Ocean of Fire

Chapter 2

"It's been how long since we last saw each other?" he asked, "fifteen or sixteen years?"

The strange man smiled at her and Aerith could not for the life of her remember who this guy was. Did she even meet him or was he confusing her with another girl? Sure she wore her hair in a braid but so did a lot of other girls and their were millions of other girls who had brown hair, not just her. He even said so himself! Yet, he continued to ramble on as if he knew her.

"So how have you been. Man did you grow up!" He examined her, surprised to see her, "Well so did I but you're taller... but not as tall as me. Well I was always taller than you but I would be surprised if you grew up to be taller than me. Ha! So much for eating your vegetables! You use to scold me for not eating them. You said I would be puny and never grow up tall. Sure showed you!"

Aerith could not take I his rambling anymore and she finally spoke, "I'm sorry but do I know you?"

The man's face fell. He looked shocked and hurt at the same time. "How could you not know me?"

Easy, Aerith thought. "Um... sorry but I think you have the wrong person."

Aerith began to swim away.

"That's impossible. I know who you are because I met you here."

Aerith turned again to look at him. How could he know her? She would have to have met him when she was seven. He definitely had to have meant someone else. Who could recognize someone from that age, not to mention even remember meeting someone at that age?

"Sorry but you got the wrong person." Aerith insisted.

She took a good look at him. If she had met him she would have recognized him somehow. His hair was weird. It looked like a Mohawk but with more hair left instead of being shaved off. If she had met someone with that weird hair she was sure she would have remembered. Then again, he probably did not have hair like that as a kid. Still nothing about this man rang a bell. To her, he was a perfect stranger.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. I would have forgotten you too if you didn't give me a gift to remember you by. I never did get a chance to give you a gift, but I still have yours! Do you remember what it is?"

Aerith frowned and firmly said, "No, because I don't know you!"

"But I know it's you."

Aerith wondered if this guy was missing a few screws. Most people would have just given up by now on trying to convince someone that they knew them. However, this guy was so sure of himself. She tried to swim away again.

"If I don't know who you are then how come I remember you?"

"Because you think I'm someone else." Aerith sighed. Please, leave me alone.

"No, I don't because how many girls do you know are named Aerith?"

She froze. Slowly she turned back to look at him. Aerith was not a common name. She never met anyone with that name before. For him to say her name brought a small amount of fear in her. Could he be a stalker? Maybe he knew who she was because he worked for the landlord and knew her name from the guest book.

The look on her face must have finally registered with him. She looked scared, borderline horrified. He frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"You really don't remember me?" he asked.

Aerith shook her head.

"Wow, well that's kind of awkward." he said looking down. He then quickly looked at her again, grinning. "My fault I guess I didn't make much of an impression on you."

Aerith wanted to get away, no needed to get away. Not just because this guy was completely weird but she did not want someone to be bothering her on her vacation. This was suppose to be her getaway from it all. Now she had to deal with someone who claimed to know her.

Alright, so he knew her name but that did not mean her knew her. When she checked in she said her name to the clerk to get her keys to the cabin. He could have easily overheard that. There could have been a hundred more reasons on how he knew her name. Regardless, she wanted to get away from him. This was just too weird for Aerith.

"I'm sorry," Aerith said, "but I have to be going."

She hurried to shore. The man watched her go.

"Will you be coming out again?" he asked.

Aerith did not respond. She pretended not to hear him. Last thing she wanted was this guy to show up while she was trying to have some alone time. It was creepy to say the least. Once back in her cabin she shut the door and threw down her beach towel, lotion, and flip flips on the floor before hurrying to the shower. She wanted to wash away the smell of salt water on her. She wanted to hide from that guy, whoever he was. Hopefully, he would not follow and possibly take a hint.

As the hot shower slid over her, Aerith wondered who that man was. She hoped that he would not be a bother to her for the rest of the summer or she would have to go somewhere else. It bothered her that he knew her name. It bothered her that his mannerisms were so easy going. None of her friends were like that. They were more proper. This guy, even if she did meet him sometime long ago, could not just act so relaxed around her. He did not even reintroduce himself. How could she even try to remember him if she did not even know his name. If she did know him, his name would give her a clue about where and how she met him. Perhaps she should have asked for it. Aerith smacked her forehead.

Regardless, the man was crazy and Aerith needed to steer clear of him. For all she knew he could be a pervert who preyed on girls. In this day in age one could not be too careful.

After her shower, Aerith stood in a bathrobe in her bedroom looking at a selection of summer dresses. She had splurged on five new dresses to take on her trip. Each a different color and style that she hoped would help bring her out of her stupor by making her feel good about herself. She had been feeling too down lately, which all her friends would say was unlike her. For tonight she decided she would go out to dinner, alone, and enjoy a meal at a restaurant. She would wear a dress, fix her hair, and walk down the boardwalk in town and feel like million dollars dropped out of the sky and into her lap. Hopefully, there would be a nice place where she could eat outside and watch the sunset.

After spending a good ten minutes, Aerith chose a yellow v-neck dress with a ruffle around the neckline. She loved the way the dress looked on her and with the cute keyhole back to it. She did a quick braid for her hair and did a light touch of makeup. When she was done she stared at herself in the mirror, posing a few times to admire how pretty she felt. It made her forget how she felt bad about herself these past few weeks. How she did not feel good enough and definitely not pretty.

With her air of confidence slowly returning, Aerith grabbed a small matching clutch, popped on a pair of sandals, and headed out to the boardwalk that was not too far from cabin.

Aerith walked down the boardwalk, passing people by with a smile on her face and her head held high. Some of the people noticed her and some even said hello as she passed. Aerith greeted them with a friendly "hello" back.

She looked at the restaurants as she passed, trying to decide on one to go to. She found one that was more casual dining but also had outside seating. It was not dreadfully busy but Aerith was sure it was only because the summer had just begun. She stood in front of the hostess stand waiting to be seated. The hostess was already seating another pair of guests. She hummed to herself, rocked back and forth on her heels, minding her own business when a voice called out near her.

"You like to eat here too?"

Aerith nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around to see the man from the beach next to her. He was still dressed in swim trunks but now he sported a t-shirt and sneakers. A feeling of dread hit her. Did he follow her here? Was he a stalker? Suddenly, Aerith's appetite began to vanish.

"We can eat together if you like." he offered.

The hostess returned. She smiled at the two and asked, "A table for two?"

Without hesitation Aerith said, "No, no thank you I don't seem to be hungry anymore. Sorry for wasting your time."

She rushed out of the restaurant. This was getting too awkward too fast for her. It could not be just a coincidence.

"How come you don't want to eat?" He asked, startling Aerith once again. "You don't like seafood?"

Aerith jumped, placing her hand to her chest.

"W-w-w-w-" Aerith stuttered horribly.

"You okay?" he questioned with a smile.

It took her a minute to regain her composer. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I was hungry. I wanted to eat something."

His cheerful demeanor did nothing to calm her uneasiness. In fact, it was unnerving.

"Are you following me?" Aerith bluntly asked.

He tilted his head slightly. "Why would I be following you?"

"Because you're insane!" Aerith accused harshly. "You claim to know me and yet I have no recollection of you!"

She felt bad for calling him insane after she said it. She half expected him to get mad or look upset. Instead he continued to smile. He even laughed.

"Oh, so you did really forget me. That's okay, I know you. You're Aerith."

He was definitely creeping her out. She hurried off and lucky for her he did not follow her. Aerith did not feel hungry anymore. Instead she decided she would enjoy a nice walk on the boardwalk. That would get get her mind off things. She passed by several stores and decided to window shop.

She stopped in front of one store that had a beach motif to it, go figure. It was full of novelty items for souvenirs. Most of the things looked like they were for kids but some of them were for adults. She noticed, several necklaces at the front window, all made out of hemp with shells that looked like they were from the beach. They looked nice, intricately woven together with the shells. Had Aerith known how to weave hemp, she would have done it as a kid and given all her friends necklaces instead of just a shell. Under the necklaces was a sign saying, "Friendship Necklaces."

Smiling, Aerith decided she would have to get gifts for her close friends. Not just because she had abruptly gone on a trip but because of the way she acted. It would be a small way to make up for her negative and depressing attitude.

However, just as the smile appeared on her face it disappeared as a reflection other than her own appeared in the window.

"Stop following me!" she loudly said, turning to the man. "If you continue to follow me I'll call the police."

She turned and ran from him. He was definitely not normal. How many times could she tell him to get lost before he actually did? Is that not what normal people do, leave someone alone when they are told?

"Wait!" he called. "Just give me one second!"

She stopped running and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you deaf?" Aerith asked.

"No, but I wanted to give you something."

"I don't want-"

"And afterward I'll leave you alone. But you have to promise to take it."

Aerith glared at him. This was too weird, too suspicious.

"Hold out your hand."

"No!"

He sighed and grabbed her hand. Aerith wanted to fight him but before she could he placed something in the palm of her hand. He then let go of her and backed away. He gave her a smile.

"If you want to talk sometime... you'll know where to find me."

Then he was gone. The first thing she thought when he was out of sight was to call the police. The second was what the heck did he mean she would know where to find him? Third why would she ever want to talk to him? He was a strange person and the last person she wanted to talk to, that is if she even wanted company on her getaway.

She opened her hand to look down at the object he placed there. In her hand was smooth seashell. It was old and had a chip or two in it. She stared at it. She had seen these seashells before. They littered the beach. Aerith even recalled collecting them earlier in the day when she was a child. What was the point of giving this to her. Did he see her admiring the necklaces? Did he think this would be a sign of friendship? She should have just thrown it away in the nearby garbage can and she would have had something not bothered her. Yet, she could not put her finger on it.

Returning to the cabin, Aerith wracked her brain long and hard. Why she did not just throw the shell away and get on with her vacation was beyond her but something about the strange boy brought back a feeling of nostalgia.

Then as if she had a sudden epiphany, Aerith's mind stirred.

"My mom said we were leaving tomorrow morning."

"But... I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either."

Aerith Gainsborough sat on the edge of the sandy beach, her bare feet allowing the crashing waves to soak her legs and feet. She sat next to a boy with outrageous blonde hair, styled in some odd fashion, and cheerful green eyes. Both were under the age of ten and wearing swim suits under their normal clothes. The two sat on a bright pink beach towel adorned with little hearts and flowers. The sun was lowering in the sky and the seven year old girl was frowning heavily.

She had spent her summer on this beach. Her parents rented a cabin overlooking this private beach that only residents that were renting could come and swim. On her first trip to the beach Aerith had met the boy next to her. She had been swimming when his head crashed through the water and surprised her. The boy merely smiled and introduced himself as if he did not scare her. Aerith assumed his family rented one of the cabins as well. When she met him, he already adorned a crisp tan. He was very forward, quirky, and sometimes absentminded but he was fun to be around and Aerith liked him.

The two spent almost everyday afterward at the beach. On stormy days or days when Aerith's parents took her for errands were days they did not see each other. However, on those beautiful hot summer days when the sun shone brightly, Aerith would run down to the beach and discover the boy already swimming in the water.

The two would swim most of the day away before coming to shore so the two could each lunch. Aerith's mother always prepared her a delicious meal. The boy only carried some sort of snack food, sometimes a bag of pretzels or piece of fruit. Aerith always shared her meal with him. After lunch, because Aerith's mother said she had to wait thirty minutes before swimming again, the two would build sand castles or collect seashells.

However, summer was coming to an end. The hot days were steadily becoming shorter and cooler. Aerith's father had told her she would be leaving for home in the morning. The news was shocking. Her summer had been so much fun that she did not even realize that it was almost over. It made her sad. She would have to leave her friend behind.

Now with a bag full of seashells between them, the two children sat to watch the sunset one last time. Aerith held one of the shells in her hands and stared at it. She examined every curve, groove, and imperfection on it but it was just a decoy. She wanted to be interested in the shell because she thought it would distract her from this goodbye.

"Will you come back?" he asked, forcing the issue out.

Aerith shrugged. She did not know if her parents would bring her back here. Even if they did it would not be until next summer at the earliest.

He stood up, grabbing a rock in the process. He took a few steps into the water to where it was up at his ankles. He then flung the rock, causing it to skip an impressive five times before sinking.

"That was a good try," Aerith said, standing next to him.

She had seen him skip rocks before when he would wait for Aerith to go back into the water. Aerith held a rock and threw it. It sank without even a skip. She laughed.

"I guess I need to practice." she said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I could teach you."

"It's okay," Aerith said. "I'll probably forget by next summer. There isn't a beach anywhere near where I live. I'm not allowed to skip rocks in the pond at the park."

"Oh," he said as he skipped another rock, this time only getting four skips.

Aerith looked down at the water sadly. "Please, don't be mad."

"Huh?" the boy said rounding on her. "I'm not mad! I'm just... sad that you're leaving. I don't want you to go. It won't be fun without you."

Aerith looked up and then held out the seashell she had been holding. "This one is yours. I was going to bring seashells to all my friends back home but this one you can have because you are my friend too!"

He rested his hand over the shell. The two looked one another. Their lips spread into a smile and he takes the shell. Aerith was sure he had dozens of them. He held it to him and thanked her.

"Can I show you something?" he asked.

Aerith nodded.

"But not today," he said. "Tomorrow, morning, It has to be right before sunrise okay?"

"I'll be here."

He smiled. "It's the coolest thing ever."

Suddenly, Aerith launched herself and hugged him tightly. The boy nearly fell back as he caught her in his arms. His smile spread as they hugged one another as if it would be the last time they saw each other. The two let go when Aerith's mother called out for her to come to dinner.

The boy watched as Aerith gathered the shells, her beach towel and headed up the path to the cabin her parents had rented. She turned back once to wave. He waved back. She smiled unable to wait to see the surprise he had for her tomorrow. He looked down at the shell in his hands and smiled. His fingers closed up around it and he stuffed it into pocket of his swimming trunks.

Early the next morning, Aerith tiptoed out of her house and ran down to the beach. Her parents were sound asleep but they would be waking up soon enough. She hoped he would be there ready to show her the surprise. When she got down to the beach he was not there.

The little girl found it unusual that her friend was not there. He was always on the beach long before she ever was. Perhaps he was running late. Maybe he was running out the door of his cabin at this very moment. Aerith waited and soon the sun began to peek out. When the sun was finally over the horizon, the boy never showed up. Tears filled the girl's eyes. She sat on the beach crying until her parents found her. They were angry with her for sneaking out without telling them. Aerith went back to the cabin to eat breakfast and then leave the beach cabin to return to her home.

She would wonder for a long time what the surprise he wanted to show her. However, she would also wonder for a long time what had happened to him.

Aerith opened her mouth and a name escaped between her lips, "Demyx"