The cold breeze off the surf forces me to snuggle tightly into my jean jacket. There’s a tug on my arm as Ally uses me for warmth too. I smile at her, resting my head on hers before taking another sip from my cheap, gas station beer. As the flames of the bonfire dance with the blaring music, this moment couldn’t be more perfect. Nothing in this small island town of Brody can ruin this. Just me, and her…
“Ah fuck!”
…and my buddy falling into the open flame because he’s had too much to drink. He rolls out quickly, using the sand to smother what little flames decorate his clothes. He stands panting, but once he sees he’s okay, he gives a victorious cheer, and the rest of the drunk idiots around join as if we just won our league championship.
I throw my can at him and hit him in the head. “Hey Christopher, why don’t you keep it down before the cops come and arrest us for your stupidity.”
He kicks sand at me. “Lighten up, Mike. Why don’t you go take Ally and dive off the pier or something?”
My best friend, and he’s an idiot. “Can’t swim, dumbass.”
“You shouldn’t have come to a beach, dumber ass!”
He’s beyond drunk as he sways with his arms out wide, depending on the others to hold him up. I shake my head at him and turn to Ally who smiles and decides to run off. Where is she going?
I decide to follow her as we leave the warmth and music behind and race off towards the pier. Abandoned, and closed for repairs. The only things around are some sea gulls that don’t even bother waking to squawk at us for our disturbance. Ally slips through the chain link fence. It’s a little more challenging for me as I’m a little broader in the shoulders. I have to temporarily slip out of my jacket as it’s snags on the fence. Luckily it doesn’t tear.
“Leave it off.”
I hear a down the pier. I smile, but slide it back on. Maybe if we were closer to the fire, she’d have an argument. With nothing but this coastal wind between us, I’m leaving my jacket on.
“Then come here and let me warm you up.”
I chuckle. “Uh, no. I’m not falling for that one again.”
“What do you mean?”
My eyes widen. “Last summer? At Angelia’s party? Where you were like, oh Mikey hold me, I’m cold, and then proceeded to dunk us both in the pool. Where you found out the hard way that I don’t swim.”
She smiles in the faint of night. “More like can’t. You don’t trust me?”
My laughter gets muffled by the wind. “About as far as I can throw you.”
“You have a pretty good arm.”
“For football.”
“Come on.”
She laughs as she steps in and takes my arms. She leads me further from the fence and closer to the end of the pier. The creeks in the planks are as unsettling as the darkness over the ocean. The music and partying of our peers seems more distant with the nothingness around us drowning out the sound. I stare out into the blackness of the sea when Ally returns my attention on her. The beautiful smile behind her luscious lips. Her green eyes twinkling under the faint moonlight. I lean in to kiss her, then with a whiff of the wind, she’s gone in an instant. I blink away my confusion as in seconds I hear a splash and rush to the edge of the pier.
“Ally!”
I call and step away from the edge as I hear the plank creak under my weight. I hear her surface. She’s not too far out, maybe I could…I swallow hard.
“Since you won’t take your jacket off…” She says between laps of waters splashing across her face as she remains afloat. “Come on in, I got you.”
I frown. “Ally…”
I hear something else. Something larger swimming in the water.
“Ally?”
She loops around. “It’s nothing. Probably just a seal.”
“That’s not nothing. Those can be territorial or something.”
“Michael…”
“No, I’ve seen this movie. I’m not getting in there, and you should get out too.”
I say and begin walking down the pier.
“Michael!”
I turn with panic as I hear Ally flailing in the water.
“Not funny!”
I yell, but I’m screaming at the blackness as she’s nowhere to be seen.
“Ally?” My heart races. “Ally!”
I don’t waste another second. I dive in. Foolish, as there’s nothing but nothing all around. I struggle to surface, kicking and fighting the waves to keep afloat. I don’t see Ally; I don’t hear eye. I bobble worse than a buoy, feeling the ocean trying to drag me down to the depths.
“Michael!”
Ally screams as she breaks the surface. I can’t tell from where. I struggle to turn around and remain above the surface. She screams again, then there’s silence. Just me splashing about.
“Ally! Ally!”
I try my hardest to swim. Then I kick something. It moves away before I can determine what it was. I turn like I’m caught in a whirlpool, trying to get a glance of anything. I hear between the crush something swimming around me. I turn. I hear a splash from behind me. I turn again. My eyes narrow as under the dim moonlight I see a shape, a figure, a man standing on the pier. I could have sworn he was in a bowler hat when I’m pulled underwater. Something has my leg. I can’t tell what it is as I feel knives dig into my calf. A shark? I can’t see. I try to fight it, but I can’t see. I can’t breathe. It’s pulling me deeper into the water. My consciousness leaving me behind on the surface. I feel something sharp dig into my thighs. Then a tug as I’m ripped away. I break the surface and gasp for air.
“Hold on!”
Is all I hear between splashing. I glance back at the pier, the bowler hat is gone. I glance around me. I see no one. I glance at my feet as I’m being pulled through the water. I can feel an arm around my neck, but still see no one. What I do see is something furiously chasing me as water sprays in pursuit.
“Hold on!”
I hear again as I try to scream. I swallow water instead as I’m pulled in the opposite direction. Next I hear is the roar of water as I’m pulled under again, and all I see is the blackness engulf me.
I wake up, spitting water as I gasp for air. I’m back on the beach. My clothes soaked and my pants in shreds. I’m only given a moment to comprehend what just happened. I drowned? I was attacked!
“Ally!”
I turn. I scream. Next to me on the beach is Ally. Her body, lifeless, drained. She looks more pruned than a raisin as I scoot away, kicking sand across her outreached hand and face of terror. I stand, my heart panicking as I hear a mixture of sounds between the crush of the waves and the music in the distance. The party. I turn to the dancing orange in the distance. Christopher. My eyes widen as I see new lights of red and blue competing in a swirling rave. The police.
“Help!”
I struggle to scream. I don’t know what happened. I can’t comprehend anything in this moment, just that my girlfriend and I were attacked, and Ally is dead.
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