Today Haruka was a bit out of character. Blame it on those raging hormones of hers; they get the better of you occasionally.
Haruka stood at the lookout blinking back tears, trying to fight the memories that were threatening to engulf her. Kitsumo. Why do I have to remember? Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she remembered that that terrible night. Darkness, pain, loss. She sobbed, reliving the nightmarish scenes over and over. A car plunging towards the ocean, watching helplessly, lost, alone. Dropping to her knees, shoulders heaving, she could not banish the images that tormented her.
Michiru grabbed the car keys
"You've really made a mess of things Father." She ran out the
door, slamming it behind her.
She sped off into the darkness, not
really knowing where to go, trusting to intuition. Old wounds have
been ripped afresh by her father's snide comments. She knew that
the seed of pain was the same as the day it was sown. Grief
is a heavy burden and she carries it on her own, of course she got
upset. She headed
towards the lookout, in her heart, knowing that she would be
there.
She rounded the last bend and saw Haruka, sitting on the
ground, shoulders shaking in anguish.
She pulled up on the side of
the road, switched off the engine and got out of the car. She held
the stricken girl close, rocking her in her arms until the crying had
subsided, petering out into quiet hiccoughs.
"I-I'm s-sorry. I
shouldn't h-have left s-so ab-bruptly." Haruka stuttered
slightly. "I shouldn't g- get upset anymore. It's in the
p-past."
Michiru hugged her. "I'm sorry; my father's not
being himself." She helped her up. "Let's go home."
Haruka woke to excruciating pains
in her lower stomach. She curled up into a ball and let out a small
whimper, catching Michiru's attention. "I'll go get you
something."
Michiru got up and walked out the door, rummaging
through the medicine cupboard she found a bottle of Midol. Taking two
out, she took them to Haruka with a glass of water.
"Arigato,
Michiru." She swallowed them and gulped down the water. She stayed
still until the cramps lessened, dulled by the strong
painkillers.
"We're going to the beach today, you'll have to
transform. I bought you some Speedos the other day so you don't
have to worry about what to wear."
"Fun, I look forward to it.
Do your parents swim?" Haruka sat up, stretched and got out of
bed.
"Father doesn't but mother does." Michiru sighed. "He
used to, before his illness."
Haruka went into the bathroom and
turned on the shower. Michiru sat on the bed, pondering her father's
change in behaviour. The cause was obvious; doctors had told him that
he had on the inside of four years to live. She wondered how her
mother would cope after he died. She selected a swimsuit from the
wardrobe and started packing things to take to the beach.
Haruka stepped out of the
bathroom wearing a white shirt and tight jeans.
"Haruka, would
you rub some sun cream into my back please." Michiru lifted her
hair. Haruka sat down and massaged cream into her smooth, fair skin,
feeling knotted, tense shoulder muscles. "Why are you so tense?"
"I
guess I've been stressed about things lately."
Haruka worked
her hands into the tense muscles, feeling the knots loosen under her
touch. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon." Haruka was counting
the hours left until they'd have the house to themselves. Three
more days, just three.
Michiru dragged Haruka by the arm
through the waves until they were waist deep in the warm water, she
dived down and pulled Haruka's legs from under her swimming away as
she fell forward. She was coughing and spluttering as she got up. She
swam after Michiru, who was taking advantage of her head start.
Haruka tried to keep up with the senshi of the ocean but in her
element, she was unbeatable. Michiru stopped after about fifty
metres, letting Haruka catch up. She hugged her tightly, looking up
at her with puppy eyes. Haruka knew this was her way out of a
dunking. "Damn Michiru, why do I let you get away with
it?"
"Because you're a big softie on the inside." Michiru
nuzzled her neck. Leaving butterfly kisses along her jaw line she
moved swiftly, grabbing Haruka's bathers, pulling them down,
laughing as she swam off to a safe distance. "You're lucky I'm
in a reasonably good mood today." Haruka growled as she hitched up
her Speedos.
Michiru's mother watched them,
smiling at their antics. Yes, they were made for each other all
right. She glanced over at her husband, who was reading the newspaper
under the beach umbrella. She gazed up at the sky, noticing the dark
clouds gathering on the horizon. She sat down next to Izawa and began
reading over his shoulder.
A cry shattered the peace; a rip at the
side of the beach had caught a small child in its pull. Michiru swam
through to the child, aware of the powerful force threatening to pull
her under. She held the tiny girl carefully in one arm and swam
across to the edge of the current. Haruka took the girl from her and
swam towards the shore.
The wind was picking up; Haruka saw black clouds roll with amazing speed towards them, a freak storm. She handed the child to her frantic mother and looked for Michiru. She should have made it back by now. She looked around and saw aqua hair disappear underneath the waves "MICHIRU!" She swam with all her might through the now eight metre waves.
Michiru curled up into a ball,
letting the sucking wave roll her under until she brushed the sand.
Digging her hands and feet into the sand, she waited until it had
passed over her, pushing up to the surface.
As her head broke the
surface she saw Haruka racing towards her. Haruka reached her just
before they both were caught in the pull of a huge wave that was
beginning to crest.
Haruka shielded her with her body as the wave crashed down over them, trying to fight the blackness prickling the sides of her vision. It won pulling her down, down, down…
She awoke to voices,
