Chapter 15 By The Sea
Wendy took a deep breath, filling her nose up with the scent of saltwater. She could hear bird calls in the distance, which complemented the crashing and splashing of the waves. She took off her high heels and started to make her way closer to the shoreline. The sand wasn't hot enough to cook her feet, which was a win. When she got to the water, she stood stock still and allowed the waves to brush over her toes. Wendy smiled.
She had come here multiple times. If she could, she would have her wedding ceremony in this exact spot, with the waves soaking into the hem of her dress. She could imagine kissing her newly wed husband under a colorful sunset. She could imagine bringing her future kids here to dig for seashells. That is, if she wanted to have kids. Based on the display earlier that day, any kids she would have would probably run her into the ground.
Wendy opened her eyes and stared at the sea. It stretched on for miles and miles. The waves coming in weren't the highest or the grandest. This was good, as it allowed Wendy to stand on the shore without being drowned. The gulls flapping their wings overhead sound beautiful.
But, alas, Wendy couldn't stay here for much longer. The sky was already starting to turn orange, signifying the end of the day. With this thought in mind, Wendy let out a sigh and started to make her way off the beach.
She got to the shower area a few minutes later. The people surrounding her made her nerves jump a little, but thankfully they stayed away from her. She heard a few teenage koopas laughing as they chased each other across the stony ground. She saw a human waddle toward the water as he was wearing a penguin suit. Wendy laughed at the sight and followed it with her eyes. Just as she turned her head back toward the water however, she noticed something odd. A little koopa girl was crying underneath a palm tree.
Wendy studied the girl. She wasn't sobbing, so nobody else in the shower area noticed her. She held her knees up to her chest and placed her head in her lap. Her mint green hair was draped over her eyes, concealing most of her tears from outside observers. Wendy, allowing her curiosity to overtake her nervousness, slowly made her way over toward the girl.
"Hey," she said. The girl looked up, pushing her hair out of her eyes as she did so.
"Hi," she said with a breaking voice. Wendy leaned down close to her.
"What's wrong?" she asked. The girl sniffled.
"I'm lost. My mommy is gone."
Wendy felt shock grip her insides.
"What do you mean your mommy is gone?"
"She's not here! I looked everywhere for her! I'm telling you, she's gone!"
Wendy bit her lip as the girl dried a tear from her eyes. She leaned down toward her.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll help you find your mommy." She started looking around. She noticed the lifeguard station at the beach and pointed to that. "Let's go to the lifeguard and ask him for help."
The girl sniffled.
"Okay." With that, she stood up slowly. Wendy was just about to take her to the lifeguard when, suddenly, the girl took hold of her hand. Wendy felt her heart jump as she stared down at the girl. She looked scared, beyond scared. So, Wendy decided to put on her brave face and lead the way. When they got to the lifeguard station, she cleared her throat.
"Excuse me," she said. The lifeguard looked down at her, causing Wendy to feel nervous again. However, all she needed to do was look down at the girl one more time to know that being nervous wasn't what was important right now. She cleared her throat. "Can you help us?"
The lifeguard smiled, helping bring Wendy a little comfort.
"That's what I'm here for. What's the problem?"
Wendy stepped back and gestured toward the girl.
"This girl here has lost her mom. Could you help us find her?"
The lifeguard looked down at the girl in concern and leaned in closer to her.
"What's your name?" he asked with a gentle tone of voice.
"L...Lyra Winter," said the girl. The lifeguard nodded and picked up his megaphone.
"Would the mother of Lyra Winter please come down to the lifeguard station?" he called out. Wendy looked around, but saw no one approaching. Lyra started to cry.
"She really is gone!" she said. Wendy shook her head and patted her softly on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. It'll probably take her a little bit to get here." Suddenly, she got an idea. "I have something we can play while we are waiting." She kneeled down in the sand and pulled out a pile of index cards. Each of the cards had a hand drawn picture on them. "Have you ever heard of a Thousand Blank White Cards?"
Lyra gasped.
"I love that game!" she said with a smile. She kneeled down beside Wendy as she started to shuffle the cards on the sand.
"I do too," she said. "I play it all the time with my brothers." Finally, the cards were sorted. She raised her cards up and giggled. "Do you want to go first, Lyra?"
"Sure!" Lyra played a card to the center and laughed. "You now have to bark like a dog to get points!"
Wendy's face fell a little.
"Dang it, you've discovered my weakness!" she said. Lyra laughed.
"You're supposed to say that in bark speak!"
"Oh. I mean: bow bow, woof bow wow wow woof woof woof!"
Lyra laughed like there was no tomorrow. Wendy then played a card to the center, forcing Lyra to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in a low, gravelly voice. Lyra accomplished this task with a humongous grin on her face. By the time she was done, both Wendy and the lifeguard were laughing.
"You know," said the lifeguard. "You're really good with kids."
Wendy looked up at the lifeguard in shock. She felt her cheeks grow warm.
"Aww, thank you! Oh, I mean: bowww, woof woof!"
Now it was Lyra's turn to laugh. She was just about to play another card when she saw someone approaching the station.
"Mommy!"
With that, Lyra got up and ran over to her mother. Wendy smiled as she saw the two of them hug it out. by the time they were done, Lyra's mother approached Wendy with a beaming face.
"Thank you. You're a real lifesaver."
"You're welcome," Wendy said, feeling her cheeks grow warm again. Lyra rushed up and gave her a hug, which Wendy surprisingly returned.
"Thank you so much. Do you want to be friends?"
"Sure!" Wendy exclaimed happily. Lyra pulled away and took her mother's hand.
"Okay. Bye!"
"Bye!" Wendy called back with a smile. Once Lyra and her mom were gone, the lifeguard pulled out his megaphone.
"The beach is now closed," he announced. "All parties make their way back to the parking lot and have a nice day."
Wendy smiled, feeling her heart soar. As she made her way back to her Koopa Clown Car, she couldn't help but feel a new surge of confidence.
