Owl City: a Collection

Explorers; Part One

The ocean. What made it so magical? Was it the sound of the waves tickling the shore? Maybe gulls’ persistent calls or the sunshine which kissed every inch of exposed skin. Could it be the shocking contrast between a melting ice cream cone; which dribbled sticky vanilla in between one’s fingers, and the scorching sand beneath bare feet? Adam doubted that any of these things truly made the ocean so special. As he looked out at the horizon; where the sea met the sky in an immaculate barrier- He realized that it was freedom. It was the endless span of possibilities, and the incredible mystery in every cove. That; was what made it so magical. He sighed, and peeled his gaze away.

That was when he heard the familiar, beautiful voice speak up behind him. “Hello Adam.” Before he could even turn around, he felt a pair of long arms wrap around his chest. A small head rested on his back, and a smile alit upon his face. He could feel a few strands of her ebony hair tickling his cheek as a breeze carried them over his shoulder.

“Hello, Thesp.” He said, turning in her arms so that he could hug her. She shrieked suddenly as his arms tightened and he lifted her into the air. He spun around, listening to how her laughter rose out of her throat, spilling into the world like a beautiful melody. “I missed you.” He said gently as her feet touched the ground. He took a moment to look at her. Her hair was pulling back with a clip, and the loose strands of hair had naturally framed her face. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and denim shorts that came down just above her knees. “You look beautiful.” He admired.

A soft blush glowed on her cheeks. “I missed you too. And you don’t look so bad yourself.” She giggled, letting her arms fall. She snuck a hand into his. They hadn’t seen each other much since the incident when they were both trapped in the wilderness. She looked behind her at the beach where their families were talking. “Mom wanted me to come get you. But whatever. Come with me.” She said, pulling him down the crowded beach.

People practically littered the shoreline. Everywhere they looked- there was a person. It was suffocating at times.

For just a moment, Adam thought that it might not be a good idea to leave without telling anyone. But after a moment’s thought, he decided that he didn’t care. He left his shoes behind, realizing that Thesp’s were also far abandoned. Trailing behind her with his hand clasped in hers, Adam heard the voices and clamor dissipate as they wandered to a shore where they were quite alone. Their only company was the sea, and the occasional gull. “What have you been up to?” Thesp asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet as they slowly walked on the flawless sand.

He shrugged. “Nothing really… Certainly nothing as interesting as when the truck broke down.”

Thesper laughed, remembering the day he was referring to. What had they been thinking when they drove into the mountains, unprepared? They must have been absolutely out of their minds. “I kinda miss that couple of days sometimes, ya know? It was nice to have an adventure. But we can have an adventure anytime we want to.”

“I suppose so… But we’ll always have to go back eventually.” Adam frowned.

She looked at him with a brow raised delicately over her brown eye. “Who says?” She asked, her eyes sparkling. He could see the dare in her expression. “Let’s just pretend we don’t have to.” She said, giggling. “Let’s pretend that we can sail off across the sea and never look back. It would be wonderful.” Thesp said, squeezing his hand gently. “Don’t you think? We could swim in the ocean and find lost islands; and never look back.” She turned her face to the sea, smiling as a soft breeze sent tiny grains of sand over their toes.

“I’d like that.” Adam said breathlessly, following her line of sight. The water was sparkling, as if diamonds were strewn across the surface.