Beyond the Deep Water

Savior

"What are you doing here?" Like an angel fallen from the sky, Adam appears to save her. A silent hero whose voice shoves the horrific entities back to their dimension, giving Camille an immediate sense of relief.

She looks up in dismay, but all she sees is a tender smile that shines through any darkness surrounding her.

"Hey." He bends down to take a good look at her face. Camille squints her eyes to get a clear view of his grin.

"Hi," she tries to fake enthusiasm but fails to hide her inner battle. Adam says nothing. Instead, he falls to his knees to catch his breath.

The wind blows calm while she observes his chest expand as he inhales deeply. His throat stings with dryness but refuses to show any pain. Adam can't allow himself to look unreliable in front of someone that endures more than he can ever imagine. Unfortunately, there's nothing Camille can say to justify her weakness to deal with her problems; her hands tense up while fighting these thoughts. Adam clears his throat before speaking again.

"You'll be as red as a lobster if you don't lay in the shade at least," he finally gets enough air in his lungs to make his voice sound normal. He raises his face to the sky, stretching his arms over his head. He lets himself fall back on the grass while Camille sits up. Sucking in a deep breath, Adam closes his eyes to ignore her glare.

"I like the sun..." she says, looking at his sweaty forehead, his slightly blushed skin, and his messy hair, which are clear signs that Adam has been running around looking for her.

Camille can't bring herself to speak up, but to have Adam running in circles because of her only adds up to the guilt tormenting her. Fortunately for him, her body speaks on its own, and he has noticed it since the first day they met.

"Why weren't you in school?" Adam sighs, still with his eyes closed; he waits patiently for her answer.

"It doesn't matter if I go to school or not. No one cares-" her flat answer surprises him.

Adam, like everyone else in Primavera Town, has fallen for Camille's rare beauty. It's not only her delicate features but her elegant posture that captivates the eyes. There's a distinctive touch of sadness in her big expressive eyes that shine with a violet color. Her energy is like a power that makes Adam shy and brave at the same time. It pushes him to find his inner strength to keep up with her unique way of seeing the world. A world that hasn't been kind to her at all.

"Don't say that so easily..." He opens his eyes again to catch a glimpse of the bruises she's trying to hide. Dark finger marks become visible on the back of her neck as the wind fans through her hair. Adam's eyes narrowed with anger, his hands turn into tight fists, but Camille sighs with regret.

"I don't get it. It doesn't matter how much I try. I still can't figure it out." Adam fights the uncontrollable desire to face the monster hurting Camille in plain sight. She glanced at him with the corner of her eyes but says nothing. The moment Camille acknowledges the truth, Adam and her family will be in danger, the monster and the shadows will come for them.

"How Can you stay here and not say anything about it? He deserves to rot in hell." His disappointing tone makes her heart flinch. Camille pulls her hair over her shoulders. She claps her knees against her chest and turns to the lake. The magical reflection of the sun on top of the water is hypnotizing to her. There's a mysterious energy that calms her just by taking a deep breath in. The scent of new grass fills her lungs as she searches for the right words to say.

"I can't forgive him-" he insists, but she ignores him.

"I know." She replies as her eyes become lost in a faded memory.