2

I arrived home sooner than I expected. As before, I quietly sneaked back to bed, careful not to make any noise, and slipped inside its warm covers. I didn't bother to change the dress I had been wearing, I was too tired to even care.

I was so exhausted, but somehow I kept on thinking about what happened at the beach. How could I have done what I did? I couldn't have just walked down to the beach and just decide to go and have a swim at this time of the hour and cold weather.

But what if something made me go down there into the water? Forced my mind too cooperate and do as I was told. No, that couldn't be possible. I was probably too tired to know what I was doing. I didn't exactly know what happened at the beach, just that I end up in from it and then see myself wake up surrounded by water and almost drown.

I tried to clear those thoughts away, but they still lingered on inside my head, and I didn't like it. In a way, I could hold back a very small memory from the beach. I had thought I heard a voice inside my head welcoming me to where I was heading, but I'm not so sure of it.

Maybe this whole thing is a dream. Yeah, I agreed with that thought. I'm just dreaming this whole thing and I'll wake up in the morning great as ever.

I smiled; there was nothing to worry about at all.

But I never knew how wrong I was.

> > > > > > > > >

"Coral get back inside the house!" Dad yelled at me.

I stopped and turned around; I was just about to head outside.

"Why?"

"Because you're responsible of what happened to Mina's doll, because of you she's cried the whole day." Dad explained.

"But I didn't do it I told you! I found it with the dog since she leaves her doll outside all the time. I had nothing to do with it, I swear!" I protested.

"Coral, you expect me to believe that? After all, I've seen you take Mina's old dolls before and hide it away."

"But that was four years ago! I don't do that anymore. And besides, it's just a stupid doll, why would I get grounded for that thing?" I said. Dad just sighed and shook his head.

"And what proof does Mina have that I destroyed the doll?" I said.

I saw the look on my father's face, he was about to give in.

"Alright Coral, but if your mother makes a fuss about it, you better talk to her before she yells at me." Dad said.

I ran over to my dad and gave a big hug and a few kisses. "Thanks dad!"

He just smiled and I headed back outside, but dad had one more thing to say.

"Go fishing and maybe your mother won't make a fuss about you."

I replied okay and stepped outside of the house heading to the docks. My father owned a small boat and we always went fishing together, sometimes we'd fish at the pier as well.

After walking for two blocks, I arrived at the docks and walked over to my dad's boat. There were two fishing poles, one red, and the other blue. I took the blue one since it was mine and smaller than the red one. I also grabbed a bucket and dipped it inside the sea to get some water so I could place the fish inside when I catch them.

I took a bag of small fish, which were fake, so I could attach it onto the hook.

I had to go fishing at the pier since my father didn't let me drive the boat on my own. The pier was close by, just a block away.

I headed towards the pier; I saw a family of four buying a few shells from a small shop located on the pier. I shook my head, each shell from the shop looked exactly like the ones you'd find on the ground at the beach. I have seen the shopkeeper picking up shells from the ocean shore for his shop. And his shells are not cheap.

I ignored the family; they probably were from out of town anyway and didn't know much about this place. There were a few tourists here in the summer because you could find whales swimming in the sea at any time. Most of them were killer whales.

I walked up the pier and headed for the very far side of it. I was lucky, there weren't many fishers today, probably since it was too early in the morning and everyone's at work.

I put down my bucket of water and opened the bag of fake fish. I was about to place one of the fish onto one of the hooks when I felt something staring at me.

I walked over at the edge of the pier and looked down trying to see if something was in the ocean, there wasn't. Just rocking waves and a few surfers.

I shook my head, it was only my imagination.

I continued what I was doing and as I managed to place the fake fish onto the hook, I made sure no one was behind me and threw the fishing line as far as I could into the sea.

It landed about twenty or thirty feet away from the pier and hit with a very small splash. So the only thing I could do now is wait.

I sat at a nearby bench placing the bucket next to me. I continued to wait for a jolt on my fishing line. I waited some more, and a little more. Still no movement.

I had been waiting for twenty minutes, then time flew by as half an hour, then an hour, an hour and a half, and still no movement.

By now there were two fishermen waiting as well near my spot. They were lucky enough to catch at least one fish, I had none.

I grew impatient and brought back my fishing line. The fish was still placed on it, it hadn't fallen off, so then what was taking so long?

I threw back my fishing line inside the water and decided to wait a little more. I waited for another twenty minutes and was about to give up when suddenly, my fishing line shook. I had been slouched against the bench and sat straight up. Finally I had caught a fish!

I pulled the line back as hard as I could. But it appeared that the fish I had caught was a big one. My fishing pole was bending in a U shape and I felt my grip on the pole begin to slip.

I pushed harder but the fish wouldn't even get above the surface of the water. At least I had to know what type of fish I caught.

The two fishermen beside me looked at me wide eyed. They obviously were also wondering what type of fish I had caught.

I still was trying to pull the fish line back, but it was impossible, I knew it. I had probably caught a shark and I wasn't strong enough to pull it back.

I figured it would be best if the fish just managed to escape from my hook, I didn't want to lose my fishing pole.

Suddenly my fishing pole was pushed towards the water with such force, I was caught off guard. I should've let go of the fishing pole.

I screamed as I was pushed over the wooden fence surrounding the pier and fell over expecting to crash into the sea. I closed my eyes tight, but I still did not hit water. I slowly opened my eyes as I saw the two fishermen holding me by my left arm.

"It's okay, we got you." One of the fishermen reassured. They pulled me back over onto the pier and I landed hard onto the wooden surface. Boy was I glad to be safe.

"That must've been a heavy fish you handled." One of the fishermen said.

I was breathing hard and managed to sputter out, "I can't believe it… I just can't, thank you, thank you both so much!"

The fishermen's just smiled and helped me back onto my feet.

"You shouldn't go fishing alone young lady, sometimes it could get dangerous."

I nodded panting, "Yeah maybe I shouldn't, I- I just didn't know I would catch a fish so big."

The fishermen's nodded. "It's not common for a big fish like that to come around this area." One replied.

I sighed, counted to ten in my head trying to calm myself a bit.

"You should go home lady, you need the rest."

I smiled. "Thanks, but how could I thank you both?"

"You already did, just that you should be heading home."

I smiled again and waved goodbye to both of them. I felt bad that I hadn't thanked them enough for what they did, but I had no choice so I took my bucket and bag of fish and headed home. Too bad my fishing pole dropped into the water.

But that didn't stop me from pondering. I had a few thoughts running through my head. Today I could've fallen into the water and drowned, much like yesterday. Something wasn't right, and I needed to find out what.

Maybe the next time I come back to the beach, something like today, or yesterday might occur again. But I still didn't believe it, I couldn't. Today was just because some fish too big got caught on my hook and I was too weak to pull it out of the water. Yesterday I was probably too sleepy and didn't know what I was doing.

There's no such thing as someone trying to force me into the water without me knowing. It's just some coincidence.

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