Bluehour (A Watermagic Novel)

by Brighton Hill

  “My stuff is over there.” I pointed to my backpack and towel. Agatha and Danny must have still been at the snack bar on the peer.

  His dark eyes burned into me as he released my arm. “Go gather it up.”

  I didn’t hesitate. He was a huge, hulking man with a grand, charismatic presence—not the kind of guy you can say no to. All he had to do was look at me harshly and I trembled.

  I collected my things, shaking the sand lightly from my towel and stuffing it into my backpack. As we walked to the parking lot toward his car, I saw Agatha and Danny returning to the beach.

  Agatha’s eyes widened as we came closer. She looked terrified. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Waters,” she stammered from a short distance in her loud, high pitched voice.

  My father grunted and his grip tightened on my arm.

  “I begged Grace to rinse my surfboard in the water for me because some drunk guy threw up on it. I’m on my period and I didn’t want to go in.” She looked at Danny in embarrassment.

  My father stopped and Agatha and Danny approached him. Danny seemed frightened as he looked up at my fuming dad, his nostrils a flare. “Go on,” he commanded.

  “She would never have gone in the ocean if I didn’t start crying. You should punish me—not Grace. It’s my fault.”

  “If that’s so,” my father said, his shoulders relaxing the slightest bit, “…then why did you head off to the rollercoaster while she was washing your board?”

  “Grace told me she’d take care of it and some of the throw up got on my arms. I wanted to rinse it off in the bathroom. Saltwater leaves me itchy.” She crossed her legs one over the other awkwardly.

  “Okay.” His voice calmed. He always liked Agatha and I think he trusted her. His attention shifted to me. “You should know better, Grace. No matter what, you are never allowed in the ocean. You hear me?” His voice was stern, but, to my relief, calm. “You should have taken the board to the showers and rinsed it there.”

  “You’re right,” I replied. My body was shivering slightly from all the excitement and because I hadn’t taken the time to dry myself off after getting out of the water. “I didn’t think of that. That was really stupid of me.” I was hoping if I pretended to see things from his point of view—that the ocean was a horrible, dangerous monster—then he might lessen my punishment.

  My father looked back at Agatha. “I’m taking Grace home now. You can see her on Monday at school.”

  “Okay, Mr. Waters. That’s fine.” She smiled weakly.

  “Are you okay by yourself?” he asked, His tone was laced with the slightest concern.

  “Uh…” She looked uncomfortable. “Well, uh…” Her voice was a little shaky. “Can I talk to you privately, Mr. Waters?”

  He blinked. His expression was unreadable, but I sensed that Agatha surprised him with her request. “Sure,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let’s just step over here.” He motioned her over to the side.

  They walked several feet away from us and conversed.

  I wondered what the heck they could be talking about. Agatha was an amazing friend. I just beamed with gratitude. She had saved me maybe a year of restriction and endless chores.

  Danny shook his head. “What was your dad so mad about?” he whispered.

  “I can’t explain now. It’s complicated.” I was glancing over at my father and Agatha. They seemed deep in conversation.

  “Sounds like Agatha saved your butt for whatever he was so angry about.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Danny Williams about my father’s neurosis. “Looks that way—doesn’t it?”

  Agatha and my dad finished talking and walked over to us.

  “You can stay at the party,” my dad said to my utter shock. “Be home by ten. I’ll give you your punishment tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay,” I responded, my eyes widening as my chin involuntarily jutted back.

  “I love you,” he whispered and then kissed me on the forehead as he left.

  I stood there, dumbfounded.

  He looked back over his massive shoulder. “Don’t go in the water.” His voice was commanding, but I detected the slightest wry grin on his rugged fisherman’s face.

  Agatha, Danny, and I walked back to our spot on the beach. People were running around wild and dancing crazy before the bonfire. Nobody seemed to notice us as we returned. I laid my towel back down.

  “You are amazing, Agatha.” I shook my head in awe. “I owe you big time.”

  “You’re welcome!” she laughed a little too loud. She even released a couple of snorts from her nose which caused Danny and me to laugh too.

  “You are my one and only b.f.f.!”

  “You better believe it,” She laid back on her towel.

  And of course, Danny was sitting on my towel with me.

  I looked at her and thought how wonderful she was. She was the best frizzy haired friend anyone could have. I loved her inside and out. “What did you say to my dad when you were off by yourselves?”

  Her face turned red. “I’ll tell you about that later.” She looked at Danny and giggled.

  “Whatever it was, he was mush in your hands—frickin’ amazing!”

  I gazed out at the ocean and guessed that the same people I was beside before were still surfing. It appeared as if they were paddling out on their boards. I saw them moving out on their bellies under the full moon. They turned and caught a big wave all at once. Again, they were all together in one line riding in. I noticed a lot of people were staring at them from shore.

  They looked like heavenly creatures in the moonlight with their long, wild hair in disarray. But, this time I only counted four. It was difficult to discern between them at a distance in the night. Their bodies looked silvery, like silhouettes. I was completely mesmerized.

  “You see those surfers out there?” Danny asked Agatha and me. He was squinting to look at them.

  “Yeah, I see them,” Agatha said. “They look so graceful on their boards.”

  He nodded. “I think that’s the French exchange students we were talking about.”

  Just then, the gorgeous long haired boy who I surfed beside strutted up to us. He moved rhythmically as he carried Agatha’s surfboard. Now I knew I was right that they were missing one of their clan. The pit of my stomach tightened.

  “You are correct, Danny,” the boy’s beautiful full lips lifted into a crooked grin. “They are the French exchange students.”

  Danny blushed, likely embarrassed that the boy had overheard him talking about his group. “Oh, hi, Laurent.”

  Laurent chuckled lightly. “Hi.” His voice was slightly edged with sarcasm. He set the surfboard down beside me. “Thought you might be missing this.” He shook his head like he was amused with the scene my father had created in the water.

  I noticed that some of the girls from my school were looking over at this incredibly handsome boy as he talked to me. “Thank you,” I muttered under my breath. I wasn’t ashamed that my classmates had seen my father’s production in the water, but I was embarrassed that this boy had seen it. I felt my cheeks burning and I hoped that he didn’t notice.

  His long hair was wet now and away from his perfect golden bronze face. He definitely wasn’t a girl. He was the best looking guy I had ever seen in my life.

  There was a knot in my throat. I swallowed hard.

  I noticed that now that he was closer to me his nostrils started to flare. It seemed like he was suddenly agitated. “You lost this,” he said in a musical voice that sent electricity through my body. His hand was in a fist held out before me as he looked me in the eyes holding a stare.

  I didn’t know what to do. Did he want me to pry open his fist?

  He lifted an eyebrow and I guessed that he was teasing me, like he was playing a little game. I wondered what he could possibly have in his hand.

  His gaze never wavered, but his teeth clenched. I almost got the feeling like he was trying to control himself. A half smile lifted on his fa
ce momentarily as he turned his hand over and opened it. It was my sapphire ring that my mother had given me on my sixteenth birthday. It must have fallen off in the ocean.

  My eyes widened. I was shocked. How did he find it? “Where did you get this?”

  He smiled broader now, exposing his beautiful white teeth, but then his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared again. He took a step back, away from me. With a glance to the ocean, he shook his head like he was trying to gain control of his senses. He turned back to me and started to chuckle lightly. “When your pop wrestled you off the board, it slipped off your finger.” I sensed he was thoroughly amused at my expense now.

  I rolled my eyes. How could he have caught that? It hardly seemed possible. He would have had to have been staring at me and even then how could he notice a little ring fall?

  Bewildered, I stood up. Moving closer to him, I reached to take the blue shining stone from his hand. My fingers grazed his palm. Again, a surge of electricity shot through my body.

  But, to my shock, he pulled back violently. It was as if he cowered away from me. He gasped. His bronzed colored face turned pale. His ocean blue eyes locked with mine and I detected a streak of hatred toward me in them. “You have your board,” he retorted coldly. And he darted away almost like a frightened fish.

  “That was weird,” Agatha gasped, putting her hands to her cheeks. “Didn’t you think that guy acted very strange?” she whispered to Danny.

  He grimaced and jutted his chin out as he watched Laurent almost glide, his movements were so graceful, past the bonfire, through the crowd of dancers, and over to some large boulders at the edge of the sand just before the boardwalk. Aggressively he picked up a stone and chucked it hard across the sand toward the ocean.

  I must have imagined it, but it actually looked like it hit the water making a splash. It hardly seemed possible to throw a little rock so far and fast. Then, with such agility, he climbed up onto one of the boulders and stood up on its uneven surface. He gazed out at the ocean, seemingly lost in thought.

  “Is he doing something with his mouth?” Agatha questioned, her head tilted to the side as she observed Laurent from the distance. “It looks like his lips are puckered. Can you see that, guys?” She looked at me and then at Danny.

  “I think he’s making one of those weird sounds they make.” Danny frowned; he seemed worried.

  “Look,” I blurted out. “The other French exchange students are coming out of the ocean with their boards. It’s almost like he’s calling them.”

  Danny shook his head anxiously. “No, no, no…” He stretched his neck out, trying to get a clearer look. “It’s not possible. Laurent’s friends couldn’t hear him from all the way across the beach and in the ocean.”

  “You’re right,” Agatha moaned. “Nobody could hear a whistle or whatever sound he was making, if any, with all this music playing so loud. And even without that, the ocean is too far and the waves muffle out the noises on shore.”

  The French kids set their boards on the sand before the boulders and slipped out of their wetsuits. One of the males pulled from between the rocks an attractive suitcase made of floral fabric. It looked a little old fashioned.

  They all retrieved their clothes from the case and put them on over their bathing suits. Then they climbed up on the boulders effortlessly where they all sat down together.

  It appeared as if they were conversing amongst themselves over an important matter. One of the two girls climbed down and started walking across the beach toward us. Her white sheer dress blew in the summer wind. Her movements were fluid and graceful much like Laurent’s, but feminine.

  “What do you think she’s doing?” I asked Danny, feeling uncomfortable because it looked like she was looking at us. I turned away from her, balling my fists in dread.

  “That’s Marine Thibault,” he stated, seemingly proud that he knew her name. “She’s the blond one, but you can’t tell because her hair is wet.”

  I turned to look at her, trying not to stare, but I couldn’t help myself. She stepped before the bonfire, the flames leaping in the air. I could see the silhouette of her sleek, shapely body beneath the sheer white fabric of her dress. She was voluptuous in all the right places. Others turned to look at her. Her beauty was more than enchanting.

  I wanted to get up and leave. My stomach tightened into a knot. I was sure she was coming to talk to me. It was a gut feeling. Maybe Laurent said something to her about me. I must have offended him somehow. From his reaction, it seemed like I did something awful.

  Her last several steps after the bonfire were surprisingly swift. Her clear blue eyes suddenly turned fierce. She came up to me at once, without any sort of hesitation, and grabbed my arm roughly. In a shockingly violent manner, she yanked me off of the ground and punched me in the stomach with jarring strength.

  Teardrop

  My eyes bulged almost out of the sockets. At the impact of her punch, the wind rushed out of my lungs. I had been in many fights in my life. I could take her on. She was strong as hell, more powerful than any girl I had ever taken a jab from and she was taller than me, but I was a fast and determined fighter.

  “Fight, fight, fight…” some kids over by the bonfire yelled. Everyone crowded around us to watch.

  Crouched over, I looked up at Marine who stared at me with a startling confidence. “Hey, what the hell?” I gasped. My mind was spinning. A million thoughts came to me at once.

  I decided to attack back, take her on. One thing I had learned in life is you don’t wait to see what the aggressor is going to do next; you strike back without hesitation. In a sudden rush, I jumped on her. I started slamming my fist into her face several times in fast repetition.

  “Girl fight, girl fight…” some other kids started chanting.

  The stupid blond tried to push me off, but I was too quick. I sensed that she was dazed from my retaliation. I heard clicking sounds in her throat. That was unexpected and strange.

  “Stop!” she called out. Her wet hair was partly covered in sand. “Please stop.”

  Because of her pleas I got off of her, but I kicked her once hard in the stomach as payback.

  The crowd booed.

  Fury had overtaken me. How dare she punch me in the gut when I did absolutely nothing to her!

  Agatha ran over to me. “Are you okay,” she gasped as she looked at the girl on the ground.

  Perspiration lined my forehead. “I’m fine,” I reassured her and then I guided her away from us, so that she wouldn’t get hurt if my assailant reengaged.

  The girl was wiping the sand out of her hair and off her dress with her hand. Her head wobbled slightly side to side. Oddly, though she seemed disoriented from the blows to the head, she looked more concerned with her appearance than with her wellbeing. She even checked her long fingernails decorated in rhinestones for breaks. But the way her hand rose before her face for examination caught my attention. It moved in a fluid manner, almost like an arm of an octopus, the way it sways in the water.

  For a moment, she just started laughing. Even her laughter was pretty, a little like a song. But, it was out of place and inappropriate. I think gorgeous, blond Marine was shocked and hadn’t anticipated my fighting skills. I had overwhelmed her, taken her by surprise.

  I was a small girl, only five feet three and a half inches as compared to her probably five feet nine inch body. She likely figured she could take me down effortlessly. But, apparently, she was mistaken. She had never lived in the dangerous neighborhoods I lived in as a young kid. Her father wasn’t obsessed with survival. And her father didn’t teach her to fight back like a maniac like mine did.

  I stepped away from her ready to take her on again if she desired. My adrenaline was rushing. The crowd, though still gathered around us, was quiet.

  “You wanna tell me why you punched me in the gut when I don’t even know you?” I demanded. My shoulders were back; I was ready for her.

  “Yeah, why’d you do that?” Agatha enjoined in
her high-pitched voice.

  Danny was standing beside Agatha, but I don’t think he had any idea what he should do. He probably didn’t think it was proper to fight a beautiful blond girl himself.

  The crowd was whispering amongst themselves. Some kids were still dancing and laughing right there.

  Marine stood up so gracefully, trying to act unaffected, but a thin stream of blood dripped from her eye down her cheek. It was hard to look at her. Her eyes were so intense and she was so damn beautiful.

  Even a beating didn’t curb her confidence. “Stay away from Laurent,” she warned. Her voice intrigued me. It was soft and with sultry undertones, yet it possessed the qualities of unwavering self-assurance and command.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about,” I retorted. “I don’t even know him. So what’s your problem?”

  “I was counting on scaring you with my physical force…” she continued as she wiped her bleeding eye with her finger tips. She looked fascinated with her own blood as she examined it on her fingernails. “…but that didn’t work. You are fierce.” She giggled lightly. Her voice was what I would imagine an angel would sound like if it laughed.

  Then she said a few things in French, which I didn’t understand, and continued speaking in her mesmerizing voice in English, “Anyway, if you are intelligent, you will stay away from Laurent Moreau. Death awaits those who cling to him.”

  Now that was just too weird. “Are you threatening to kill me if I try to take your boyfriend?”

  The other kids laughed.

  I couldn’t help but chortle at her threat. The idea was so outlandish like something out of a movie. But this girl was psycho; maybe she would kill me. Everything she was saying made no sense. And anyway, no guy would choose me over this charismatic beauty. If that was her concern, she really was crazy.

  “That’s all I can say.” She shook her head, sending some of the sand flying up and out. Her eyes locked with mine. To my surprise, her expression actually softened to what I perceived to be concern, like she was truly worried about saving my life. How could that be? She was unfathomable. I just wanted to get away from her.