I could smell the salt in the air for the past 3 kilometres or so. I rolled my shoulders to loosen them up, the smell of the ocean calming me with every step. I could hear the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand and the cliff not too far in the distance. It was still raining and I saw people running in all directions to get out of the rain. No one was heading for the beach. Good. That means I have it all to myself. I heaved a sigh and continued walking. I slipped off my shoes and stepped onto the sand, flexing my toes. I loved the feeling of the sand and the sound of the waves. I loved when the sand was so hot it burned my feet and when I ran on the beach, the sand grated into my skin. I placed my backpack on the ground and stripped off my jeans, hat and t-shirt. I had nothing on except for my underwear. I stepped forward and felt the cooling foam of the sea splash against my feet. I didn't care if anyone saw me. I was in my own little world where Danielle was still alive, I didn't have any problems and I was happier than I was in reality. I walked into the ocean until I couldn't stand anymore.

"Race you Sarah!" Danielle cried in my head.

I saw her beside me, bobbing up and down with the waves.

"You're on! Loser buys dinner!" I cried back.

The wind had picked up and my voice was carried away by the wind.

"Go!"

I swam and laughed at Danielle's failed attempt to beat me. I swam and swam, not looking behind me to see the shore.

"Sarah!"

I stopped and turned around to see Danielle in the distance. She was waving her arms at me franticly. Her voice sounded panicked. I looked away from her to see around me. I was so far away from the shore I couldn't even see the city anymore. I felt something brush my leg.

"Oh please don't let it be what I think it is." I said under my breath.

I spun around to see a dorsal fin stick out of the water and dip back under.

"Oh my god! It was what I thought it was!"

"Panic!" my mind screamed.

"Stay calm. It's probably just curious. You're not bleeding so it can't have sensed blood." said Danielle.

Something nicked my calf, breaking the skin.

"I'm bleeding now. What the hell do I do now?" I questioned Danielle.

"Danielle?"

I couldn't hear or see her anymore. The shark brushed my leg again. Cold panic swept down my spine. I didn't know what to do. I twisted around. I couldn't see anything. The water had gotten so dark, the waves stronger, the rain was pelting down. The waves were sweeping me from side to side. The only constant things were the shark and my cold panic. My nerves screamed at me to swim for my life. I paddled my arms wildly. I didn't take notice of the amount of splashing I was causing. I didn't even know if I was going in the right direction. I was just swimming. I had to stop to catch my breath. I could still feel the shark's presence.

"Danielle?! Help me please! I don't want to die now! Danielle!"

There was no way I could do this on my own. People had told me seeing Danielle after she died, she was just a hallucination. I've been seeing her for years now. I haven't tried to make her go away because I want her to stay as a reminder of the time we had together. The happiest time of my life. I gasped as the shark came above the water, jaws wide. Everything seemed to slow down after that. I took in all of the details, the rows upon rows of jagged teeth, the lightning in the distance, and Danielle's face smiling at me from behind the shark. Next thing I knew, the shark had bitten into my side.