Barnaby knew what it was like to die.
And knew what it was like to come back to life.
His eyes flew open, mouth taking in a juddering breath when a pair of hands quickly rolled him to the side, patting his back as he vomited sea water.
He began to cry. His tiny chest ached. Someone had draped a warming blanket around him.
"Hey, you're gonna be okay, kid." A pair of amber eyes swam into view. "Where are your parents?" He didn't recognize the face, nor the arms rocking him like a baby. Somebody started to wail, and suddenly Aunt Samantha was beside him. She fiercely hugged him, tears streaming down her face. Why was she crying?
People he didn't know were talking, milling around waiting for someone to die. Nobody could resist a good piece of drama. "Shoulda been more careful… the railing's dangerous…lucky…"
He didn't understand what those words meant. All he wanted was to look at the seagulls.
Aunt Samantha picked him up and carried him back to the hotel. A doctor came to check on him. The man kept repeating that he was very lucky to be alive. Barnaby wondered what happened to the person who saved him.
The next day, he saw her again. His saviour. She was fourteen, and she was already too tall for her age. She hunkered down and smiled at him, asking how he was feeling. She then jokingly told him to grow up real fast so that they could get married.
"Oi, Tets. Quit harassing the kid." It was a boy who said that. The boy who was with her yesterday. He loved her, but it'd be aeons before he'd muster up enough courage to tell her.
She made a face and stuck out her tongue at the boy. For some reason, Barnaby found himself laughing.
She ruffled his hair, murmuring: "Kawaii, neh?" He had no idea what she was talking about.
By the time they both left, Barnaby was clutching the shell bracelet she gave him. He was waving. Waving at the girl with laughing amber eyes and sun-kissed skin.
It'll be years before he ever saw her again.
But by then, he'd already forgotten about her.