Palas 3

Part One - "She's breathing."

A six part continuation of bonus material
Events that happened between Palas 2 and 3

Harry has left Palas a year ago - Start of the Summer Season

All the lifeguards at beaches around the world struggle with the balance of letting people have fun and setting boundaries. Day in day out I work my hardest to let everyone here have their holiday joy whilst also being safe and let them go home alive. 

For the past years it has been my favorite part of the job to close up at night and know another day has past without casualties. After the horrors I went through my first year, life as a lifeguard has been somewhat easy for me. Although last summer was hard on a personal level and a professional one, I lost no lives. There was one resuscitation with semi-good results. Although the older gentleman will forever have problems with his health, he came out of it alive. But today everyone is putting me through a test, teasing me that I will not be so lucky again. 

The currents are strong and with the wind coming from the other side it is almost impossible to swim without getting hit by waves every second. Still, it is hot out and the start of the summer which means that almost everyone visiting Palas is at the biggest and most beautiful beach it has to offer. It is mahaim about to go down and I feel it in my bones as I sit out in my buggy, my sunglasses falling off my nose because of the sweat. 

"This is going to be a shit day," I say to Liam over the walky-talky. 

"Shouldn't have gone all out yesterday then," he responds and I smile a bit. 

Yesterday me and Liam had one of the best nights out for in a while. It involved a lot of beer and shots and some guy that I already forgot the name of. Although a nice bed partner is a good way to end the night, it is dancing, laughing and making fun of Liam with Liam that make it a good night. It is in those moments that we forget about our problems and simply have fun. It makes me feel alive while for large parts of the day I feel like a spectator of other's peoples fun, not being able to feel it myself. Sometimes I even feel separated from my body as I stare to the world in front of me, but today is a better day than most. 

"That's not what I mean," I tell Liam who is on tower dutty, having a massive hangover that I for some reason got out of. "The weather is changing."

"I know. I'm keeping an eye out on your side okay?"

"Okay."

My side of the beach is the part where when I started out as a lifeguard I wasn't allowed to watch it alone or with another girl. These days when budget is short, I'm more then allowed to sit here being a girl and being alone. Most of the times it is fine, but looking out to all the people standing in the shallows ready to be swept off the sandbank makes me feel nervous.

It is in moments like this that I miss Harry the most. He had a way of making me feel calm and protected in the worst situations. Working with him was such a joy although I realized that the most after he left the lifeguards. He got a job in Palas to tattoo which was his lifelong dream. I let him do it because I never wanted to hold him back in doing what he loves, but I missed him in the tower, in the changing rooms creeping up on me and next to me in the buggy. His presence was so strong, but I never told him. I don't think it would have made a difference in his later decision to leave Palas and pursue a career in London. Still, I sometimes imagine him next to me to make it a bit more easier. It's nothing close to the real thing, but good enough to be able to keep doing my job without freaking out.

Soon enough Liam starts talking through the walky-talky again. I'm pretty sure it is against protocol to keep the line busy with talks about the new trainees coming to town today, but it is helpful. Whilst speaking I scan the waters continually to make sure no one is drowning and I know Liam is doing the same. On the other side of the beach is a local lifeguard who was smart enough to win a session of rock, paper scissors and choose the easier side of the beach with less rips. He'll manage, I'm sure, but the longer I stare to the waters, the less sure I am that I will too.