One

Chapter 1

 

1 month later.

     “Hey, I’m going to work! Take care of yourself when I’m gone okay?”

     “Yeah Eva! I know!”

     Eva poked her head up towards the wooden staircase to see a longhaired brunette standing there, still rubbing her sleepy eyes. “I’ll be home before dinner.”

     Hazel yawned and waved her hand at her. “Yeah, yeah. We do this everyday. You leave after breakfast and come home before dinner.”

     Eva stood at the bottom of the steps with her hands on her hips. “Well, doesn’t someone have a good memory,” she noted with a nod of her head.

     Hazel smirked. “But not good enough huh, I’m still here,” she said with an amused tone. Her arms were outstretched to her sides, as if to show her apparent location.

     “Stop worrying dear, you’ll be fine.” Eva said after a while. She looked down at her watch, “I’m going to be late! I’ll see you tonight!”

     “Wait, Eva, I might come visit you later!” Hazel shouted. Eva nodded and waved one last time before jetting out the door, leaving the house full of silence.

     Hazel looked at the clock that read 7:30am and yawned for the second time. She turned the shower on in the bathroom and decided she wanted scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast.

     After steaming up the bathroom and fogging up the mirror, Hazel went downstairs to make breakfast. She stopped, however, when she saw the dark brown couch in the living room. A month ago, she had left a mud print on the soft armrest from her sneakers by accident. Eva said it wasn’t her fault, since she carried her there from the outside rain, but she still felt guilty.

     She sighed and turned to the kitchen where she began taking eggs and bacon out of the fridge. She turned on the stove with the twist of a knob and spread some butter onto the pan. It had been a month since her arrival at Haven Shore. Life had been simple but all a blur. Hazel had no recollection on how she even found Haven Shore. The last thing she remembered was waking up in a comfy living room, wrapped in warm blankets with Eva cooking breakfast.

     Her bacon sizzled in the frying pan, causally flicking oil in random directions. Outside, the sun was shining brightly already, with no hint of rain coming. After sprinkling some salt on her sunny side ups, she slid her eggs and bacon onto a clean, white plate. The hot steam of her bacon drifted in her face and she inhaled its salty aroma. She set down her plate to open the kitchen window to let out the oily air. Just as she sat down, the phone rang.

     “Hello?” Hazel said, dangling the beige phone cord around her fingers.  

     “Hazel, honey, I forgot my brown notebook on my nightstand. Do you mind…?” Eva trailed off, hoping Hazel would get the message.

     She smiled at Eva’s forgetfulness. “What would you do without me? Of course, I’ll stop by after I eat breakfast, okay?” There was a muffled “Thanksomuch,” and she hung up the phone.

     Hazel started munching on a strip of crispy bacon when something wet brushed against her knuckles on her free hand. She looked down, and a big smile formed on her olive-toned face.

     “Good morning Moose,” she ruffled the top of the big Siberian Husky’s head. Moose wagged his tail and sat down in front of Hazel, his tongue hanging from his mouth. His ears flapped backwards and he looked at Hazel with his big, blue eyes.

     Her heart melted instantly, and she giggled, “Aw Moose, you know how Eva feels about you begging.” She looked around the house. “Although, Eva isn’t here right now is she?” Hazel threw Moose a generous piece of bacon and he went chasing after it. He came back in a few minutes and licked Hazel’s foot with appreciation.

     Hazel chewed her eggs slowly and watched Moose chase his own tail for a very long time. She tasted the cheesy flavor in the eggs and smiled with satisfaction. She took a large swig of orange juice. As she finished up the last bits of her breakfast, she reminded herself to add more salt next time. She dumped the dirty dishes in the sink and ran upstairs to get her bag. Moose followed behind her and his paws made soft thumping noises against the wooden floor. She reached her room, which Eva picked out for her, and looked around.

     Everything was in its rightful place; her bed in the middle of the room, her desk in front of the window, and her bag right on the hanger, where she had left it. A vibrating noise started from under some blankets on her bed and Moose immediately decided to investigate. His nose sniffed around and overturned the blankets to find a small, black device.

     “Silly dog,” Hazel muttered with a smile on her face. She patted his head, and picked up her old, hand-me-down cell phone that Eva gave her.

     “Hello?” She answered, putting it on speakerphone. She stuffed the house keys into her bag.

     “What’s shakin’ Bacon?” The excited voice answered on the other line. Moose’s ears perked up at the sound of the word ‘bacon’ but returned to his normal state on the ground when he realized there were none.

     “Connie! Hey, nothing much, just about to head out to the aquarium to drop something off for Eva. What’s up?” Hazel bent down and sat next to Moose, who was looking around the simple room. She sat crossed-legged and petted Moose’s soft fur.

     “Again? That Eva…isn’t she the aquarium supervisor? She’s supposed to be the one who’s on top of things,” Connie replied in an amused tone. “Anyways, want to go to the beach? It’s perfect weather. You could use some color too.”

     Hazel looked out the window and noticed that her friend was right; the sun was shining brightly without a cloud in the light blue sky.

     “Alright,” she replied after a while. “Meet me at the aquarium at 10:45.” She hung up with a click. She threw some clothes into her bag, and quickly pulled on a teal bikini. Hazel scowled at her long, messy braid, but left it untouched.

     She closed the door behind her as Moose came following behind. Down the hall and around the corner, was Eva’s room. There was a whiff of lavender as Hazel opened the white door. The purple wallpaper gave a relaxing feeling in the room. Beside her nightstand, there sat a brown notebook, just like Eva said. Hazel put the notebook in her bag and closed the door behind her.

     “Moose, come here boy,” she said as she went down the stairs. “I’m leaving now, so you be good.” She scratched his soft ears and he licked her hand twice.

     It was a quiet morning, and when Hazel shut the front door, it left a long echo throughout the calm neighborhood. She listened to her own footsteps as she walked down the block. Her flip-flops smacking against her heels was the only sound besides the faint chirp of birds in the tall trees.

She had met Connie less than a month ago at the beach, and yet, in so little time, they had become such great friends. Although Connie was older than her by nearly two years, they got along like best friends did. Connie was a junior in college, attending Shoreside University�" the Swallows, studying photography. She always carried around a chunky camera around, snapping at random landscapes and interesting people.

     Hazel shuffled her feet against the concrete and noticed a hummingbird zoom by from behind her. She walked down the light grey cement sidewalk and under the ivy covered streetlamps. The first few weeks of her arrival, Hazel spent most of her time indoors, unsure of everything; her name, her age, her location. At first, she was lost in a world in which she had no memory of, but soon after a while, she got a simple, if not general idea who she was.

          The light across the street signaled to go and Hazel crossed the street to turn the corner. The Seashore Aquarium was right on the docks next to the ocean. The first time Eva brought Hazel to work with her, Hazel felt like she was a kid in a candy store. Every corner and every nook, she found something fascinating dwelling there. She looked under every rock and behind every piece of kelp in every single exhibit. She roamed from the salmon to the penguins all the way to the dolphins. She spent hours in the jellyfish exhibit, hypnotized by the serene and graceful movements of the strange transparent-like creatures.

     Her favorite part, however, was the fascinating shark exhibit. Hazel thought they were magnificent creatures even though they weren’t always the friendliest looking. She smiled at the Hammerhead’s flat heads and the fins of the Blacktips. She shivered at the Sandtiger’s sharp teeth and was fascinated with the skin of the one specific Tiger Shark.

     It was a busy day at the aquarium since it was a summer weekend. People were going in and out of the main entrance, causing traffic jams all over the place. Hazel flashed her temporary but long-term visitors pass that Eva gave her to the security guard and went in. Children were everywhere with their face pressed against large glass panels. The cleaning crew would have a long shift tonight. There was a door on the upstairs that read “Supervisor,” and Hazel stomped up the stairs and turned the knob to go in.

     “Hey Eva,” she said as soon as she went inside. Eva was looking out her window of her office, standing with her back straight and arms crossed. She noticed Hazel and turned around with a smile.

     “Oh hi Hazel!” She was dressed in her uniform of an aquarium t-shirt and blue pants.

     Hazel rumbled through her bag and pulled out the medium sized notebook. “I found this in your room on your nightstand and thought you might need it, so I came here.” Hazel smiled as Eva took it.

     “Well aren’t you just in a generous mood today,” she played along and set it on her desk. “Thank you very much.”

     “No problem,” Hazel replied and walked over to the window. “Busy day huh?” A line started to form in front of the ticket office.

     “Yeah. It’s good for us, good business and everything, even though it means we need to work harder. Summer always means the opposite of vacation for us,” she replied and sat down in her rolling chair. There was a moment of silence as both of them went into their own world of thoughts.

     Hazel watched as a little girl pulled her parents into the aquarium gift store. She smiled as she realized that she would probably do something like that.

     “You know what?” Eva said, breaking the silence after a while.

     Hazel turned around from the window, “What?” she asked, curious.

     “You like it here at the aquarium right?” She asked, remembering her first day here. Hazel nodded and waited for her to continue.

     “Why don’t you help out around here then? You get to spend time here and earn a couple extra dollars.” Eva put a hand to her chin and waited for Hazel’s reply.

     Hazel stood there and thought about it for a few minutes. She did like spending time at the aquarium, and it wouldn’t hurt to work either. “Okay, I think that’s a good idea,” she finally said.

     Eva looked pleased. “Good. It’ll be a great experience for you. You can start off as a aquarist assistant.”

     “Sounds good to me,” Hazel replied and looked at her watch. “Oh, I got to run, I’m meeting Connie in a few.” She walked to the door. “When do I start?”

     “How’s Monday sound to you?”

     Hazel nodded, “Okay! I’ll see you later today, thanks Eva.” She closed the door gently behind her.

***

 

     The sun was blaring down on the white-sanded beach, creating an extremely bright reflective surface. The waves made a relaxing whooshing sound throughout the shoreline. The calming lullaby cooled down the sun’s strength by a fraction of a degree. Surfers glided on the waves, skimming their fingers through the cool, delicate, reflective surface.

     “Where’s Erik today?” Hazel asked, with her eyes closed under her dark shades. She inhaled in a fresh and salty breath through her nose and exhaled it back into the air.

     Connie turned over on her towel to lie on her belly. A few strands of her dark black hair were sticking out of her messy bun. “He went back to visit his family in Oregon until next week.” She replied.

     She nodded in response. “I see, do you miss him?” Hazel, too, turned over on her stomach. She brushed some bunches of sand on her forearm.

     “Of course I miss him, he’s my boyfriend!” Connie exclaimed with an incredulous laugh. “But he’ll be back, so I’m okay.” Under the bright sunlight, her tiny freckles were showing against her tanned skin.

     “How long have you guys been together again?”

     “Two and a half years,” she replied swiftly and proudly. “I think he’s the one.” Connie had a dorky smile on her face as she stared off into space.

     Hazel giggled, “Good for you then, you guys are great together.” She turned over on her back again and put an arm over her face for more shade.

     Connie scooted in more towards Hazel. “So, have you, you know, decided on what your doing?” Her tone got a little more serious. Her smile had faltered into an earnest expression.

     Hazel remained in her position for a few seconds, before replying. “Eva offered me a job today at the aquarium, and I’m thinking of taking it.” She paused for a second and continued. “Its been a month, and nothing has come to me yet, no memories, no flashbacks, no hint, nothing. I guess if I’m not going backwards, the only way left is forwards. Eva says that since I’m eighteen, police technically can’t report a missing child case, but might do a missing person’s case. Who knows where the case starts. Other than that though, I think I’m staying for good.” Hazel smiled happily but with a hint of sadness.

     “I’m sorry Hazel, I know someone out there is missing you and worried as heck, but it’s not too bad here. You have somewhere to live, a job, and friends. It could turn out to be a happy ending for you. As time goes on, who knows, it might come to you,” Connie said, cheering her friend up.

     Hazel laughed, “Yeah, it doesn’t sound so bad when you put it like that. I like it here anyways. I’m grateful for Eva though, if she didn’t find me that night, I wonder where I would be today.” A slight chill ran up her spine in the heat of the day. “Lets not think about that though, what happened, happened, and I’m here.” She smiled again, but this time with more of a believable happiness.

     “Want to go for a swim?” Connie asked, sitting up and checking her shoulders for tan progress.

     “Yeah, lets do it! It’s getting a little hot right now,” Hazel was now excited and she removed her sunglasses to a blinding adjustment. They ran together towards the water and dove in, headfirst, under an incoming blue wave.

     The turquoise water was icy cold, yet a refreshing break from the hot sun. Everything underwater was serene and quiet except for the faint bubbling of the crashing waves on the surface. They kept swimming underwater, dodging more incoming waves. Once Hazel resurfaced, however, the sound of children and laughter filled her ears again. Hazel paddled with her arms and head above the water while Connie breastroked farther and farther out. They reached the point where the sandy ground was far beneath their feet, out near the waveless water. Hazel looked down into the ocean and saw a school of fish swim beneath her and she smiled. Their silver scales shined upwards as they hit the sunlight.

     “When is your first day on the job?” Connie floated on her back and made water angels.

     “Monday is my first day, I’m starting as an aquarist assistant trainee,” Hazel replied. She too was on her back, looking up at the white flying seagulls soaring across the soft blue sky.

     “That’s cute, maybe I’ll come visit you after class.”

     “I’d like that, too bad for your summer classes, or else you could’ve spent your whole day with me there.” She smiled while her hair floated around her head, going with the slow, gentle waves.

     “Who says I’d spend the whole day with you while you work?” Connie teased and stuck out her tongue.

     “I see how it is,” Hazel replied with a grin. “Some friend you are,” she joked.

     “You know you love me. I bet you dream about me all the time.”

     Hazel looked over at Connie with a funny expression. “Okay, you just took creepiness to a whole new level,” she laughed and splashed her.

     “Yeah, I get that a lot,” Connie laughed back and wiped her face of salty seawater. “I brought a waterproof camera with me so I can work on my project.” She grabbed the black device that was tied to her wrist.

     “What’s your project on again?” Hazel asked and floated in an upright position. She watched as Connie tinkered with the little dials.

     “Anything really, I’m going for a lonely, fading summer type theme. I don’t know how else to explain it,” she laughed and brushed her wet hair behind her ears.

     “I think I sort of get it.” Hazel looked up at the sky.

     Connie lied on her back again and zoomed in on some seagulls flying by. There was a little click as the shutters quickly captured it.

     “What ever made you want to become a photographer, Connie?” Hazel asked.

     “Well, I’ve thought about it on more than one occasion. But I think its because I’m curious. The world is so big that nobody knows everything that’s out there. In order to get an idea of how truly big, beautiful, sad or wrong the world is, we take pictures. In other words, I guess I’m a sort of collector, gathering bits and bits of the world to try to make a sense out of things.” Connie looked at Hazel. “Does that make any sense at all?”

     Hazel smiled. “Yeah, I get it. I think a lot of jobs are like that; searching for and discovering the unknown.”

     “True. But enough talking, I have homework to complete,” Connie laughed. “Lets do an underwater shoot. You go under and float around, and pretend to be…” she trailed off. “Some sort of fish or something. Oh, I know, go be a mermaid.” Connie wore an amused expression on her face.

     “A mermaid?” Hazel laughed. “Alright, whatever.” She took a deep breath and dove under the water surface. Connie followed a few seconds later. There were no sounds within the ocean, not even the sounds of crashing waves could be heard. Hazel’s long brown hair was floating above and around her, creating a mystical feeling. She was doing random, slow poses, not exactly sure if they looked believing. She felt silly. Connie backed away a few feet before starting to click away. A minute and a half later, Hazel swam towards the top and gasped for air and Connie followed right behind her.

     She spit some salty water from her mouth. “How was that?” Hazel asked after she caught her breath. The salty taste on her tongue lingered, making her wish she had a nice, cold soda.

     “It was good, but I think you need to be more…relaxed and casual. Look lonelier. Your doing great though!” Her friend replied and rubbed her eyes.

     Hazel rolled her eyes and smiled. “Alright, let me just take a breather. Underwater pictures are hard work. My eyes are killing me,” she said, rubbing her eyes as well.

     “Same here, but we’re almost done,” she laughed. “Now think lonely.”

     A few minutes later of floating, Hazel dove under the dark blueness again and decided to ignore the camera. She went into her own world of thoughts.

     Although I have somewhere to live and friends to be with, it’s still not exactly the same, Hazel though to herself. Connie has a family somewhere. Whatever she says about being here forever, she will always have somewhere to go, people to see. Who do I have? All these sad thoughts were depressing Hazel and she looked at Connie, who was photographing in different angles and poses. Where do I go when I want to go home? A few seconds later, Connie signaled to go up.

     Water bubbles rose to the top of the surface and the two girls came bursting through into the brackish air.

     “Did you get it?” Hazel asked, panting hard. Her head was spinning from the lack of breathing and her body quickly rejuvenated.

     “I think so,” Connie said tiredly but with a smile on her face.

     “That’s great,” Hazel said, and relaxed on her back, closing her eyes while Connie scanned through her camera.

     There was a slow, and constant rumbling sound that erupted from the water somewhere, tickling Hazel’s heart. Connie looked around as Hazel ignored it completely. After a few minutes of the rumbling, Hazel decided that she wanted it to stop.

     “What is that?” She grumbled, annoyed that something was bothering her ocean power nap.

     “I don’t know,” Connie replied, still turning in circles, trying to figure out what direction it was coming from. “Sounds like a boat.”

     And sure enough, a couple seconds later, a white motorboat appeared from the horizon and came closer. The motor’s sound grew louder and louder, vibrating the water as it approached. It slowed down when it got close.

     Hazel had turned herself upright to see the commotion. Connie strapped her camera back onto her wrist and looked up at the tall boat with a red cross logo on the side.

     “You ladies alright out here?” A tall, handsome blonde boy was holding onto the boat’s handle, leaning over the edge and looking down. He was bare chested, showing off his tan to whoever glanced by. He was wearing red life guarding shorts and some brown sandals.

     “Yeah, we’re fine!” Connie shouted upwards, holding her hand over her eyes to block out the sun.

     “Just wanted to let you guys know that your past the buoy line.” He motioned to the floating orange device a couple feet away from them. “Its safer within the limits we set out. Girls like you shouldn’t be so far out, its dangerous.”

     “Sorry mom,” Hazel muttered with a smirk on her face.

     “What?” the lifeguard yelled down.

     “Sorry Mr. lifeguard!” Hazel yelled loudly back. “We’ll make sure we’re two feet over to our right next time!” She said slowly.

     “We’ll start swimming back now!” Connie joined in.

     “You ladies need a ride? I can take you back on the boat,” he motioned to help them up, mainly looking at Hazel. Connie looked amused as she saw Hazel getting annoyed. She waited for her response.

“I think if we managed to swim all the way out here by ourselves, we can get back by ourselves just fine. Come on Connie,” Hazel replied and began swimming towards the shore.

Connie followed in pursuit, “Sorry Dave, I think your pride is in need of a little saving right about now.” She smirked and swam after Hazel, who was well within the buoy limits now.