The Beach
This case was starting to get to him.
Aaron Hotchner sped down the road, wondering, waiting, trying to figure out just where it was his reflexive driving was taking him. The Yamaya-Beach Murders had been gnawing at him, a vicious canker that was making him impossible to deal with. It didn't help that their only witness was so traumatized that she refused to speak. They'd managed to get her name before they'd taken her to the hospital, but after that, she'd clammed up.
Suddenly he jerked in surprise as he realized that he'd driven himself to the beach. Almost without thinking he parked and got out, and walked out onto the sand. Without thinking, he kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks, letting his toes curl in the sand, feeling the soft grit of it against his skin. The brine of the ocean stung the inside of his nose. It was all so familiar and soothing. The spray of the waves, the pounding of the surf, it called to the thrumming tides of his blood irrepressibly. Despite the stress, he could feel a smile curling his lips. The ocean was breathtaking at sunset.
He climbed up onto one of the sea-slicked rocks, ignoring the water drenching his clothes. Hotch just wanted to stare out across the sea, watching the golden red light play over the water. He could see her, the next murder victim, faceless and terrified as the killer stalked her. He had to find this killer...
Suddenly a sparkling something caught his attention. He jerked out of his reverie enough to notice the sunlight glinting off something wet, and then realized it was a pod of dolphins goofing off in the surf. Well, that was all right then. Let the dolphins play. What did they care about murderers and human death? Theirs was a sparkling, undersea world of sapphire and emerald light, aquamarine and jade glow, darting fish and soft, cool waters. Let them enjoy their world.
Hotch let himself flop back onto the rocks, lounging as he stared up into the twilit sky. It was a glorious, soft blue color, like a mermaid's eyes at dawn. The first stars were coming out.
He heard a soft splash, a familiar splash, and slowly sat up. This was why he had come to the beach, he realized suddenly. He'd known they would be here.
Slowly, he reached out a hand and his fingertips brushed the soft, wet curls, silky black and baby fine. He looked into twin pairs of twilight blue eyes and smiled dreamily. He loved coming here. He could feel his heart pounding as long, slender fingers reached out to brush his fingertips gently. The wonder of seeing them again took his breath away...
His cellphone rang, and with a splash they slipped back under the water and away. He grabbed the cell and flipped it open, too pleased and relaxed to even be annoyed at the interruption. As he spoke to the person on the other end, he saw, out beyond the last wave, the flick of a scaled, jewel-toned fish tail.
He smiled, knowing they would come back.
oo8oo8oo8oo
In the words of JunoMagic:
Please feel free to leave a comment!
Anything at all: If you noticed a typo, if you don't like a characterization or description, if you thought a line especially funny or poignant or interesting, if there was anything you particularly enjoyed … I am really interested in what my readers think about my writing.
You can leave a public comment (signed or anonymous), though if you want me to respond to it, signed is best, OR send me a private message, though I do prefer comments and reviews.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Disclaimer/Author's Note: I don't own anything you recognize.