I lay face down in the sand. The paralysing fear engulfed my whole body. I felt his hand firmly on my back. I tried to wriggle out of his grip. I felt my cell phone in my jeans pocket.
‘Stay still.’ He whispered. He griped my wrists and half dragged me into a cave. He laid me against the wall. His silhouette filled the mouth of the cave.
I studied the cave frantically; it was dark and only the main features where clear. Besides sand I had nothing to fight of my attacker with. I fished my phone out. The screen was black, dead battery.
Maybe somebody will see our tracks. I thought.
Right now my only realistic option was the scream for help.
‘HELP!’ I pushed myself up off the ground. I ran full force at him, he was cold, husky and ready. He quickly grabbed my shoulders.
‘Quiet!’ he hissed, I caught sight of his face for the first time, it was handsome but unnerved and some what familiar. His eyes darted from me to the seashore a few times.
‘Who are you?’ I tried to shake his hands from my shoulders.
‘Dylan.’ He muttered, I caught his eyes, they were the same colour as the sea. I felt reality melt away as I got stuck in his eyes completely over powered as if being dragged under water.
After what felt like hours he broke the connection.
‘Sorry.’ He sighed he let go of my shoulders and ran his hand through his hair. I stood there mesmerized by him, my guard completely down. He sat down in the opening of the cave. The watery moonlight illuminated his face, giving it an almost green tint.
‘Who are you?’ I repeated I turned to face him; I shook my self mentally, wiping the dazzled expression from my face, everything rushed back to me.
‘I am Dylan, Son of the Sea.’ He kept facing out to sea, with a longing expression.
‘Why did you attack me?’ I crossed my arms across my chest. The reality of the situation registered once again.
‘I did not attack you, I protected you.’ He didn’t seem to want a conversation so I edged my way to the other side of the cave.
“Why?’ I stood ready to turn and run for the protection of the bright blue beach house. The moon casts long shadows of our distorted figures into the cave. He rose from the sand and for the first time faced me. I flinched as he took a step forward.
‘Are you scared of me?’ he smirked with a note of sarcasm. The stubbornness in me firmly planted me on the spot.
‘Wouldn’t you be if a complete random pushed you to the ground and then dragged you into a cave?’ I pursed my lips and raised my eyebrow.
His facial expression showed hints of stunned, irritation and hurt.
‘I am not random.’ he uttered in disgust he turned and ran his hand through his hair once more.
‘He said you would remember me.’ He turned back to me searching for a reaction.
‘Who?’ I questioned the feeling of fear crept back into my mind.
‘Murrow.’ He sighed ‘I have to go, tell no one of this.’ He said firmly placing his hand on my shoulder again. An overwhelming urge pulled me back to his eyes but I forced myself to focus on the cave wall behind him. He somewhat reluctantly removed his hand and turned and walked towards the sea.
I stood in the mouth of the cave as if star struck. My sandy blonde hair blew across my face, blurring my vision. I watched as he dived into the waves. I waited for him to surface but he never did.

I woke the next morning with a splitting headache. Was he real? I swallowed back two pain killer tablets and mindlessly watch hours of morning talk shows. Mom called at one and asked how I was. She was flat out at work as usual, even on the weekend she had to drive all the way to the city.
‘Have you had breakfast?’ she nagged half heartily.
‘Yep.’ I filed my nails as I perched on the edge of the kitchen counter.
‘You going to the beach?’ she asked.
‘Later.’ I yawned. She did the usual love you bye routine and hung up. I fished around for cereal in the cupboards. I shoveled the cereal into my mouth and rinsed the bowl in the sink. I went about my daily routine and by four thirty I was sick of the house.
I changed into my swimsuit and pulled a loose dress over the top. I shoved my ipod, a book and a towel into my striped beach bag.
I double locked the front door and set out to walk the path that circled the cove of the beach.
The small corner shop, chipper, arcade and markets where settling down after a long day of trading. The atmosphere was full with the buzz of tourists and market sellers.
I strolled down to the beach. It was empty besides the couples watching the sunset. I laid out my towel and absorbed the remaining sunbeams. I drifted in and out of consciousness.
‘He did a good job.’ I opened one of my eyes lazily to see Dylan sitting next to me starring down at me. I instantly went into panic mode, shielding my eyes from his. I sat up as fast as I could.
‘What?’ I asked as calmly as I could.
He was dripping wet, shirtless and his dark hair was stuck to his face.
He tilted his head as if he was studying me. He reached over and pinch my arm.
‘Ouch! What the hell dude!’ I rubbed my arm.
‘Sorry dude,’ he mocked me. I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest.
‘I just had to make sure you where real.’ He laughed revealing his pearly white teeth. He leaned back on his elbows and faced out to sea.
‘The sunset was beautiful, too bad you where asleep.’ He continued.
‘What do you want?’ asked impatiently, I rolled my towel and stuffed it into my bag.
I stood up and swung my bag over my shoulder, I smoothed my dress down and crossed my arms again. He got up and placed his hands on my shoulders.
‘You.’ He whispered. Then he kissed me gently on the lips.
I opened my eyes. I was completely taken aback. He was gone.
My heart felt as if it had stopped.
‘Did that just happen.’ I said to my self. I shook my head and stumbled home, dizzy and at a loss.
That night I dreamt of him over and over. The kiss was so familiarly scary.
I stumbled my way through the first half of school the morning after.
He was like alcohol; I seemed to have a hang over the morning after seeing him. I kept my head in the books and counted down the minutes to lunch.
When the bell finally rang, I sat with Mariel and Cordula out on the year eleven lawns. They both had similar dark long hair and green eyes. They could have passed for sisters.
They gossiped about boys, outfits and parties while I quietly ate my lunch. The green picnic table was old and hideous but stand able. I studied the initials and notes engraved in the table.
‘Hey Daria.’ I looked up at the sound of my name. Mariel and Cordula where both looking at me.
‘Yes?’ I placed my sandwich on the table cautiously.
‘I heard that you where making out with some guy on the beach.’ Cordula blurted out. Mariel looked from Cordula to me with a shocked expression.
‘WHAT!’ Mariel and I shirked at the same time. Surrounding tables went silent. ‘Who told you this?’ I demanded. I shifted forward in my seat eagerly.
‘Well I…’ Cordula blushed she wasn’t used to being the centre of attention. ‘ I over heard Isla Hart saying it in the bathrooms.’
Mariel continued to star at me with an unchanged expression, her eyes looked as if they would pop out of her head. Cordula bit on her lips her eyes where on me too.
‘Who’s the lucky guy then Daria?’ Mariel smiled. She and Cordula both leaned their heads on their hands, egar to hear.
‘There is none.’ I sigh and then continue to eat my sandwich, they both eye balled me more and then continued with their conversation.

I avoided the beach over the next couple of days. He obviously was real since somebody saw him with me. I was still annoyed at Mariel and Cordula for buying into such gossip, so I avoid them too.
On Friday I ended up eating my lunch in the library between writing an over due history assignment. I strolled up and down the rows of books examining each and every spine.
I slid out three from the history section and laid them out over the oval table in the centre of the reading area. Flicked through the pages, jotting down key facts and figures. Some body sat across from me.
‘Hello.’ They whispered.
‘Sup.’ I replied my head still buried in the book.
‘You didn’t come back to visit.’ The voice muttered. I looked up at the familiar smile and almost jumped out of my skin.
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked uneasily.
‘Aren’t you happy to see me?’ Dylan smiled; he pushed a book across the table to me. ‘Read this and pay special attention to chapter five.’ he had a grey hoodie, jeans and no shirt on.
‘ Your not a shirt kind of guy are you.’ He let out a soft laugh.
‘Does it bother you?’ he smirked and he got up and walked to the door.
‘Hey!’ I called after him. I pushed my chair out and followed him.
‘What’s with you?’ I questioned. I studied him in more detail, this was the first time I had seen him in day light.
He had messy black beach hair and pale pink lips. He was well built and mysterious.
‘What do you mean by this?’ he smiled crookedly.
‘Like who are you.’ I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, his smile vanished and it was replaced with a blank expression.
‘I am Dylan son of the sea. I told you this.’ He moved closer to me. ‘You do remember?’ I forced myself to look down.
‘How could I forget, you tackled me to the ground and then dragged me to a cave. What I meant was where are you from and why are you here. Talking to me.’ I added. He frowned.
‘Read the book. It will answer some of your questions. If you have more meet me on the beach.’
‘Like a date.’ I joked.
He smiled and stood awkwardly for a few moments.
‘I must get back to it.’ I gestured towards my books.
‘Of course.’ I felt his eyes follow me as I walked back to the table, burning holes in my back. He lingered in the doorway of the library and then left.
I picked up the book and read the cover.
‘Mythical life.’ I laughed out loud.