Fellow beach dwellers and swimmers turned, hearing her screams, immediately frightened by the single word. They looked around, spotting the dark fin that cut through the water and aimed towards the man. Screams erupted, filling the sky as panic ensued. Cherri and I watched helplessly as people dashed from the water, tripping over one another in a frenzy.
“Shark!” Cherri continued to scream at the man, finally catching his attention.
“What?” he shouted as Cherri screamed again, pointing. The shark fin disappeared as the man turned, his expression completely flustered and frightened. His eyes frantically searched the water around him. “I don’t se—”
The man’s words morphed into pain-filled howls as his body was forced from the water, tightly clenched between the jaws of a giant Great White shark. The shark’s teeth were piercing through his flesh, his blood staining the blue ocean water. People on the beach screamed in terror, watching as the shark fell back into the water, rotating around as it devoured the man, drowning him in sea water and blood.
My side ached as I stared at the gruesome scene, unable to peel my eyes away as Cherri’s hand gripped mine. “Cherri.” I shook her arm while she stood there in complete shock. “Call my dad,” I whispered, unable to break my gaze. She remained still, gawking at the blood-stained water, the man and shark now absent. “Call my dad!” I screamed, her eyes breaking as they met mine. She nodded, releasing my hand before rushing to the nearest pay phone.
I glanced back at the muddled water, the red waves calming from the attack. I had lived in Golden Coast my entire life, and not once had I ever witnessed a shark attack. They didn’t exist out here in this tiny, summer paradise, but now, a killer shark was indeed lurking in the waters.Well, looks like I’m not the only murderer haunting this town.
The idea of existing in the same town as another excited me.
“I’m standing hereon the shoreline of a small, humble beach town known as Golden Coast, where a terrifyingly brutal attack took place earlier this afternoon on one of its many beaches.” The female reporter continued to speak her bullshit into her microphone as her crew stood by, recording her whole speech. Police rushed by, attempting to tape up the beach, urgingeveryone to return home as Cherri and I remained, huddled in our towels.
“Why am I not surprised to find you two here?” my dad groaned, smoking a cigarette as he approached Cherri and myself. “Now I thought I told you to stay away from the beach?” he whispered, standing only a few inches away, towering over me.
“You said no night swimming.” I glanced up, the sun burning from behind his silhouette as he glared down at me through his dark aviators. “Sun’s still out.”
He removed the cigarette from his lips, blowing the exhaled smoke into my face as I coughed. “Hmph.” He stood there, glaring down at me for a brief moment. “I suggest you get your ass home and let the men handle this.” I furrowed my brows, infuriated by his ordering me around like I was a child.
“Chief Bailey!” The female reporter rushed to my father’s side, her crew shadowing her as she frantically began questioning him about the attack.
“Come on.” Cherri delicately grabbed my arm, ushering me away when a commotion near the shoreline caught everyone’s attention.
“Where is he?” a young woman screamed, tears falling down her face as she fell to her knees. “Lee!” she screamed out towards the sea. The same man who was partnered with Cherri earlier during our game of chicken tried to comfort her. They spoke to one another before he glanced at me, the female quickly glaring in my direction. “You!” she screamed, bolting in my direction. The reporter and my dad watched as the man tried to stop her, holding her back as she flailed, screaming and shouting through her tears. “You slut! You did this! You killed my boyfriend!”
My dad quickly intervened, trying to calm the hysterical woman as Cherri lightly pushed me behind her, protecting me.“Hey! Delilah didn't do anything. Your boyfriend was harassing her—”
“His name is Lee!” she screamed, sobbing as she crumbled into my dad’s arms.
“Alright, that’s enough.” He patted her back. “Cherri, I want you to take Delilah home.” She nodded, grabbing our things as we began to walk away. “Maybe next time, you’ll listen when I tell you to do something,” he spat in my direction, the abhorrent response hitting my back. I clenched my teeth, forcing back my words as we left the beach.
FOUR
DELILAH
The deafening soundof Cherri’s alarm clock beeping over and over woke me. I tried to block out the sound with my pillow, pressing it against my ears, but it was useless, the irritating sounds piercing through the fabric. “Cherri!” I shouted towards the shared bedroom wall. She didn’t answer, either ignoring me or sleeping through the alarm. I swung my arm, pounding my fist on the wall. “Cherri, wake up! Wake up!” I listened as the alarm suddenly silenced, exhaling in relief as I adjusted my pillow and laid on my side.
I closed my eyes, beginning to drift back to sleep when my bedroom door suddenly swung open. “Good morning, sunshine!” Cherri chimed, standing in her pastel, purple babydoll nightgown, her avocado green silk hair cap covering and protecting her hair.
I groaned, staring at her as she grinned. “Why do you always have to wake up so damn early?”
Cherri tilted her head. “Well, if you quit staying out so late every night and actually got a job, getting up in the morning wouldn’t be so taxing.”
“Look,” I sighed, “I’m just not made the same way as you. I’m nocturnal, okay?”
“Mhm.” She crossed her arms. “Nocturnal and living off the scraps of that college fund your momma left you.” She turned, bobbing her head as she headed to the kitchen to make her daily coffee.
“Hey, that college fund is paying the bills, isn’t it?” I called after her.
“For now!” she hollered back. I smiled. Living with Cherri was something we had both dreamed of doing since we were kids. We had been best friends since she moved to Golden Coast in grade school, inseparable until the day I left this town. I was determined to build a new, peaceful life off the West coast, though it was something I failed at tragically, forcing me to return home to my old life.
I forced myself from the bed, dragging my feet to the kitchen as the smell of fresh coffee punctuated the air. “What’re your plans for today?” Cherri asked, leaning against the counter as she watched the coffee drip slowly into the pot. “Anything exciting?”
“I’m not sure. I think I might head down to the beach,” I said, hopping onto the counter as my legs dangled.
Cherri turned her head, glancing at me. “Delilah.” She sighed. “Babe, seriously? You are just asking for your dad to disown you.” That actually wouldn’t be so bad. “Why don’t you go chill out with that guy you mentioned before? I thought you two really hit it off?” She grabbed the partially filled coffee pot, pouring herself a cup before it could finish fully brewing.
