Framed

The waves of the ocean tower over them like a giant's foot readying to stomp on an ant. The old, rusted hunk of metal they're sailing in has no chance against the storm, but they have no choice. They can't turn back. Not now, not ever. Bailey turns to Axel, who's drenched in sea water, desperately clinging to the side of the boat with trembling hands. Guilt weighs down on her shoulders, far heavier than the weight of her soaking wet shirt. The thought that's been haunting her for hours made its way to the forefront, He's here because of me.
A few hours ago, everything was normal. Nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. She was totally unaware of the event that would change her life forever. She was laying on the beach, her skin fusing with the sand as she lost herself in the sound of the waves caressing the shore. With the sun beaming on her face, her phone started to buzz, a reminder she set for herself to snap her out of her daze and to start heading for the bus stop. She poked into Axel's house and walked him to the bus stop with her. Axel is her neighbour, but he's like a younger brother to her. Bailey loves him, but she can find him annoying at times. She eats dinner with him, she helps him with his homework, and she's always there for him.
She couldn't focus once she arrived at school, like always. The way the rays of sunlight reflected off the desks was just too mesmerizing.
I should be out there, she thought. It wasn't fair that she was forced to stay inside all day and learn when a beautiful summer day was just on the other side of the walls, anxious for attention. She bit her lip as she grabbed for her necklace, from which a shell was suspended, and began to twirl it subconsciously. It was a gift to herself, to always keep her connected with her home away from home, the sea.
    The day went by in a blur. She was so eager to get back home that she didn't talk to her best friend, Haden, at all. They've known each other for as long as Bailey can remember, and she is the only one who understands her. The only one who knows her. Bailey is not quite the open type when it comes to socializing. She's never needed any extra compassion. Bailey's parents treated her like she was the most important person in the world, like she could do nothing wrong. She pretended to be annoyed by that, when in reality, it was the thing that kept her going, kept her smiling.
Oh, what she would give to have that again.
    Haden has stood by her side through thick and thin. They're practically attached at the hip, always have been. But, on days where Bailey is detached from everything, Haden gives her her space. She loves that about her. But even though they have such a magical bond, Bailey will never take her to the beach just outside her home. That's the place where she goes to get away from everyone.
    When the bell rang, she had to physically restrain herself from darting out of the school like prey running from its hunter. She cocked her head from side to side searching for Haden in the sea of bodies. Suddenly, she spotted her.
    "Haden!" she called out, "Where have you been?"
    She tapped on her shoulder, and when she turned around, she realized it wasn't her. She apologized, and then began to search again.
    Weird, she thought, Haden never misses school.
    She shook it off, and started toward the buses.
    The bus came to a halt, and she skipped down the steps hyperly. She was expecting to see the sun still high in the sky, the sparkling sand from the waterfront peering out from behind her gorgeous white house, and she did.
    But that was not what caught her attention.
    Not by a long shot.
    She could have never predicted the sight before her dark beady eyes. There was police tape everywhere, the police themselves were everywhere. So were medics and their ambulance trucks. Even the fire department.
     Her breath caught in her throat as her confused gaze landed on two body bags laying side by side, being guarded as if they were celebrities attending a red carpet. Her parents took a day off of work today, and as Bailey surveyed the cluster for the familiar faces that she wasn't ready to let go of, the realization stabbed her like a knife to the chest. They were the bodies.
    As she gnawed on her now raw bottom lip, tears starting to form in her broken eyes, she made out some heavy figures looking in her direction with anything but sympathy in their glare.
    "Over there!" one shouted.
    The other one pulled his gun from his holster in one smooth motion and pointed the barrel straight at her, "Freeze! Put your hands in the air!"
    Too filled with turmoil, despair, and adrenaline to think clearly, she started running. She could hear the sound of perpetual footsteps and shouts behind her, but she didn't stop. Her legs wouldn't allow her. Bailey made a few turns, her long charcoal hair flowing behind her. She ducked into an alleyway when the cops weren't in her line of view, and dove into a dumpster without hesitation.
    Filth surrounded her. The smell was almost unbearable, and she tried to ignore a small, hairy thing with a wiry furless part attached to it as it brushed against her leg. She couldn't look even if she wanted to, with there being little to no light in the claustrophobic, garbage filled, metal coffin that was the only thing keeping her safe. Hours passed, but the police weren't going to let her go that easily. When she strained her ears, she could hear soft chatter as the police kept searching for the supposed fugitive.
    Bailey's eyes were rupturing with tears. They spilled onto her once white shirt, which was given to her by her parents just a few weeks prior for her sweet sixteen. On it, there was text that said, Keep Calm, I'm Getting My License. Thinking of that day made her cry turn into a sob. A thousand questions danced around her head, How could they think I killed them? That's why they're after me, right? Who did kill them? Why? Are they really dead?..
    Her brainwork was interrupted by a loud explosion, followed by a flashing blaze that sent heat across her crummy damp face. She peeked out of the little crack between the dumpster and its lid. Sparks flew into her glazed eyes and stuck to her splotchy mascara, but she barely flinched. Flames engulfed the old abandoned house just down the street. Everyone in the vicinity rushed toward the fire with frantic yells.
    "Bailey, where are you?" asked a recognizable voice, "I made a distraction."
    "Axel?" Bailey questioned while opening the dumpster lid.
    "Yes, now get out of there and let's go before they come back."
    Bailey looked from Axel, then to the burning house, and connected the dots, "You did that? Axe, I didn't ask you to-"
    "I know you're innocent," Axel said, cutting her off, "And I'm not going to let them lock you away for something you didn't do."
    Bailey stepped out of her disgusting hiding place and knelt down slightly to meet his eye line, "I know you're worried about me, but you can't help. If they find you with me, you would go to prison too."
    "Stop. My family is already prepared to hide you. Besides, beats hiding in the trash. We have to go, but don't tell them how I was able to rescue you," his pale teddy bear eyes gave off a frantic look.
    Bailey stood up straight and spoke in a frustrated tone, "Rescue me? You set fire to a building Axe, and now you're risking the lives of all the people you love. I'll be fine. You're too young to try and fix this on your own. Now leave before they catch you."
    "No, no I can't. I love you too, and I can't just leave you here."
    A flashlight beamed on them. Bailey grabbed Axel's hand without any fear for her own safety and ran in the opposite direction. Axel was tripping over his own feet, barely keeping up. Her eyes landed on a boat as they were approaching the coast line. Someone was already on it, and it looked like they were about to set sail into the dark of night. She yanked Axel's frail arm toward the docks, and they hijacked the boat. The poor old man was startled as she dragged him off and threw him at the increasing number of policemen chasing them. Just like that, they disappeared into the depths of the ocean, just now noticing the thunder in the distance thumping against the beat of her racing heart.
    Bailey thought she heard sirens behind them a couple of times before the rain started drowning out all other sounds. They were now in the eye of the storm. She instinctively grabbed for her necklace, amazed that the shape of the seashell still found itself tied to the thin material connecting it to her neck. The current circumstances of their situation were just starting to set in. She had somehow been accused for the murder of her parents, ran instead of pleading her case, guilted Axel into trying to save her putting himself directly in the way of danger, and then stealing a sailboat trying and save him and herself. At that point, there was so much evidence facing her that the only option was to fight or run, and fighting was most certainly a death sentence. Running gave them a chance.
    The ocean was moving as if the water was the world's biggest bouncy castle and they were the lucky kids that had the privilege to play on it. She couldn't open her eyes. The weight of the rain droplets was too heavy, and she didn't have the will to try anymore. She had been defeated. She squatted next to Axel and hugged him tight.
    "I'm so sorry," Bailey whispered into his ear. She doubted that he could hear her.
    A cool somber appeared over them. She could feel Axel's chin move off of her shoulder and look up. She didn't imitate him. She bit her lip and squeezed him harder. She already knew. In a moment, an immense amount of pressure bombarded her, and her extreme grip on Axel was pointless. He was wrenched out of her arms like a ragdoll, the water separating them with an impossibly strong barrier. Once Axel's hands left hers, she didn't fight against the sea that flung her around. Then, her body slammed on a steady piece of metal, and blackness consumed her.
    Her necklace lay afloat on the surface of the frigid waters amidst the wreckage of a horribly executed escape to an imagined land. The seashell that held her love and value for the ocean, that held her essence, now belongs to the most perfect place in the universe. It belongs to her home.