He never took his eyes off the golden object as he sprinted down to the waters edge. He bounded, hopping high through the sea, then dived through an oncoming wave and swam. He was a strong swimmer, but the current was so powerful he didn’t know if he was making any progress. He lost sight of the hair and thought he may have lost it. Then, suddenly he was next to the body, he hauled it out of the water, grabbing beneath the underarms so that the fair head lay on his chest. He was nearly crying when he reached the beach. He drew ragged breaths and spat water from his mouth. His muscles burned as he dragged the body clear of the waves.

Collapsing next to the limp form, he felt for a pulse, it was weak. The eyes were closed and no breath came from the mouth. He tilted the head back, parting the lips. The passage was clear. He put his lips to hers and blew, twice. He watched with relief as the chest rose and fell. Her eyes snapped open revealing startlingly blue pupils. She heaved upward into the sitting position, water spewing from her mouth. Then fell back, exhausted. He picked her up yet again, carrying her to the hut, where he wrapped her in blankets, then called for an ambulance.

‘Thank you’, she said earnestly. Without him she would never have been able to face the great expanse of water again. She kissed him, their bodies entwined in the still, warm water.

‘Come on!’ A voice called to them from the beach, they smiled at each other and ran hand in hand to join their friends.