I really loved my flash fiction for the September 13, 2023 prompt. Maybe you know why!
The tide crashes against the beach as I sink my toes deep into the cool sand. Warm water rushes my ankles, whipping against me then tugging as it recedes back into the ocean. I grit my teeth and dig deeper into the sand.
“Is that all you can do?” I shout into the empty beach, the darkness of night obscuring my tears.
The next wave smashes against my legs in answer, ripping past my knees.
I wait for the voice that floats on the waves to remind me why I’m on land rather than deep beneath the ocean in my homeland.
The ache of homesickness is harsh in my chest, but I can’t go back. Living here, as human, is my punishment.
I extract myself from my little sand pit and stomp deeper into the sea and repeat, the water now rushing my waist.
It’s pointless, really, but I’m doing it anyway. I just need to feel the rush of water, anything to distract me from my heart, to remind me of home.
The voice finally reaches out, cradling me as white-tipped waves crest around me. “Does it hurt?”
New tears betray me, but this time I’m honest, my pride finally broken.
“It hurts,” I whisper.
The next wave swells and crashes over me, pulling me beneath the surface into a riptide that drags me deeper into the ocean. My lungs burn, but then tingles spread through my body until gills rip through my neck and chest.
“Welcome home.”
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