Alex grasped the feather tightly in his hand, waiting for an answer that never came. Time ticked by slowly, and as about thirty minutes passed, frustration mounted within him. With a resigned sigh, he stuffed the feather into his pocket and headed downstairs. The scent of coffee wafted through the air, guiding him toward the kitchen, where he found Harrold already preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, Alex," Harrold said, glancing up with a friendly smile.
"Uh… good morning, Harrold," Alex replied, his voice lacking its usual energy.
"Did you sleep alright?" Harrold asked, noticing the hints of weariness on Alex's face. "Are you excited for the beach today?"
"Yeah, definitely!" Alex responded with a nod, though his smile was more of a reflex than a reflection of his mood.
Harrold seemed to sense something was off as he studied Alex's expression. "Is everything okay? You seem a bit… distracted."
"Yeah, I'm just deep in thought," Alex said, forcing a smile. "What do we have for breakfast?"
"I've got some amazing raspberry cheese Danish and coffee. Would you like to join me?" Harrold offered.
"That sounds great," Alex agreed. They sat down at the table, and as they enjoyed their Danish, they engaged in light banter, Harrold talking about the upcoming summer games.
Not too long after, Mia and Kyra arrived, both buzzing with excitement. "We're ready for the beach!" Mia exclaimed.
"Glad you made it!" Alex said, his enthusiasm beginning to spark again.
After the greetings, Alex and Mia started packing Harrold's SUV with the cooler and food for the beach day. They made sure to grab the beach towels, umbrella, sunscreen, beach toys, and floaties, efficiently loading the vehicle.
"Did you remember the extra snacks?" Mia asked as she hefted a large cooler into the back.
"Of course! Can't go to the beach without them," Alex replied, trying to navigate around the bags.
As they piled into the SUV and started driving, Alex felt his mind drifting again, visions of last night's events replaying in his thoughts. Was it just a nightmare, or was something else at play? Each bump in the road jolted him from his reverie as he looked out at the scenery, trying to focus on the moment.
Upon arriving at the beach, they spotted a familiar face waiting for them. It was Sebastian, waving enthusiastically as they pulled in.
"Glad you made it!" he shouted, and they all hopped out, greetings exchanged.
"Brought some extra soda for the kids and a few beers for me and Harrold," Sebastian said with a wink, earning cheers from the group.
"Thanks, that's great!" Alex replied, finally feeling a bit lighter in spirit as they headed to their spot on the beach. They set up their area under the sun, unfolding blankets and making sure the cooler was nicely positioned.
Soon, the air was filled with laughter as Alex and Mia raced each other into the ocean, splashing and enjoying the refreshing waves. Meanwhile, Kyra diligently constructed a sandcastle, enlisting Harrold's help. Sebastian leaned back, cracking open a beer and chuckling at the joyful chaos unfolding around him.
As the morning wore on, Mia decided it was time to prepare lunch. She started pulling out ingredients to make sandwiches, while Kyra entertained herself, running along the shore with her beach ball.
"I'll be right back; I need to go to the restroom," Alex said, standing up.
"Okay! I'll start on the sandwiches!" Mia called back.
As he walked toward the public restrooms, Alex took a moment to clear his head. But as he exited, the sound of a small girl crying caught his attention. Curiosity piqued, he turned the corner and saw Kyra on her knees, a boy not much older than Kyra standing over her, holding her beach ball.
"Please, give it back!" she cried.
"Get lost! This is mine now!" the kid jeered, clutching the ball tightly.
"Hey!" Alex yelled as he rushed forward. "Give her back her ball!"
"No! It's mine!" the bully shouted defiantly.
Without hesitation, Alex lunged forward, snatching the beach ball from the boy's grasp. "Here, Kyra," he said, handing it back to her. "Go back to Harrold."
Kyra wiped her eyes and nodded. "Thanks, Alex!" she said, scampering off toward Harrold.
The little bully scowled, "Hey! What the hell? That was mine!"
"Stealing something doesn't make it yours," Alex retorted, annoyance flaring within him.
As he began to walk back, the bully yelled out, "You'll regret this!"
Before Alex could continue, a tall teenager emerged beside the bully, his demeanor threatening. "Hey, asshole! My brother says you took his ball," he spat, glaring at Alex.
"No, I took back the ball he stole from my friend. What's it to you?" Alex responded, crossing his arms defiantly.
"Are you calling my brother a thief?" the teen challenged, stepping forward.
"If the shoe fits, then wear it!" Alex shot back, sensing adrenaline coursing through him.
The teen cracked his knuckles, moving closer with malicious intent. "I'm going to enjoy this."
Just then, Alex braced himself, ready for a fight. The teenager lunged, throwing a wild punch. Alex dodged just in time and returned fire with a right hook, striking the teen squarely in the face.
"Are you done yet?" Alex asked with a smirk.
"Fuck you!" the teen snarled, rushing Alex again, this time landing a punch to Alex's face.
But Alex didn't back down. He fought like he had never before, landing two quick punches followed by a side kick that sent the teen sprawling onto the sand, clutching his face in pain.
"Leave him alone!" cried the little boy as he rushed to his brother, the pair scrambling away in retreat.
Feeling the heat of adrenaline still pulsing through him, Alex turned back toward his friends, shaking off the encounter. As he approached, Mia glanced up from assembling the sandwiches.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I took care of it," he replied, trying to downplay the incident.
Sebastian raised his beer in celebration. "That's my disciple!" The group laughed, easing the tension from earlier as they finished their lunch.
After sharing stories and enjoying the food, they began packing up to head back to their cars. Just as they were finishing, Alex heard shouting. He turned to see the two boys from earlier, now accompanied by a large, burly man who was clearly intoxicated, wobbling toward them with an angry expression.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN TOUCH MY BOYS AND GET AWAY WITH IT?!" the man bellowed.
"Whoa, just calm down, sir! I didn't want any problems, but you see—" Alex started, trying to diffuse the situation.
"SHUT UP! You've got problems now!" the man shouted, reaching behind him pulling out a pistol.
Alex's heart dropped as he instinctively backed away, holding his hands up defensively. The man laughed malevolently. "Looks like you've really fucked up now, kid. Any last words?"
"Please, don't do this…" Alex begged, feeling panic rise within him.
The man cocked the hammer back and aimed down the sight. Just as Alex closed his eyes, ready to brace for the impact, he heard someone scream his name.
"ALEX!"
Then came a loud gunshot. When Alex opened his eyes, he saw the man standing there with the gun still raised, but Harrold was right behind him, swinging a large rock that struck the man in the back of the head, knocking him out cold.
Relieved yet terrified, Alex took a deep breath, now realizing the gravity of the situation. He looked down at his chest, checking for any injuries. But as he did, his eyes caught a horrifying sight—Sebastian lay on the sand, clutching his stomach.
"No!" Alex shouted, rushing to Sebastian's side. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding him gently.
Sebastian coughed, struggling to speak. "You okay, kid?"
"I'm fine, but you're shot! We need to get help! SOMEBODY CALL 911!" Alex shouted.
As he held Sebastian, Alex suddenly heard laughter echoing in his head—the sinister voice from his nightmare. "I told you this would happen. It's all your fault, Alex," the voice taunted. "No!" Alex exclaimed as he clutched his head in desperation. "Yes, it is," the voice continued, relentless. "Everything happened because of you. You should have known your place." "Stop!" Alex shouted, his frustration boiling over. "It will never stop," the voice replied with chilling laughter. "Hahaha!"
"No! Get out! GET OUT!" Alex screamed, clutching his head, the laughter unbearable.
Mia rushed over, tears streaming down her face. "Alex! What's wrong?! What happened?"