Time and Tide (WIP)

The steady, sonorous roar of the waves fell gently upon the shore. Hero stared into its endless expanse as a pair of seagulls wheeled lazily overhead. The sun was just beginning its descent on the horizon, and the first few tendrils of dusk were creeping in over the forest behind him.

	They had come to the beach that day to see the sunset. Hero’s parents were out of town for the weekend and had graciously gifted Hero and Kel the old family minivan to use, provided they kept it sand-free upon their return. Despite the years, it was still roomy enough for the five of them. Hero stood at low tide as the next wave tickled the soles of his sandals. Before him the sun had just begun to touch down on the endless expanse of water, bathing the sky a gradient of orange and purple. To his left he could hear Kel and Aubrey bickering over the ethics of taking hermit crabs home. Basil was attempting to mediate by offering to keep them in his garden but Hero knew, one way or another, Kel would smuggle one home with him.

	He shifted his gaze to his right, and saw Sunny standing motionless atop the edge of the pier. The wind rippled the sleeves of his polo shirt and khaki shorts. For a brief moment of panic Hero though it might be enough to push him off the pier. Yet Sunny stood firm, immutable. His eyes remained fixed on the horizon in that familiar, sleepy, expressionless face. Hero felt a wave of guilt wash over him. They hadn’t spoken alone for a few weeks since Sunny moved to the city. With a heavy sigh Hero strode up to the stairs leading to the pier, knowing he couldn’t put this conversation off forever. With every step his mind raced back to that day in the hospital.

	First there was shock. Hero stood in utter disbelief at what Sunny just told him. He worried for a second that Sunny had hit his head too hard and was spouting gibberish. Then his eyes darted to Basil, still in his hospital bed. A broken smile spread painfully across the young boy’s face, his eyes welling up with tears, and it told Hero everything he needed to know. Sunny was telling the truth. A feeling of overwhelming dread clutched Hero’s heart. He could hear his pulse pounding in his ears, and felt his knees start to wobble. He clutched the railing of the bed for support, and his eyes landed on Basil again. He was sobbing openly now, and the tears streamed down his face like a waterfall.

	Hero didn’t quire remember what happened next. He felt himself shout something, but his hearing had gone shallow, as if his ears had popped. He dimly recalled Aubrey’s face next, her eyes a mixture of fear and pain. He heard himself shout once more, then lunged a hand out for Basil, whether to slap him or throttle him he wasn’t quite sure. A hand clamped down on his shoulder from behind. Hero whirled in a red fury, expecting to find Kel, only…

	Sunny’s left eye was red and full of tears. He was sputtering out sentences between fits of sobbing, begging Hero to take it out on him. Basil might have had the idea, but Sunny was the one who went through with it. It was still his fault. Sunny spread his arms wide and demanded that if Hero should want to take it out on anyone it should be him. Hero faltered for a moment, the sight of Mari’s little brother with tears streaming down his face for the first time in years. He looked just like Mari did that day she saved him from the lake.

“Sunny, snap out of it!” Hero yelled.

	The punch landed hard, maybe harder than Hero had intended. Sunny spun sideways and hit the bed before crumpling on the ground in a ball. His sobbing quieted to a whimper, and he covered his face with his hands. Hero felt rough hands lock his arms behind him as Aubrey wrestled to get him under control. Kel’s horrified glance darted from Sunny on the ground to his brother before him. The look in Kel’s eyes told Hero that he must look like a feral monster. Then he was gone in a flash, sprinting down the hallway for someone to help. Hero remembered, with a start, the only other time he’d seen his brother look at him that way. His anger gave way to shame, and it wasn’t long before the nurses and Kel found the four of them crying and collapsed on the ground: Sunny and Basil out of grief they had kept bottled for so long, Hero out of shame, and Aubrey because- well, everyone else was crying, so why not?

	As Hero made his approach, the planks creaked uneasily beneath his feet. He steadied himself against the wind, tugging gently at his own clothes now. Sunny must have heard his approach in spite of the wind. He turned to face Hero, his facial expression still inscrutable, and slightly hooded in shadow from the setting sun behind him.