The waves crashed against the rocky shore, rhythmically sounding like a symphony to the pair sitting on the steps of the lighthouse. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a painting of pink and purple hues in the sky. The mother and daughter had been sitting there for hours, admiring the view and enjoying each other's company.
The mother, Ruth, now leaned her head on her daughter's shoulder. Her curly brown hair was illuminated by the soft light of the lighthouse, which was now rotating in slow motion. Her daughter, Rachael, wrapped an arm around her mother, feeling both the chill of the night air and the warmth of her mother's embrace.
"What are you thinking about, Mama?" asked Rachael, breaking the comfortable silence.
Ruth pushed herself upwards and looked into Rachael's green eyes, seeing that they sparkled in the moonlight. "I was thinking about how proud I am of you," Ruth said, a smile stretching across her face.
Rachael mimicked the smile, the corners of her lips turning up. "Why's that?" she asked, her voice curious.
"Because you're growing up to be such a beautiful, smart, and confident young lady," Ruth replied. "I'm so lucky to be your mother."
Rachael blushed at the praise, but then a somber expression overcame her face. "But it's not always easy, is it?" she said, her voice soft. "Growing up, I mean."
Ruth knew what her daughter was referring to. Rachael had always struggled with anxiety, and Ruth had seen the effect it had, both on her daughter and their relationship.
"No, it's not easy," Ruth said after a pause. "But you're doing so well, and I'm here to support you every step of the way. We'll get through anything together."
Rachael nodded, leaning into her mother once more. "I'm glad you're my mom," she whispered.
"I'm glad too, Rachael," Ruth replied, touching her daughter's cheek softly.
The two sat there in silence for a while longer, just enjoying the peacefulness of the night. The lighthouse's beam still turned, illuminating the surroundings every so often - a light that guided lost ships home.
Finally, Ruth spoke up. "Do you remember when we first came here?"
Rachael furrowed her brow, thinking. "Um… seventeen years ago?"
Ruth shook her head. "No, it was when you were still a child. Do you remember?"
"Oh…." Rachael's voice trailed off. "I think so?"
Ruth took a deep breath, then began. "We came here just after your father's disappearance. Do you remember that?"
Rachael nodded slowly. Ruth could feel her daughter's body tense up in anticipation.
"Well, your father and I used to come here all the time. It was like our secret spot, you know? And when he mysteriously left, I wanted to come here with you to remember him since we had nowhere to go," Ruth explained, her voice wavering slightly.
Rachael took her mother's hand, squeezing it tightly. "I remember now," she said.
Ruth smiled through her tears at the memory. "When we came here that day, you asked me if dad would find us and liberate us from all the accusations they made against us," she continued. "You were just a child when your father just vanished into thin air. And after that incident, strange things started happening in our village. Storms ravaged our farmland, floods ate up our settlement, and a lot of disappearing started happening. All our people could do was lay the blame on me. I became the scapegoat for something I never knew. And I was forced to run away with you if I had to keep you safe."
Unbeknownst to Ruth, Rachael had been listening to the story with tears threatening to spill from her own eyes.
"I'm sorry I deprived you of living a better life. I remember telling you that things will get better, and then you said-" Ruth suddenly stopped, her voice choking up.
"What did I say?" Rachael asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
Ruth took a deep breath, then managed to say the words. "You said that you're proud of me because you were my daughter and that must be something special."
Rachael's eyes widened as Ruth's words sunk in. She threw her arms around her mother, holding on tightly. "I remember now," she said, her voice choking up with emotion. "I remember saying that."
Ruth held her daughter close, feeling tears spill down her cheeks. "Rachael, you have no idea how much that meant to me. And it still means everything to me."
They stayed like that for a while, comforting each other with their love and tears until there were none left. The lighthouse continued to turn, sending its light out into the night, and the waves continued to crash on the rugged shore. But for these two, the world stopped spinning for a moment in time, as they shared a moment that they would never forget.
Her mother pulled her back into her bosom and nuzzled her nose against hers. "That's my girl. Now go get the net we left at the seashore and meet me in the kitchen for dinner." She let go of the arms of her daughter who gave her a nod and ran off.
The woman watched as her daughter ran with so much happiness across the field. She was satisfied with the fact that she gave her daughter enough joy, peace, and attention she deserved, despite depriving the poor girl of a good standard of living. That very thought always made the stronghold she built around her heart shatter in pain.
With each step, Rachael's clothes felt heavier as she approached the sea bank. The wind blew unforgivingly as coldness nipped at her exposed skin, sending shivers down her spine. It wasn't a long walk, thankfully, to the low end. But as she was getting closer to the shoreline, she saw the sea pulling itself back.
Horror immediately filled her whole being.
"Tsunami!" She screamed out to her mother whose head was seen pooping out of one of the windows.
"Tsunami!" she screamed louder, reaching the base of the lighthouse.
To her horror, she heard the sound of what seemed like a monster letting out a powerful scream. Rachael turned around to see a wave coming straight for the cliff. Normally, this won't be a problem. But this wave was gaining speed at each fleeting fleeting second, surpassing the height of the cliff.
She ran inside the lighthouse, running up the stairs to where her mother was, and Clung to her mum without hesitation.
Everywhere went still. In less than a minute, a loud crash shook the entire lighthouse. Before they knew it, water began flooding into the structure, steadily rising. A second crash was heard, this one knocked both of them onto the floor. The lighthouse began to crack, while the water was steadily rising.
"I love you, Rachael," Mother had whispered to her for the umpteenth time, giving her a tight hug. The way she poured all her being while she said the word "LOVE" made Ambrosia to be taken aback by the utterance.
"I love you too, mum," she finally mustered to whisper back, just in time before the third crash shook the walls of the entire place the both of them once called HOME for so long. The walls came crashing down on them, and the only thing they were able to feel was the bitter cold of the water that now surrounded them. The kind of cold that paralyzes you, while your breath hitches in your throat, sending jolts of shock along your nervous system.
The darkness filled her.
Rachael choked for air, uselessly trying to force the icy blackness out of her lungs. The water flooded her vision. She couldn't see. She couldn't think. She could barely feel it. Each time her head surfaced on the water that filled the entire place, she sucked in quick breaths of oxygen before she was pulled violently back down into the malevolence of the ocean.
Her limbs felt numb and heavy, dragging her down into the murky shadows beneath her. But she wouldn't give up. She forced herself to keep moving through the crushing water, refusing to acknowledge the hopelessness of her situation.
Struggling towards the floating wood meters ahead of her, Rachael tried to ignore the noise of her mother's cries, feeling her own heart clench at the sound of her mother's pain. Her mother let out a gurgled scream of terror, and Rachael quickened her movements, fighting desperately to make it to her before she was swallowed whole by the consuming blackness that swirled around them.
Rachael felt her body being propelled sideways where her head bashed sickeningly against a jagged surface. Her eyelids fluttered, and she couldn't seem to keep them open. Her entire body was screaming in pain, her limbs could barely move. She saw her mother still meters ahead away from her. But her cries and wailing had subsided. Rachael caught the eyes of her mother and tried to smile weakly at her, trying to reassure her panic and make her know for one last time that she loved her.
Her mother's wide, bloodshot eyes and her pale face showed pure terror as she was dragged under the icy water. Ambrosia watched her mum's slender figure sink further and further away from her to a place that she could never follow.
She was gone. Her mum never resurfaced.
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