Ryder

I stared at the girl. I found it strange that she was here again. I had been coming to this beach for two years on my own, and not once had I seen her. And here she is, the second day in a row.

Blossom. That must have been her name, why else would she say it? I sucked in a deep breath and felt my cheeks flush when she spoke her name. “ Ryder,” I answered, narrowing my eyes as I stared at her. I wasn’t sure what to think. I had never been asked for my named while at the beach. Well, technically this girl- Blossom - didn’t ask me my name. But she told me hers. So it was only polite for me to do the same.

Blossom looked at me, pursing her lips, then looked back to the ocean. The silence between us wasn’t at all awkward. The sounds of the crashing waves filled it. It was nothing like the cold, harsh silence that enveloped me as I sat alone at dinner. Or while I was trying to sleep. Blossom. I had never met anyone with that name.

“ Isn’t it amazing?” Blossom said softly. I still stared at the horizon, and I thought of all the things in the picture that were amazing. I wondered which one Blossom was talking about.

“ The ocean,” I replied.

Blossom turned and a smile spread across her face, her eyes twinkling as she shook her head. “The WIND,” She answered, her lips forming each letter of the word as if they were sacred.

I narrowed my eyes, confusion clouding my features. The wind? That hadn’t been on my list of amazing things in this picture. I looked at the ocean again. Wind? Amazing? But you couldn’t even see it. What Blossom said didn’t make any sense to me. I looked. I looked as hard as I could, but I just wasn’t understanding. I saw water. The beautiful, sparkling, ocean water. But amazing wind? No.

“ Ryder,” Blossom tested out my name. “ I want to show you something.”

I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the ocean and looked at her. She gave me another little smile and turned away. It took me a second to realize she wanted me to follow her. I scrambled to my feet and went to catch up to her, embracing my curiosity.