Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
"You better run!"
I'm lying on the sand, my new sunglasses blocking out the bright, midday sun. I peer up at Phoenix, noticing the big piece of green, slimy seaweed he's holding.
"No," I whine. "Leave me alone! I'm done playing."
"Don't be a baby," he grins. "I'll throw this at you."
He holds the seaweed high in the air, wiggling it around. It was almost as tall as him. And my brother was tall for an eight-year-old.
"You wouldn't," I jab. "I'll tell mum."
My threat doesn't seem to faze him as he steps towards me, the seaweed jiggling in his hand.
"Nix! Don't!" I huff, sitting up.
The beach was extremely hot today. The summer holidays brought out everyone from their houses. The water was packed with swimmers.
"The seaweed monster is gonna get you!" he laughs, running towards me.
"Nix!" I screech, jumping to my feet.
I turn for help, but my parents are both asleep on their towels. My mum was trying to get a summer tan. But I knew she'd forgotten to put sunscreen on her face which meant she'd have a sunglass line.
The thought makes me giggle but then I remember Nix. He's barrelling towards me, full speed.
"Run, Lonnie!" he cackles, throwing the seaweed out like a fisherman searching for his next catch.
I scream, running towards the water. He's not far behind me but I've always been faster. I never tell him that, though. He wouldn't believe me.
I look over my shoulder. Nix throws the seaweed out towards me again and it flicks at my heels. I run faster, laughing loudly. I dive into the water, the waves crashing around me. The ocean engulfs me and I allow it. The water is peaceful when you can't hear the outside world.
I kick further away from the shore, pushing my lungs to the limit. When I surface, Nix is nowhere to be seen. I hadn't realised how far I'd swam out. The teenagers were jumping off the pier, laughing and whopping into the air. Boats float in the ocean, set down by their anchors. I'm past them, too. The shore is a distant blimp.
I spin around, searching for my brother. Where had he gone? He wasn't that far behind me was he?
I begin to swim back but I'm exhausted. All the adrenaline from getting away from the seaweed monster has gone. I'm too tired. I begin to cry, floating in the ocean.
"Nix?" I call. "Nix!"
I keep going, despite my arms burning and my legs feeling numb. I sniff, the tears clearing up.
I was a good swimmer. Mum and dad made me take lessons from the moment I was born. But still, I wasn't good enough.
An unexpected wave crashes over me, pulling me under momentarily. When I break the surface, I barely manage a cough before the current pulls me under again.
The ocean is quiet as I struggle against it, trying to pull myself to the surface. I feel like an anchor, bound for the sea floor. I'm tiring quickly from all the panicking. I try to relax but I can't. I can't even breathe.
My lungs are slowly filling with water, my eyes growing tired. I begin to slip. Floating down, down, down.
A hand reaches out for my arm, grasping it tightly. It pulls me to the surface and I gasp.
"Lonnie! Are you alright?" Nix panics, slapping my back to bring up the water.
I cough violently, tears brimming in my eyes. "I couldn't find you."
"You disappeared! I was looking for you but you were under water for so long," he says.
I begin to cry and Nix wraps me in a hug, treading water for both of us.
"It's okay, don't worry. I didn't tell mum or dad. You won't get in trouble for swimming out too far."
"Thank— thank you," I sniff.
"It'll be our secret," he whispers.
He holds out his pinky, and I wrap mine around it. "I won't tell them, Lonnie."
"Okay, Nixie."
We float on our backs, staring up at the bright sky. Nix stays close to me, making sure I don't go under again.
"If you didn't find me, I would have been shark bait," I shiver, clenching my teeth.
"I'm your big brother. I would have fought off the sharks."
"You can't find sharks! Sharks are indestructible!"
"That's not true!" he splashed me, spraying my face with salty water.
"It is too! Sharks can eat humans. I saw that movie. Jaws."
"Jaws is not real!" Nix says, laughing. "Only babies think that Jaws is real."
"I'm not a baby," I frown, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm only a year younger than you!"
"Still more of a baby than me," he pokes out his tongue.
I dunk his head under the water. We're closer to shore now. Kids younger than me are picking up shells and placing them in buckets.
Nix surfaces, laughing. "You just started a dunking war!"
"No!" I screech, running out of the water. The sand collects against my damp feet as I run towards my towel.
I dive for it, wrapping myself up. Nix won't be able to get me when I wrap myself up like a burrito.
"Where have you been?" Mum says, placing me on her lap.
"I— I—"
"We were just playing on the sand," Nix interjects, beginning to build a sandcastle.
"Hmm," mum says, frowning. "Well, don't go into the water without telling me, alright?"
"Yes, mummy," I grin.
I look back at Nix and he smiles at me, a twinkle in his eyes.
We were the only two people who knew the truth. He loved secrets. He loved keeping them too. Sometimes he'd tell me things but he also loved hiding things. He liked playing spies.
The wind picks up. Nix's hair is sent haphazardly around his face, obscuring his vision. He looks up at me, grinning.
"Hey, Lonnie, wanna help me build this sandcastle? It's going to be epic."
"Okay, Nixie. Let's do it."