The air smelt like the beach, moist and salty. I was laying on what felt like warm, sun toasted sand. My eyes flew open and I found bright blue eyes staring directly down into mine.
I let out a small yelp, and scrambled backward away from this person who was leaning over me.
"They're brown," a melodic voice sounded from the blue eyed person.
Brown? I thought, wondering what this person was referring to.
Further away, I realized this person was a girl, about my age too probably. Her electric blue eyes analyzed me as I did the same to her. Her hair was an odd pale blue-green color, like she dyed it at "Dyes R Us." But in a way, the color seemed to pale, too soft, to have been a result of some teenage urge to change their hair color. She had a narrow face and big eyes. A blue, long gown fitted her body perfectly, running all the way down to her bare feet.
"My name's Aurora," the girl said, taking me by surprise. She extended a slender hand towards me.
Wary, I ignored her outstretched hand and got to my feet by myself.
"What's your name?" Aurora questioned, staring curiously at me.
There was something uncomfortable about her gaze that made me look away. Taking in my surroundings, some part of me was in awe, while the other part set off sirens and bright flashing lights.
I was standing on the edge of some sort of jungle. In front of me, bright green trees and bushes were abundant, with exotic looking flowers everywhere. Pink, purple, yellow, turquoise, gold, orange, and every color filled the jungle. The tall trees swayed in the breeze. "I'm not at the beach anymore," I muttered to myself.
"Actually," Aurora said, "The ocean is right behind you and the sand beneath you. So technically, you're still at the beach."
I glanced at her, then turned around. The ocean was large and vast. Small waves came crashing onto the shore. There was something wrong with
it, though, I thought as I stared off into the horizon, where the water met the cloudless, pale blue sky. It was not my ocean.
"The water," I said, taking a step forward and kneeling down, my hand skimming the top of the water. "The color, it's indigo."
"What did you expect?" Aurora said smiling, "An orange ocean?"
I stood up again, and looked at her again. "Where am I?"
"Coral Cove," she replied simply, offering no further information for my confused brain. "What did you say your name was, again?"
"I didn't."
She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to tell her my name, but I was feeling oddly protective and didn't want to share it.
"I've got to get back home," I said. "Which way back to Rhode Island?"
"You can't go!" Aurora said, suddenly three steps closer to me. She stood right in front of me, her eyes boring into mine.
"I've got to get back home," I repeated, trying to step around her.
She moved when I moved, blocking me.
"Listen to me. Aurora," her name rolled smoothly off my tongue, "My parents, my friends... I've got to get back home."
Aurora took my hand in hers, she gripped it tightly. "Let me at least show you around. TriAqua is the most beautiful place you'll ever see."
"TriAqua?" I repeated, saying it the way she did; Try-Aqua.
"Come on," still holding my hand, Aurora pulled me along toward the jungle.
I followed her through the jungle on no apparent path, weaving through trees, I couldn't help but stare at this beautiful paradise. In silence, I trailed after her, until we arrived at the edge of the jungle.
Aurora put her finger to her lips, "Shhh," and peered beyond a tree. Keeping quiet, I did the same.
Beyond the jungle was a village filled with others like Aurora. All with bright blue eyes and the same pale hair. I stood there, hidden, watching these people go about their businesses. There were markets selling fish and funny looking fruit. There were small houses scattered around with little children playing in the yard.
