Blue is a Sleepy Colour

28- Alone at Sea

Steven stumbled over uneven flooring, quickly regaining his balance as Elizabeth dragged him across the dock. He was tempted to uncover his eyes, but knew it would ruin the surprise.

"Where are you taking me?" He chuckled, but Elizabeth quickly silenced him.

"It's a surprise! You're gonna love it, I promise!" She laughed.

They came to a stop, and she allowed him to look. His hand fell away from his eyes, his blood quickly freezing in his veins. Miles of ocean stretched out before him- miles and miles and miles and miles-

"Steven?" Elizabeth's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Are you okay?"

His eyes glanced at her worried expression, his breath hitching in his throat.

"I-" He swallowed. "I can't be here."

"Look, I knew you'd be reluctant because of what happened to you, but water is a part of who you are, so I couldn't just let a bad experience take that away from you."

The waves crashed on the shoreline, the sounds sending a shiver up Steven's spine. Elizabeth grabbed his hands, holding them close to her chest.

"It... it was more than just one bad experience..." He whispered.

"C'mon, please! My dad rented a boat- we can just relax and do some boating activities while you reconnect with the ocean. How's that sound?" She squeezed his hands a little tighter.

"I don't know, Liz..."

"Pleeaase! We even named the boat- 'The SS. Steevo'!"

Despite himself, Steven snorted, a small smile gracing his features.

"Alright, I'll... give it a shot."

After stepping onto the boat's deck, Elizabeth introduced Steven to her father.

"So you're the famous Steven I've heard all about!"

Steven shook the hand of Elizabeth's father, forcing a friendly grin. He seemed like a jolly man- he was tall and chubby, with rosy cheeks and blonde curls that mirrored his daughter's. Steven thought he seemed like one of those goofy sit-com dads, always cracking jokes and poking fun at his kids.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." He replied politely.

"I've heard some crazy stories about you having super powers! Little Lizzy's real creative, huh?" He chuckled. "And please, call me Tom!"

"Daaaad, you're embarrassing me!" Elizabeth blushed. "And I wasn't joking- Steven's got some super cool powers."

"Well, I used to have them."

Elizabeth froze at his words, slowly turning to look at him with wide eyes.

"You WHAT."

"Yeah, I kinda... lost them. I can still summon my bow and quiver, though!" He laughed awkwardly, and he knew that was the end of that discussion.

A couple minutes in and they were far away from the shoreline, blue water being the only thing visible as far as the eye can see.

Steven sat huddled on one of the deck chairs outside, hugging himself to keep from trembling. He didn't like this one bit- he very much regretted going with Elizabeth on this trip.

Speaking of, he glanced up, seeing her sit beside him on the long chair.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"I... I'm not sure. I want to get over this stupid fear, but... being out here, I feel..." He trailed off, sighing.

"I can't imagine this is easy for you, but the only way to get over your fear is by confronting it. Either way, you're safe here." She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he smiled up at her.