I woke up and groggily turned towards my clock. The glowing red letters informed me that it was five thirty in the morning. I sighed, and rested my head back down on the pillow. It was warm and comfortable in bed and my eyes still felt tired, like I could be lulled back into an inviting deep sleep. But for some reason, it just wasn't happening.
I was filled with an energy, and I had no idea why. It's probably just the total lack of a life, I thought sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I had done all the lounging about a girl could possibly do.
It was a bank holiday Monday, and it was the first time I had ever been up so early since moving to the sea. In fact, I had been sleeping very deeply this past month, so sedated was I by the sea air.
I sat up and looked out of my window and realized that there was a lot of activity in the sea at this hour.
Fishing boats dotted the water, which looked like mercury in the early morning light. They were all returning from their morning fish, ready to take their catches to the market.
I realized the necessity of the light house, as much as it annoyed me. In the darker winter months these boats could easily crash into Starfish on their way back to the mainland.
I was still bleary eyed but was loving this moment, it was all so new to me. I couldn't take my eyes of the boats. I had a sudden impulsive thought - I would go and watch the ships sail in outside.
I leaped out of bed, tiptoed carefully downstairs and quietly made myself a cup of coffee. Even Maurice was still asleep and I did not want him to hear me and bark, waking up Mum and Dad.
As I quietly poured the water into the china cup, I pondered at how unusual this was for me, venturing out into the solitary dawn like this. I just had this urge to get outside as quickly as possible.
I quietly stirred my coffee and unlocked the back door, stepping into the garden. I wore just my nightie - a light floaty garment with tiny straps. It was a light purple and cut off mid-thigh. It was a little over-revealing, but I couldn't imagine anybody would be up to see me at this hour.
I felt the morning dew on my bare feet as I walked across the lawn to the Ocean Staircase, where I figured I'd perch.
The birds were singing in the trees and the morning sea air was crisp and fragrant. I placed a foot onto the top stony step, and descended a little, fixated by the yellow sunbeams dancing over the sea surface.
"Crystal."
My gaze lowered to the jetty, and my cup smashed on the steps below me.
He sat with his legs dangling in the water, his hair was tied back to reveal the whole of his handsome face. I gaped at him for a moment, not quite believing that this could be.
I walked down the stairs and towards Llyr speechless, imagining he would disappear any second. When I got closer he reached out slowly and placed a gentle hand around my tanned leg, pulling me down to sit besides him.
When I felt his touch, I knew that he was really here this time.
I sat down next to him. I was in a trance.
I looked at his beautiful face and then my eyes travelled over his body. He wore just shorts, and his top half was toned and tanned. Celtic-like patterns, and strange lettering were inked over his flesh in places. It was hot. Mysterious.
I looked back into his eyes. In the light I could see they were a wonderful deep green.
"Finally!" I heard myself say.
He laughed.
"Yes, finally!" he said calmly, leaning towards me.
He lifted a finger to my face and then ran it over my hair, following the blonde wavy strands all the way down to where it ended just below my shoulders - that area between shoulder and boob.
I felt this fluttering inside me. I didn't know why or how he was here but I didn't care at this point in time. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. It felt so precious, like it could all dissappear any second.
"I wanted to see you again," he said, never taking those eyes off me. "Properly."
"How did you find me?" I asked, even though I somehow didn't even care.
"I saw you," he murmured, "a couple of days ago..."
My mind flashed back to when he appeared in the sea between Starfish and the mainland. I wondered if he had followed us out to sea.
He put a hand on one of the straps on my shoulder and all my questions vanished with his touch. I looked down and then I remembered I was wearing my nightie.
I laughed giddily, slightly embarrassed.
"It's my nightie!" I explained.
I saw that confused look cross his eyes again.
"You know, like, I sleep in it..." Why was I having to explain this to him?
"It's very nice," he replied.
"Where are you from?" I asked.
He looked out to sea, as though that was an answer.
"Another Island or something?" I asked, trying to fill in the blanks.
"Something like that," he turned back and smiled at me. "I've got a boat today," he said, nodding to a small motor boat that was tied to our jetty. It had an orangey-brown base, and the interior was wooden. I could see two little planks slotted across the perimeter to sit on. "What are you doing?" he asked.
I thought of the endless empty day ahead on the isle with no school and no Rosie.
"Nothing," I replied honestly.
"Come with me?" he asked, an eyebrow raised, hinting at fun and adventure.
I couldn't think of a single thing I'd prefer more.
***
We glided effortlessly passed the fishing boats. I felt a rush of adrenaline.
I had to admit, part of me was a little scared heading out to sea like this on a teeny little boat, with absolutely no idea where we were going and without telling anybody where I was.
But excitement overrode all of that. I was high with the rush of being with Llyr again. I wasn't for a second afraid of the fact that he was still practically a stranger - I trusted him for some reason.
I pulled Mum's black sun hat down over my face when we passed the boats, praying that no one aboard would recognize me and tell Mum and Dad.
After Llyr had asked me to come with him, I had returned to my house and raced upstairs. I had thrown on some clothes and grabbed a pen and paper. What on earth could I tell Mum and Dad?
'GONE TO CONEY.'
I had then hesitated. I was going to have to be a bit more specific or they would freak out. I had picked up the pen again.
'WITH A FRIEND FROM SCHOOL. GOT MY PHONE xx'
I had scribbled a big heart. A guilt heart.
I hoped they wouldn't be worried. I looked at my phone as we headed further out. It had no reception bars.
We had eventually passed all the fishing boats and there was nothing around us except for the everlasting seascape. Llyr turned off the engine.
I looked at him and laughed. He smiled back.
"What the hell are we doing out here?" I exclaimed, giggling. I felt drunk or something from all the endorphins.
"I just like this part of the sea," he replied.
I giggled again. "But it looks exactly the same, as the sea back where we came from!"
He frowned and I wondered momentarily if I had offended him somehow.
"I guess it does," he said slowly, as though he'd never considered this before, "but underneath the surface it all looks different."
"Well, I wouldn't know..." I said.
"Have you ever used the, you know..." he appeared at a loss for words, and made circles with his fingers over his eyes.
"Goggles?" I asked.
"Mmm. Yeah, goggles," he said. He sounded strange when he repeated the word 'goggles.' It almost reminded me of how a non-native person pronounces an English word for the first time.
But he didn't sound particularly foreign.
"Erm, well yeah a bit, just in really shallow water though," I said.
"The sea nourishes everything Crystal. Flowers and plants don't wilt underneath her. You know, sea gardens are so so beautiful," said Llyr.
He sat on the floor of the boat, looking over the rim at the waters.
"Is there a sea-garden here?" I asked, wondering where this was all going.
He looked at me and grinned.
"Yes, there's a wonderful garden below us. I just wish I could show you," he replied. "You would look... beautiful down there."
"Well, I'll bring my scuba kit next time," I said slowly. What was with this guy and the sea?
"It has a tree that grows five types of sea fruit, and they're all different shades of pink. Every branch bares a different colour," he continued.
"Oh come on, you don't get sea-trees!" I cried. He was joking. Either that or delusional.
He reached out and took my arm and pulled me from my seat to him so that he held me in his arms.
I looked up at him from below. I was a little startled but I liked the confident way he grabbed me like that.
"So you think I would lie to you?" he said, looking down at me.
"I don't know," I said, pulling my hat over my eyes to shield them from the sun, "I kind of trust you, strangely enough. I wouldn't be here if I didn't, right?"
"Well, that's good," he said with a tone of deep sincerity. "I would really hate it if you didn't."
He pulled back my sun hat, and leaned forward so that he blocked the sun for me. I saw he had a pendant round his neck.
I reached up and touched it. It was made from a hard white substance and was in the shape of some kind of symbol. It was almost like an 'S' shape, but back to front.
I suddenly realized something.
"I'm boiling," I said, sitting up and looking at the sky. The sun had risen and was beating down on the water around us.
Llyr stood up quickly. He put one foot on the edge of the boat.
"So we'll go swimming!" he declared brightly.
Before I could protest he had dived backwards off the boat and into the water.
"No!" I screamed. Was he insane? We were WAY out. I looked back to land, and to my horror, realized that I could not even see it.
I peered nervously over the edge. The waters rippled where he had disappeared, and the boat rocked.
I waited for him to reappear, but there was nothing.
I became frightened.
"Llyr?" I wailed over the boat.
He resurfaced.
"You didn't come in!" he said, completely casually and with no symptoms of breathlessness.
"I'm not coming in!" I shrieked. "We're in the middle of the ocean."
"Yeah, but that's okay," he said flippantly "you know I can save you from currents."
"Hello! Sharks!" I cried.
"I can sense them miles off," he said.
I looked at him incredulously.
"There are no sharks Crystal, seriously. Not here, not now."
I wasn't entirely sure I believed him but even so, there was one more problem.
"I don't have my swimming costume."
He raised his eyebrows, inquisitively.
"Like, bikini," I said, drawing what I may look like the outline of a bikini top on my chest with my fingers. Okay, we're playing charades now.
"Do you need one?"
He wanted me to go in without a swimming costume. Seriously?
I rasied my eyebrows.
"You're shy," he said gently.
"Okay, look I barely know you!" I cried.
He looked at me for a moment as though he was trying to figure something out and then suddenly he disappeared under the water again.
"Oh for fuck's sake. Now where are you going?" I cried. God, most men took girls to dinner or something on their first date.
"Llyr! Come back!" I shouted.
An agonizing minute or so later he emerged and swam towards the boat. I could see he had something in his hand.
"Here," he said, holding out his hand.
I gasped when I saw what rested in his palm.
It was a perfect spherical shape and a deep ruby pink. I took the fruit and examined it closer. It was soft, an almost leathery texture and pink leaves bloomed from it's core. They were like rose petals. I was in awe of it.
"I just wanted to show you that you can trust what I'm saying," he said from the water.
I nodded. I knew I would want answers at some point but for this very moment, I didn't care. I just wanted to live this magical moment and not ruin it with scrutiny.
My arms reached automatically for my shirt and I started unbuttoning from the top. I must have unbuttoned two or three when suddenly I saw a look of alarm in his face. At first I thought it was me and I stopped, worried.
He reached for the edge of the boat and hauled himself aboard. Water splashed all over me.
"There's going to be a storm," he said starting up the engine. I looked behind me and sure enough, I could see a huge black cloud coming from the direction of Coney.