“Put on some shorts, and let’s go.”
She winced. “They show so much of my leg.”
He chuckled. “Trust me. You’ll have on more clothes than many of the women out there.”
She nodded, but she wasn’t sure what he meant that she’d have on more clothes. That seemed almost impossible, but she pulled on the shorts and grabbed the shoes he’d given her to wear. Excitement skittered through her at the idea of seeing the ocean. She’d heard the beaches were gone and the oceans had dried up, but Q said he could show it to her. So far, everything she’d learned in the community had been a lie. Learning the truth was exciting and scary. She wanted to know more, but it was a lot to take in.
8
When Q stopped the truck, they were parked where she could see the water. She couldn’t move it was so big.
“What do you think?” Q asked.
She didn’t answer for a moment because she wasn’t sure what to think. “It’s bigger than a lake.”
He smiled. “Much bigger.”
“This sounds crazy, and you probably think I’m stupid, but we were told the oceans dried up. I’m shocked it’s here. I kind of thought you were joking about seeing the ocean. I thought it might be a lake or something like that.”
He turned to her and took her hand. “I don’t think you are stupid. Not at all. You were told lies and falsehoods. There will be things you learn, and if it’s coming too fast, just tell me, and we can slow down.”
They stepped from the vehicle and stood in front of it as she stared at the water rushing up at them. It was still far away but seemed scary. A noise came from behind Q and she turned, seeing something in the sky.
Shock filled Flora, and she pointed at the thing over Q’s shoulder. “Oh shit, what is that?”
Q glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to her. “It’s an airplane.”
“A what?”
He narrowed his eyes, and his lips thinned. “You didn’t see any airplanes streaking across the sky?”
She shook her head. “No, we were told not to look up and study the sky. That it was the realm of evil. If we heard anything above us, we were encouraged to hide.”
“I can promise you there is nothing inherently evil about the sky. You can look if you want, just don’t stare at the sun because the light is too bright and it can damage your eyes.”
She shook her head. “There is so much I don’t know. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
He put his arm around her and hugged her close. His arms around her felt good. She leaned against him, liking how strong he felt. It had been a long time since anyone had hugged her. The last person who had held her like this had been her mother.
“It will get better. I promise you that everything will be okay.” Q had no clue if anything would be okay for her ever again. She had a long road ahead, and he hoped he could help. She needed a place to go to adjust, but he wasn’t sure where to send her. All the shelters he’d looked at so far were a little too rough. She was incredibly innocent and needed help, not someone looking to take advantage of her.
“Can we go closer?”
Q nodded. “Yes.” He took her hand, and they walked out onto the beach. Her laughter was unexpected.
“It’s squishy.”
He nodded. “Sand doesn’t hold together like other dirt. Your feet can sink down into it. Sometimes it’s packed, but usually it’s soft and squishy.”
“Oh my, there’s someone running into the water. They’ll be hit by it.”
He squeezed her hand. “People do that. It’s called surfing. They catch the waves rolling in and try to ride them as they push to shore. He’ll be fine. The waves here aren’t big at this beach. Probably a beginner or someone practicing something they want to try out.”
She stopped walking and watched as the man was hit by a wave. “Is he okay?”
Q pointed. “Look, he’s on his board and paddling out.”
She put her hand on her chest and shook her head. He liked introducing her to new stuff, but he could tell introducing her to too much would shock her. He still hadn’t turned on his TV. There were some shows that would be way too shocking if she found them. He couldn’t imagine her horror if she watched a crime drama or a slasher movie likeScream. He would have to gradually introduce her to TV because the last thing he wanted for her to find on her own was something violent that would scare her.
