He waited for her. Day after day, he walked along the beach, staring into the infinite ocean. The sun would rise with him, hang high in the sky until it fell with his faltering hope that she would come back. He did not know why everyone in the kingdom thought he had gone mad. He is not crazy! But a man of his rank does not wait for a girl of his fantasies to show up. That only happens in fairy tales. Kicking off his boots, his toes dug into the warm sand. As he walked to the shoreline, the sand cooled off as the gentle waves rushed past his ankles. The breeze felt good, really good. It seemed to send a message to him: "Don't worry! She's coming!" But when? Surely she fancied him a little since she saved his life. Ugh! If only he were fully conscious! He could have thanked her...he could have asked for her name... Her name... He had no idea who he was looking for. All he knew was that she had the most beautiful voice. It was so hypnotizing. The glare of the sun had blinded him from seeing her clearly, but he was sure she was just as breathtaking to look at as to listen to. High noon approached for the tenth day since he was found on the beach. Still no sign of her. Maybe he really was dreaming? No! Don't ever think like that! Of course she's real! She's...she's... He could not believe it. How could he have been so blind to not see what was standing right in front of him. A beautiful girl with bright red hair walked toward him, emerging from the depths of the ocean. Eyes wide and mouth dropped, he slowly advanced towards her. She's the one! The girl he had been dreaming about, the one he's been waiting for. She's finally here. Bowing to her, he extended his hand: "Hello...I just wanted to thank you for, uh, saving me." She smiled and took his hand. "No, thank you for saving me." Eric then woke up to the soft ocean breeze from the waves who continued to encourage him to never lose hope. She's coming...she's coming... If only...