Love, Lies, Secrets and Manipulation (Divergent/Eric OC)

57. Fear Landscape.

(Natalie's POV)

The air changes around me, becoming clear and refreshing. Then comes the beautiful sound of the waves, accompanied by the calls of the seagulls, and I open my eyes.

I smile at the sight before me, once again taking in the most breathtaking view a person can ever witness.

The warm colored sky is just as I last remembered—a variation of pink, orange, yellow and purple—with the sun setting just above the horizon, reflecting over the ocean of water.

The scenery is breathtaking—maybe even more than it's ever been before—and the cliff I'm standing on feels as real as ever underneath my boots, the ocean breeze hitting my face at this elevated height. The water is still that beautiful sea-blue color, the calm waves hitting against the small, brown, rocky cliffs across the way.

God, this view is spectacular. Everything about it is inviting and intriguing. It's absolutely captivating.

This will always be my favorite fear, I admit. These few moments of peace and serenity that I get to experience in the first half are well worth what's next to come in the second half. Once again, it's like I've stepped into the page of an old textbook of the world's most beautiful geographical locations, and it's come to life right before my eyes.

But this time, it all begins to change a lot sooner. The sky's warm, inviting colors turn darker—a mixture of grey and cool earth tones—and the temperature drops about at least ten degrees cooler, the wind vastly picking up. That's when I hear the thunder rumbling out in the distance.

The storm is coming, and it's coming now.

With a sudden surge of energy I back away from the edge of the cliff I'm standing on, then quickly make a run for the steps that descend downward, heading for the shore.

I strip myself from my jacket as I run toward the water that's already turning a deeper shade of blue, and I kick off my boots just before entering the water, then swim to the nearest small cliff.

The water becomes thicker and harder to swim in as the sky above me turns a gloomy, dark gray, black thunder clouds vastly approaching, but I continue swimming as fast as I can.

I know I'm heading in the right direction for certain, because I can spot the round, open cavity in the highest cliff. I see the seagulls flying into it. All I have to do is reach that open cavity and I'll be safe.

I waste no time and begin to climb as soon as I reach the first large boulder rock, my body making it out of the water just seconds before it turns completely black. And that's when the storm clouds come in heavy and thunder clashes loudly.

I climb higher and higher, barely making it on time as the rock begins to slowly disappear inch-by-inch from underneath me. And then I move faster than I've ever moved before, hauling my ass up to the very top of the cliff where I know I can be led to safety.

Thunder booms loudly again, and I can feel drops of rain hitting my face as I reach the large, green bush near the top, my heartbeat pulsating in my throat. And then the rain just begins to pour.

I glance behind me as I reach the last several feet of the cliff, only to see that everything I already outran and outswam has now disappeared and been replaced by darkness.

The wind is so heavy that it nearly succeeds in taking me out. I kneel down and begin crawling toward the edge of the right side, and I peek down to see if the open cavity is still there. It's about six feet down below.

I swing my right leg down as I grip onto the rocky surface of the cliff, and once I have a firm hold and a good footing, I begin to climb down the side of the cliff.